Smart car that popular in Europe?

[Old smart]

Watching the coverage of the Tour de France with all the roadside vehicles being captured on TV daily from the cycle-cameras, helicopters, and fixed sites, I have seen only one smart (a 450) through 17-1/2 stages.

I see more on any given day here in the City of Williamsburg (8 so far frequenting the 9 sq.mi. city, and more on order). One for every 720 acres.

[RussBarnes]

It was two years ago that I was in parts of Europe and two years prior to that in Italy. I saw my first smart there at the time and saw a need for me that it would solve. However, it was by no means the smallest car, nor the most popular car, but it did seem to have that status like a MB has here - not for everyone, but many were attracted to it. I have read that Italy is where they currently have the greatest sales and from parking lots there I can see why, there aren't many, park where there is an open hole.

[mike-in-sa]

One of the interesting facts I learned on my factory tour of smartville was that there are more smarts in Rome than in all of Germany!

[2smartArizona]

Originally Posted by Woody14619

They've only been for sale in the US for like 3 months. Of course you don't see them on the streets yet. It's like saying Saturns were unpopular in 93 because you didn't see them on the street...

And yes, in Europe they have lots of options that get better mileage, including their version of the smart. And yes, a Yaris in the US can get better millage, it also costs a lot more and looks ugly.

Of course you don't see them on the street in the US, they have only been on sale a few months, true, but I was referring to Europe, where they have been on sale for over 10 years.
If you are talking about the US Yaris, the price is the same, in my opinion, but in Europe, which was the Yaris I was referring to, you'll notice I put 1.1 after, referring to the 1.1 liter motor, the Yaris is much cheaper than a smart if you want to have a car with options on it. Mileage...much better than the current smart.

Consommations L/100 km (Normes CE) : cycle urbain/extra-urbain/mixte de 6,4/4,9/5,4. Émissions de CO2 (Normes CE) : cycle mixte de 127 g/km (C).

This is the Yaris I will often refer to, my friends fully loaded, AC and everything, 1.1 liter Yaris, that was less than 11,000 Euros out the door.
Current sale prices have this car in two door form at 9990.00. The lowest priced smart is 9,450 with no options or delivery.

I only work 8 1/2 months out of the year, and I usually spend the rest of the time in Europe, so I have a chance to try out all my friends cars, so I have a lot of ideas of what to compare things to.
If you want to learn a little more about Eurpean cars, pick up a copy of L'Auto Journal somewhere. I find them to be a good source of what is available on the European market.

[MPrice2984]

The Yaris is and has been Toyotas best seller world wide for the last 6 years. If I had need for 4 seats it would have been my first choice. There is just nothing else that compares to the fortwo available to us so there is no comparison really. Yesterday I saw 2 Mercedes B class and was really impressed, small and quite attractive - and another car we won't have a chance to buy, both were Canadian visiting Chicago.

[saxdiva]

It would be cooler if Chevy would fast-track this one.

Chevy Beat

[darrelplant]

Lots of possibilities for European drivers, even from ostensibly American automakers.

When we were in the UK last fall, I ran across the Ford Ka, which apparently has been around for a dozen years. Its specs rate it (in various versions) at 27-24 city mpg (US) to 47-57 extra-urban mpg. Most of the models (I believe) are four-seater hatchbacks, although I was taken by the discontinued two-seater convertible StreetKa:



The last time I drove in Europe, we dodged Irish lorries in a Fiat Punto, a model that got going about the same time as the smart. They sold 5 million of the original model in four years, a figure that dwarfs smart sales. Its smaller-engine version supposedly got 26/48 mpg (US). Not as cool-looking as the smart, though. And I don't think they offered a convertible top.