Would you buy one of these?

[outshined]

Well, let's look at this way... If someone ever does get into an altercation with a real car on the highway, one can defray the cost of this skateboard by being buried in it, negating the need to spend even more money for a casket.

 

[pmsummer]

Back to the subject on hand:

No, I can't see buying a tiny car whose name (Ta Ta) means "bye-bye".

 

[Jailtime]

The Smart didn't do too bad in that video, but let us remember that's engineered by Mercedes-Benz, IIRC. That TaTa would explode. And let's see the Smart in a real world collision with an 18 wheeler on a two lane highway, head on with relative speed of 130. I've seen way too many totaled cars at a friend's body shop, 18 wheelers mess up the very best of safe cars.

 

[Tarl Of Gor]

That is because there is much less mass to stop in a Smart Car during a crash. The question is, what happens when there is a collision between a 1600 lb car and a 5000 lb car??? The results ain't pretty!

And what's the last thing that goes through your mind when that happens? Your asshole.

 

[Goodwill_HiFi]

I was disappointed the Smart Car gets such crappy gas mileage for it's size...... as small as they are, I'd expect 60+ mpg...... they only get in the 40's if I recall correctly. They sure do look small on the road.....and they look anything but Smart.... Stupid is more like it

 

[fau5tu5]

When I lived in San Francisco, I would have VERY MUCH considered that... Just for parking and short tripping... and when I had to travel out of the city I would simply put it in the back seat of the 1969 Deville Convertible..

 

[Alaric]

Just reember - your 5000 lb car is not designed for crashes (more than likely an SUV) - if you look at the most recent crash tests SUV were lower than a Smart Car.

Think on that one....

Nope. 2001 Grand Marquis with a full (19 gallon) tank and a lot of crap in the trunk. Already toasted a Mustang GT (hit me while I was parked) and a Saturn. If I'm going 45 mph and a "smart" car pulls out in front of me , the driver can be proud to have died defending the environment-but he's goin' down. I'll play chicken with a Prius any time , anywhere , anyhow. I ride motorcycles for a living-velocity * mass = impact energy. When your rinky-dink shoebox goes sailing through the air and hits/rolls 4 or 5 times-with the driver's door in the ashtray-I'll feel bad , but not as bad as you. Don't believe the enviro-weenies. They'll sacrifice your a$$ for the "greater good" in a heartbeat.

 

[Alaric]

And let's see the Smart in a real world collision with an 18 wheeler on a two lane highway, head on with relative speed of 130.

Or a 2001 Grand Marquis.....

 

[Jailtime]

yeah, alaric, you have a good point there. I've seen some pretty messed up cars from such collisions, but I'm of the opinion that more metal in front of you is a good thing. Especially when it's modern, safety engineered metal. That video of the smart hitting the wall was disturbing because it did do five flips through the air.

 

[kx250rider]

There are too many variables in collision safety to say whether big is better, etc. Obviously a small car is more nimble, and a good driver might be able to get out of the way of an accident, whereas a big, lumbering vehicle (such as our Chevy 1-ton crew cab 4x4 long-bed Diesel), may not be able to in the same circumstance. If you're sitting at a light, and you see an out-of-control vehicle coming at you, a motorcycle is best. Pop the clutch and you're out of the way. If you're absolutely going to crash, then better be in a late-model full-size SUV. Plenty of metal to crush and absorb the hit, and plenty of mass to share the impact. Much less G-force on the people in the heavier mass vehicle with more crush area.

Charles