Comments on: Smart Coming to the US in 2007! http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/ A personal finance blog dedicated to discussing such topics as budgeting, asset allocation, 401K, IRA, cash flow, insurance, financial planning, portfolio management, and other areas in personal finance. Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:56:44 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Emily http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-20159 Emily Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:22:50 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-20159 Ok, I saw one today getting off the freeway here in Los Angeles... I was shocked stunned and wow!!! It fit right between the two lanes of traffic I was so caught off guard! Interesting! Ok, I saw one today getting off the freeway here in Los Angeles… I was shocked stunned and wow!!! It fit right between the two lanes of traffic I was so caught off guard! Interesting!

]]> By: Mighty Bargain Hunter » R4TW of 26 June 2006 http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-10536 Mighty Bargain Hunter » R4TW of 26 June 2006 Fri, 30 Jun 2006 03:52:36 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-10536 [...] AFM with a picture of the Smart Car — coming soon to the US! Hopefully the tires won’t be this expensive. [...] [...] AFM with a picture of the Smart Car — coming soon to the US! Hopefully the tires won’t be this expensive. [...]

]]> By: Stephen Mirsky http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-10501 Stephen Mirsky Thu, 29 Jun 2006 23:09:42 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-10501 You mentioned saving the environment which is not true with the Smart. It happens to be a heavy polluter (even with it's 3 cyl engine). 20 hours of labor has to go into each Smart coming over to put in necessary emissions equipment that isn't used in the European market. It did pass emissions in most states but a few of the strictest like CA or NY it failed miserably. It'll be a niche car for people who want an image, like Prius drivers. You mentioned saving the environment which is not true with the Smart. It happens to be a heavy polluter (even with it’s 3 cyl engine). 20 hours of labor has to go into each Smart coming over to put in necessary emissions equipment that isn’t used in the European market. It did pass emissions in most states but a few of the strictest like CA or NY it failed miserably.

It’ll be a niche car for people who want an image, like Prius drivers.

]]> By: sam http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-10470 sam Thu, 29 Jun 2006 18:32:51 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-10470 It would be an OK car for someone who mainly commutes and rarely leaves the city limits. I wouldn't want to be in one on one of my jaunts across the intermountain west. I was driving across Wyoming last week on I-80. The traffic was about two thirds long-haul trucks, with the rest passenger vehicles. Speeds started at 75 mph and went up from there. Not a good place for a small, slow commuter car. It would be an OK car for someone who mainly commutes and rarely leaves the city limits. I wouldn’t want to be in one on one of my jaunts across the intermountain west. I was driving across Wyoming last week on I-80. The traffic was about two thirds long-haul trucks, with the rest passenger vehicles. Speeds started at 75 mph and went up from there. Not a good place for a small, slow commuter car.

]]> By: Leslie Turek http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-10422 Leslie Turek Thu, 29 Jun 2006 14:30:09 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-10422 This car is really only useful as a second car. Even though it would be perfect for a majority of my driving, several times a month I need a car that can carry a lot of stuff and/or people. So what would I do then? But for couples with two cars, it would make sense as the second car, I think. This car is really only useful as a second car. Even though it would be perfect for a majority of my driving, several times a month I need a car that can carry a lot of stuff and/or people. So what would I do then? But for couples with two cars, it would make sense as the second car, I think.

]]> By: John http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-10393 John Thu, 29 Jun 2006 09:36:01 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-10393 I'm not sure, but I think the safety record is quite good, because the body is hyper-strong. And the price is like $11,000. I want one. I’m not sure, but I think the safety record is quite good, because the body is hyper-strong. And the price is like $11,000. I want one.

]]> By: Personal Finance Blogger http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-10344 Personal Finance Blogger Thu, 29 Jun 2006 01:55:27 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-10344 No thanks, it's bad enough in our Honda Civic with all the huge SUVs and trucks around... No thanks, it’s bad enough in our Honda Civic with all the huge SUVs and trucks around…

]]> By: JLP http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-10322 JLP Wed, 28 Jun 2006 22:06:34 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-10322 Guys, Thanks for the comments. No, I would not be comfortable hopping in one of these to take the 680-mile journey to visit my family in Kansas. However, if it were affordable, I see nothing wrong with having one to commute back and forth to a job or to run errands. Guys,

Thanks for the comments. No, I would not be comfortable hopping in one of these to take the 680-mile journey to visit my family in Kansas. However, if it were affordable, I see nothing wrong with having one to commute back and forth to a job or to run errands.

]]> By: Foobarista http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-10315 Foobarista Wed, 28 Jun 2006 21:18:07 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-10315 I actually think this sort of thing could work; lots of people - including us - have a car primarily for single-person commuting and another bigger car/SUV/truck for hauling or carrying the family. The commute car rarely carries more than one or two people, so if it were big enough to hold a single 250 pound American man comfortably along with a few cubic feet of storage for groceries, it could do quite well in urban areas. The mistakes most of these designs make: 1. They aren't not built for a "person of girth" - ie, most Americans. If you aren't tiny, don't bother. 2. They do stupid things like make a trivial four-door version with attempts at "rear seats". The rear seats aren't big enough for adults or a kid much beyond 5 years old - the only possible practical use is as a baby-seat platform. So, why not just put in some sort of shelf purpose-built to hold a baby-seat and baby gear? Or simply don't bother and have lots of legroom in front and carrying space in back? 3. They are as expensive - or more so - than regular cars. If it's gonna be small and cramped, and I'm buying it to save money on gas, it's gotta start cheap. Or I'm buying a Prius, which is fairly large inside compared with most econoboxes. I actually think this sort of thing could work; lots of people – including us – have a car primarily for single-person commuting and another bigger car/SUV/truck for hauling or carrying the family. The commute car rarely carries more than one or two people, so if it were big enough to hold a single 250 pound American man comfortably along with a few cubic feet of storage for groceries, it could do quite well in urban areas.

The mistakes most of these designs make:

1. They aren’t not built for a “person of girth” – ie, most Americans. If you aren’t tiny, don’t bother.

2. They do stupid things like make a trivial four-door version with attempts at “rear seats”. The rear seats aren’t big enough for adults or a kid much beyond 5 years old – the only possible practical use is as a baby-seat platform. So, why not just put in some sort of shelf purpose-built to hold a baby-seat and baby gear? Or simply don’t bother and have lots of legroom in front and carrying space in back?

3. They are as expensive – or more so – than regular cars. If it’s gonna be small and cramped, and I’m buying it to save money on gas, it’s gotta start cheap. Or I’m buying a Prius, which is fairly large inside compared with most econoboxes.

]]> By: Brian http://allfinancialmatters.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/comment-page-1/#comment-10297 Brian Wed, 28 Jun 2006 19:48:27 +0000 http://allthingsfinancialblog.com/2006/06/28/smart-coming-to-the-us-in-2007/#comment-10297 Heard about these on the radio this morning...have to agree with the previous poster, I wouldn't drive this thing on the Interstate, but it would be ideal if your commute is in stop-n-go traffic every day. Heard about these on the radio this morning…have to agree with the previous poster, I wouldn’t drive this thing on the Interstate, but it would be ideal if your commute is in stop-n-go traffic every day.

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