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Posted by Gordon on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 15:15:38 :
In Reply to: "Smart Car" posted by MoparNorm on Tuesday, March 18, 2008 at 12:22:46 :
My better half and I went halves on a 2002 Smart "Passion" in black, actually the sixth model version they made but still with the enormous 599cc three cylinder engine (that's erm... an enormous 36 cu in)
Technically it's her car, but I get to use it when my Merc is in the shop running up bills, and when I do it is lightning fast and gets round town faster than the bigger car. Fuel economy is over 50 mpg (hey, weren't we just talking about fuel costs?)
It is very well constructed (Mercedes Group product) has a six speed auto-change transmission with air con, electric windows, cruise, and so on. Only bugs seem to be that the originals weren't very friendly for owner maintenance as even stuff like changing a headlight bulb involves dismantling the car (I kid you not)
The bit you would be concerned with is the "trid" (Tridion Cell) wherein you sit, and let me tell you it is very well constructed indeed, think a two-seat version of an Indy car or F1 car drivers crash cell. The 'net is full of crash test videos showing Smarts coming off best in collisions with other Merc products, for example. Of course, if you got mashed between two 18-wheelers at 100mph the guarantee would lapse, but then you wouldn't want to be there in a Power Wagon either - would you? (see, I got a Dodge reference in here)
I'd suggest it would be ideal for city stuff in the US, maybe less so for very long freeway runs, and the new US version is slightly bigger, has double the engine size, and you can change the light bulbs yourself.
You're still not convinced, are you? Ask yourself what a full sized Dodge pickup would be like after this test - watch the video
Gordon
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