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smart fortwo cars
Submitted by greenperson on Sat, 08/09/2008 - 11:54pm.
I have heard that the smart fortwo cars are very fuel efficient but I heard a rumor thats saying it might not be your best choice. They say its a death wish if you're caught in a crash. I thought it might be true because I look at one and see the front and theres not much between you and the road. But relax there might be a better choice. The Toyota Pirus is supposed to have up to about 48 miles per gallon (at least that's what I've been told). If its wrong, please state so in a comment. Also in my opinion I would rather drive a 5 seater than a 2 seater. Bookmark This Page |
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'smart car'
I've actually had the opportunity to drive one, and I can honestly say, without hesitation, that I feel 1000 times safer on my motorcycle!!! I had a buddy of mine send me a series of photos that showed where one of these Smart Cars had pulled out in front of a sport bike. The bike t-boned the drivers door. Both vehicles were destroyed. The main difference was that the guy on the bike lived!
---If you wish to improve, you must be content with being thought foolish and stupid.
I totally understand where
I totally understand where you are coming from. With so many monster sized SUV's on the road a little two seater is well, scary! When I was looking at the Smart Car I visited their website. They have all kinds of added safety features. I haven't seen crash test results however. I would still be nervous taking it on the highway.
But there's a reason it's called fortwo
I am all for smaller cars, better fuel economy, more public transportation, carpooling and the like. I do have a bone to pick with the Smart Fortwo though because it is only for two- a driver and a passenger and therefore really should have much better fuel economy than a car that can transport five (or more).
If we need to drive, and some of us in Vermont might have a tough time of it without a car, we need to think about less single drivers in cars as much we think about fuel economy.
****
The Marlboro MBA in Managing for Sustainability:
Change the Climate of Business.
Smart Cars, and the like...
I think the problem that we're facing here in America, is that many of these small car designs were designed specifically for inner (Asian) city travel, or the even the rolling hills of western Europe. In a vast country such as the US, their practicality is limited to their design. In Europe, the average pickup truck, isn't so average, but then again, neither is the building boom that fuels so many 'do it yourselfers'. In Europe and Asia, to travel the 3000 miles that we have coast to coast, involves high speed trains. Here in the States, that type of travel is limited to the airlines. In short, I think it's important to remember that we need not travel back in time to solve our energy problems, but move forward with technology. As long as I'm sharing the road with 40-50 ton semi's, I can honestly say that sitting in a 1200 lb. car is going to make me very uncomfortable, regardless of the 50+ mpg it might be getting! (And that doesn't take into consideration the fact that if I sold my truck, I'd just have to hire someone else with a truck to do what I'm already doing!) I believe that we need to focus on safety before the 'almighty' dollar. Shop for a vehicle that is going to suit your driving needs, and then pick the most economical one, but the real savings is how and when you drive it and whether or not you use it efficiently.
---If you wish to improve, you must be content with being thought foolish and stupid.
The Danger of Assumptions
Your response hinges on the notion of business as usual. And the reality of that is that it simply cannot. Travel patterns, shipping distances, and commuting habits are all going to change, period. We are speeding towards an ecological, economic and resources brick wall--no way around and no way through. The sooner we all understand that the quicker we can get at trying to design for the future which will be different. How different? That depends on how soon we start to adopt new ways at looking at these problems and the associated solutions.
Don't worry about the tractor-trailers, because shipping news to be done by rail. Don't worry about high speed commutes, because you'll have to figure out a way to live near work or close to public transportation. And don't worry about owning a pick-up because you will not use it enough to justify the expense of keeping it.
Technology is key but it will not allow us to continue on our current path. But it might keep us from imploding and help us survive.
Bob Ferris
Executive Director
Yestermorrow Design/Build School
Actually....
My response was hinged on improving upon what we have, not abandoning the progress that this country has made over the last 200+ years. I don't believe that the end of the world is coming any sooner than it is, if we don't all start riding our bikes to work. I do happen to firmly agree that "necessity is the mother of invention", and we need to learn to improve the quality of the time we have left, and protect what we have for those generations behind us. The earth has been changing since it's conception, and as thought producing, concious driven beings with opposable thumbs, we have always found a way to change with it. Our major set-backs have always been when we use that knowledge for destruction, rather than growth.
If I understand your position correctly, we need to convert the shipping industry to exclude trucking?? Well, unless we expand the RR to include stopping at each one of our houses, or putting an airport in each of our back yards, I don't see where that is a viable option. If it was conceivable, than that would only increase the need for individuals to own their own trucks. How exactly do we get all those recyclables to the transfer station? And what exactly do we transfer them with? And how do we get the end product back to market?? And what about food? Do we level our cities and convert them all back to farmland, so we don't have to live too far from the source? Where is everybody supposed to live?
