Just a few months ago Smart cars were imported to the United States, and they're actually selling pretty well (at lease in my area). A questions for the US members. Would you buy a Smart Fortwo here in the US? Why or why not? I actually think it'd be cool to have one in my opinion, but I sometimes need more cargo space than what it can hold. They're pretty neat.

I saw one driving around a couple of weeks ago. Personally I hate them. They are very ugly and are WAY too small. The smallest car I could own without feeling like a moron would be something Corolla-sized. Maybe even a Geo Metro, but that's pushing it. Did you know that the Smart car is less than HALF as long as a Crown Victoria? Amazing isn't it?

Yes Taxiguy i can understand your feeling towards the Smart, but that wouldnt happen in Europe, trust me, it was a car desinged by a European brand and FOR Europe, you know we have very narrow streets most of the times and not to mention parking, that's an oddysey, so cars like the Smart are very useful, the last time i went to Madrid you wouldnt imagine how many of them i saw, its incredible, as well as understandable, if i had money and i'd live in a big city like Madrid i'd really think about one of my cars being a Smart, its true that its not a car to have as an only car, its almost impossible, everybody at some points always need a bit of room to put something in the car, even to drive people somewhere, but as a second car? why not?

Typical American attitude So you'd feel like a moron in any hatchback/supermini, like a Renault Clio or VW Golf? Those are both decent cars, especially in their hot-hatch versions. And I used to a drive a Clio and a Fiat Punto.

Don't worry, I kind of understand what you mean and I understand how you feel about the Smart, it's so small it's slightly daft, I wouldn't have one either (for one thing I couldn't put my dog in the boot). But the original Mini is a true classic and it's tiny compared to the "small cars" on today's market.

Yes, as I was typing that I realized how much of an arrogant American that made me sound like. But I decided to leave it, as it is truly how I feel. As you know, since we don't have parking issues, narrow streets or astronomically high gas prices here (although it is going up) owning larger cars is not so much of a problem. And I think given the choice, most people would prefer a smooth-riding quick-accelerating Caprice or Deville than a noisy, bumpy, underpowered little Chevy Aveo or Toyota Yaris. Also, there's more room for cargo and people, and bigger cars are generally more comfortable. I'm not saying I NEED a gigantic land yatch like a Crown Vic or a Lesabre, it would just be nice you know? I could be satisfied with a Camry or a Taurus. I do love our '88 Camry, it's big enough and nice enough for me. As for feeling like a moron, eh... I don't know how to explain it. It's just, when I picture myself driving around a Geo Metro or something, it just seems... horrible . I know it's comepletely normal in Europe, but here not so much. I guess it's just what American society has planted in my mind, along with the other 300 million people here.

But even so, at least I am not as bad as some others. I still despise any type of SUV (as do you) and I would never once think about owning such a monstrosity for even one second. They simply are a waste of space, not too mention ugly. Some people think they look "cool" or "tough", but to me they are just ugly. And if you need more cargo space jsut buy a wagon, and if you are compensating for something then just.... well, I'm not going to on a rant here, you get my drift

By the way I wouldn't mind owning a Mini, at least it has some nice British class and style, but as for most other subcompacts...

Also, I hope I did not offend any SUV owners here.
It's just that I am a very strongly opinionated person, and as you can see I am not afraid to share my opinions. This can be a good or bad thing depending on the situation.

Don't worry about it, I just thought it was funny I've heard worse from some Americans on the subject of small, non-American cars.



First time I've heard an American admit that And you're right, there's no shortage of space in America, so small cars have never really become the norm. And what you consider a "small car" is often considered a medium sized car over here! But for many car buyers in Europe, fuel consumption is a factor when we choose our cars and over here a car that gets about 20mpg is definately on the thirsty side, in America an SUV that gets that would be considered economical! This is why many families in Britain tend to have one small car for everyday running around (hence the term "runaround") and one larger car for family trips and such.

You mention the Geo Metro, that seems to be what Americans think of when it comes to small hatchbacks (and of course there was the awful Yugo), but that wasn't a great car, but similar-sized European hatchbacks are of better quality and more stylish. Some of them aren't brilliant but some are very good at they what they do, very cleverly designed.

