Car Smart

I'm a car person. I tend to find beauty in some form or another in just about any vehicle. Whether it's the wooden frame of the Morgan, the off-road prowess of a Jeep CJ, or the everyday functionality of a station wagon. That being said, I'm intrigued by the new (new in the States, at least) Smart ForTwo despite my tendency to poke fun at them around the office.

There are certain things that I really like about them. I like that it is what it is. Does that make sense? I mean, it doesn't pretend to be the family truckster. It doesn't pretend to have any off-road capability. It's basic transportation for one or two people. I like that it takes up so little space in the garage/in the parking lot/on the road/etc. I also like that it's inexpensive relative to other new cars. Even the appearance has started to grow on me.

Still, there are things I'm unsure about. As a family man, I don't think I can get by with just two seats. If I'm getting just two seats, I'll be looking at a well-used Mazda Miata. That's not so much a problem with the Smart ForTwo so much as simple buyer incompatibility. Also, I'm genuinely surprised by the Smart ForTwo's fuel economy ratings. From SmartUSA the car is rated at 40 city/45 highway mpg according to 2007 EPA standards and 33 city/41 highway mpg according to 2008 EPA standards. While those are great numbers I would've expected better. I'm basing that expectation on my 1995 Honda Civic EX that's regularly pulling in 35+ mpg (probably 40+ with some tuning)...and that's with four seats and less-than-economic driving habits. While my Civic won't make the numbers of the Smart ForTwo, it is pretty close and there are older cars that will match the Smart FotTwo. If one is willing to give up frills and attention, older four-seaters like the Honda Civic VX (48 city/55 hwy) and the Geo Metro (44 city/49 hwy) are fine examples.

What I'm most anxious to know is how well the car will sell. The commuter car isn't a new idea. It's been done repeatedly. There was the Pontiac Fiero that started out selling like crazy. While it was a successful commuter (and even sporty driving car), the initial models fell short of the hard-driving sports car one would expect from a mid-engine two-seater [all that changed with the GT model, of course]. The Fiero certainly isn't the only two-seater commuter. Long before, there was the Isetta, a successful minicar that didn't really fly in the States. More recently, The Suzuki X-90 didn't sell well at all. The Honda Civic del Sol might fall into this category. I think it sold well but even it is out of production. Granted, times are changing. Perhaps the Smart ForTwo will be successful where other cars have not been. They definitely generate a lot of talk...much more than most cars. It'll be interesting, to say the least. I'd really like to stop by the local dealership and take a look at them...maybe even take one for a test drive. Not sure if/when that will happen...with a 19-month-old and a 6-week-old, test driving a car for fun isn't a high priority.

As a side note, is it just me or does it seem like it takes a lot of styling cues from the Little Tikes Cozy Coupe?