Going Small: A Smart Experience

[Truth4Justice]

Going Small: A Smart Experience

With $4-a-gallon gas and waiting lines nine months long, the Smart Fortwo is becoming the car for informed Americans wanting to make a statement.

By KEN THOMAS, Associated Press

Sometimes, timing is everything.

When Daimler-Chrysler announced in 2006 that it planned to bring the Smart Fortwo micro car to the United States after nearly a decade in Europe, gas prices had reached about $2.80 a gallon. Now, Americans are paying more than $4 a gallon at the pump, SUV sales are plummeting and consumers are hungry for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The little Smart has been riding a wave of consumer interest, attracting thousands of shoppers willing to put down $99 and wait about nine months for the two-seater. So when I sat in the driver's seat of a blue Smart Fortwo last week, turned, and touched the back window with my finger tips, I had to wonder: Do Americans really want to go this small?

Without question, the pint-sized, whimsical Smart makes a statement.

At a traffic light near the Washington Monument, a group of school kids clad in blue T-shirts cheered when they walked past the car. One boy whipped out his digital camera. When I drove up 14th Street, a young girl screamed, "Nice car. Woo hoo!" Near a construction site, a group of workers in green hard hats and reflective vests huddled around the car to take a closer look.


More at:

http://autos.yahoo.com/articles/autos_content_landing_pages/622/going-small-a-smart-experience
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[Warpy]

1. I've only seen one Smart Car here

and it was in my neighborhood. I've seen several Mini Coopers.

I needed better cargo room. I ended up with a little Kia with good although not spectacular mileage.

considering how little I drive, it was a good deal.

[Skink]

2. All they got to do is get the price down to 9000 and sell it at Walmart.

[silverojo]

3. Two words:

Death trap.

Three words: Jaws of life.

Get into an accident in this thing, and there will be no survivors. This isn't the answer; alternative energy for reasonably-sized cars is.

[Truth4Justice]

4. I would not drive this on the freeway, but at speeds

[cliffordu]

6. Everyone should be REQUIRED to have them.

[kestrel91316]

5. I have seen two in my area so far.

They are very cute, and very tiny. I heard they did well enough in crash tests, and would be perfectly safe if we could just get the aggressive assholes in UAVs off the road........

[cliffordu]

7. Yep.

[JCMach1]

8. SMart cars are style over substance and not so fuel efficient for their size

They should do well in the land of the IPOD

:eyes: