bills_fan Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 A smart car? A SMART CAR? Oh God, please don't do that to yourself. You get in a crash, you're going to lose your legs. The engine is complete sh--. From Wikipedia: You're going to pay $12k for a car that: - Is the slowest 0-60 of any car on the US market (which, if you are planning on taking it on highways, makes it dangerous as hell). - Manual Transmission - No Radio - No Air Conditioning With the Yaris, for $13k MSRP (you'll likely pay less) - More practical - Better gas milage - Air Conditioning - Automatic Transmission There is absolutely no reason to get a smart car. Oh, and BTW, the Smart Fortwo requires PREMIUM gasoline. What's wrong with manual transmission? Been driving them my whole life and would never buy a car with automatic transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 What's wrong with manual transmission? Been driving them my whole life and would never buy a car with automatic transmission. Nothing, but I suspect Automatic Transmissions would be preferred in a 78-hp car that can only be used for city driving... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nervous Guy Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 "Made a reservation on Smartcar today" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 I drive two VW TDI (diesel) vehicles. My '97 Passat TDI (a five passenger car) gets a measured 47MPG on the highway/ 41 MPG in townMy '99 Beetle actually gets a bit less than that. "Smart" car,eh? Don't waste your money on that piece of crap. What will you do if you lose the windup key? Forget the fact that Europe is over 50% diesel, with excellent emission control and particulate traps for years. Forget that diesels go across the models, from small jobs, mid-level sedans, and big Mercedes', BMWs', Lexus', and so forth. Several so-called "Blue" States...NY CA, VT, MA etc. ban new diesel sales outright - their left politicians more concerned about being in good graces with their coveted handful of greenie voters keeping them in office than worrying about the general public's' expenses. BTW - those are old TDIs you have. Time to buy the kit to clean off the delicate Mass Air Sensor wire, and the throttle body. Follow the instructions to the letter - don't ever touch the wire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sen. John Blutarsky Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 The Fit, despite it being the butt of a joke on your local football message board, received above average ratings by Edmunds in almost all respects. However, if you're looking for just price, the Chevy Aveo is the cheapest car available. It's got an MSRP of $10,235 with a manual transmission, an invoice of just over $9,000. I've had a Fit for the last year. I love it. I'm 6'3 and and am very comfortable inside. The seats are very versatile and can be configured in multiple different ways to use the space. It's also reasonably fun to drive, not quite a Mini but lots cheaper. City mpg leaves gets about 30 unless you paddle shift (I do, my wife doesn't). On the highway we got 42.5 mpg on a 5 hour haul down I-95 at a minimum of 75 mph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Forget the fact that Europe is over 50% diesel, with excellent emission control and particulate traps for years. Forget that diesels go across the models, from small jobs, mid-level sedans, and big Mercedes', BMWs', Lexus', and so forth. Several so-called "Blue" States...NY CA, VT, MA etc. ban new diesel sales outright - their left politicians more concerned about being in good graces with their coveted handful of greenie voters keeping them in office than worrying about the general public's' expenses. BTW - those are old TDIs you have. Time to buy the kit to clean off the delicate Mass Air Sensor wire, and the throttle body. Follow the instructions to the letter - don't ever touch the wire. Supposedly VW is in the process of "exporting" their 70+ MPG diesel car to the U.S. Will probably happen by the end of next year. Enjoy your "smart" cars... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Where. The. !@#$. Is. A. Plug. In? 90% of my drives are 10 miles or less. I would make great use of a plug in car if there was a reasonably-priced practical one. I just need a car that has heat, a trunk, and can operate OK in 6" of snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Where. The. !@#$. Is. A. Plug. In? 90% of my drives are 10 miles or less. I would make great use of a plug in car if there was a reasonably-priced practical one. I just need a car that has heat, a trunk, and can operate OK in 6" of snow. You won't find it for several reasons. The electric fleet put out there by GM and Honda on a lease-basis only in 1998 (forget that idiotic propaganda "documentary"..."Who Killed The Electric Car") proved that there is no viable market for such, other than at a 30K "boutique buyer" price, and only for those that want to wait 12 hours for a recharge. Recently, there is a "quick charge" crowd squawking. It can be done - problem is, you would need 100kW service, a problem because most houses' wiring struggle to pull in 10kW. And if folks on their local grid were in numbers to try to pull 10kW, your transformers will trip out. If there were a big fleet of electric jobs - CO2 emissions soar because of the demand on power plants. Unlike Europe, our nanny state and population bite their collective fingernails and gnaw at their knees at the mention of nuclear powerplants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 I replaced the MAF last year when it crapped out altogether. I also have set the injection pump timing to the top limit of the factory spec,and replaced the fuel injectors with the larger european spec injectors. I keep my tire pressure up around 50 lbs., and I use a very high quality synthetic oil (Amsoil) My oil change intervals are 10,000 miles. I have gotten as high as 51 MPG in this car.