Hey guys I always wanted to get a hybrid car. i joined this site back in 2006 and liked it alot. I been looking at the Honda Insight and Civic Hybrid. The only thing is that they dont make the Insight anymore so I would have to get a used one. I would prefer to get a new car since they are more reliable. As for the new Honda Civic Hybrid it almost cost 25,000 dollars. So i did some research and ran into an ad for the new Smart ForTwo car made from the Mercedes Benz family. I found out its great for the city since its so small. Its only a two seater with a 3-inline cylinder engine thats mounted in the rear. I was happy to see that it was able to get a epa mpg rating off 33 city and 40 highway and it isnt even a hybrid. Also the car comes at a great price. You can get on for around 15,000 dollars and it comes with leather heated seats and heat power side view mirrors and a panorama sunroof. There are alot more cool things about this car and the compant that produces it. Basically everything about this car and the company is very eco-friendly. So check it out for yourself at www.smart.com . I am sure you will like what u see at the site.

-jorge

 

I think I would drive one before I commited to a buy.

 

Too bad a Lexus 600h wasn't listed.

Bob Wilson

 

When I was in France the Smart cars were all over the place (and hardly small by Paris standards). The general consensus there was that they were over priced and unsafe. There are better small cars, but you can't get them stateside

 

25,000 - seems high. We picked up a new 2007 in November for 20,500 - HCH II at a dealer here in the Bay Area. Helps to shop around and deal.

 

That is a great deal, but was the car used or new. A new 2008 Civic Hybrid cost 23,574 dollars and thats before taxes. Also the Civic Hybrid only gets 5 mpg better on the highway. The Civic was rated at 45mpg highway and the Smart was rated at 40 mpg. So for almost 10 grand less a person can get a Smart, but thats only if that person uses it for commuting in the city or towns since it is only a two seater. Yet the Honda Insight was a two seater. So it would of had competition with the Smart. I am trying to put down the Civic Hybrid because it is a very great car. I am just comparing the mpg and the cost value between the cars. you should check it out on www.cars.com they have people selling the Smart for over 20,000 dollars so it just means the value goes way up and mainly because it is a small car and it gets the same mpg as most hybrids.

 

If you want reliability and a stable ride, then you will have to experience a smart fortwo for yourself and think long and hard about the pros and cons of it. The official smart web sites will give you all the glowing and exaggerated hype that you can take. Not to be an undermining mean person, but there needs to be some sobering caution applied, so here are my criticisms:

• Its fuel efficiency is good if that's the car you want, but you can get a lot more efficiency out of a car with more seating and cargo room
• Skinny tires, short wheelbase, high coefficient of drag, high seating position, and light weight are major disadvantages to driving in Winter, driving at high speed, or simply for ride comfort. Side winds are unnerving, and Winter tires are necessary. Many people aren't accustomed to real-wheel drive, pronounced understeer, or how this car will respond if evasive maneuvers are required
• True to its Mercedes-Benz heritage, this car can quickly become a service centre queen. It isn't dependable nor reliable, and there was a leaked insider report at its time of launch (December '07/January '08) that there are over 100 known issues. The Canadian launch was delayed due to an unacceptable SRS module, and several new owners are experiencing faults with the shifter
• smart continues to mount the accelerator and brake pedals on the floor, which is asking for trouble should footwear moisture leak into the electronics
• Servicing at Mercedes-Benz dealerships (Canada) have been over-priced; Servicing through the Penske network may be more economical. But smart often requires whole assemblies replaced instead of individual parts
• North Americans drive cars longer distances than Europeans and demand better quality
• It is a very safe car, and the stability control and enhanced braking are essential, but this car tests the limits of physics. This car gives you a false sense of security, though that is really a driver problem
• The rigid shell protects the occupants, but it exploits the other vehicle's crumple zones. Hitting harder objects, this car will likely bounce off it. In most accidents, drivers will be able to walk away, though there may be an ethical question of causing more damage to the other vehicle, especially if it costs someone their life

Even if you decide right now to get one, the current waiting list in USA is about 1 year.

My previous car was a smart fortwo cdi (2005 model), and since switching to a Honda Civic Hybrid, I am more comfortable, my nerves are better, my satisfaction is excellent, and in the first 6 months of ownership the reliability has been light years better. While the smart car had its charms, I learned that charm wasn't enough for me.

The USA introduction of the smart fortwo is the new generation, and it will take some time for common issues to be ferreted out. Use what you already know about cars to help you determine the suitability of this car. It is a car that you have to love, and you have to be really enthusiastic and committed to stick with it over the long term. But for most people, they should ask themselves why cars of this size have been unpopular for so long. It's a new generation of drivers who may have to learn a hard lesson.

 

Wrong! You are mixing and matching outdated EPA figures and city vs. highway. The smart is currently rated at 33 MPG city and 41 MPG highway. The Civic Hybrid is currently rated at 40 MPG city and 45 MPG highway. Again, ask yourself why a car that's almost half the weight and less than half the cargo and passenger volume of the Civic Hybrid performs so poorly in fuel efficiency. The diesel version does much better, but smart doesn't have a clean diesel version available at this time.

http://smartusa.com/smart-car-techni...fications.aspx
http://smart.com
http://thesmart.ca

 

Regarding the price. The 2007 was brand new. The 2008s were selling for 21700. Of course there is tax and license fees but for comparison I like to use the asking price or negotiated price.

Regarding the Smart fortwo - I saw this at the LA Auto Show. And I've seen one up close on the road.

Two concerns. One is the size in our large vehicle crazed culture. I like the fact that I have surround airbags on my civic. And two was the actual models they showed at the show. You would think they'd show clean vehicles with no issues - the one (there were three or four there) I looked at closely had a broken trunk floor cover which was made of thin fiberboard or cardboard. Not something you want to display when quality is a concern.

 

In their defense, the vehicles at auto shows are heavily abused. Here in Detroit the auto show is open to the public the week of the MLK holiday and for as long as I remember, that is the day high school students go and destroy the cars. I mean literally destroy cars. Pull out seats, break steering columns, pull out stereos, etc. Most companies have responded by locking all of their cars, but inevitably there are a few brands that leave their cars open and then they're left with garbage to take to the next show (I believe Boston follows us, but I could be wrong).