Why I got rid of my smart!

[MB DNA]

Originally Posted by Karl Roth

truth about smart
This vidio says it better than I can
karl

Karl,

Great find, odd that something similar is not on the US site?

Thanks for sharing, great resource for those who have questions.

Tom

[BigWarpGuy]

Originally Posted by MB DNA

Karl,

Great find, odd that something similar is not on the US site?

Thanks for sharing, great resource for those who have questions.

Tom

I found the site to be both entertaining and informative. It would be great if they had a similar site for the USA but basicly the information would be about the same.

[MB DNA]

BWG,

Guess it really isn't "odd that something similar is not on the US site" as the reality is as long as there is a backlog of US orders, smart has no real need to spend maketing funds.

None-the-less the UK site is entertaining, informative and very well done.

Tom

[Alchemy R]

I've been on those roads... weren't they designed quite some time ago when cars weren't very fast? I look at some of the Sawmills turns and on/off ramps and wonder about that.

It's like that part of the 1 in LA near Highland Park... really old freeway, really short on/off ramps.

Originally Posted by 08-4-2

My Smart is due here anytime within the next three months. It has been months since I've trolled through the forums. Maybe I'm just tired, but I find some of the reasoning in this thread ti be questionable.

Dismissing someone's sense of safety as mere perception seems like idolizing your own perceptual theory. Try driving a ~1,600 pound Lotus Exige. Then drive a Mercedes SL550 and see what your perception of safety is. If someone walks away thinking the Lotus has the structural integrity of a potato chip, it does not mean there is no validity to their perception that the Mercedes might be a safer car overall, right?

Acceleration measurements from 0 to 60 only tell part of the acceleration story. At this point I have not been able to drive the Fortwo, but I suspect a 0-60 run with a temporary ease-off around 45 before resuming acceleration may be qualitatively different in a Smart than the other vehicles cited and driven in the same manner.

While safety price-point comparisons (i.e., Smart versus a Kia Rio) may be valid for price-sensitive buyers, not everyone is basing their safety criteria on the sole basis of price. If buying this for a family member, I would consider a VW Sportwagen TDI as a valid alternative to the Fortwo even though it is nearly twice as much. It offers superior mileage, safety (by IIHS), usability, dealer accessibility, and (most likely) reliability and resale value. It also has the added potential benefit of using biodiesel. (And no, I'm not concerned what few components might be excluded from the warranty by using B99. I've used it in my Mercedes without a hitch.) Is a slight safety edge worth $15K? It depends on your values and resources, doesn't it?

Driving safely is always a good idea, but it may be of little solice if you or someone you know needs to do months of rehabilitation (assuming the person injued can be made whole, i.e., some scenarios may be worse than death). It is, after all, possible to be injured due to the negligence of another motorist even when you are driving defensively. (I suspect some of the cavalier conjecture espoused here would be reduced if a loved one spent months in a hospital following a stay in a trauma center. None of us are in complete control of our destinies, even if we are "in the right" according to the vehicle code.)

Don't get me wrong, I think the Fortwo is an innovative design and a lot of car for the money; it just may not be smart for everyone. Some people prefer macademian nuts to walnuts. As for me, I think I need to take a few more months off of this forum to think about what may be smart for me and mine.

Rent mine for a weekend and see what you think of it.

[JanetMermaid]

Fun web site. I have a few Doubting Thomases I'm going to forward the link to.

[RocketJohn]

I took ours today to get it tinted and clear bra'd and on the tollway topped it at max speed... stable, smooth... Its taller than a Subaru wagon we used to have, definitely VISIBLE...

I wouldn't want to get hit while sitting a light by a big SUV, in any vehicle...

[fmaxwell]

Originally Posted by Smart Enuf

Others have been banned for less inflammatory language!

Really? So you have access to the deleted posts that got members banned?

[angel]

My other car is a Harley. The smart is my "safer" transportation. ;)

[Karl Roth]

There are two other countries in North America other than the United States of America I believe. Information is universal, we live in a small world. Have a feeling lipstick is not going to fix the mess we are all in. If gas was a dollar tomorrow I would still love my smart and feel safe driving it.
karl