The Smart Car is Coming, the Smart Car is Coming - in two months

[leftyladyfrommo]

Big article this morning in USA today on the Smar Car. Cost is about $17,000. Mileage is about 36 in town and 40 on the road. And is it ever cute.

But: My Toyota Yaris cost $14,000. It gets the same mileage in town and on the road. And it seats 4 people - or I can put the back seat down and I have plenty of room to put stuff in the back.

But I have to say that my Yaris is not as cute as the the Smart Car. The article said that 30,000 people have put down the $99 required to hold a Smart Car for you.

[Deja Q]

1. If it ran on methane, we could have a cow in every car.

Free milk to go with the methane too, but the gaseous smell would probably kill the driver. And people thought drunk driving was bad...

I'd pony up $99 in an instant. Efficiency is always logical when it comes to the reality of physics meshed with rapid transport of materials and people (who should not be treated as materials, but that's my opinion and I won't stick to it if I must).

[Vilis Veritas]

55. and then you'd have to worry about those high school kids...

standing around sniffing your exhaust...

http://www.snopes.com/crime/warnings/jenkem.asp

[fascisthunter]

57. Nah... no Need for a Cow. Just Turn on AM Right Wing Radio

That should keep it running.

[Bonobo]

2. 36/40? For that little thing? Shit! That sucks! Why such bad mileage?

30 years ago, bigger cars got more gas mileage, didn't they?. What the fuck happened to technology?

In Europe today they have cars getting twice that. Am I wrong?

[wtmusic]

4. Not bad for a death trap

Why anyone would want one of these over a Prius eludes me.

[leftyladyfrommo]

7. Prius is a lot more expensive.

When I bought my car I just couldn't afford a Prius.

[leftyladyfrommo]

15. I know that is the big argument against the little cars - but

I think the bad wrecks we have around here involve SUV and SUV rollovers. Lots of people here are killed while driving those big honkers. I think they may have bad blind spots. And they are hard to controll in emergency situations.

But I try to be very careful when I am on the road. I pay attention to everything going on around me. And my little car is really responsive - way more so than the Jeep I used to drive.

[wtmusic]

54. Well good luck

you will need it to survive the SUV idiot on his/her cellphone blowing through that red light.

On the MB website there is a video demonstration of crash testing and it is apparently a very solidly built vehicle. Of course there is a limit to how much you can compensate for sheer lack of inertia.

If you get one let us know what you think. :thumbsup:

[Clark2008]

36. And I hate Toyotas.

POS now. Trust me.

[wtmusic]

52. I hate it when people who support Clark say "trust me".

j/k.

Bad experience with your Toyota?

[crispini]

40. Not a death trap

They have all kinds of safety features that will help in event of a crash, even with a heavier vehicle.

[gorekerrydreamticket]

42. Prius is great until you need to replace the batteries for $6,000 or so.

[wtmusic]

The batteries last the life of the car

"Jim Francfort, principal investigator at the Idaho National Laboratory in Idaho Falls, which is operated for the Department of Energy, has been talking about it. His hybrid battery tests showed that 160,000 miles of use had no effect on fuel economy. Andrew Grant, the Vancouver, Canada, taxi driver who drove his Prius for more than 200,000 miles in 25 months, tells all about his Prius, which has taken a pummeling and kept on humming."

http://www.hybridcars.com/technology-stories/battery-replacement-costs.html

[gorekerrydreamticket]

56. You're right, I was repeating something a car salesman told me

and I've checked it out now....I stand corrected!

[PSUDem]

22. Well, Unless the Car has been Changed.. 60 mpg

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5217861

[SharonRB]

28. That article is three years old

It's not the same car that's coming here now from Mercedes.

[PSUDem]

38. Actually, It is

http://www.autoblog.com/2007/07/11/20-000-pre-orders-for-the-smart-fortwo/

Also, only the Cabriolet model costs 17000...

[magellan]

32. Because they're increasing the engine/shell size to sell it here

It gets very good mileage over in the EU, Canada, and elsewhere, where it's been available for several years. But modifications are being made to the US smart cars to help it sell here, and those have lowered its fuel efficiency.

[Telly Savalas]

63. I thought the lower fuel efficiency was the selling point for Americans.

That's Detroit's strategy.

[CRF450]

82. 30 years ago, bigger cars got much worser mpg then they do today.

