thinkin of placing an order for this car...

[Overdub]

with gas at $3.25 and likely to become the norm sooner or later...i'm thinking of getting rid of the passat since its getting high on miles and maintence and getting something small, while i have the BMW or GTO to tinker with on weekends....

so i'm awfuly tempted to place my order for the new Smart ForTwo -- around $14,000 for the one i have spec'ed out like the one pictured below, passion trim level w/sport pack (3-spoke sports steering wheel w/paddle shifters, leather interior, etc) 45+ mpg, panorama sunroof, upgraded sound system and cd-6/mp3/ipod radio, and power everything. --its an ideal car just to use to drive back and forth to work or back home while i can keep my other car in the garage where it belongs and save the miles and gas.

$99 down, refundable at anytime to reserve one at msrp for delivery during the first quarter of 2008 -- whadda think?

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/TJ21685/smartfortwo11sm.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/TJ21685/smartfortwo7sm.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/TJ21685/smartfortwo3sm.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/TJ21685/smartfortwo4sm.jpg

[Fick]

unique cars, i saw em all over when I was in europe. My dad said hes getting one when they come out. little fuel efficient cars are gonna be the way to go.

[Overdub]

unique cars, i saw em all over when I was in europe. My dad said hes getting one when they come out. little fuel efficient cars are gonna be the way to go.

he can reserve one now! www.smartusa.com

[Gee Tea Eye V]

hmm save money by buying more cars... makes sense... oh wait no it doesnt

[Overdub]

hmm save money by buying more cars... makes sense... oh wait no it doesnt

passat would be goin, i wont have more than two

[OrangeDUB]

Just buy a bike, it will cost less and I won't make fun of you :D

[Gee Tea Eye V]

^^lmao

i still say the smart car, cause i wanna ride in it lol and see what they are like. u should mod it too, think how fast that biatch could be, i think there was an article in eurotuner or european car about someone modding one

[DubWalkn]

Nobody every mentions them when looking for fuel efficient or hybrid cars, but what about the Honda Civic GX? It runs on natural gas, and you can buy you own pump to put in your garage. After owning the pump you can fill up for less than a dollar a gallon. It is a big initial investment, but for the car (priced under 20K, and the pump around 3K) you get huge tax breaks, I think I read close to 5K total in California.

It does have drwabacks just like any other fuel efficient car, the trunk is a little more limited on space because of the larger tank, and I think it was around 200-300 miles on the tank. Not made for road trips but an awesome commuter!



For now, I will enjoy the gasoline while it's still around! :D :D

[dub1.8t]

check this out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5S1NAMnYKM

[DSV]

check this out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5S1NAMnYKM

That smart car is INSANE! :tu: :tu: :tu: :tu: :eek:

[Overdub]

i'll take the smart car over a honda, i will never own ANY honda, period :td:

plus the smart car is RWD so that could be fun :D

but nah, i doubt it'd get any mods, thats kind of the point of having the second car to drive on weekends and for mods. this would just be a daily **** kicker

with gas already at $3.30 here, i'm placing an order prolly this week -- my mom is going to get one as well since she drives 56 miles each way to work, gas is killin her right now

[Loccusst]

We could just pull out of Iraq, get rid of the president, and realise that Opec is squashing any way of mas producing fuel efficient anything. That would lower the need for fuel and the cost....gas rising $.20 in a week is B.S.!

[SirRangeALot]

We could just pull out of Iraq, get rid of the president, and realise that Opec is squashing any way of mas producing fuel efficient anything. That would lower the need for fuel and the cost....gas rising $.20 in a week is B.S.!

Double :word:

[Sinan]

I rode in a SMART when I was in Europe. All I can say is that I felt big. :D But overall, yeah, you will save on gas. But then again, why not stay with VW and buy a TDI?

[John2.0T]

It cost me $50 to fill up ~14.5 gallons in wisconsin yesterday.

If I wasn't so anal about keeping good fuel in my car (Shell V-Power at $3.50/gallon at the time) I could save money.... oh well.

[Overdub]

I rode in a SMART when I was in Europe. All I can say is that I felt big. :D But overall, yeah, you will save on gas. But then again, why not stay with VW and buy a TDI?

because right now the only TDI you can buy new is a jetta, and i wont buy a VW thats built in mexico, and the maintence of a TDI is expensive. plus these Smart cars are cheap!

honestly after my B5 i dunno if i want another vw, unless its a MK V GTI under warrenty.

[Sinan]

because right now the only TDI you can buy new is a jetta, and i wont buy a VW thats built in mexico, and the maintence of a TDI is expensive. plus these Smart cars are cheap!

honestly after my B5 i dunno if i want another vw, unless its a MK V GTI under warrenty.


true about the mexico thing.

but even though a TDI is more expensive to maintain, you get more life out of it if you are thinking about keeping the car beyond 5 or 10 years.

I believe that TDI engines are made in Germany though. The rest is made in Mexico.

But, lets see if they import the Smart over here. I dont think Americans are fond of small cars too much. First we think that you will die in them even if you have a 35mph accident, second they are too small for families. But if you will die, you will die in a Tahoe. Doesn't matter.

