Smart Car

Are used smart cars cheap?

Both Dakzuki and ron.dittmer have commented on what could happen should an accident happen if the Smart car collided with a larger vehicle. Dakzuki explained it very well by stating "Energy is gradually being expended as it is used up spinning around." I like to compare it to a ping pong ball. Gets wacked with a paddle and it bounces around without getting even a mark on it. :)

and there is the parking advantage of course

ron.dittmer wrote:
Respectfully commenting on the Smart Car.....

I feel the Smart car is ideal for taking along on a trip behind a motor home right on the ground, not on a trailer, solely for simplicity. The Smart is a much better choice over a scooter or other cycle for safety, comfort, and weather. The question you need to ask yourself is..... Does the car meet your everyday need when you are not on a trip? Is it a vehicle you would commute around town in? If your answer is "yes", then you are making a good decision.

As for me on a personal note, I would not feel comfortable driving around my home town area in a Smart car because I am not sold on it's safety. Though it's occupancy cage is well engineered to prevent penetration, the lack of mass along with it's shape has it bouncing around accident scenes like a billiard ball. I fear it would fly into other moving vehicles along with adding fatal "G" forces on occupant internal organs.

I wish I could find that early Smart car crash test video of a yellow Smart against a Civic or Corolla. The impact was a 1/3 driver side frontal test. The "other" car fared typically well with occupant safety. The Smart occupancy cage did great but the car spun multiple revolutions in the air about 5 feet off the ground and soaring away.

That scared the heck out of me. I couldn't feel comfortable with a Smart after seeing that video. Again, that is just me. Everything has risk, even driving a motor home, especially a class A. Each decides for himself what risk he is willing to accept.

"The Smart occupancy cage did great but the car spun multiple revolutions in the air about 5 feet off the ground and soaring away."

That's a safer crash than a dead stop. Energy is gradually being expended as it is used up spinning around.

w3ozwizard, thanks for the thread.
I am seriously considering a smart car. We currently trailer a scooter but would love to have a convertible smart car. I know that many do not consider scooters safe either, but for us it is convenient, easy, and a lot of fun except when it rains. I will be very interested in how you set up the package and what your experience is. Please give us an update after you have been on the road with it.
Rolin

I am the one who started this post and I would like to add that for me, I never, again never, intend this to be my car that I would drive everyday. I have other cars that I drive everyday. This car will sit beside my MH in my yard and will only be used to go a mile or two to pick up groceries or what ever when I am on a trip. When we were in Arizona most had golf carts, to go around the campground. They are not allowed to go on the street and they are not as safe of comfortable as a Smart car. I could use the Smart car for the same purpose at about the same price. It has a single purpose for me, not to say others have not found it a good car for them, but in asking the questions I had, I have found many helpful answers but for me we are getting way off my original intent in asking the question. It seem like Smart cars are a hot issue, which I never assumed. Either you love them or hate them, but looks to me like other things I have posted about most of the negative comments are from people who don't have one and would never consider them. As you may have noticed I have a used Cruise America MH. Before I got it, many, many said don't do it. It is a big mistake, I would never own one, etc. Well I have had it for awhile now, put 5K miles on it and it is just great and I feel I have saved between 10 and 15K over what a used one off a lot here would have cost me. So I put more stock in persons who have a vehicle than those who don't.

ron.dittmer wrote:
Respectfully commenting on the Smart Car.....

I feel the Smart car is ideal for taking along on a trip behind a motor home right on the ground, not on a trailer, solely for simplicity. The Smart is a much better choice over a scooter or other cycle for safety, comfort, and weather. The question you need to ask yourself is..... Does the car meet your everyday need when you are not on a trip? Is it a vehicle you would commute around town in? If your answer is "yes", then you are making a good decision.

