# What's so smart About The "Smart Car"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 27, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776 "2008-05-27T16:22:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/1 "2008-05-27T16:22:48Z")
I was reading the review of this thing, and I am puzzled: -it doesn’t get as good gas mileage as a Honda Civic -it handles poorly -it is dangerous to drive on a highway -the little tires and poor brakes make it bad for stop and go driving Obviously, this thing is meant for short trips in the city. But it is so dangerous to the occupants-I can’t imagine it would survive a head-on collision with a Hummer. Plus, it sosts big $$. So, is this the next automotive flop? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/2 "2008-05-27T16:28:19Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] I was reading the review of this thing, and I am puzzled: -it doesn’t get as good gas mileage as a Honda Civic -it handles poorly -it is dangerous to drive on a highway -the little tires and poor brakes make it bad for stop and go driving Obviously, this thing is meant for short trips in the city. But it is so dangerous to the occupants-I can’t imagine it would survive a head-on collision with a Hummer. Plus, it sosts big $$. So, is this the next automotive flop? [/QUOTE] What will survive a headon with a hummer./ That is a high bar. head on with the biggest stupidest car on the road. Why not head on with a loaded semi/ I saw a study years ago about small car safety. You have to include stopping distance and maneuverability in the equation. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/3 "2008-05-27T16:28:36Z")
It’s only $12,000 and it gets better mileage than the Civic. Not sure where you got contrary info from. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/4 "2008-05-27T16:38:20Z")
What **Cisco** said. Also, from the Smart car website: > [@smartusa](#): > > …the issue of safety is a critical element. That’s why the core design philosophy of the smart fortwo is focused on something called the tridion safety cell. Much like a nut is protected by its hard outside shell, the smart fortwo’s occupants are protected by a steel housing that combines longitudinal and transverse members that displace impact forces over a large area of the car. and > [@smartusa](#): > > The smart fortwo is designed with steel bumpers at the front and rear that are bolted to the safety cell´s longitudinal beams via slip tubes. They can be replaced after minor collisions at low costs. For parking lot bumps, an impact of less than 2 miles an hour won’t affect the crash box at all. Up to about 10 miles per hour, the slip tubes move to keep impact away from the tridion safety cell. Over 10 miles an hour, the tridion safety cell transmits impact over its entire surface to dissipate energy and protect its occupants (assuming a perpendicular impact involving the entire front width). At the rear of the car, the crash box is also built of steel, which crumples much like the front slip tubes do. At an impact exceeding the severity threshold, the fuel supply to the engine is stopped and the central locking system is automatically unlocked. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/5 "2008-05-27T16:40:10Z")
That’s all well and good, but F still equals M times A. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/6 "2008-05-27T16:41:58Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] -it is dangerous to drive on a highway [/quote] The 2007 Smart forTwo got a four star Euro NCAP rating… that’s very good. That’s the same rating as a 2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee and the 2007 Honda Civic. [Cite](http://www.euroncap.com/supermini.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/7 "2008-05-27T16:43:00Z")
And those are against stationary walls. 10 tons will beat 1 ton no matter how well the 1 ton is padded. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/8 "2008-05-27T16:43:20Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] That’s all well and good, but F still equals M times A. [/QUOTE] True, but that alone is not a reason to consider the car any more of a potential deathtrap than, say, a Miata, Fiero, Z80, or even a Boxster. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/9 "2008-05-27T16:44:21Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] That’s all well and good, but F still equals M times A. [/QUOTE] . . . as assholes in their Nimitz-class SUVs luuuurve to point out. Actually, they usually just say, “I like to know that if I get in a wreck, I’m gonna win.” ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/10 "2008-05-27T16:45:11Z")
Dunno about the Civic, but it **does** get worse mileage than the Prius. From [Wikipedia:](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_(automobile)#Criticism) > [@](#): > > **Criticism** > > A Forbes article has been critical of the stated reasons that Daimler-Chrysler gave for introducing the car in the United States.[10] According to the EPA, fuel efficiency is lower than the 5-seat Toyota Prius, which achieves 48 city and 45 highway while the Smart achieves 33 city and 41 highway. Additionally, the larger Chevrolet Cobalt, with its 148 hp engine achieves a combined 31 MPG compared to the Smart’s 36 combined MPG with its 71 hp engine. [11][12][13][14] > **Safety** > > Smart vehicles use a very small front crumple zone. The new Smart Fortwo has been awarded 4 out of 5 stars in the Euro NCAP Adult Occupant Protection, 2 out of 4 stars in the Pedestrian protection test but it was not tested for Child Occupant Protection as it has no rear seats[15]. The original Smart was awarded 3 out of 5 stars for Adult Occupant Protection[16]. In American tests using a five star rating, Smart cars received a four star safety rating for the driver from a front impact, and a five star safety rating for the driver for a side impact. [17] It also received “Good” ratings (top rating) for front and side crash protection in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests. [18] > > The main structure of the car is a stiff structure called a Tridion Safety Cell, which is designed to activate the crumple zones of a colliding vehicle. This design creates a very strong safety cell around the passengers[19]. However, it also subjects them to higher forces during an accident than in a conventional car.[citation needed] However, there’s also an [all-electric version](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_EV) in the works. Range 62 miles. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/11 "2008-05-27T16:45:51Z")