[mikeytherat]

91. I have a 1995 Ford Escort wagon with the 1.9 litre four-cylinder engine

It gets 35 in town and 42 on the highway.

mikey_the_rat

[zabet]

3. Glad to see it.

30,000 with deposits paid is a good start. Just think
of the positive impact it will have if out of the 30 thousand,
just 500 replace gas-guzzlers on the road.

[leftyladyfrommo]

5. I really think that having a mini car is going to be the "in" thing here

pretty soon.

That would be good for everyone - except the guys who make the big trucks and SUVS. But they need to keep up with the times.

[EV_Ares]

6. You got the better deal. The car may be ok but this will be a game

which always works with Americans wanting the first new thing. They hype the car like they did the Mini Cooper, The Toyoto Prius and the people all want to have the first one, so the price goes up and all you have to do is wait a while like the mini-cooper and prius now and get it for a much more realistic price.

Not any better than the Yaris which is a good car and one we are looking at getting when we make a trade.

[leftyladyfrommo]

9. I like my Yaris.

It has plenty of storage space. And it is just fine out on the freeways - I have no trouble keeping up with everyone else.

I am always aware of how little I am and I drive accordingly. I really pay attention to what is going on around me.

I haven't been out in bad weather yet. It has front wheel drive so should be fine. We don't get a lot of snow here in KC - but we do get ice sometimes. Just have to see how I do.

[EV_Ares]

11. Good, thanks for the tip, yeah front wheel drive should take care of

any snow you may get, have been checking out various vehicles as will be trading within the year. Besides, I like Toyoto products and usually have good warranties.

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. There are lots and lots of little cars out there now. Most brands

have somthing that looks identical to a Yaris. But most of them are more expensive and don't get as good mileage.

Anyway, I like mine a lot. I do petsitting so I drive a lot when I am busy. I had to go for the highest mileage I could find.

[lutefisk]

37. Yaris is great, but Toyota makes side/curtain air bags optional!

To me, that is unconscionable. After being a satisfied Toyota buyer for many years, I have bought two new Hondas in the past year after becoming frustrated by Toyota's safety equipment policies. My Hondas came with stability control and side/curtain air bags as standard equipment(along with excellent crash test results). We need all the help we can get when driving these little cars on US roads - the thought of getting "t-boned" by some full size Chevy van or truck concerns me a great deal!

Toyota really should equip its US cars with the level of safety equipment European Toyotas get...

[NightWatcher]

8. I'm with you, my Corolla kicks the Smart Car's ass

[leftyladyfrommo]

10. Boy, Corollas are really popular around here - I see them

everywhere. They get great gas mileage, too.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

89. I hate my Corolla but it does get good mpg

I drive a 2004 Corolla S (i.e. a Corolla with a spoiler)--I reluctuantly agreed to take it after my wife wanted to upgrade. Stupid thing accellerates like I'm driving an 18 wheeler. The steering on it feels very heavy. The thing makes the oddest sounds--like a rusty hinge when it stops, or this constant rattling which I still cannot pinpoint the source. The brakes on it have always sucked, even after I replaced it. Weird lights come on at odd times (like the seatbelt light) and then turn off just as inexplicably.

But with all that being said, it gets me about 30-35 mpg. And as of this month, it is finally paid off, so that is one less bill. So I'll suffer through driving this crappy car in the meantime.

[blondeatlast]

13. I drove one in Germany last year and LOVED it. Park anywhere, fun. easy. I'm gonna go topless.

Hoping to trade in my Camry for one next year! :bounce:

[leftyladyfrommo]

14. Going topless would be fun! N/t

[kelligesq]

18. You see them all over Paris - look like little car that has been cut in half

but the idea of driving them on an American highway
like I-95 where the average speed is 75 mph is suicidal. One bump from one of our larger cars and the smart car is going to take off in the air like a golf ball.

[leftyladyfrommo]

19. Don't people drive them on the highways in Europe?

They go really fast over there.

Or are they mainly for intown travel.

[tammywammy]

24. There's a guy that owns a Smart in the next building over from where I work

They do just fine on the highway. I got on right behind him once and that little Smart just zips on down. He had no problem keeping up with the 70 mph other cars.

[kelligesq]

25. I only saw them in-town, but think someone said they have limit to speed

I really dont know, but I cant imagine them going 125 mph on a European highway

[blondeatlast]

43. I saw them on the Autobahn. My friend commutes from Potsdam to Berlin in one

every day.