As for me on a personal note, I would not feel comfortable driving around my home town area in a Smart car because I am not sold on it's safety. Though it's occupancy cage it well engineered to prevent penetration, the lack of mass along with it's shape has it bouncing around accident scenes like a billiard ball. I fear it would fly into other moving vehicles along with adding fatal "G" forces on occupant internal organs.

I wish I could find that early Smart car crash test video of a yellow Smart against a Civic or Corolla. The impact was a 1/3 driver side frontal test. The "other" car fared typically well with occupant safety. The Smart occupancy cage did great but the car spun multiple revolutions in the air about 5 feet off the ground and soaring away.

That scared the heck out of me. I couldn't feel comfortable with a Smart after seeing that video. Again, that is just me. Everything has risk, even driving a motor home, especially a class A. Each decides for himself what risk he is willing to accept.

Excellent post. Although it makes an excellent toad I agree that for most it would have to meet the needs of a daily driver as well. And of course, one has to be comfortable with the fact it is a small car in an SUV world. We are fine with that (I rode a lot of motorcycles in my day and they don't have roll cages or 8 air bags) but I understand that many are not.

Respectfully commenting on the Smart Car.....

I feel the Smart car is ideal for taking along on a trip behind a motor home right on the ground, not on a trailer, solely for simplicity. The Smart is a much better choice over a scooter or other cycle for safety, comfort, and weather. The question you need to ask yourself is..... Does the car meet your everyday need when you are not on a trip? Is it a vehicle you would commute around town in? If your answer is "yes", then you are making a good decision.

As for me on a personal note, I would not feel comfortable driving around my home town area in a Smart car because I am not sold on it's safety. Though it's occupancy cage is well engineered to prevent penetration, the lack of mass along with it's shape has it bouncing around accident scenes like a billiard ball. I fear it would fly into other moving vehicles along with adding fatal "G" forces on occupant internal organs.

I wish I could find that early Smart car crash test video of a yellow Smart against a Civic or Corolla. The impact was a 1/3 driver side frontal test. The "other" car fared typically well with occupant safety. The Smart occupancy cage did great but the car spun multiple revolutions in the air about 5 feet off the ground and soaring away.

That scared the heck out of me. I couldn't feel comfortable with a Smart after seeing that video. Again, that is just me. Everything has risk, even driving a motor home, especially a class A. Each decides for himself what risk he is willing to accept.

tplife wrote:
W3ozwizard, get this month's (3/16) Consumer Reports independent ratings and go to page 59: "Still Not a Smart Buy...harsh ride and jet-blast noise levels will probably drive you crazy....still a mediocre, compromise-laden vehicle with a suspension that delibers a stiff, buckboardlike ride, and a tiny engine that hesitates from a standstill...engine idle that shudders through the floor and seat and is reminiscent of an old combine tractor...the interior has several design flaws...Highs: Easy parking, access, turning circle, fuel economy. Lows: Ride, noise, acceleration, requires premium fuel..." We steered clear of this car when buying in 2011 and are happy we did.

Interesting review. Its a small car, no its a really small car, why would someone expect a smooth ride. I call BS on the noise, quieter than my jeep was. Acceleration, about the same as any small engined car. Yah the premium fuel thing sucks...but ours burns diesel so... If you want acceleration get the electric. That'll fix ya. 150 KM or so of range though. Not for everybody although it works great for us.

If anybody is looking for a big car that rides well, DON'T BUY THIS CAR" :)

W3ozwizard, get this month's (3/16) Consumer Reports independent ratings and go to page 59: "Still Not a Smart Buy...harsh ride and jet-blast noise levels will probably drive you crazy....still a mediocre, compromise-laden vehicle with a suspension that delibers a stiff, buckboardlike ride, and a tiny engine that hesitates from a standstill...engine idle that shudders through the floor and seat and is reminiscent of an old combine tractor...the interior has several design flaws...Highs: Easy parking, access, turning circle, fuel economy. Lows: Ride, noise, acceleration, requires premium fuel..." We steered clear of this car when buying in 2011 and are happy we did.