For a few thousand more, I can get a Mini Cooper. Similar mileage plus a functional back seat. Seems like a no-brainer to me. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/12 "2008-05-27T16:46:25Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] And those are against stationary walls. 10 tons will beat 1 ton no matter how well the 1 ton is padded. [/QUOTE] Well in the sideimpact test the “stationary wall” is moving at 30mph. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/13 "2008-05-27T16:52:00Z")
[QUOTE=Mr. Moto] For a few thousand more, I can get a Mini Cooper. Similar mileage plus a functional back seat. Seems like a no-brainer to me. [/QUOTE] A few thousand more? More like double the price once you add a few options. ---
**Author:** ![Hakuna\_Matata](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hakuna\_Matata](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hakuna_Matata)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/14 "2008-05-27T17:35:52Z")
My wife and I are in the program to get a SmartCar–most likely mid next year. They are reasonably priced and for our commute perfect. However I should wait for a few years when their diesel model is available here. It is supposed to get something like 70 mpg. Sweet! [http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/smart\_car\_models/green\_smart\_cars/smart\_diesel\_powered\_car.html](http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/smart_car_models/green_smart_cars/smart_diesel_powered_car.html) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/15 "2008-05-27T18:06:10Z")
I’m not sure what the main reason is to buy one? Cost? No. You can get comparable compact autos for the same price or less. Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, etc. Gas milage? Far from impressive. 33/41. Besides a smaller physical footprint and the cutesy factor what other justification outweighs the drawbacks? (can’t drive in snow, no cargo space, no highway speeds, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/16 "2008-05-27T18:17:54Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] I’m not sure what the main reason is to buy one? Cost? No. You can get comparable compact autos for the same price or less. Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, etc. Gas milage? Far from impressive. 33/41. Besides a smaller physical footprint and the cutesy factor what other justification outweighs the drawbacks? (can’t drive in snow, no cargo space, no highway speeds, etc.) [/QUOTE] I saw that they were very popular when I was in Paris, and I could definitely see the advantage they have there. They could fit in parking spaces no other car could possibly squeeze into. In that city, that’s a big deal. I could imagine it would hold the same advantage in North American in other dense, parking-limited cities such as New York. Ed ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/17 "2008-05-27T18:19:35Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Besides a smaller physical footprint and the cutesy factor what other justification outweighs the drawbacks? (can’t drive in snow, no cargo space, no highway speeds, etc.) [/QUOTE] The smaller size means a great deal more for city driving than snow or highway speeds. ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/18 "2008-05-27T18:45:30Z")
[QUOTE=suranyi] I saw that they were very popular when I was in Paris, and I could definitely see the advantage they have there. They could fit in parking spaces no other car could possibly squeeze into. In that city, that’s a big deal. Ed [/QUOTE] I fell in love with the Smart car when I was in Paris about 17 months ago. They were all over the place (I’d guess fully a quarter of the cars I saw on the road) flitting around. When I came back home to the US the car had made such an impression on me I began Googling my fingers off to learn all I could about it, and found that a company called [G&K imports](http://gnkauto.com/smartquote.html) was importing and converting original Euro-marketed versions of the Smart car for US street legality. That’s when I found that (a) the Euro version is slightly smaller, yet slightly heavier than the one currently being marketed by Mercedes Benz, with different styling, (b) it had a more efficient and powerful engine and higher average MPG rating, and (c) the selling price started at approximately $17,000. Upon further investigation today I found that G&K has met their quota of 1026 Smart cars they could import for conversion and sale in the US market, so you can no longer get a spanking new original Euro version of the Smart in the US, but perhaps you can find a used one on the local market, or contact G&K is you’re really interested. ---
**Author:** ![MarcusF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/67e7ee/32.png) [@MarcusF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarcusF)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/19 "2008-05-27T18:45:54Z")
“Smart” refers to the marketing guy who managed to sell you the thing 😃 Actually they do make sense in a crowded European city. They seemed to make up every second car in Rome - the only thing there were more of was scooters - and the Romans seemed to assume they took up no room and could be parked anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2008, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776/20 "2008-05-27T19:27:13Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] Gas milage? Far from impressive. 33/41. [/QUOTE] That actually is impressive since the EPA changed their standards. You might find a few non-hybrid/non-diesel cars that beat it, but not many. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-so-smart-about-the-smart-car/450776.md?page=2)