Reply #47: Perfectly safe

[arenean]

Bit of misinformation here. The Smart Car holds up very well in terms of safety (4 out of 5 stars in the Euro NCAP tests), and the Tridion safety cell acts as a mass damper

http://www.smartnewzealand.co.nz/safety_construction.asp

They ARE doing very well in Europe actually, the money loss is not down to the number of cars they're selling. In London, it's the only car that's exempt from the Central London Congestion Charge (£8/ day), which has also increased their popularity.

Also, if you're not a family, how much space do you need? I see TV commercials for SUV's, and it seems that a selling point for these monsters, is that you take the entire contents of your house with you when you go out on the road. Well, I don't know about you, but when I commute to work each day, the only thing I put on the seat next to me is a newspaper.

However, if you want something with more seats, maybe the Toyota Aygo is the best bet (68 mgp in UK gallons, so even more in US gallons). I'm not sure if Toyota will introduce a small car to the US however - even the Yaris looks bigger and is more thirsty than its European counterpart.