I think most people are under estimating the smart...

[burtandnancy]

I'm going to wear out my high beams on those who cut me off...(wish I could add a train horn)

[bumblebee]

My beef is that I am driving 70-75 on the highway and people still zoom pass me as if I was driving really slow. But then again. I live in Texas where if you drive anything under 75 is slow

[Flashman]

Originally Posted by timhood

The really interesting thing is that despite the "on paper" numbers, the smart seems very capable of keeping up with traffic from stop lights, without having to hit the accelerator hard and lose fuel economy. I believe it's because the good low-end torque and lower gearing of first and second gears (and to a lesser extent, third gear). I think the smart gets from 0-45 quite easily, but 50-60 probably takes up a proportionately longer time. So the full 0-60 may not be so fast, but light-to-light it hangs with the rest of the crowd.

Interesting. Where does the 451 switch into third gear? A lot of American cars that do very well in 0-60 tests do so because they are geared so the 2nd gear is good up to 60. My MX-5 is a good example of the opposite. It needs you to go into third gear around 55, meaning it's 0-60 times suffer from an additional gear shift (1-2 secs). So I can beat most things on the road, but if you are measuring 0-60 I have an additional delay that isn't evident in real-world driving. If the 451 is switching in 3rd or even 4th before 60, those additional gear changes may account for 2-4 additional seconds in measuring 0-60.

One of the car magazines had a good article about this years ago ("cars that are faster than you think" was the title or something like that)

[mike S. menza]

Vince, you are driving in the traffic version of the "belly of the beast'" i.e. West LA traffic. The only thing worse is S. Central LA traffic where I commute to. I think you notice things more because you are in a special and unusual automobile and are frequently the subject of attention. This is like being in a fishbowl when driving in LA. I have noticed that the actual driving is in reality no different than any other car - some people are actually MORE courteous when I am in this cool diminutive car. I have more people stopping and bugging me about my Smart Car with "How can I get one and how much do they cost?" I have driven my 427 AC Cobra all over LA and as expected I have experienced the same fish bowl feeling, (Duhhh) but without the approachable conversations I get with the Smart Car.

[SmartPassion]

The smart definitely exudes a more friendlier demeanor. I drive mostly in downtown LA and found that people (for the most part) are more courteous when I'm driving the smart.

Btw, I volunteer to drive your Cobra just to confirm the theory. ;)

Originally Posted by mike S. menza

Vince, you are driving in the traffic version of the "belly of the beast'" i.e. West LA traffic. The only thing worse is S. Central LA traffic where I commute to. I think you notice things more because you are in a special and unusual automobile and are frequently the subject of attention. This is like being in a fishbowl when driving in LA. I have noticed that the actual driving is in reality no different than any other car - some people are actually MORE courteous when I am in this cool diminutive car. I have more people stopping and bugging me about my Smart Car with "How can I get one and how much do they cost?" I have driven my 427 AC Cobra all over LA and as expected I have experienced the same fish bowl feeling, (Duhhh) but without the approachable conversations I get with the Smart Car.

[VinceLA]

All, thanks for the replies. Pleasure to read. I definitely think I hit a right spot here on this topic.

No I don't care about how others think. It's just an observation I made. Like Joey said, if I did, I would be racing every light in my other car. Their perception can be hazardous to other road users, especially me in the smart. Pple take on, overtake, cut grandmas who drive slow in buicks. Same with how they see a smart.

You know who I find rather friendly? Truck drivers. They have always let me merge onto highways effortlessly, giving me the thumbs-up etc.

Originally Posted by stevenvillatoro

For self-defense (to VinceLA), you might try a personalized plate: NVINCBL.

Bloody hell Steven! That's brilliant! And we even have the same color combo! whoo hoo!!

[ShoshTrvls]

I drive about 70 (although I know the smart could go faster) and what I've found happens is that cars who have come up on me fast and maybe don't realize what I'm driving from the back start to zoom around me and then instantly slow down to drive parallel long enough to stare and gawk before speeding away.

[mdfortwoguy]

Originally Posted by Flashman

Interesting. Where does the 451 switch into third gear? A lot of American cars that do very well in 0-60 tests do so because they are geared so the 2nd gear is good up to 60. My MX-5 is a good example of the opposite. It needs you to go into third gear around 55, meaning it's 0-60 times suffer from an additional gear shift (1-2 secs). So I can beat most things on the road, but if you are measuring 0-60 I have an additional delay that isn't evident in real-world driving. If the 451 is switching in 3rd or even 4th before 60, those additional gear changes may account for 2-4 additional seconds in measuring 0-60.

One of the car magazines had a good article about this years ago ("cars that are faster than you think" was the title or something like that)

Bingo... and I think this is the case with the smart. I haven't driven one with a transmission that isn't green, but it seems like the 1-2 shift kills it, and the 2-3 isn't much better.

My VUE's much the same way - it takes 3 shifts to get to 60, which just kills the numbers, but it has no trouble getting scratch into second, and will take most cars on a roll from 3,500 RPM to the redline in 3rd.

~D.J.~

[bottlerocket]

Originally Posted by maxtraxduffy

well went the other to see a friend that worked at a chevy dealership to show off my car.as soon as i pulled up all the the people that worked there came out to the my little yellow car. lmost everyone loved it !!!ESCEPT ONE THE SALES MANIGER he said "just a novelty"well i just gave him a grin and said "well you have 200 new gms on this lot and i dont see a single person looking at them, now that a novelty" and i got in my car to go . a car pulled right up behind me , well as you can guess sence all the sales people were looking at my car they all jump them right away. the man driving the car asked are yall selling the SMARTCAR i want one !!!!!!!!!the sales manger said no but we have a great rebates on all our fine chevy products!! well the guy said no thanks tailed me off the lot and flaged me over to ask the same question yall all get asked. while talking to him my cell went off it was my chevy friend well he told me the sales maniger said i was not welcome there in my "little tin can of a car" god that made me soooooooooooo happy!!!!!!!

GREAT story!

[stevenvillatoro]

Originally Posted by VinceLA

Bloody hell Steven! That's brilliant! And we even have the same color combo! whoo hoo!!

Hehe... NVINCBL... I was hoping you'd like it. A rare moment of creative inspiration. You might have to get a new screen name to match!

My smart was born silver/silver, but I knew on Day 1 that I had to switch to white/silver. Nice to know you have <ahem> good taste.