IIHS soon to test 2008 Smarts

[strider63]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing facility (20 min North of Charlottesville, VA) just purchased this week two 2008 pure smart cars for their testing.
http://www.iihs.org/
Curious what they will say.

I know that the Euro NCAP has tested a 2007 model but with out the side airbags and got 4 stars out of 5.

[Karl Roth]

did they get orphans or will we wait a year or so for results
karl

[a2jack]

Strider. This test group is very credible and and will set our future insurance rates.

It will interesting to see if they do any roll over tests.

A big problem we have found (3,000mi) is it's very poor handling in high straight line winds. Also gusts above 35 MPH push the car to the edge of control. Neither my wife ,nor I, would drive this car across a long bridge in the wind.

We are in the March wind season here in the Michigan and yesterday my wife had to leave the freeway as it was becoming too stressful to continue.
(Lest you think she was just chicken, my wife has flown many light "tail-dragger" airplanes and does not scare easily.)

A2Jack.

[strider63]

Not sure
Some one I work with has a friend that works at the facility, all he knew is that both were the pure models. When I asked him if they were orphan, he gave me a confused look.
He did tell me that IIHS did buy them from a dealer, which one I don't know.

I will ask him to find out when are they planning to test them.

[strider63]

Originally Posted by a2jack

Strider. This test group is very credible and and will set our future insurance rates.

It will interesting to see if they do any roll over tests.

A big problem we have found (3,000mi) is it's very poor handling in high straight line winds. Also gusts above 35 MPH push the car to the edge of control. Neither my wife ,nor I, would drive this car across a long bridge in the wind.

We are in the March wind season here in the Michigan and yesterday my wife had to leave the freeway as it was becoming too stressful to continue.
(Lest you think she was just chicken, my wife has flown many light "tail-dragger" airplanes and does not scare easily.)

A2Jack.

Last weekend I was on highway 29 in Va. with cross winds close to 30 MPH. But they were steady winds and no gusts. So far no big deal even when a big semi truck passes me.

But thanks for the info, I definitely do not plan to travel to the Va Easter Shore and drive on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Even with our heavier larger car its no fun when wind gusts go up on the bay.

[dennyrex]

they really should put wind turbines on those bridges. you won't catch me driving the tappan zee bridge in my smart; but I dislike long bridges in general.

[Orphan-Beggar]

I am considering driving to the Delaware Memorial Bridge on a high wind day and requesting the "Bridge Crossing Service" just to see the reaction.

Can an expert chime in on the best strategy for crossing bridges in high wind-for example, flashers on/ 35 mph,etc

[SmartAzz]

Funny how potential IIHS testing has become about wind

I'll be curious to see what the test results will be, I tend to find the crash test results I see here kind of incomplete/lacking in info though. Can't recall if its the IIHS, but one of the agencies doesn't rate rear impacts consistently (and those results are important to me), and I have no idea if they account for height differences in results - and as a shorter person I know that the normal big heavier man size crash test dummies probably reflect somewhat different results then what would happen to me. Also, it doesn't sound like they are testing the cabrio, so that is limiting to those looking for that info.

Anyway, I will be looking forward to hearing how the 451s will do *crossing fingers*

[strider63]

IIHS is testing the 2008 Pure today. Not sure if they are doing both or just one.

[Okie Boy]

Originally Posted by a2jack

Strider. This test group is very credible and and will set our future insurance rates.

It will interesting to see if they do any roll over tests.

A big problem we have found (3,000mi) is it's very poor handling in high straight line winds. Also gusts above 35 MPH push the car to the edge of control. Neither my wife ,nor I, would drive this car across a long bridge in the wind.

We are in the March wind season here in the Michigan and yesterday my wife had to leave the freeway as it was becoming too stressful to continue.
(Lest you think she was just chicken, my wife has flown many light "tail-dragger" airplanes and does not scare easily.)

A2Jack.

I now have 4100 miles on my smart and I do not find driving it high cross winds a problem. I drive I-40 regularly and in central Oklahoma we have winds, it is not uncommon to have winds in the 35-45 mph range and sometimes much higher.

The smart is a small 1800 pound car so you should expect it to be buffeted in the winds and when you pass large trucks. I have driven small cars for a long time and I find the smart safe and stable, but you have to drive it, it is not a 3 ton land yacht that lumbers down the road without any driver feed-back.

If you are not interested in driving a car, smart may not be the car for you.