[OrangeDUB]

But if you're in a tahoe, that thing's a tank, if you got hit by a sedan in a smart car you go flying off the road like a chiuaha on crack.

TDI is a good way to go for gas. my friend has a 01 golf TDI, it's chipped, and some other stuff, very torquey but still gets 50mpg

[Overdub]

true about the mexico thing.

but even though a TDI is more expensive to maintain, you get more life out of it if you are thinking about keeping the car beyond 5 or 10 years.

I believe that TDI engines are made in Germany though. The rest is made in Mexico.

But, lets see if they import the Smart over here. I dont think Americans are fond of small cars too much. First we think that you will die in them even if you have a 35mph accident, second they are too small for families. But if you will die, you will die in a Tahoe. Doesn't matter.

i usually dont keep anything past 5 years because of the amount of miles i drive, and i need a change everyonce in a while.

they are comming though, shippments begin this fall for spring delivery. saftey isn't a concern, they've been the leader in crash protection for small cars since their introduction in '98. -- and these cars are not designed for families at all, they're for communter transport, it isn't a car you'd trade your minivan in for obviously. however, they are adding a new four door later on (the ForFour) and possibly a small SUV later (ForMore)

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/TJ21685/Crashtest_Smart_W210.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/TJ21685/smart_safety_5.jpg

and video...

off set with an e-class at 40 mph
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnVNUvixWUQ

and into a concrete barrier at 70 mph
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnVNUvixWUQ

and those are the previous models, the new one is apparently even stronger and slightly larger than the older model. just goes to prove that small cars can indeed be safe. they really aren't as light as you'd think, because of its small size, its saftey cell is very strong and dense. but regardless the car would get pushed back a bit, but you'd still be in one peice at least.

[DSV]

There was a short news story last night on channel 8 about a woman in Clive who has one. She had hers imported/brought over by a company in NY.

http://www.kcci.com/technology/13321725/detail.html

http://www.kcci.com/2007/0515/13322991.jpg

[Gee Tea Eye V]

i think they look nifty

[Sinan]

i usually dont keep anything past 5 years because of the amount of miles i drive, and i need a change everyonce in a while.

they are comming though, shippments begin this fall for spring delivery. saftey isn't a concern, they've been the leader in crash protection for small cars since their introduction in '98. -- and these cars are not designed for families at all, they're for communter transport, it isn't a car you'd trade your minivan in for obviously. however, they are adding a new four door later on (the ForFour) and possibly a small SUV later (ForMore)

http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/TJ21685/Crashtest_Smart_W210.jpg
http://i145.photobucket.com/albums/r216/TJ21685/smart_safety_5.jpg

and video...

off set with an e-class at 40 mph
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnVNUvixWUQ

and into a concrete barrier at 70 mph
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnVNUvixWUQ

and those are the previous models, the new one is apparently even stronger and slightly larger than the older model. just goes to prove that small cars can indeed be safe. they really aren't as light as you'd think, because of its small size, its saftey cell is very strong and dense. but regardless the car would get pushed back a bit, but you'd still be in one peice at least.
WOW!
Being it a small sized vehicle, I though it would get crushed. But based on these videos, it apparently won't. I think Mercedes takes more damage than Smart does.

Nice.

[Gee Tea Eye V]

that doesnt make sense lol that tiny car should feel it more than that

[Overdub]

WOW!
Being it a small sized vehicle, I though it would get crushed. But based on these videos, it apparently won't. I think Mercedes takes more damage than Smart does.

Nice.

it all comes down to its saftey cell, they are extremelly rigid and dont give much, even for vehicles much larger -- they even tested it head on against a long wheel base s-class and it about took the s-class up to the driver's mirror.

they are also very good in side impact as well -- with its short length of just over 8 feet (which is about the width of most cars and trucks), the wheels act as crush zones and the saftey cell acts as a shield. with its high belt line, even the bumper from a full size truck or SUV is below the window - and of course curtian airbags only add to the protection :tu:

[SDKmann]

If your worried about gas prices then start thinking ethenol (sp?). My coach has a amazing Evo 8 with about 30k+ in the motor alone. He has a program that allows him to switch from ethenol to regular pump gas with his laptop. The only hardware change he had to do was the injectors. And no I dont believe it was expensive. That way you can save money and dont have to look like a fag either!

[Overdub]

If your worried about gas prices then start thinking ethenol (sp?). My coach has a amazing Evo 8 with about 30k+ in the motor alone. He has a program that allows him to switch from ethenol to regular pump gas with his laptop. The only hardware change he had to do was the injectors. And no I dont believe it was expensive. That way you can save money and dont have to look like a fag either!

ethanol may be cheaper, but essentially its watered down gas, you don't get the same amount of milage out of a tank. typically those cars get 5-10 mpg worse, and dont produce the same amount of power. :td:

untill we're running on hydrogen, i'll run on gas

[turboA4]

that tiny ass car is a tank!!! omg!!! thats crazy.....