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Smart Car: Dumb Idea?
With just two seats, it's the perfect car for the friendless. And you don't have to be nice and offer people rides.
Actually, it's the perfect car for teenagers. What better car to buy for your teenager than one without a back seat?
Now you're taking away all their fun.
No, not for that reason. The latest research shows that the biggest reason teens get in accidents is because of distractions from backseat riders. This solves the problem.
Is this just a do-good-mobile that's all marketing hype?
Smart is light, just 1,750 pounds, and we're seeing about 40 mpg combined city and highway driving, though it's not yet rated by the EPA. You feel good driving it, and you start to feel a sense of social responsibility from it. I equate it with other natural resources. If you're in a restaurant alone, you wouldn't order dinner for five, would you? Why drive a car large enough for five people if you're just driving alone? You can help out other drivers by taking up a smaller parallel parking space, consume less fuel, thereby helping the environment, and feel great about it. Why is that bad?
What's Smart's coolest feature?
Its size.
So will your marketing campaign say "Size Matters"?
I don't want to give you that sound bite.
© 2007
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Member Comments
Posted By: dnpsmall @ 07/01/2008 9:11:49 PM
Comment: I'm 6'4'' and fit comfortably in the 2008 ForTwo. The driving-behavior of the vehicle is a little different than your standard vehicle (automatic shifting of the manual transmission, banking on turns) but I think are quickly forgotten. My major issues are (i) not enough product to meet demand (ii) no cruise control (iii) no all-electric engine (iv) dealers are adding outrageous ($10k+) enhancements to "orphan" (canceled) orders.
Posted By: annjoyner @ 04/06/2008 6:12:07 PM
Comment: The NHST gave it 3 stars for rollover the worst of any sedan and 3 stars for front side passenger. Overall it barely got 4 stars. The mpg isn't great. Problems with US gear shifters. Only 74 dealers nationwide one would be difficult to find a local dealer if traveling. And some owners don't even have a smart dealer in their own state. At this point the smart car is not looking smart at all. It's still cute though!
Posted By: rogerhall @ 01/16/2008 8:12:39 PM
Comment: Newsweek apparantly hates to acknowledge any positive aspect of our changing technologies. I've been looking today, and so far I haven't found any headlines that could be characterized as either positive or neutral towards green vehicles.