Most of the cars on the AB were a little bigger, but virtually no one drives a big car in Gemany/Czexh Republic (where we were).

Edit: People drive MUCH saner on the Autobahn than on US freeways, most definitely!

[hlthe2b]

74. Then you can probably answer my question...

HOw do they do on ice/snow?

[WritersBlock]

45. I have one. I drive it on the motorway when necessary, but it's better for in town.

And parking. Absolutely wonderful for parking.

Mine's got a governor on the engine at 84MPH, but I don't feel it necessary to drive it faster than that. One of the folks I work with had his chipped to remove the limiter.

I get about 40 MPG. Had a VW Bora diesel that got 50 MPG regularly and went like a bat out of hell, but it was a bitch to park.

[madrchsod]

16. 17,000?

hmmm i can completely rebuild my 87 crx for about 2000 and get better mileage. then i could take another 4000 and rebuild a newer model civic or accord and get the same mileage. recyling older cars to new specs is recyling at it`s best

[leftyladyfrommo]

17. I think the price was about $16,950 - something like that.

Which is a good price. But my little Yaris was cheaper.

[gorekerrydreamticket]

41. Actually, I doubt you will be able to buy one for under $20,000

by the time that car dealers jack up the price with "documentation fees" and other such bullshit because of "high demand". Hot new car models always get this treatment. And it is likely that the Smart car will be "the thing" for some period of time. Everyone will need one to go along with their iPhone.

[Alcibiades]

76. Base MSRP is $11,950

If the link below is to be believed.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09/06/2008-smart-fortwo-officially-priced-from-11-590-starting-in-jan/

Though I do agree with your comment about recycling.

[Basileus Basileon]

20. The Smart is beautiful. But why is the mileage so mediocre? nt

[LibertyLover]

21. A friend of mine just e-mailed me that she had put $99 down

to reserve her Smart Car. She has a fairly long commute from Gaithersburg to DC and public transportation is not really an option because of where she works. When I replaced my old car 2 years ago, I thought about getting a Smart Car, having seen them in Europe. They were supposed to be on sale a few years ago but it got delayed and I really needed to replace my old car, so I got a Mini Cooper which I adore and is just right for my needs.

[Bonobo]

23. Why did you say 36/40 when the article says 60 mpg?

[n2doc]

27. OK, once and for all, it is 40-50 mpg

The article listed in the post above is 3 years old. Go here:

http://smartusa.com/smart-car-faq.aspx

This is the offical site. They say:
"Engineering and testing continues to take place on the vehicle that will be produced for the United States. The vehicle is designed to achieve 40 plus mpg under normal driving conditions and current standards. The gas tank of the smart fortwo is 8.7 gallons."


Now, that is fine. And I can see a real place for the fortwo in a city. But it doesn't make any sense as an alternative for other places, where you have to drive on freeways with large trucks. And frankly one can do as good on milage with a larger, 4 seater.

[Romulox]

33. " EPA challenges Smart Car's claims"

The Smart car may not be so intelligent after all. After claiming to get 60 miles per gallon, the EPA clocked it in at a mere 37 mpg:

Zap made a big publicity splash with its plans to sell the tiny two-seat coupe, promoting it as the most efficient gasoline-powered vehicle ever at 60 miles to the gallon and lining up thousands of orders.

But before the French-made ultra-mini could even think about hitting U.S. roads, the Environmental Protection Agency ordered the Santa Rosa, Calif., auto importer to scale back its fuel-efficiency claims.

The federal agency's fuel economy estimate for the Smart car isn't 60 miles per gallon — it's 37, sort of like a Honda Civic.

http://calenergy.blogspot.com/2005/03/epa-challenges-smart-cars-claims.html

[SharonRB]

26. I put my deposit down last March

I'm going to get the cabriolet.

[Romulox]

30. Hey thanks for supporting Michigan! nt

[Romulox]

29. I don't understand why this car gets such poor mileage--sounds like poor engineering.

It's only a few mpg more than my four door station wagon. :wtf:

[magellan]

34. Because it's been modified for the US market

Larger shell/engine size. It gets excellent mileage in the countries where it hasn't been modified (read: the rest of the world).

