Almost 5000 miles now and still only 37 mpg :(

[Fowvay]

Originally Posted by Macaw

2-up interstate at 65mph (speed limit) a/c on 43mpg no problem....only need room for 2 and the cargo space is adequate for us....plus in town we get 39-40mpg...

That right there is exactly what I am expecting. 40-45mpg hwy and 35-40 in town. Those are the numbers I can justify buying a smart (to others). To myself the only justification I need is... I WANT ONE!!!

[RVGRINGO]

Originally Posted by Alan Smithee

It's not the aerodynamics per se, it's the gearing. Short gears enable it to be quick off the line and make the most of its 71hp in terms of acceleration. A 6th/overdrive gear would help improve highway mileage, but acceleration in top gear would then be nonexistent. The car is just not designed for efficient freeway driving.

You might be surprised to discover that my 2007 450 turbocharged Passion has only 61 HP and can handle all traffic conditions just fine. Guess what? It has a six-speed transmission with that 698 cc Mercedes three cylinder engine with six spark plugs providing dual ignition. I often wonder if there is some little airplane flying around with the same engine; aircraft do require dual ignition for reliability in flight.

[saskdiesel]

Originally Posted by RVGRINGO

You might be surprised to discover that my 2007 450 turbocharged Passion has only 61 HP and can handle all traffic conditions just fine. Guess what? It has a six-speed transmission with that 698 cc Mercedes three cylinder engine with six spark plugs providing dual ignition. I often wonder if there is some little airplane flying around with the same engine; aircraft do require dual ignition for reliability in flight.

Probably not since its a car motor.
There have been many cars with dual plug heads though.
The Nissan NAPZ and 2.3 Ford come to mind.

[deltadart]

Originally Posted by Fowvay

Thanks but no thanks......

I thought the same thing when it came time to sell our GMC(16mpg)Envoy. A Cavalier? Actually test drove a Neon and the salesman wanted me to test drive the 04 Cavalier. Took it out and I simply could not believe how powerful the Ecotec motor was. He told me it was made to sip gas and have lots of power and thats why GM uses it in other cars. And it works great with the 4-speed automatic transmission. I think it's such a strong engine that they supercharge it and put it in the Cobalt. I really would like to test drive the Smart but there isn't a dealer within 300+ miles of Cedar Rapids. When I do get to drive one I really hope they will have the choice of the manual(with clutch)transmission by then. Not liking what I have read about the Smart transmission so far.

[Capt. Jack]

Originally Posted by mnext02

80% freeway driving at 75mph

That sounds about right. I restrained myself greatly for one trip (that little smart just likes to go!) and kept it around 60mph. I got an honest 46 mpg. Nice to know it can happen, but normally I drive 70 -75 on the hiway. And that's closer to 39mpg.