Smart fortwo, most affordable car in America to operate?

[Macaw]

Originally Posted by Westfield 11

How much is it if you get 29mpg like we do on both our smarts?

$4-gal @ 29-mpg = $.138/mi

or my average over 8,000mi

$4-gal @ 41.8-mpg = $.096/mi

Of course to do this you should use the government numbers for each vehicle. Plus YMMV due to driving conditions, gas quality etc...

[burtandnancy]

Dave V, next time in CA would you drop by and give me some driving lessons. I barely get 1/2 your mileage...

[Dave Van]

Dave V, next time in CA would you drop by and give me some driving lessons. I barely get 1/2 your mileage...

There are many folks that feel I am blowing smoke when I talk about the mpg I get on a regular basis. But it is for real. MANY things factor into it. I have a base model Pure. Now that may not save much weight but A/C, power steering even heated seats and mirrors cost weight. Some will argue the difference is not a factor but my racing background says a ounce makes a difference. Where I live makes a big difference. My county is 1000 square miles...and we have 3 stop lights and very little traffic. This means when I go out I spend zero time sitting at lights or in traffic. I also have adopted much of the 'hypermileing' habits. Combine these and a few other factors and I see why my mpg is so good. We just picked up Smart number 2, equipped almost the same as number one....so we will see if it gets the same after break-in.

[mmmeat]

Originally Posted by killer2021

Factoring in the overall cost of ownership (gas consumption, maintenance, MSRP etc.) Is the smart fortwo the most affordable car in America to operate?

According to yahoo auto

new smart is 11,590 (base) and gets 36 mpg. There are other vehicles out there that have a lower msrp but also lower gas mileage, in the 28-32 MPG range. The cheapest hybrid is the prius at 22k but even the high MPG doesn't compensate for the sticker price.

Maybe. But a 1985 Honda CRX HF still got 54 mpg on the highway, used regular fuel, could be serviced at a dealership where the mechanics weren't $125/hr, and cost about a nickle to buy.

If we're going to talk about 'affordable cars' to operate, the CRX HF should be the baseline comparison. The yardstick by which all other 'affordable' cars are measured.

Your pal,
Meat.

[Karl Roth]

Where do I buy a new 85 anything? Lets talk about what they are making for sale right now.
karl

[mmmeat]

Originally Posted by Karl Roth

Where do I buy a new 85 anything? Lets talk about what they are making for sale right now.

Where does it say "new" anywhere in the title of this thread? Let's talk about what they're making for sale right now.

I find 27 CRXs for sale near me right now.

Your pal,
Meat.

[killer2021]

Originally Posted by mmmeat

Where does it say "new" anywhere in the title of this thread? Let's talk about what they're making for sale right now.

I find 27 CRXs for sale near me right now.

Your pal,
Meat.

Wow the Honda CRX-HF is a really sweet car.

Too bad they don't make it anymore! Honda would be making a killing if they did.

[Macaw]

Try finding a CRX HF with the original motor in it not many on ebay.
then make sure it's not rusted out... and make sure your can drive a stick. I owned a CRX DX and chose it over the HF as the HF was stripped down no frills no sound deading material basic make it as light as possible car. I doubt they would sell well at all today. of course back then no airbags, abs, air (on the HF), esc, etc.. and not as safe in a crash.

If we could go back to '85 standards we could get the diesel in the smart and not have to worry about all those safety standards either....

You can't compare apples to oranges because a diesel rabbit would be best car then... ;^)