How the smart costs less to own than a Prius

[Neonspinnazz]

Inspired by Bob Diaz's awesome analysis of how smarts are safe I decided to compare our little smarts to the big league hybrid and a little Yaris.

smart fortwo: 41mpg after break in (EPA estimate for highway) equates to a 357mi range on one 8.7 gallon tank. At current local gas prices ($2.70 Premium) the smart gets that 357mi with only $23. Not bad, weekly lunch costs more than that.

Okay now to a Prius, estimating 48mpg (EPA estimate for highway) after break in and with an 11.9 gallon tank this equates to a range of 571mi. And with gas ($2.50 Unleaded) it would cost $30. Not bad either, for ten more bucks you could go 200 more miles.

Now to the Yaris, estimating 36mpg after break in (EPA estimate for highway) and with its 11.1 gallon tank it has a range of 399mi (one less than a smart) but it requires extra gallons to reach that and with the gas ($2.50 Unleaded) it will take $28 to fill up a Yaris.

Here are the standings:

Prius - $30 - 571mi - 48mpg
Yaris - $28 - 399mi - 36mpg
smart - $23 - 357mi - 41mpg

Now lets consider buying price and later purchases (batteries):

Base models:

smart fortwo pure - (automated manual transmission) $11,990 - no A/C - no power accessories (excluding locking), no radio. side airbags included

Yaris - (manual transmission) $12,205 - CD player standard, A/C, side airbags NOT included but are "optional" (receives "POOR" for side impact safety without it)

Prius - (automatic) $22,000 - CD player standard, Eco A/C, side airbags included

Fully Loaded:

smart fortwo cabriolet (convertible) - (automated manual) $20,000 - Navigation with Bluetooth and iPod control, leather seating/heating, fog lamps, security system with immobilizer, power steering. Etc...

Yaris (2 dr coupe) - (automatic) $22,157 - iPod compatible stereo, power upgrades, style upgrades, safety upgrades, security system.

Prius - (automatic) $35,173 - eco friendly materials, navigation, remote start, solar panel cooling.

Prius battery change - every 100,000-200,000 miles/ 8 years at a price of $2,500.

Yearly costs (if driven 1,000mi a month):

Prius - $612 @ 1.7 fill ups a month @ $30 a fill up @ $2.50gal
smart - $773 @ 2.8 fill ups a month @ $23 a fill up @ 2.70gal
Yaris - $843 @ 2.51 fill ups a month @ $28 a fill up @ $2.50gal

With those $194 gas savings it'll take a Prius 94 years to offset the cost of a smart. And that does not include the 100,000-200,000mi/ 8 year battery change.

Parts cost of the smart: (these high strength body panels awarded the smart "GOOD" for bumper crush resistance tests)(this is if your insurance company does not pay, out of pocket etc.):

$190 for single body part
$1,000 for whole new body replacement (including installation)

Parts cost on "traditional" cars (Prius, Yaris, F-150):

$1,000 - $2,000+ for single part
$8,000+ for full body replacement

So overall, the smart is the cheaper car. It does offer a bit less performance and 2 less seats than other cars but the payoff is great. The combination of safety and design makes the smart a revolutionary car. And driving it does nothing but put a big smile on your face.

Maintenance is so easy a toddler could do the basics, your smartcenter would do oil changes and scheduled maintenance for a small fee of about $120 as compared to $300+ that other companies offer.

Although you can just do your own maintenance...

Say if your dealer screws up and you're unhappy, you could call the President of smartUSA and talk to HIMSELF! And he'll set any issues straight.


Feel free to correct any of my mishaps as I'm not that much of a math whiz...

[Godfather]

You forgot the Prius "drive an ugly car" fee.

[John_H]

Giving the smart 47mpg and the Prius 50 isn't loading the deck fairly. But that's what loading the deck is all about, isn't it?

Your inspiration - an educator, engineer, and armchair statistician - uses real facts and works to develop models to come up with a reasonably accurate representation of reality. Using 47mpg for the smart and 51mpg for the Prius throws the validity of the model out the window.

I like your enthusiasm, but I wouldn't pursue a career in statistics without a lot more background.

[Godfather]

Neon, I applaud you. Your passion for a cool car will hopefully last a good long time. I enjoyed your essay..........

[Padawan]

Originally Posted by John_H

Using 47mpg for the smart and 51mpg for the Prius throws the validity of the model out the window.

Agreed. We're all fans of the smart here, but you really need to revise your fuel economy figures before this model has any chance at validity. You will also need to accept that fact that the fortwo and the Prius are simply not comparable vehicles, and were never intended to be.

[OCMike]

Well let's see. We own a Prius and a smart.

avg mpg for the Prius over the last 4 years has been around 45 mpg.
avg mpg in the smart over the last few fill ups is about 37 mpg.

You forgot to add a few things into your figures.

Prius brakes can last well over 100,000 miles. The battery doesn't have to be changed after 100,000 miles either. It's warranted for 8 yrs/ 100,000 miles. 10 yrs/ 150,000 miles if you live in California. There are many accounts of the hybrid battery lasting over 200,000 miles. As far as maintenance on the Prius, I've only had to change the oil. If I ever have an accident and have body panels to replace, well, that's what insurance is for.

I'm not trying to defend the Prius. I'm just saying you need to do a little more research.

[OCMike]

Oh, and I gotta add one more thing. Comparing a smart with a Prius makes no sense. I can write a post titled "why a Ford F150 costs less than a Freightliner".

[Padawan]

Originally Posted by OCMike

Oh, and I gotta add one more thing. Comparing a smart with a Prius makes no sense. I can write a post titled "why a Ford F150 costs less than a Freightliner".

I was going to suggest, "How a Vespa costs less than a Brabus."

[Godfather]

Neon..... the above comments are to be filed under "Why you never want to be as old as them" header. Be young while you can....... enjoy it.

[Neonspinnazz]

Thanks for the constructive comments!

To make the comparisons more valid I stuck to the EPA estimates at HIGHWAY. The smart still wins in the end.

Why would I pin a Hybrid up against the smart?

Well, when one is bored and has some numbers sitting in his head one would want to let them loose.

(check post one for my more valid and accurate calculations)