Photo credit: Smart USA
I spotted a Smart car in town last week puttering down main street toward the First Baptist Church. It’s called “Smart,” but it’s manufactured by the good folks at Mercedes Benz. Sprechen Sie Deutche?
If anyone knows who owns this car, send them my way, please.
With gas prices skyrocketing, we may be seeing more and more small cars on area roadways. To me, though, this is a little too small. Can you imagine what this thing would look like in a wreck with an SUV?
According to the Smart company, the car has a 1 liter, in-line three cylinder engine with a top speed of 90 miles per hour. As for gas mileage? Not as good as you might expect. City 40/45 (EPA 2007); Highway 33/41 (EPA 2008).
The Smart “fortwo” pure coupe starts at $11,590, the Smart “fortwo” passion coupe starts at $13,590, and the Smart “fortwo” passion cabriolet starts at $16,590.
Update: Here’s more on the safety of the Smart car. It sounds good, but…. This thing still isn’t much larger than a purple hull pea pod.
From Smart:
The safety management system of the smart fortwo will set new standards in its class.
The highlight of the safety management system is the tridion safety cell. The safety cell is made from steel, half of which is high-strength material, especially in highly stressed areas. The cell is designed to keep occupants protected.
The reinforced steel and the design of the car allow for the displacement of impact and redistribution of crash energy. Because of the size of the vehicle, most crashes will also involve one of the wheel bases which also displaces energy.
Both doors are also designed for easy access during rescue.
The smart fortwo comes standard with four airbags (two full-sized front and two side for head and thorax protection). Other safety features such as esp® (electronic stability program) and ABS brakes are also standard.
i saw that car yesterday and thought i was imagining things. it looked like a hot wheels car on steroids. i would rather spend a little more on gas and feel safe in my compact car.