In reply to Zomby Woof:
Canadian diesel for 70 mpg?
In reply to Zomby Woof:
Canadian diesel for 70 mpg?
And hauling an SBC, with room to spare. The guy I bought it from cursed me out because he met me on his day off and "you brought that thing and there's no way you're getting the engine in there"
Oh yeah? 
vwcorvette wrote: In reply to Zomby Woof: Canadian diesel for 70 mpg?
Yup.
Heck, I used to carry a 125 Elsinore in the back of a Pinto hatchback. 
Sorry, no pics.
Curmudgeon wrote: Heck, I used to carry a 125 Elsinore in the back of a Pinto hatchback.
125 what of Elsinore?
To each their own, but I almost always laugh out loud when I see a Smart driving around. Mostly because they seem like anything but.
mtn wrote:Curmudgeon wrote: Heck, I used to carry a 125 Elsinore in the back of a Pinto hatchback.
125cc and 21 HP of piston port fury. 
T.J. wrote: To each their own, but I almost always laugh out loud when I see a Smart driving around. Mostly because they seem like anything but.
I'm kinda indifferent to the Smarts, but I would be tempted by one of those Brabus edition ones.
Kinda like that Aston Martin Toyota IQ, I'd own it just for entertainment value. Well...if it wasn't like 50 grand.
Curmudgeon wrote: 125cc and 21 HP of piston port fury.
I had a 75. It was fast, but holy cow did it not handle 
In reply to Zomby Woof: Yup. The forks, frame and swingarm flexed like they were made of chewing gum, it made all its HP from about 6000 to 7500 RPM meaning your left foot flapped like crazy the whole time you rode it but man it was fun.
EvanR wrote: Comparing any two vehicles based solely on price makes for an invalid argument. An F-150 costs the same as a MX-5. The F-150 can haul more lumber. Does that make it better?
Except that we aren't comparing cars based solely on price. That is basically the last part of this equation. The question is "what does this car do better than other cars." The only answer I see is "be small". Compare them to other cars in the similar class (Fit, Mazda 2, Fiat 500, etc.)
Are they cheaper? Not really.
Better looking? Dear lord no.
More fuel efficient? Not really.
More pleasurable to drive? No.
Less expensive? No.
More reliable or better build quality? I don't think so.
It's not even a case of "this car doesn't shine as the best at any one of these things, but it is better than average at all of them." No. It is poor to mediocre at everything.
The only thing it does better than anything else right now is being small. I like have small cars though. Maneuvering a Miata around a city is much easier than a sedan. Eventually you hit diminishing returns and being that much smaller is no longer an advantage. Having a car as small as a Miata is an advantage. But even in a place like San Francisco, I have never felt like I would gain an advantage from having anything smaller in the U.S. (until you get down to motorcycle sized).
And I'm not trying to be a hater. If people want to drive them, cool (as long as they aren't that jack-off tail gating my BMW to try to hypermile or something). I just don't see the point.
In reply to Beer Baron:
Cheaper? Ours came to 12,500.
Better looking? Eye of the beholder. Can't see the outsise from the inside.
More fuel efficient? Yes, significantly in real world use.
More pleasurable to drive? Wholly subjective. I consider our smart quite fun to drive as a momentum car. When I wnat a big kick I drive the Vette.
Less expensive? Already answered this one. However over four years of ownership on the first one I only replaced brakes.
Beer Baron wrote: Are they cheaper? Not really.
The "cheaper" part of the equation is the $1300 down/$99 per month lease. None of the others in this class are that low. If it had a clutch, I would seriously consider it at that price.
It does have a clutch. You just don't get to operate it. The computer does.
I'm not a fan of the Smart, but in cities that allow it they can park nose in at a curb. If you live in an area where parking is a constant battle, that can be a pretty big bonus. If you live in the burbs I don't see the point. Just get a Civic.
I am waiting until they get really cheap and then I am thinking fun project car.
Eh, I still see something like a Fit as a much better value. I won't begrudge you people who like the Smart car. I just don't see it for myself.
T.J. wrote: To each their own, but I almost always laugh out loud when I see a Smart driving around. Mostly because they seem like anything but.
Yes! Or as my sons and I refer to them, "the not-so-Smart car."
If I lived in an urban enviroment like NYC, Philly, or the DC region.. I would be all over a smart car. Those cities would be much more pleasant if everyone drove them rather than going by themselves in the largest SUV they could find that still fits into their parking spot.
I'm going to briefly put my troll hat on and offer this dilemma:
The Smart and the Honda Ridgeline are the only vehicles for sale. You have to buy one of them. Which would you buy?
Tom Suddard wrote: I'm going to briefly put my troll hat on and offer this dilemma: The Smart and the Honda Ridgeline are the only vehicles for sale. You have to buy one of them. Which would you buy?
Ridgeline.. it has a place you can put ice to keep your beer cold
Tom Suddard wrote: I'm going to briefly put my troll hat on and offer this dilemma: The Smart and the Honda Ridgeline are the only vehicles for sale. You have to buy one of them. Which would you buy?
Like most troll posts, there's no good answer. It all depends on an individual's needs and preferences.
Is it a trick answer like, "buy the Ridgeline then use it to steal/tow away the Smart?"
Tom Suddard wrote: I'm going to briefly put my troll hat on and offer this dilemma: The Smart and the Honda Ridgeline are the only vehicles for sale. You have to buy one of them. Which would you buy?
Will the smart fit into the Ridgeline?
Honestly, I would buy the smart. Sorry, but I do not like that Honda
In my situation, Ridgeline. I'll overlook the lack of pretty for the massive amount of extra utility.
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