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I saw a European Smart Car in Wisconsin today!

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PeaceNikki Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 09:38 PM
Original message
I saw a European Smart Car in Wisconsin today!
I want one!

The woman said it gets 40-50 MPG and is a TON OF FUN to drive. It was soooo cute!

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SallyMander Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 09:44 PM
Response to Original message
1. I've seen a couple of those in Columbus, OH recently!!!

They are hilarious and adorable... but i'm not sure i'd be brave enough to drive one on the highway amongst the Hummers and Escalades! :scared:
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PeaceNikki Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 09:46 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. I've been "sub-compact" for 8 years now.
These are much smaller than my sub-compacts. I don't think they're any less safe than the models I've had.

The woman said that this European version is smaller than the US version.
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LeftyMom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 10:35 PM
Response to Original message
3. We drove by a smart dealer a few weeks ago, LeftyKid was staring out the window at them.
Finally I asked him what was so interesting. And he looks over at me with his eyes really big and his voice full of wonder and asks "Mom, do you think that's where the circus buys cars for clowns?" :rofl:
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Aristus Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 11:28 PM
Response to Original message
4. The Smart Car probably causes a lot of frustration in crowded parking lots:
"Hey, there's a spot that seems to be open....AW, DAMMIT!" :-)
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krispos42 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 11:57 PM
Response to Reply #4
9. I bet there's the sound of rending metal, too...
"Officer, I didn't see the damn thing until it was too late to stop!"


Hell, I've come close to doing that to a Civic, much less a Smart Car!
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huskerlaw Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 11:36 PM
Response to Original message
5. Awesome!
I've seen quite a few here in Los Angeles, but only very recently.

I dream of having a car that size when it comes to parking in LA's ridiculously sized "compact" parking spots. I have a sporty Toyota and it barely fits!
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jberryhill Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 11:39 PM
Response to Original message
6. 30,000 being sold in the US this year

Reserved and test drove one last year.

My delivery is due sometime between June and September.

www.smartusa.com

The chance of signing up now and getting one before 2009 is nil. However, some dealers have "orphan lists" for people who will purchase cars in the event the person who ordered the car changes his/her mind at delivery.
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Tektonik Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 11:44 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. Would someone 6'6" fit into one of those?
I hate big cars, and when I do buy one I'm looking for a cheap car that'll get tons of mpg.
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jberryhill Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 11:52 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. They are HUGE inside

I'm not kidding.

One of the reasons they look funny is that, unlike other small cars, you actually step *down* to get out of it, and there is lots of headroom.

It's very hard to describe how much room there is inside of one of those things, it's something you have to try.
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kentauros Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Apr-13-08 11:57 PM
Response to Original message
10. I saw one in Houston last week
cutting through a parking to avoid waiting at the corner light ;)

I'd love to have the electric version of the Obvio (history link) if I could afford it. Their "tribrid" doesn't get impressive mileage, but I love the color scheme! :D If anyone ever said "I didn't see you" after an accident, I would insist on an eye-examination
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Ellen Forradalom Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 12:18 AM
Response to Original message
11. I saw one tootling around Westlake Village, CA yesterday
A refreshing change from all the Chevy Behemoths and Ford Leviathans everyone drives around here.
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Skittles Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 01:21 AM
Response to Original message
12. no way in hell I would drive that think in the Dallas metroplex
no way no MA'AM :o
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Canuckistanian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 01:21 AM
Response to Original message
13. They're pretty common here in Canada
They even have Smart Car Clubs.

I'm waiting until I can buy a used one.
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PeaceNikki Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 08:44 AM
Response to Reply #13
17. Do you know how they are in the snow?
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Fox Mulder Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 01:22 AM
Response to Original message
14. I want one of those!
How much are they?
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BreweryYardRat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 08:27 AM
Response to Original message
15. Hell, as soon as I can get out of Florida, I'd like one.
Some of the lunatics down here can miss seeing a damn station wagon. A smart car would probably be wrecked in less than a month or so.
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RebelOne Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 08:30 AM
Response to Original message
16. Clark Howard was talking about this car this morning
on the radio. He said he had been on a waiting list for one. But when he heard of the crash test results, he has changed his mind. He said it tested good for the driver's side but very poorly for the passenger's side. He said he has children and did not want to sacrifice their safety.
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PeaceNikki Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 08:53 AM
Response to Reply #16
18. Interesting. The one I saw (and photographed) is not the U.S. version.
I wonder how the saftey rating on the Euro version is?
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DS1 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 08:53 AM
Response to Original message
19. I saw one in Northshore MA a few weeks ago
If everyone had one of these, there would be twice the available parking spots. Those GMC Suburbans people love to drive to my tiny little town eat up so much space.
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Midlodemocrat Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 08:54 AM
Response to Original message
20. I've seen a couple of them here recently.
Neat cars. But, with monster behemoths with the Excursion still on the road, it would scare me to death to put my kid in one.
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Zorro Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 09:49 AM
Response to Original message
21. My co-worker has one
We went out to lunch in it the other day. We drove on the 105 and the 405 in LA for a few miles and it kept up fairly well, although it pays to drive defensively.

We're both big people, and there's some shoulder room issues. There's a fair amount of legroom on the passenger side, and because it rides relatively high, it seems bigger from the cockpit than it is.
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AngryAmish Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 09:58 AM
Response to Original message
22. I'm driving my wife's Mini nowadays
Pulled up behind a Smart car the other day. Dropped it into neutral and revved my engine...the only car I can intimidate on the road.
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PeaceNikki Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Apr-14-08 10:04 AM
Response to Reply #22
23. Cute
:D
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