Local owner of smart fortwo isn't feeling pinched by high gasoline prices

[angel]

Local owner of smart fortwo isn't feeling pinched by high gasoline prices

By KRISTY GRAY
Star-Tribune staff writer Sunday, June 22, 2008

This is the car that Mark Studer bought.

It's a two-seater so small Studer can fit his arm all the way across its roof. Its fuel tank holds only 8.8 gallons of gas.

But here's the kicker: It gets 38 miles per gallon -- and that's for the stop-and-go driving of city streets. Studer only needs to refill about every two weeks, about the same as his Honda CR-V which has a fuel tank twice a big.

"The whole thing wasn't necessarily gas when I bought it, but I'm not mad that it gets great gas mileage," said Studer, a computer technician.

"I just thought it was cool. It's so fun to drive, it's like having a sports car."

Studer drives a silver smart fortwo, an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle introduced in the United States just this year. It's 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide. It's about half the length of a conventional car which means when Studer pulls into a diagonal parking spot, and he pulls so far forward his entire car is out of the way of other car doors. It's virtually ding proof, he said.

You can't miss it driving around Casper. In truck and SUV country, Studer's silver, bug-like matchbox is among the smallest vehicles on the road.

The smart fortwo is designed to get 40 city and 45 highway miles per gallon according to 2007 EPA standards. It costs between $11,590 for the coupe and $16,590 for the nicely stacked fortwo passion cabriolet. This year it achieved the highest ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for front and side crashworthiness.

Studer has always driven small cars. The largest he's ever had is his Honda CR-V. He just can't see driving something larger than he needs.

"I have no problem with a big vehicle, if you truly need one," said Studer who also has a pickup for hauling when he needs it.

So his smart fortwo wasn't a big stretch for him. He's always been environmentally minded. He recycles. He doesn't buy bottled water, but instead fills a reusable water bottle and carries it with him. He's replacing all the lights in his house with energy-efficient lights which will save him money in the long run, and lighten his emissions footprint.

One thing Studer is not, is an out-of-stater. He's native Wyoming, a state which depends on fossil fuels to drive its economy. But caring for his planet is something he thinks is his responsibility.

"I don't have kids, but that doesn't mean I don't care. That's a good reason to do it. It's just the right thing to do," he said.

Unfortunately, Studer sees the latest "green" movement as a fad. It's hard not to think that way when even products like Miracle Whip claim to be "green" because its plastic bottles are lighter than glass.

But, if the fad gets people to think, Studer says, it's a good thing.

"I just think it's out of ignorance that we've done a lot of what we've done. That's throughout the United States," he said. "On the whole, I don't think people are against doing this as long as they don't have to sell the farm to do it."

So, Studer drives his silver smart fortwo around town. With gas near $4 a gallon, he's paying about half as much as he would to fill up Honda CR-V. And when he's driving downtown, he can zing into almost any parking spot, no matter how tight.

The downside? It takes an extra 5 to 10 minutes to run his errands because wherever he goes, people stop to ask him about the car. Between 90 to 95 percent of the interactions are positive. But a couple of times, people have just come out and told him they would never buy a car like that.

"I'm not asking you to," Studer answered.

He doesn't preach to anyone about what they drive, what they recycle, what types of lights they put in their lamps. He leads by example: Doing what he can to lighten his impacts on his world and ready to offer insights when and if people ask.

"With education, we are all going to get better," he said.

Reach features editor Kristy Gray at (307) 266-0586 or kristy.gray@trib.com

[VinceLA]

"I just thought it was cool. It's so fun to drive, it's like having a sports car."

I have to admit I bought the smart for the unique, cool and fun factor as well.

[dbatch1715]

But a couple of times, people have just come out and told him they would never buy a car like that.

"I'm not asking you to," Studer answered.

Excellent reply to boorish people. 20% of our population are just slack-jawed idiots who can't react to reality.

[subman631]

Excellent reply to boorish people. 20% of our population are just slack-jawed idiots who can't react to reality.[/quote]


Excellent comment!!! I hate those that say they just have to have that SUV and, since they can afford it, they're going to buy it.

The guy in the article, though, drives only 150 miles a week if he's filling up every two weeks. At that rate, his % of income he spends on fuel is very small, hence the comment about not feeling pinched.