I think, for the safety factor, this demonstration shows that "They're just as safe as full-sized cars" is only true if EVERYONE'S driving a SMART.

I think the SMART cars do amazingly well in the crash tests FOR THEIR SIZE but, if I had to get into one of those cars and be involved in that accident, I'd be in the Merc.

 

Smart Offering Incentives in the US for the 1st Time

So you know how analysts keep saying that people are beginning to buy larger vehicles again since gas prices are low? Here is a perfect example of that. Due to a sharp sales decline, Smart USA is offering financing incentives for the first time ever.

According to Smart USA President David Schembri, Smart was avoiding offering incentives since it had high order backlogs for the ForTwo. The company had more than 20,000 orders as of Jan. 1. But now with gasoline prices declining, many customers have canceled their orders, reports Automotive News. Schembri would not give out the exact number of cancelations.

Smart is now offering 4.2 percent financing for loans of up to 60 months. The program is currently underway and will continue through July.

Smart sales totaled 24,622 last year - it’s first year in the United States. Schembri said he would not rule out hitting the brand’s 25,000 goal.

 

I think its because people aren't buying this crap car....not because gas prices are cheap...gas is on the rise again --- BIG TIME.

Bring the diesel version that gets 60mpg and I'll think about it.

 

not a crap car. If you know how to drive, you won't get into accidents. Obviously there is that slim chance that a RANDOM car will come out of nowhere and ram you, but if you were alert at driving, you could help avoid\get yourself out of the situation.

It's a well made car, and its safety is excellent for its size. Americans don't like it because it is small and we love big cars.

 

so what happens when you're minding your business at a red light when some idiot isn't paying attention and rear ends you at 40mph b/c he/she was texting???

But that's the thing-it's about protecting yourself from the idiots out there that are unavoidable

 

I'm referring <mostly> to the MPG and crap engine, no cruise control, etc.


I'd take a Yaris over the smart ANY DAY......much more comfy, near identical MPG, safer.

 

Americans dont want this car because:
more expensive than a corolla
makes similar mpg
corolla actually has space and crumble zones, and wont be thrown around as much like a pinball

why should I even consider this car when better alternatives exist.

 

It also recommends premium...

 

I was stopped in traffic behind a landscaping truck (one of the big ones, like a UHaul truck) when a Dodge Ram Quad Cab hit me from behind at 50MPH. I drove a 97 Camry then, and there was nothing left fore or aft of the front and rear wheels- my car was demolished but the cabin was perfectly intact. Because of this, there is no way that I would ever own something smaller than a midsize car.

Safety systems have made vast improvements in the last decade and that is wonderful for all drivers, but there is this commentary going around that smaller cars can be safer because of their airbags, electronics, etc. Safer compared to what? Donkeys? Safer than they were before? Maybe so, but when much of America is driving something the size of a Camry or larger, there is no way I would buy anything smaller than an IS/3 series. The Smart is a death wish, plain and simple. Smaller cars are popular in Europe where all of the driving is done in low speed city situations, or zipping along small town roads. It's a lot different than it is here.

Simply put, in an accident, SIZE MATTERS. I am not talking about people who need to buy SUVs to "feel" safe, but rather the fact that when you have four feet of metal, engine, and underhood components in front of you, and two feet of trunk, metal, and spare tire behind you those things serve as buffers to the real dangers of an accident. They can safe your life.

If you told me that I was going to be involved in the same type of crash that I referenced above, and my choices were a brand new Porsche 911 Turbo with all the bells and whistles, or a Toyota Camry or similar sized car, my choice would hands down be the Camry. Airbags are good for stoping human movement inside the cabin, but what happens when there is so little metal between you and the other guy, that the only thing physically sitting between his bumper or grille and your body is a foot and a half of metal/airbags (as in a Smart).

Who here is willing to take that chance? Not I.

 

I'd take an Aptera...300mpg

as far as safety - its classified as a motorcycle - and people DO ride motorcycles - this thing will have airbags and be much safer than a motorcycle.

 

Nevermind then...I can see why people would take a corolla over this.

 

Yaris and Fit are no safer than the Smart in a frontal collision, even though they are easily twice the size. Says a lot about the engineering of the Smart's safety cage and platform.

 

According to the results listed on MSN, Smart For2 rates about the same as the Yaris but the Fit scores higher:

Yaris

Smart ForTwo

Fit

Note how the Smart only gets 3 stars in the Passenger Front category whereas Yaris gets 4 & Fit gets 5. Also, the Smart gets 2 Average scores whereas the Yaris gets 1 & the Fit gets none in the Frontal Offset CrashTest.