[Romulox]

44. So you're saying US safety regulations are part of the problem? nt

[magellan]

48. No, pandering to the US market is the problem

They're more interested in selling Americans what they want than in fuel efficiency. Hence the bigger more powerful model for US consumers.

[Romulox]

49. I'm not so sure about that. I don't believe the Euro model passes US crash tests...nt

[magellan]

51. You're right, sorry. It's both things, then. n/t

[Kazak]

31. Oh boy, we're saved!!!?

:eyes:

[Clark2008]

35. Does it look like a bubble, too?

Because, if it does, just like the Toyota products (which I wouldn't purchase if my life depended on it), then I won't be buying it.

Cars should look like cars, not something Glenda the Good Witch would travel in.

[crispini]

39. They're a lot cheaper than that

From the website -- "The smart fortwo pure will start at $11,590, the smart fortwo passion couple will start at $13,590 and the smart fortwo passion cabriolet will start at $16,590." Without TTL, of course. Still, that's a pretty good price for a new car.

[Bluebear]

46. 'The entire level price of under $12,000 will be a primary factor in the decision to drive Smart.'

http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogsection&id=5&Itemid=27

You are correct, the price the OP quoted seems to be for the 'convertible'.

[Strelnikov_]

47. Nice form factor for an EV

Other than the initial 'in-thing' wave, it will simply be another in a growing field of small IC powered vehicles. Improved, but still unacceptable, energy efficiency due to dependence on liquid fuels.

If, however, Mercedes had proceeded to market with an EV version, they would have been in a position to catch the market wave for the most efficient alternative energy personal vehicle when TSHTF next year.

[ecstatic]

50. That's ugly. I'd be the laughing stock

Hopefully, one day they will be able to combine aesthetics with efficiency.

Not only that, of course it's efficient, since speeding in one of those things would be like a death wish.

[Vilis Veritas]

53. My Jetta gets approx. 42mpg...

and it can run on used french fry oil...

Can a diesel get heart disease?

:hide:

[tammywammy]

58. I have a Beetle TDI

I love it. :loveya:

I'm also getting around 42 mpg. What I like best about the TDI is it's ability to use biodiesel. I can be completely off oil (since the engine uses synthetic too). I like the Smart too, maybe they'll bring a diesel version to the US eventually.

[Vilis Veritas]

59. It is the funnest car I have ever driven...

Here is the conversion for fry oil that I am currently looking at...we have lots of restaurants in our area...;-)

http://www.frybrid.com/

Peace.

[defendandprotect]

71. HEMP . . ??? I understand Hemp used to be used to run autos???

[roody]

60. I love my VW Golf TDI.

I get 28 mpg in town. Runs great on 100% recycled veggie oil biodiesel.

[ShaneGR]

61. Are helmets required??

I mean, its really just a gocart with windows and a top. And btw, that mileage sucks compared to some of the other high MPG cars already on the market.

[Initech]

62. My Altima gets 35 / 40 MPG.

And it has all the same cool shit that the Prius does - push button start, nav system, XM radio, etc etc, but it doesn't have the electric motor. AND it's American made.

[dancing kali]

64. Only 40?

What the **** did the US do to drop the mileage?

I have one. It gets 60 mpg. I keep track of my mileage between fill-ups. I've had it for two and a half years and keep it well maintained. Haven't had a bit of trouble with it.

There is a speed limiter. The car has to think for a minute before pulling out from a dead stop. All that really means is that I don't do jack-rabbit starts at lights anymore. It can easily be removed. It, however, has nothing to do with the gas mileage. On the highway, I can happily drive at speed (and have to watch to ensure that I am not exceeding the speed... it's actually a fast little car once it gets going).

I feel safer in it than I do in most other cars.

I get very smug at the gas pump when I pay $13.00 for a fill up and the Hummer (or other "compensation" vehicle) is dinging it's way up toward three digits to fill. A friend once called Smart Cars "Hummers for Treehuggers" because the people who drive them have the same kind of asshole arrogance about them.

If I wanted a car for more than two people I might have considered another car like a Prius... but there is only two of us so we are perfectly happy with a Smart Car for our family. If you have a larger family, or want to use your car to transport lots of people then the Smart Car isn't for you.

$99.00 to hold one? Is that normal for buying a car in the US?

