Blog Category: Commentary
Author's Name: Robert Nelson Vance
Author's Email: Email Contact Form
Author's Website: http://robertnelsonvance.com/
Smart Car - Smart, Safe, or Sucks?
Soo.... Smart Car - Smart, Safe, or Sucks?
This entry comes after a heated debate with someone about the Smart car's integrety - is the Smart safe, fuel effecient, practical, etc. The individual was making assertions that the car is a "death trap", that it's a "three cylinder engine and gets horrible gas mileage", and essentially treating me like I know nothing about what I am talking about. What started out as some playful teasing, quickly turned into a debate, and ultimately the removal of the original post that instigated the initial discussion.
What peeves me in general is when individuals make statements as if they are fact, when really, they have little or no knowledge about the topic for which they are pretending to be an expert. I can understand having an opinion about something and wanting to share it with others. What I don't understand is trying to portray your opinion as if it is fact. Furthermore, I get really peeved when I call someone out on something and provide citations for why their assertions are incorrect, and they completely discount the factual data I provide and argue about the topic as if they know more than anyone else in the world.
Let's take a look at the dialog:
It gets 40 miles to the gallon and is made out of 100% recycled materials -- isn't it cute? You can even buy extra panels and change the color of your car because it's made of plastic. :D
- Harkens Islet, NC
mine's cuter, plus it still has laura's fingerprints all over the inside of the back window! lol
- Glissandi Meow, NC
Hahah --- I wouldn't get one of these. It looks like a death trap, even if it is cute :P
- Harkens Islet, NC
I LOVE it! Even if it isnt as safe a other cars, which i know. But If i lived in europe and didnt drive 550 miles to get home and back etc. a lot, then yes, i would think about it, and of course, mine would be green, not yellow :)
- Gala Knees Jinn, NC
HEADLINE: Kristen Hales doesn't do her research before badmouthing Smart Car!
Smart Car 4 star rating.
------ CRASH TEST RATING AVERAGES ------
(according to http://www.safercar.gov/)
Honda Civic - 4.60 stars
Mini Cooper - 4.40 stars
Kia Spectra - 4.40 stars
Saturn Sky - 4.25 stars
Hyundai Accent - 4.20 stars
Ford Focus - 4.00 stars
Volkswagen Beetle - 4.00 stars
Toyota Yaris - 3.80 starsThese are all smaller cars. Pay closer attention to the ratings around 4.0, these are cars that people are age and in High School are driving - the Smart car isn't any worse. In-fact, Kaela even wants a Yaris over any of these other cars (with the exception of the Smart). Kaela already has an Accent, and it's rated safer than both the Smart and the Yaris.
------- STANDARD SMART CAR SAFETY FEATURES-------
* Smart Car Safety Design
* Smart Car Active Safety Features
* Smart Car Passive Safety Features- R. Vance, OH
My only problem with Smart is that it costs as much as most of the other cars I mentioned above. Especially after you add a stereo and air conditioning and POWER STEERING.... these and other options that come standard with most other cars now days.
Just thought I'd share.
Oh... PS: Kaela, they don't have green as far as I can tell.... just white, gray, black, red, blue, and yellow. Sorry.
- R. Vance, OH
Hahaha --- I've done my research Robert.
I know it has a four star crash test rating -- but if you got hit by a big truck (let's say an F250) in this compared to getting hit by a F250 in a Civic (which is twice the length of this car) you'd probably:
A) Die in the smartcar
B) Most likely NOT die in the CivicAlso, it has a three cyllinder engine and the maximum speed is 90 mph -- think about putting luggage in this thing. The extra weight alone would drop your mileage and speed. This car is good for running errands and narrow city streets -- for the highway it's a waste of time.
You're better off buying a Toyota Prius Hybrid -- 60 mpg and only a few thousand more -- plus it sits five people, whereas the smartcar only sits two :)
- Harkens Islet, NC
Oh so we have a debate going on huh . . . . hmmmmm keep going, duke it out! ha ha ; ) I still like the smart car! : )
- Gala Knees Jinn, NC
I've already priced out the Toyota Prius and it costs twice as much as this, not a few thousand more. And there's a bunch of hidden charges with the Prius, at least in Ohio, such as delivery (even when it's already sitting on the lot) and the extra long warranty that the other manufacturers offer that you have to pay extra for at Toyota, etc. With the more expensive Prius, even though you'll save more in gas money, you'll pay more monthly in both insurance and financing. Some people may be able to put half down on a Smart and have a couple hundred dollar payments for a couple years.... but put the same money down on a Prius and you'll have your monthly payments twice as much for five or six years. With the Prius, from what I've been told by a tow truck driver, most towing companies won't pull you out of a ditch with water if you were to drive into it (because of the high current of the batteries in the Hybrid).
