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Brumbear
| | Posted on Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 04:33 pm: | 
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My smart car
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Mr_grumpy
| | Posted on Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 05:58 pm: |
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I've driven a couple of them here one stock diesel & one "adjusted" diesel.
I can assure you all the oiler is a superb little car & more than capable to handle the semi-auto trans.
The tweaked one went like hot snot, not up to busa standards, but for the price of a standard car & an electronic "tune-up" impressive.
Bummer that your stoopid government's rules keep diesels out of your market. |
Corporatemonkey
| | Posted on Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 08:37 pm: |
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Once again I can weight in as a former owner of a 2003, and a 2004 prius. Now I am part of a car sharing program (flexcar/zipcar) and have put thousands of miles on all the generations of Honda civic hybrids.
The hybrid is sort of a funny thing. I really like them, but I only consider the Prius to be worth the added cost.
The prius in reality is more like a $40,000 car. That is in features, not actual manufacturing costs. In fact I would buy another prius even if it wasn't a hybrid.
The first generation prius averaged around 45mpg real world. The second generation averages closer to 50mpg. The first gen honda civic hybrid was lucky to see 42mpg, the current generation is closer to 45mpg.
For those gains I have never considered the Honda hybrid to be worth the extra over a standard civic. The only added feature is automatic climate control.
If you haven't driven a prius you really should attempt to rent one. Most Toyota dealerships, along with Budget/Alamo rental cars have them. In fact I usually rent one a month for trips.
The interior room of a prius is actually larger than the current Camary. And the build quality is at Lexus level. Toyota really has done their homework on this one.
Now when I mention the $40k worth of features let me explain.
For around $25k you get:
Good high-end stereo
HID auto-headlamps
DVD Navigation
Handsfree Bluetooth telephone
Very quiet cabin
Proximity smart card key system (uses a transponder, not a key to unlock/start car)
And my favorite feature, the most advanced dual mode (engine/electric) climate control system.
On cold mornings the computer decides whether to use engine heat, or electric to heat the cabin. In very cold climates you get instant heat.
The same goes for the Aircon. It can be power either by the engine, or electric. So the neat trick on a hot day it to "power" the car on (you don't really ever start it). Set a comfortable temperature. The lock the door. You can then leave the car, say to enter a store, and when you return the car is perfectly cool inside. No one walking by would know the car was "on" as the engine would not be running (unless the batteries got low).
It was asked earlier in this thread why an older civic would perform the same as a modern day hybrid. Simple size, and weight. A modern day prius would dwarf an early 90's civic on size, and weight.
With every car now days being designed to survive a demolition derby, weight is a big factor.
As for hybrid reliability, most have far exceeded their original design goals. The only exception is the Honda Insight. They are notorious for needing battery replacements at 100k.
There is an interesting story of a Vancouver (canada) based taxi driver. In early 2000 he bought one of the first gen prius to use as a cab. Everyone thought it would fall apart in no time. Well after 300,000 miles as a cab, Toyota exchanged the car for a new 2004. They wanted it for research.
In his 300k+ miles of use the owner (Andrew) found it actually required a lot less maintenance than a comparable Ford Crown Vic taxi. The brakes only needed changing a couple of times. Battery was fine. He did need 2 water pumps, but other than that is was problem free.
Last I heard Andrew was so impressed with the low cost of operation he now has a fleet of them in Vancouver.
If you feel like geeking out go here http://john1701a.com/
This guy is from Minnesota and has owned two prius'. He has documented every aspect of his ownership. It can get technical at times, at this guy is a major geek. If you look through his site you will see photos of his Prius in extremely cold winter weather. I figure Reep will love this site...
Grumpy is completely correct in say the Smart car is great with the diesel. We of course don't get that version, so ours suffers.
I will repeat, the US smart car is a fashion statement, nothing more. If you want something small, and fuel efficient for $15k. Buy a Scion xA/xB/xD |
Just_ziptab
| | Posted on Saturday, May 31, 2008 - 11:45 pm: |
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Smart Roadster.... .now that looks cool. I'd want one for the work commute if they were available........ |
Oldog
| | Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2008 - 01:57 am: |
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Can I get a Smart - Busa ?  |
Midknyte
| | Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2008 - 04:27 pm: |
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Sure, it's only hard to find a smart Busa rider... |
Pepperk496
| | Posted on Sunday, June 01, 2008 - 06:23 pm: |
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I rented a Smart for 10 days back in 2004 while I was stationed in Germany. I think its mentioned earlier in the thread that different engines are available in Europe. The one I drove was actually fairly nice, and would get up to 140-150 KPH.
They have a quite an aftermarket following in Germany as well.... I wonder if it will ever catch on in the states? |
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