-Not bad for an almost 3000 lb. five passenger sedan! I plan on rechipping the engine computer soon,and once I replace the clutch (still the original at 255K miles) I'm going to use a heavier VR6 pressure plate and disc so I can upgrade to a larger turbo. You can get 250HP out of these engines with bolt on mods and still get fantastic fuel mileage (if you keep a heavy foot off of the gas pedal anyway) The TDI is again available in all 50 states for the 2009 model year now that diesel fuel is low in sulfur. A diesel car can now be considered a "green" vehicle since it puts out about 30% less CO2 than a gasser The TDI engine can run 500,000 miles (or more) if properly maintained. I swear by these cars myself..... Here is a website that has loads of useful info on the TDI: http://forums.tdiclub.com/ Well - you certainly are a zealot! Back down that tire pressure. Tire wear, blowout, but more importantly, the contact patch is out of whack. Dry or wet conditions, you can lose control that was avoidable. Kill you and yours if you like, but not some innocent schmuck or his family because you want to squeeze your nickel. Got that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweet baboo Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 you're all talking to yourselves now...you meanies scared G.Host away! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 You won't find it for several reasons. The electric fleet put out there by GM and Honda on a lease-basis only in 1998 (forget that idiotic propaganda "documentary"..."Who Killed The Electric Car") proved that there is no viable market for such, other than at a 30K "boutique buyer" price, and only for those that want to wait 12 hours for a recharge. Recently, there is a "quick charge" crowd squawking. It can be done - problem is, you would need 100kW service, a problem because most houses' wiring struggle to pull in 10kW. And if folks on their local grid were in numbers to try to pull 10kW, your transformers will trip out. If there were a big fleet of electric jobs - CO2 emissions soar because of the demand on power plants. Unlike Europe, our nanny state and population bite their collective fingernails and gnaw at their knees at the mention of nuclear powerplants. The Tesla charges in 4 hours (mine for only 100K+) and there's really no comparison between CO2 emissions for electric cars vs gas ones. The biggest problem with the plug-ins is their battery life and the infrastructure issue. That said, what electric company wouldn't want more demand? I am confident that although the grid might not be built to withstand half our cars being plug-in, that kind of demand would find a solution in the market. The hybrid, to me, is a half-assed solution. I can easily make due with one gas-powered car and one electric, but there are no mass-produced electrics out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VOR Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 I just saw a SmartCar in person in a Lowe's parking lot tonight. All I have to say is, NO THANKS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Where. The. !@#$. Is. A. Plug. In? 90% of my drives are 10 miles or less. I would make great use of a plug in car if there was a reasonably-priced practical one. I just need a car that has heat, a trunk, and can operate OK in 6" of snow. Check out the Gem Car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Check out the Gem Car. Yeah, I'm sure people are gonna line up to pay $10K for a golf cart that goes 25MPH. WTG, Chrysler. Wonder why the company is in the shape it's in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Adams Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Yeah, I'm sure people are gonna line up to pay $10K for a golf cart that goes 25MPH. WTG, Chrysler. Wonder why the company is in the shape it's in? Thank you--exactly. I don't need an electric car that goes 75 but maxing out at 25 is not safe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stuckincincy Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Safety is always my first consideration. Thank you very much. Here's a link to Michelin low rolling resistance tires which are spec'd out at 51 lbs. pressure: http://www.michelinman.com/tires/luxury-pe...-specifications These tires actually add a few miles per gallon (I've heard up to 4MPG) to your fuel economy......... I am properly chastened. ...I had visions of tires pressurized way above specs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevestojan Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Weird, but the first story on GEICOs intranet site today was the safety of the new Smart Car. It got ratings of "Good" (which, stingily enough is the highest possible rating) for both front and side impacts. It rated "acceptable" for rear impacts due to potential for neck injury. I take back my comments about it being unsafe. Unless of course you ever get rear-ended Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Weird, but the first story on GEICOs intranet site today was the safety of the new Smart Car. It got ratings of "Good" (which, stingily enough is the highest possible rating) for both front and side impacts. It rated "acceptable" for rear impacts due to potential for neck injury. I take back my comments about it being unsafe. Unless of course you ever get rear-ended Mentally, when I picture it getting slammed into by a normal-sized vehicle, I get the image of that thing launching into orbit like a soccer ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chilly Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 Mentally, when I picture it getting slammed into by a normal-sized vehicle, I get the image of that thing launching into orbit like a soccer ball. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramius Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 good. so the smartcar can handle 1 impact. but judging by those videos, what happens when the smartcar becomes the ball in a game of freeway pinball after the first wreck? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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