A convertible with better mpg

[je255j]

A lot of people are saying that the Yaris, an old Geo Metro, a hybrid Civic, etc, etc get better (sometimes a lot better) gas mileage than the Smart does. I too find it surprising the Smart gets only 40mpg, but even at that number, are there any convertibles which do better?

Every car I've ever seen mentioned with higher mpg is a car I'm not interested in anyway. I want a convertible. I suspect the Mini or Miata would be the only two that come close to the mpg of a Smart Cabrio, but even then, I doubt either would get more than 30mpg, and both would cost more up front.

Is there someone I'm forgetting? I don't think there is.

[doogster]

yeah, you are correct... there are no other convertibles that get the MPGs that the smart gets.

[Broken Kid]

Originally Posted by je255j

A lot of people are saying that the Yaris, an old Geo Metro, a hybrid Civic, etc, etc

There are multiple cars that get better mileage than the smart. Hybrids typically are rated over 45 mpg. Of course, you pay a lot more for a hybrid. Old Geo Metros got great mileage... of course, you couldn't drive up a steep hill, and good luck keeping the car together. It depends on what you want for your car. If the sole purpose in getting a new car is mileage, and if price is no object, you can probably do better.

[je255j]

Originally Posted by Broken Kid

There are multiple cars that get better mileage than the smart. Hybrids typically are rated over 45 mpg. Of course, you pay a lot more for a hybrid. Old Geo Metros got great mileage... of course, you couldn't drive up a steep hill, and good luck keeping the car together. It depends on what you want for your car. If the sole purpose in getting a new car is mileage, and if price is no object, you can probably do better.

I know a lot of people at a lot of discussion boards reply without reading the original post, or at least not all of it, but how you managed to not even read the thread's TITLE is beyond me. Allow me to start over.

I want a convertible.

Now, that said, I'd also like a fuel efficient convertible, and it does seem as if the Smart cannot be beat. I assume, as I mentioned, the closest competitors are the Miata and the Mini (both of which, let's be honest, certainly have their own advantages, but for a moment, let's choose to focus only on fuel economy and address the other stuff later) but even still, I doubt they can compare.

So, I'm wondering, in terms of CONVERTIBLES ONLY, what else is out there? I suspect nothing, but I've been wrong before, and I will no doubt be wrong again.

[Broken Kid]

Originally Posted by je255j

I know a lot of people at a lot of discussion boards reply without reading the original post, or at least not all of it, but how you managed to not even read the thread's TITLE is beyond me. Allow me to start over.

Yeah...

I was responding to what you said, not to your subject title. That's why I quoted the portion to which I was replying. That's typically how discussion boards work...

[Smart Enuf]

I own both a Miata and a smart cabrio. The smart beats the Miata hands down on mileage, no question about it. The Miata gets about 23-25 mpg, while I've gotten no less than 32 mpg (very heavy foot, 85-90 mph) and up to 43 mpg (moderate speeds and acceleration) in the smart. And the mileage continues to climb as I break-in the smart.

To be fair, the Miata creams the smart in flat out acceleration, corners, and overall handling. But it was purposefully designed for that, while the smart was designed with a different goal in mind. Both are great convertibles that deliver tons of smiles per gallon, but they each serve a different mission. My wife drives the Miata and gets a hoot out of it, and I likewise get my driving kicks out of the smart. Can't do much better than that!

[JThw8]

Geo metro came in a convertible.
But let's assume you want something nicer and more modern.

I owned both the NA (1990-1997) and NB (1999-2005) Miatas and the best I managed was 32mpg and 28mpg respectively.

I dont think theres another convertible on the market right now which comes close in milage.

[2mutch]

On the market right now - none with better MPG than the smart. "Blasts from the Past" examples like the Geo Metro and VW Bugs, Cabrios (came in diesel too), MG Midgets, etc...certainly better MPG but none with all the safety and comfort. Coming in the near future - possibly, but nothing confirmed yet.

Examples:

Miata - upper 20s at best - $22,500+
VW Beetle Convertible - upper 20s at best - $24,000+
Porsche Boxster - 20-22 at best - $49,000+
Saturn Sky - 30-32 at best - $25,325
Volkswagen EOS - mid-20s at best - $28,110
Bentley Continental GTC - 8-10 mpg when coasting - around $200,000
MINI Cooper Convertible - upper 20s at best - $22,600
BMW 3-Series Convertible - 27-28 at best - $43,200
Mercedes-Benz SL-Class - 20-21 mpg - $95,575
Pontiac G6 Convertible - 25-27 at best -$29,400
Aston Martin V8 Vantage Roadster - 12-14 at best - $126,400
BMW 6-Series Convertible - 25-26 at best -$81,700


The smart looks pretty smart indeed in this group!


- FRED "2 MUTCH"
Is it a car? Is it a mind set? It's BOTH!

[rawlus®]

vw beetle and/or other vw products in the TDI flavor should be high-economy vehicles. i don't know specifically if they TDI was available in convertible form however.