Just test drove two Smart cars

[Bellow]

My Volvo T5 petrol used to do 25 mpg city driving, my V50 diesel now does 52 mpg better than any smart can manage,

Not quite the 38mpg you first bandied around.

The CDI fortwo is routinely delivering well in excess of 52mpg in city running.

My petrol smart can and has achieved in excess of that.

It is about more than mpg though.
The ease with which a smart can cross town is unrivaled. While sticking with 4 wheels at least.

 

[Sp!ke]

I have taken both the new diesel and the stop start petrol sSmart out for test drives and found the diesel was almost undrivable. Unbearably slow and noisy and difficult to drive without thrashing it to within an inch of its life.

The petrol was a little better to drive but the semi automatic gearbox thing is so crude that I couldnt bear to drive with it on auto. the drive was still unpleasent though with a harsh ride, very poor handling and frankly when I see real that world economy figures of only 44mpg I am totally underwhelmed.

The best I've seen full to empty on my wifes Volvo is just shy of 900 miles out of 60 Litres of fuel. For comparison, my SL500's best so far is 400 miles from 70 litres.

I think what I'm saying is that in order to suffer the downsides of driving something like a Smart I'd need to get much much better gas mileage in order to feel justified in its purchase.

I suspect what is going on with small cars is that they are built to a very low budget and both the manufacture and design are reflected in the totally underwhelming mpg figures for a car of that should be able to do much better.

 

[Smarties]

Arguments regards large vs. small aside, As a member of this forum, if the thought of driving a micro car engineered by Mercedes-Benz, that is still funky and innovative some 12 years after it’s launch and has character in spades, doesn’t appeal to you, then best look elsewhere.
Yes, it is compromised in certain areas...it only carries 2, has a boot large enough for a weeks shopping for 2 and is stretched at anything above 80 MPH (on the autobahn), but these ‘shortcomings’ are easily made up for with its many other attributes. amongst which are economy, safety (relative), ease of driving and unrivalled smiles per miles. Oh, and it's rear wheel drive!

 

[Bellow]

I suspect what is going on with small cars is that they are built to a very low budget and both the manufacture and design are reflected in the totally underwhelming mpg figures for a car of that should be able to do much better.

On the above statement I vehemently disagree in the case of the smart. Others perhaps, but not the smart.
And better mileage figures than you quote are achieved by others.

But fair dues. You went and tried it but it wasn't to your liking. Now you know. Others might want to try though. After all for the main part, current smart owners see it differently from Spike. Hat's off for giving it a go though.

 

[flango]

Not quite the 38mpg you first bandied around.

I said on my 40 mile commute, the point was to illustrate how efficient even the Volvo Petrols are

The CDI fortwo is routinely delivering well in excess of 52mpg in city running.

But is no where as near as safe as the Volvo, which does the same.

My petrol smart can and has achieved in excess of that.

A petrol smart is a 1/3 the size of a V70 with a 1/4 as much power

It is about more than mpg though.
The ease with which a smart can cross town is unrivaled. While sticking with 4 wheels at least.

Sorry my V50 or A8 will cross town just as quick as any Smart and in a lot more style and comfort, If I wanted to get accross town really quick then I'd take the Subaru all infinitely safer than a Smart

Horses for courses and I'm in the " big camp"

 

[Bellow]

''If I wanted to get accross town really quick then I'd take the Subaru'' quote.

What right or claim do you have to safety when that is your attitude?

 

[wemorgan]

Generally in city driving I'm only as fast as the car in front of me. Failing that, as fast as the speed limit, which all modern cars can do.

Cars with automatic clutches (not just Smarts) are well suited to congested cities, since they offer ease of driving without the fuel sapping attributes of automatic gearboxes.

 

[Bellow]

The unique aspect of a smart that makes them quick through town is their narrowness. They squeeze through gaps where other cars have to stop. All without having to rely on speed.
Wide cars just choke the roads, but this very simple fact is unpalatable to many so they deny it as fact and conjure up nonsensical arguments in an effort counter it.
For those who supposedly put safety as their first priority, the repercussions of exceeding the speed limit to make up time lost to queuing at gaps they couldn't squeeze through are this.
Should a pedestrian or cyclist stray into your path and be killed, irrespective of fault, if the car driver is found to be exceeding the speed limit a prosecution for death by dangerous driving will almost certainly follow. This carries a jail term as punishment. Where's your comfort now? Where's your style now? As you get gang raped on the first day of serving your sentence?

 

[flango]

''If I wanted to get accross town really quick then I'd take the Subaru'' quote.

What right or claim do you have to safety when that is your attitude?

The "Right" I have is I train Police Class 1 and security force drivers how to get accross town really quickly, but most importantly really safely!

You appear to be under some mishaprehension speed is not safe. Speed in the wrong hands is not safe and can be a killer, Speed in the correct trained hands can be perfectly safe and a life saver.

 

[Bellow]

The "Right" I have is I train Police Class 1 and security force drivers how to get accross town really quickly, but most importantly really safely!

You appear to be under some mishaprehension speed is not safe. Speed in the wrong hands is not safe and can be a killer, Speed in the correct trained hands can be perfectly safe and a life saver.

It's a judge and jury you will have to convince, not me. Good luck there...