Smart fortwo vs Prius ? - Page 3

 

Why?  The Smart has lower mileage than the Prius, and it requires
premium gas.

--
Donate to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; help send Michelle to the marathon.
<http://www.active.com/donate/tntdms/tntdmsMSteine>

 

Right. Consumer Reports magazine reviewed the Smart for Two and they
gave it a lousy review. The said it got lower gas mileage then the Prius
and it required Premium gas. If you want to save on gas, getting a Smart
instead of a Prius makes no sense; the OP will end up spending more on
gas.

 I saw the Smart in Italy years ago, and at the earliest
opportunity here in the U.S. drove one. Admittedly it
was early-generation (for the U.S.), but it had years of
market time in the EU.

In a word, it's a novelty whose charm wears off very
quickly. The ride is uncomfortable, it doesn't hold
enough, it doesn't generate a feeling of security, and
it's very costly.

There is no reason to keep miles off of our '04 Prius.
There are plenty of them now in package and document
delivery, taxi service, etc. with 300k miles on them and
statistically they're holding up better than their
non-hybrid counterparts. I think it's due to (1) Toyota
spent extra effort on quality for this innovation and
(2) the hybrid system "unloads" the engine during
initial acceleration, when wear and stress are high.

But if you feel compelled to pay registration and
insurance on another car to reduce your Prius mileage,
buy the Honda Fit. My daughter's Fit gets 36mpg on
regular gas, and four people fit comfortably with space
for small baggage. In fact, with the Fit's remarkable
folding seat system, two people plus two bicycles plus
camping gear can be accommodated. Try that in a Smart!

Never, never compare the Smart to the Prius. They're in
different vehicle categories.

Ike

 Michelle Steiner wrote:

Let's see the Smart is cute.
The Smart is less expensive than the Prius
I want one

Now none of this makes much sense but that is just the way it is.

George


--
A government big enough to give you everything you want, is strong enough to
take
everything you have.
-Thomas Jefferson

 George D wrote:

I drove the Smart two years ago, and saw it again at the
Fair on Balboa this Sunday. Cute but uncomfortable! It
costs about the same as the Yaris or Fit, gets worse
mileage, seats only 2, rides like an egg rolling down
the road, and collapses into a briefcase when hit.
No chance... cute simply isn't enough.