[CRF450]

65. They need to bring out fuel efficient cars that actually looks appealing

Instead of these shit box looking little cars that drives and handles like crap! I know lexus has a high performance RWD hybrid, but it hardly gets better fuel milage than my 01 Trans Am with a 6 speed.

Oh, and I'd like a fuel effecient truck like my Dodge Dakota quad cab 4x4!

[defendandprotect]

66. Still a gas-guzzling auto? We need ELECTRIC CARS -- !!!

35 to 40 --- cars were doing 42mpg in the 60's . . . !!!

How do we fail to understand that GM has been working for the oil industry ---

not for the public!!!

[CRF450]

67. Why only accuse GM?

Look at trucks/SUV's and sports cars made from other outo makers, they dont really get any better than most vehicles from the domestic makers. Imports do make regular/econo cars with much better fuel milage, I wont deny that at all.

[defendandprotect]

69. Exactly --- all of Detroit has been working for the oil companies . . .

NOT in the interests of the consumer ---

Again, in the 1960's . . . we had cars which were doing 42/46 mpg ---
they reversed it all ---

Only imports continued on . . . but without greater competition, I don't think they increased mpg by much???

[krispos42]

75. Oh,that's not true

Until very recently, the consumer didn't give a shit about electric cars. They were turned off by low power, limited range, and long recharge times. A gallon of gas contains a LOT of energy, and using a fluid fuel is the most compact and quickest-refilling method of storing the large amounts of power required for transportation.

And if the consumers didn't give a shit, the automakers were going to stick with what they knew: internal-combustion autos. They had hundreds of millions of dollars invested in engine research and development and in manufacturing and assembly plants for engines and transmissions.

They weren't going to scrap all that work, knowledge, and investment latching onto an electric car that nobody was interested in. In Toyota had tried the Prius in 1992, it would have tanked.

[defendandprotect]

78. Detroit has been doing the oil industry a favor with keeping mpg low ----

Of course consumers would want autos with higher mpg --
why would they want to pay more to run their cars?

Government/Congress has also colluded in keeping the mpg low --
The oil industry has thus been running America --
and the Bush wars are in large part based on our military/their oil ---

Let me also suggest that you rent "Who Killed The Electric Car?"

Meanwhile, while many of us are waking us sadly late to Global Warming's reality ---
many have understood the harm that burning fossil fuels does to our species and the planet.

[CRF450]

81. I'm not denying that there in bed with the oil companies

But I really think that presumption (making nothing but gas guzzlers) is being thrown around too much. Trucks and SUV's from the import makers dont get any better mpg than the domestics. They have cars now that get pretty decent fuel milage, though they dont average more than 30mpg but there right up in that area. Then look at the high performance cars like the Corvettes, they now have 435+hp v8's and can reach 30mpg on the highway easy and average in the low 20's. My Trans Am averages around 23mpg and has gotten 31mpg on the interstate going 74mph.

In a few years the Chevy Volt is coming out, and is said to get well over 100mpg. Its a step in the right direction.

[defendandprotect]

85. These are things we could have been doing all along and perhaps

saved ourselves GW ....

Why these large sized cars? They're not only tougher on gas mileage, they are a hazard on the roadways where you can't see around them orthru them --- parking next to them always cuts your visibility --- and they take up more room. Additionally, unsafe.
Plus, they're heavier on our highways -- creating more wear and damage.

We're talking about saving our species and the planet ---
in order to do that we have to stop burning fossil fuels ---

We have to move to electric cars --

See: "Who Killed The Electric Car?"

[krispos42]

86. They might have been doing Big Oil a favor...

but they were doing themselves one, too. The cars of the day were large and heavy, and wussy, low-powered cars were not a selling point, either in advertising or by word-of-mouth.

It's not that they necessarily wanted to pay more to operate the car, but the cost of the gas was seen as negligable, and they were unwilling to give up performance. Cars are expensive decisions that you must live with for many years after purchase. You don't want to get on that you're going to dislike because it's too big or too small or looks funny or is underpowered or give the wrong 'vibe'.

The oil crises in the '70s really brought efficiency to the forefront, and new engine technologies and such. Nowadays, while the average fuel economy of the American fleet has pretty much stayed the same, the average horsepower has gone up considerably. For example, in comparing the 1988 Ford Taurus to the similar-sized 2006 Ford Fusion, both with the base engine, the Fusion gets both 20 more horsepower and 2 more highway miles per gallon, according to the EPA numbers.