- R. Vance, OH
As far as the Smart's highway-ability vs the Prius you mentioned.... The Smart gets 40/60MPG according to their literature, while according to Toyota's literature, the Prius gets 48/45MPG. The Prius gets substantially less MPG on the highway than the Smart, though it does about 8MPG better than the Smart in the city.
From what I've seen, the Smart MPG is based on "full capacity". Leading one to believe two average passengers and average cargo (since that's about all the car can hold).
This is unlike the calculated MPG of cars in the States (including the Toyota Prius), which are based on the car EMPTY. I'm assuming that because this isn't an "American car", they seemingly don't intentionally try to mislead the buyers in this regard. Must be one of their hippy moral mottos or something.
So the assertion that it will suck on the highway, from what I can tell, is incorrect.
- R. Vance, OH
There was never any dispute that the Civic was more "safe" in a front end collision. Clearly, as I noted above, a Civic is slightly more "safe" overall than the Smart (and all the other cars I listed) - about 12% stars, if you go by that unit of "safeness". The Civic also costs about the same as the Smart, has more standard features, and probably lasts longer (knowing Honda's lifetime reputation) - so I'm not bashing the Civic necessarily, don't take my comparison to the Civic too personally just because you own one.
I was noting, however, specifically, the comparability between the Yaris, Beetle, Focus, and Accent, which all have about the same crash test ratings as the Smart and are more comparable cars than the Civic.
- R. Vance, OH
But, since you mention the Civic and are apparently trying to do a one-to-one comparison.... I've watched a ton of crash test videos and I have found that in high speed crashes the Smart is doing as well as the other cars I mentioned above (in some cases, better). It all depends what you "compare". Ultimately, crash test ratings are pretty subjective when compared overall. So let's compare the Smart and the Civic, as best we can, one-to-one; note the following:
* Smart at 70mph
* Civic at 40mphI'd say that as far as the Smart's safety and the argument that a bigger car is naturally "safer" - somewhat incorrect. The Civic in the aforementioned YouTube video is a four door, much larger than the Smart, and probably three times as much "front end". Given the discrepancy between the crash test speeds, the Civic didn't do so well - imagine the Civic crashing into that wall at nearly twice the speed.
- R. Vance, OH
Here's another interesting video....
Smart vs. Mercedes (twice as big/heavy as Smart):- R. Vance, OH
Jeez louise Robert -- who pissed in your cornflakes?
Do you have ANYTHING else to do besides BOTHER my photo album?
Leave it the hell alone. Also -- I DON'T OWN A CIVIC. I have an Accord. And regardless of videos, etc., -- THE MORE METAL AROUND YOU THE SAFER THE CAR IS. DUH.
This is so annoying -- can we please stop before I delete the whole photo album? I don't care, I have a nice car, don't want one of these. I saw one at the mall. It's smaller than my bed.
Waste of time, money, and effort. Buy something bigger.
- Harkens Islet, NC
The reality is that the Smart is more safe than people are giving it credit, because most people are judging the book by its cover instead of doing a little bit of research. Does this mean I want to go out and buy a Smart? By all means, NO! I don't want one of these things. But I have done my research, because Kaela likes them and we'll probably be car shopping for her in the next year or so.
- Smart car is Smart. It is cheap. It get's really good gas mileage. It has awesome manoverability. The list goes on.
- Smart car is Safe. It has good crash test ratings, as seen in the videos mentioned above. It employs a couple innovative safety technologies that other cars don't. It actually out performs other similar cars in independent high speed crash tests.
- Smart car Sucks. This is true too. You pay for features a-la-carte style. The car costs the same as other similar cars without some of the standard features that come with other similar cars. And of course, it is tiny!
Decide for yourself. But make a decision based on facts; not hearsay and not hasty first impressions. And certainly don't start an argument with me over something unless you do at least as much research as I have.
Post a Comment[Print Page]