Your concept is respectable, but not realistic. Our way of living needs to be tweeked and polished, not raized and rebuilt. We need to rethink what we're doing, not redo what we're thinking.
We need only to look to our brothers and sister across the globe to see that the poorest air quality on the planet is in a city that still uses jinrikishas as primary public transportation! Our ability to produce cleaner, more efficient internal combustion engines is dependent upon improving the technology we have in place, not wiping the board clean and hoping on blind luck to propel us forward.
Pointing fingers and saying that "you just have to figure it out", impedes hope and resolves nothing. As our desire to improve our planet grows, so will our ability to make those changes.
---If you wish to improve, you must be content with being thought foolish and stupid.
I am not sure where to start here
Let me start by saying that I am not advocating that we throw away anything that is useful. That said, our access to cheap fossil fuels has lead to unsustainable development patterns, a perverted and distructive agricultural system, and pollution types and levels that are injurous to human health and the ecosystems we depend on.
When we pull that single element out of the equation--because of peak oil, climate change or economics (pick one or all)--we have to seriously rethink and redesign so that we can live within the limits of our sustainable energy budget. That likely means some serious retooling in terms of transporation patterns and systems, food delivery and security, as well as settlement patterns and building selections and configurations.
Technology can solve some of these issues, when used judiciously, but the rest cannot rationally continue in its current state. Cheap and plentiful oil has given us a false sense of security. Once it is no longer cheap or plentiful--life as we know it changes.
Bob Ferris
Executive Director
Yestermorrow Design/Build School
Well spoken. I concur. ---If
Well spoken. I concur.
---If you wish to improve, you must be content with being thought foolish and stupid.
I agree, I dont think the
I agree, I dont think the fortwo would be very safe. I know I would never want to be in one thats been in a crash!
Rumors are rumors :) The
Rumors are rumors :) The Smart car has a 4-star (out of 5) safety rating in the UK, however I couldn't find the crash test results on carsdirect.com site.
When it's driven around town at town/city speeds (30-40 mph) you won't be getting into high-speed crashes with it - of course if you do a lot of highway driving it might be less safe at 60-70 mph, but there hasn't been any safety scares for the Smart car in Europe.
wannabehippy.com
I love my hybrid
I have a Toyota Camry hybrid, and I love it. I feel extremely safe and can fit my pooches in it. (With a sheet down in the back of course.) I researched the crap out of cars before I bought mine. The Prius is really tiny inside. I'm tall and felt like the head room was insufficient for me. The hatchback feature is nice if you are lugging furry friends or gear. The visibility in the Prius is also really good. You have a lot of windows, so you can really see well on a busy road.
Toyota is the only one that make a "full" hybrid. The Hondas and American systems are partial. What that means is that the full hybrid utilizes the battery pack to optimize fuel efficiency all the time. The partial Hybrid means that the car shuts off when you are stopped. MPG in a full hybrid is all about how you drive. I've been a good slow easy driver this week and my tank average is 40.2MPG. If you get one, you'll learn how to drive in a way that optimizes efficiency. It took me about a week to get the hang of it.
These cars are hard to come by and the wait-lists are ever growing. Make sure you drive the car and like it, because you'll probably have to order one. The navigation features are an over-priced waste of time, so I wouldn't pay the extra for it.
As far as safety, the whole car inflates on impact. There is an air bag in every possible place: side, front, back seats. It also has a fire-retardant system. My brakes rock.
My husband drives a motorcycle, and he gets about 55 MPG if he drives nice and slow like I ask him to. Of course, he thinks it's fun to drive fast. Safety rating on the motorcycle is terrible, so you probably don't want to consider that.
My friends have a Yaris. They claim 42 MPG. They have 2 doors. I feel like my 4 door Camry is the most bang for the buck. Plus, people cruise by me in parking lots and look at it. I feel really cool.
Terrible for the Environment
The Toyota Prius is a terrible car for the environment because of the battery pack it uses. Not only does the battery pack require the mining of heavy metals, but it also requires replacement from time to time.
Overall, most people would find that buying a hybrid is not worth it for themselves or the environment, unless they drive many many miles per year.
Thank You
Thank you for that comment now I know what not to buy. Thank goodness I haven't bought a car yet!
What Lens Should We Use?
I am not sure that we as a society are prepared to make this assessment. We are still in the state where we think of cars as vehicles for high speed, long distance travel. In the future, that will likely be the role of buses and trains. So if we shift the lens to short distance and slower--what happens to vehicle design and expectations?
Bob Ferris
Executive Director
Yestermorrow Design/Build School