However, you could get the same EPA milage in a Ford Fusion with the optional V-6 as you can with the Taurus with the base engine, except the Ford Fusion will have some 81 more horsepower (58%) than the Taurus. So you can see we're getting much better in this catagory.

People were comfortable with the mileage they were getting, overall, so the competition by the automakers was to increase horsepower without lowering the gas milage. And that is where we are at now. Your basic family sedan's gas milage really hasn't gone up that much, but the power really has, resulting in happy customers.

[CRF450]

77. Econo cars had that kind of fuel milage compared to those now.

But when you look at full size sedans, trucks and sports cars, they got way less mpg in that time than they do now.

[JCMach1]

68. Junk, buy a corolla... 3x the size and better mileage

and never breaks down...

We have them here and they have never caught on... i would expect the same in the US

[EnviroBat]

70. But, but, but , but, it's CEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!

[hlthe2b]

72. Cute and the safety demo seems reasonable, but 40 mpg?

Why wouldn't such a lightweight, small vehicle do better than that?

PS anyone know how it is supposed to do, traction-wise on ice and snow? It is obviously light enough not to get snow-banked, but does it go into a spin at the first sign of sleet?

[krispos42]

73. I get 27 mpg on the highway in my GM full-size

It seats six, is quite comfortable, and could probably fit the SmartCar in it's trunk. And it's 19 years old with 183,000 miles on it. And I drive fast.

Fuel economy hits the point of diminishing returns once you get to about the size of a Ford Focus or Chevy Cobalt. Any measurable increase in fuel economy only comes from drastic size and weight cuts, assuming gasoline engines.

Highway fuel mileage is mostly determined by frontal area and coefficient of drag. Since passenger vehicles need to be a minimum height and width, there's not a lot of play in this area. And the C_d of cars at their best is about 0.27. IIRC, the original 1986 Ford Taurus had one of .32, so that's hitting the point of diminishing returns as well.

[bpeale]

79. the article i read said starting cost was about $11,000

[bpeale]

80. smartcar is no death trap. it's built by mercedes.

[Canuckistanian]

83. They're not in the US yet?

I see them here in Canada every day. They even have car clubs for them and they go touring to the fairs and exhibitions.

I've even seen one at a used car dealership. It was there for one day only.

[OnionPatch]

84. I have a Yaris, too.

And I love it. Sure, I would have liked a Prius, but I simply can't afford one at this time. As far as the Yaris being small, it's plenty big enough for me and my groceries. And if it's not as safe, oh well, I guess I'll have to take my chances. The more people drive small cars, the safer the roads will be for all of us. And the safer the planet will be, I should add.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

87. I'm in Japan now, and they've had eensy-teensy cars for years

and this year, I'm noticing a lot of eensy-teensy trucks, too, as well as more motorcycles, scooters, and bicycles.

The trucks are about the size of a station wagon. :-)

[Tommy_Carcetti]

88. It would have to get 60 mpg for me to consider it

Just too small and impractical for a car which I would expect would give you a lot more mpg. They can talk about safety all they want, but I'd still be a bit nervous in it. Not to mention incredibly embarassed.

If I were to drive that thing on a busy expressway, I'd feel like I'd be putting my life at risk.

Hell, it gets about the same mileage as my Toyota Corrolla (I car that I personally hate--my wife saddled me with it--but I reluctantly keep it due to its good mpg and the fact that it is paid for.)

[Liberal In Texas]

90. I test drove a Smart Car few weeks ago. I was not impressed.

It has really nice pickup and I got to 50+ mph easily in the short drive I took, but the way it shifts would annoy me if I owned it. It has some sort of manual transmission/automatic clutch technology and every time it changed gears, it faded for a second or two and then kicked back in to the next gear. It makes for a very jerky driving experience. Also, the brakes were very grabby, but maybe that could be adjusted.

As far as room, I could see this for a commuter to and from work, but for going on a grocery shopping trip where you have more than about 3 or 4 bags, there isn't enough room.

I was impressed with their demo video of a crash test with a full-sized Mercedes sedan. They've done a lot of "smart" engineering to make it safe in a crash. I think the up-posts worrying about it's safety are unfounded.

I wouldn't buy one as presently configured. Maybe if they came out with a plug-in electric without that weird transmission/clutch it would be worth serious consideration.