Where do I sign up for the SmartForTwo newsletter?

Irene Tsutsui

LOL!! 12-17K for that?! ...yeah, right.

With gas hitting $4/gallon I want to use less to save cash. However, that doesn't matter if I have to drop $350 per month on a payment. This car uses probably 1/3 the materials of the standard sedans, so it should not be priced the same. If you buy one at those prices, you're a giant sucker (and you're also the reason they CAN charge that much, so KNOCK IT OFF)

I also like how the article ignored the fuel specs.... hello? why would anyone want this thing if not for the gas savings? Why not report it?

Buy a slightly used Rio or equivalent. It looks just as dumb, gets really good gas mileage, and costs half as much, seats 4, and you might actually survive an accident.

These cars get about 40-45 MPG. The diesel version supposedly gets 80 MPG. They've been available in Canada for a while. I saw one while driving around Ann Arbor while taking class at U-M.

thank goodness not everyone shares goober's opinions. If everyone was overly pragmatic, then cars like the mini cooper or the vw beetle would never have a chance in the market place... if you wanted to get into the nitty gritty, the brief article also neglected to describe the powerplant used, the type of rubber on the wheels, the safety measures available as well as its cute ability to park perpendicular on the streets of europe.

Lighten up Goober, it was just a brief news announcement. Why not direct your commetns to Marc the author...

Owning a car isnt always about money... Personally i have a fondness for these cars ever since i saw them in Paris and would not mind owning one.

Since Daimler sold Chrysler, will this affect the Smart Fortwo?

I have a group at Yahoo.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/smartcarusa

As usual another vehicle that has existed in europe for years and just now makes its apearance here in north america. I spent over a month in Italy this year and had a chance to drive both a peouget station wagon that was diesel powered and a Alfa Romeo that was also a diesel. We drove the wheels off of both of these cars and I was impressed! I kept seeing these smart cars running around all over and get this there is even a sport version wich is the same chasis but low and sleek looking. I really wanted to drive one of these cars and see if this thing felt as awkward to drive as it looked but I must say anyone I saw driving one zipped around pretty well in traffic and these things really show there stuff when it comes to parking! I got caught in a situation on a narrow street in a small village were I wished I'd been driving one of these things. If they have the wavo's to actually bring one of these smart cars to this contanent they might as well go the rest of the way and bring the diesel version if it has the bottom end torque that the peugot and the Alfa had it wouldn't be to bad a little machine for the stop and go city commute. As far as safety goes these things were I believe partially designed by Mercedes so they should be pretty strong for there size. I'm just tired of seeing all the neat technology being held captive off our shores. Were are our 2.5L Turbo Diesel Ford Rangers. How come if they do bring a small diesel to our shores its wrapped in a SUV thats so over loaded with options you'd save money buying the gas version? I've heard in New York state they can't even get a new Diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee. I searched autotrader and shure enough none of the dealers around NY city carry them you'd have to go to coneticut or Pensylvania to get one. How come we only got the Liberty with a Diesel for 2 years and then its gone to be replaced by this 40K plus luxury wagon the Grand Cherokee? Do you know that they make Diesel motorcycles now also not to mention diesel powered propeller aircraft? Can you imagine the mileage a diesel motorcycle would pull down? Not to mention the torque of a bike like that! Will I put down 99 dollars for one of these smart cars? You bet but make mine the Diesel version as I talked to some Italians 90 mpg sounds like the norm for this animal! With that said if you know anything about Bio Diesel with that kind of mileage you could buy a gallon of cooking oil and go along ways. In fact here's some people that did just that. http://www.sovereignty.org.uk/features/footnmouth/biofuel.html

The reason the bankrupt US automakers don't use the new technology, is because they have to pay royalties to the GERMANs because THEY are the ones who invented it and hold the patent, and they claim americans wouldn't want it & it would add too much cost for the manufacturer to save lives. But now they have no choice on one of them, because congress has mandated ESP be in all new vehicles. And ESP is a Mercedes invention of course. The US co just relabel it to mislead consumers of its origin. Just like Mercedes does with slapping a "dodge" badge on their VASTLY superior Sprinter van. Otherwise dumbass americans wouldn't buy it since it came from a Nazi country. Well look what businesses just got suckered now!

Another thing is German automobiles are vastly overpriced for the US market. They try to stuff everything in there that people in Europe get to pick and choose if they want. That hurts sales tremendously. But Germans are idiots when it comes to marketing. Just look at the intro for the smart car. If they had brains, they'd intro BOTH the diesel and gas at the same time. Because once someone's purchased one, they're sure as hell not going to buy the other 1-2 yrs down the road.

If you were looking for GERMAN diesel, your only bet was in '04-'05 with the Passat 2.0 wagon or sedan (no 4MOTION though), or a Jetta. Otherwise it's the $60K Mercedes c320. WAY overpriced. Or you could try to import a smart car from Canada by having it converted to US specs, since they've been available there for a few YEARS now! But that could cost more than it's worth. Personally, I wouldn't want a US diesel. They just don't know how to make them, or cars in general.

So we're basically paying $99 to take part in a survey?

Screw that.

I agree anyway about overprised euro cars, but then again
us cars here on the continent aren't cheap too. And they are real gas guzzlers, ( bad built quality etc) so i think its a question of market protection that's why euro cars have lots of troubles getting tru (us) californian eco rules, it's just idiotic cose most euro cars consume less gas , have a better gas milage and pollute less. btw that's why we fancy diesel cars over here.(forget your detroit diesels from the year zero hihi) You schould live here a few months and then you will see.

there lot's of us cars i like and in general many europeans do also .aspecially the 50's 60's 70's cool rides with all the bells and whizzles of those days. ( i remember my dads 1977 caprice v8) But right now I don't understand hauling 3 tons of iron on the a1. What's wrong with a cool smart (the canadians like them anyway) that goes 80 miles the gallon(diesel) and is still impact proof even better than the old 940 volvo i had. Here in brussels those swift smarts rule the streets for about 9 years now and i can't blame the drivers driving one. (drove one myself, a bit bumpy on bad roads but you americans have better asphalt than the nurenburg ring hihi) I agree that for long distance travelling i would like bigger wheels, but please get real those suvs!
are just a way of spoiling energy.

diesel powered propeller aircraft?
hy ryan,

Exuse my french but i thought that kerosine is a sort of refined diesel fuel, correct me if i'm wrong .I wouldn't be surprised if they use diesel, to run plane engines. Euro diesel cars (blue tech diesels) run on kerosine diesel
not the kind of stuff you get in the US, if you go to Africa or Russia be sure you have a double filter (that is, if you are driving a high tech euro diesel engine, works fine with an old diesel) . and hope that your high pressure injection can stand the bad fuel. Anyway filling up in europe you will be safe (hihi)

http://home.comcast.net/~tomleem/mysmartfortwopure.html
I really like my little Smart Fortwo Pure. I am call it Herb (short version of Herbie the Love Bug :) ). It is not for everyone but it is ideal for me. With gas prices going up and with me traveling alone to work, it saves me gas. I think it is really cool. I am not interested in muscle cars. I do like little cars. :)