Saw an MB SMART-Car on the Fwy!

[David C Klasse]

I saw a mini car on the fwy yesterday, wondering what in the hell it was and what it was doing going 65 mph! Then I saw a Mercedes emblem and SMART written across the back! I have heard of this car, but did not know (or is it not!?) it's sold in the US... or even if we have a market for that type of vehicle? I did see a mini Toyota car (or Honda?) the other day at a University though!?

How safe are these!? Especially for the Freeway! I suppose I have good faith in Mercedes, however.

[jsmith]

These cars are being sold as kit cars as they will not pass our safety standards. You can find them on Ebay and there was a case of a TV Celebrity buying one and trying to get MB USA to service it after it broke down (I hear that one is in mothballs now). I fancy the A class myself (that's me standing beside one in my avatar pic)...

[Ali Al-Chalabi]

This vehicle is the result of a joint venture between Mercedes and Swatch. They seem to be getting popular in certain countries on the other side of the pond. I never liked them myself.

[jjrodger]

smart is a "brand of DaimlerChrysler". Fortunately it is more of the former than the latter. The car has a very robust safety cage (called a Tridiron) which in conjunction with the wheels and the twin floor (a la A-Class) reputedly renders it very safe.

I'm not sure how happy I would be to drive a smart on the motorway, although I often see them zipping around. The top speed is limited to about 85mph. I think they're very cool as an urban run-around. Were I ever to move to the city I would buy one (they're very cheap), although there is one in the next village from me.

I have looked quite closely at them as I was going to buy one for my brother. He chose a VW new beetle instead. The interior is great. Brabus do a tuned and body-kitted version. Sir Stirling Moss drives such a vehicle in London.

I have attached some pics. Check out the funky "cross-blade" model: no roof and no doors!

[jsmith]

little cars make lots of sense in large, bustling metropolitan areas. if you lived in a place like NYC, this car would be perfect for getting around town, darting through traffic and squeezing into the tiniest parking spot. i wouldn't drive it outside of the city though, it would be too dangerous. the streets of Paris for instance, are aswarm with little cars like these....

[Bear]

We have a few over here,but a Mercedes badge doesn't make it a Mercedes to me.There is even a company that makes a trailer for them,try this for size(no pun intended!!)

http://www.smarttrailer.ch/start.htm

Cute yes but I wouldn't be seen dead in one!Bear

[jsmith]

hmmm, truth be told i would really prefer a Cooper S - an original Austin with a 1275 motor in it...

Personally, I would love to have one of these. I would actually feel less vulnerable in one of these than a motorcycle. With the miles that I put on a vehicle annually, the fuel economy of the CDI model is extremely tempting.

[Jim Anderson]

On a motorcycle you have lots of power to get out of the way.

Yes, however, I have a 50 mile one way commute to work.

The Smart car has A/C, a necessity in a place where the summers are almost constantly in the upper 90 to low 100's, with humidity to match.

The Smart car also has heat during the winter months, and can be driven on slick roads.

We have HUGE bugs around here that make LOUD noises when they hit the windshield. Imagine one of those hitting you in the face (ouch!!)

The only time a motorcycle is fun is on a joyride. Not on a long commute to and from work, sharing the roads with a bunch of people who refuse to look beyond the hoods of their vehicles.

We were in Rome last month and at first thought the Smart cars were hilarious, even against the mixture of small cars. (It still looks big against the old Fiat 500s with their 4 seats). It just looks so truncated, front and back, but sits high. On the open road they do get driven quite fast (relatively) and seem to hold the road well, seeming to defy logic. Their engines sound very different, very smooth, almost high pitched. I thought my 300E was on the small side, until we went over there, because about the largest cars we saw were 300s. Allmost no SUVs! Out of all the little 'uns, the new Mini Cooper (put out by BMW) looks great!
I think we'll see plenty of those here in the future.
Gary

I work in London, and the bloody things are everywhere, they are good in the sense that they are as long as a normal car is wide, so you can park them nose into the kerb and not stick out.

Unfortunatly they only come in left hand drive at the moment, which is pants for UK roads...especially when it comes to ordering your burger through the drive through, or trying to pay to get out of a car park!

They have just released a new model with no roof, doors etc, it resembles a beach buggy type affair, but are totally road legal. However with the weather in this country i cant see it being a big seller!

i have seen a couple on the motorway and they look stupid, bearing in mind our speed limit is 70 mph, however most people travel over that all the time, Smarts arent the ideal tarmac cruiser.