SMART from a Mercedes-Benz point of View

[smartlyle]

This is a funsite that has a Benz poinf of view;)
http://benzinsider.com/

[SmartPassion]

Sure wish they will develop a turbo for the Mistu-equipped 451 smart soon.

[dbwill]

Maybe they will do an AMG "Hammer" model

[Evilution]

Originally Posted by SmartPassion

Sure wish they will develop a turbo for the Mistu-equipped 451 smart soon.

Eh? they already do a turbo version.

[Fredvon4]

SmartPassion... you do not sound aware that they alread have a factory turbo equiped 451....just not for sale in USA market.... wink wink

Opps Kane beat me to it!

[Smartman]

Doesn't the turbo defeat the high MPG? That IS the third reason I'm getting the car, after all. The look and unusualness is first and second.

[SmartPassion]

Originally Posted by Fredvon4

SmartPassion... you do not sound aware that they alread have a factory turbo equiped 451....just not for sale in USA market.... wink wink

Opps Kane beat me to it!

Thanks Fredvon4, let me elaborate on that. Turbo for the US market.

[Evilution]

Import on from Europe.

[jwight]

Here's a blurb from that site, under the LA - Detroit picture:

In an unusual long distance test the smart fortwo and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class demonstrated their top position among the most climate-friendly cars. On a trip from Los Angeles via Chicago to the Detroit Auto Show 2008 they demonstrated outstanding fuel-saving qualities in everyday real-world conditions. On the 4,400 kilometre route the smart fortwo mhd recorded an average consumption of just 4.8 litres per hundred kilometres (49 mpg). The two smart fortwo cdis were satisfied with 3.9 litres (60 mpg), and even the business saloon E 320 BLUETEC (US version) consumed an average of just 5.8 l/100 km (40.5 mpg).

So which car do they sell in the USA? The one that averages 34 or 35 mpg. I don't know if this road trip was to demonstrate what is in our future or just to thumb their collective MB noses at us.

[Smarteq]

The mhd system increases your city mpg - not your highway mpg.

The micro hybrid drive is basically the same as the car we get in the states with the added feature of the engine shutting down when the car gets below a certain speed or stops. Since a cross country trip would most likely be spend on the highway, the hybrid drive would have almost no effect on mpg. It would seem to indicate that one could get 49 mpg on the highway. Some posters to this site have indicated they are achieving mpg in that range.

I have seen posts that state that smarts in other markets get better mileage because they have different gearing. While that may be true, I have not been able to verify that fact. Of the sites I've checked that list the gear ratios - they have all been the same. Has anyone else been able to find a different set of gearing listed?