How Safe Is A Smart Car

[wantone]

Hi Everyone!

I am new and I'm trying to decide if I should get a Yaris Hatchback or a smart car. My husband thinks the smart isn't safe enough for our Canadian winters etc.

Wantone

[Alan Smithee]

There is a 9 page thread on the subject about 5 threads down the page...

[rawlus®]

safety is somewhat a subjective decision based upon how you "feel"... some people feel safe on a motorcycle for example.

that being said, the smart does admirably in standardized crash testing. design-wise there are no major watch-outs that should cause undue alarm...

safety has alot to do with your driving style, your skill level, the kinds of risks you take while driving, etc. in other words, safety is not a constant. it is a variable.

while comparisons to a yaris are popular, i tend to think they're not that valid in many aspects.

winter, in and of itself, does not make a car safer or less-safe. it's how to adapt to those conditions. snow tires and cautious driving should handle most winter conditions. it would seem obvious that deep snow, ice and other extreme conditions are going to be challenging for most vehicles, including the smart. under those circumstances, i dont' think the yaris holds any particular advantage.

[jwight]

You might query some of your neighbors at Club smart car

[jtime58]

I drove the SmartCar for one day for a work function. I loved it!
I'm saving right now to buy one in 2009!

[blackbeagle]

Originally Posted by wantone

Hi Everyone!

I am new and I'm trying to decide if I should get a Yaris Hatchback or a smart car. My husband thinks the smart isn't safe enough for our Canadian winters etc.

Wantone

I'll save you a little bit of aggravation from long searches and 1000 results. When it comes to winter safety, I'm assuming that you are talking about traction. Let's break it down:

Smart- RWD
Yaris- FWD (Adv)

Smart- ABS
Yaris- ABS

Smart- Stock Continental all seasons
Yaris- N/A

Smart- ESP
Yaris- N/A

Smart-side airbags
Yaris-Optional

Needless to say, they are pretty much equally SAFE in my book during the winter. Now if you're asking me what happens if I slip and slide and run into an SUV, then it's a whole different story.

[jamesfabin]

I drove a Smart Car convertible for a road test (the worlds first iPhone Road Test actually). I drive a Lexus RX350 AWD as my daily driver, but actually found the Smart to feel just as safe. In crash test the smart does well with it's design. I had no worries with large SUVs or semi's on southern California's freeways. My only real issue with the car is the transmissions shifting - which was much better in the manual mode. I wouldn't recommend (though not tested) driving it in the snow - the light weight and small tires will not provide much traction.

[scdaf]

Within reasonable limits, a narrower tire will provide better traction on ice and snow than a wider tire...

[buellwinkle]

I think the Fortwo is safer because you can only get 2 people killed where in a Yaris, 4 people can lose their lives, hence the Fortwo is twice as safe as the Yaris.

[RVGRINGO]

If you are driving a Smart through a slippery intersection and someone coming from either side is unable to stop, you are the smallest possible target in the Smart and stand at least a 40% better chance of escaping a collision, wouldn't you think?