Car & Driver change of heart - Page 3 - Smart Car of America Forums : Smart Car Forum

The Silver Pellet · 08-09-2008, 06:40 AM

Dougg is right. Mashing the gas pedal doesn't hurt mileage. It's the braking that does it.

Heavier pedal to get up to speed = sooner to release pedal to hold cruising speed.

Where you get penalized is if you then brake ... which kills the momentum you built up.

Don't take our word for it. This subject is even covered in the Bosch Automotive Handbook.

Amazon.com: Bosch Automotive Handbook: Robert Bosch Gmbh: Books

vwW12 · 08-09-2008, 08:21 AM

Reading that and previous Car and Driver reports on the smart car, I found this [C&D, April 2008]:

Europeans and Canadians can buy the won’t-pass-U.S.-emissions diesel Fortwo that returns over 70 mpg on the Euro highway cycle

How nice it would be it it weren't so!

mdfortwoguy · 08-09-2008, 08:40 AM

I've dealt with this before. Smile, nod, and then drive off and leave the naysayers in your dust.

I bought a 4 cylinder, 5 speed manual VUE back in 2002. When Saturn brought out the CVT equipped VUE, the mags tested it, and griped about its mid 11-sec 0-60 time, and the 4 cylinder instantly started getting brow beaten for being slow, regardless of transmission choice. There was never a review done of the 4 cylinder/5 speed, unfortunately.

The V6 VUE until 2004 had a 181HP Opel engine and could clear 0-60 in mid 8 seconds. On more than one occasion, mine has kept nose to nose with a V6 from both a roll and a standing start to say, a bit more than highway speeds... let's not forget that I can lay 10 feet of rubber any time I want as well