20 MPG considered bad? That sounds so strange to me.

As for the Metro, it just seems like the "standard" when it comes to econboxes. No one wants to be seen in them (although there are quite a few out there) Do you even have the whole "status symbol" thing in Europe? I mean do people buy a car because they "want to look good"? It seems like they just buy them for purely practical reasons like cargo space and fuel economy.
As for European quality, I've seen some absolutely atrocious reliability reports for Volkswagen and Mercedes in the last few years
I'm not judging your cars, it just what I've read. And I know reliability is not the only aspect of "quality"
By the way, what car do you have? I apologize if it's a Geo Metro

The smart car has been available in Canada for several years now, and they sell pretty well. They will probably be popular in larger cities like New York and Boston, but I can't really see them being popular in states like Texas though.

"Do you even have the whole "status symbol" thing in Europe?"

Of course we do. Ever heard of Rolls-Royce? European societies aren't that dissimilar to American society, we're not communists. The British consumer behaves in more-or-less the same way the American consumer behaves, it's a question of how much money he/she has and what he/she wants.

Mercedes and Volkswagen make some of the highest quality, most durable cars in the world (for example the Merc S-Class is miles ahead of any American luxury car), but sometimes some models experience problems and score low in owner surveys, it's happened to every big car company.

I don't actually have a car of my own right now, I borrow my dad's car, I don't need to drive every day. I used to own an early model Renault Clio.

By the way, I once saw a TV program about car culture back when the smart was just being introduced to the market, the presenter showed it to a load of boy-racer types and they all laughed at it. Today the smart isn't quite as much of a laughing stock, but you couldn't expect to pull any girls with it!

There ya' go, that's the kind of attitude that's going to stop global warming
Unfortunatly only a select few share that thinking over here

If I did not need to work every day, I would not need to drive every day



Mine does about 30 MPG in city/mixed use, which is considered as "normal" for a gas car



European VW or US VW ? As your VW are built in Mexico rather than Europe, I guess that they do not use same components or maybe do not have same quality.
About Mercedes, they indeed had problems on some models. But again not all Mercedes are made in Europe.

@antp: Mercedes has a good reputation indeed, but it can happen, that they are producing junk, even in Germany. A colleague had a brand new C-Klasse, which was broken for electrical reasons more than a dozen times in 4 months.

And a friend from Northern France has told me, that just a few years ago there was a man (around Lille, I think), who had worst problems with his E-Klasse. He also get in trouble with his Mercedes-garage, si at least he was so pissed, that he has stored his car on the biggest parking of a shopping mall, badged over and over with stickers of all defects he had (and with copies of the letters).
It was a big discussion - but finally Mercedes France gave him a new car.


Such actions can be impressive for a long long time, even with bad results for the company.
So in Germany all people, who still know the Matra Simca Bagheera from the 70ies, know also a similar story.
In 1974/75 one man in Berlin had problems over and over with his Bagheera, also angry arguments with Simca Germany. He also covered his car with stickers and copied letters and has placed it directly in the middle of Berlin, in front of the "Gedächtniskirche" at the Kurfürstendamm.
This scene was printed in a plenty of newspapers and car-magazines in 1975.

And finally it has really destroyed the (even not really high before) reputation of Chrysler Simca in Germany.
The selling of the Bagheera was broken down, also the successor Murena wasn't sold well, because this story was still in the mind of the people.

I agree! loads are seen in Britain and are all over the place in Europe. Shure, they are OK for a large metropolis and as a city car in somewhere like Holland, where there are too many cars, but they are really aimed at the tight-wallet, dope-smoking, sandal-wearing hippie or student. In Britain, they are painted in bizzare colours, or made to look like a pig or even a zebra for a company. America has never had a problem with space, or in most cases, fuel. I'd hate to still see these awful 'eco' cars on the roads in the future.

In Canada, Smarts seem to be purchased either as novelties (lots of them are adorned with business logos or are used in displays etc.) or because they are 'hip', in the same vein as the New Beetle or Mini. I doubt there will be much difference when it is sold in the US.

.i would love a smart to get to work and back.i own a geo metro 3 cylinder 1 liter.i am only getting about 37 mpg right now..i love small non-american cars..always have.it has a jap motor..i've also had a 1976 honda civic..2 bugs..fiat 128..etc..love em all.as gas in america keeps going up i am loving my car more.