Smart Car

Its so tiny and cute, but is it safe? Does it save on fuel? Is it worth it?

According to the smart car website, the new technology is a crash box of sorts that creates a safety force field around the two passengers in the vehicle. It gives a feel of how" a nut is protected by its hard outside shell, the smart fortwo's occupants are protected by a steel housing that combines longitudinal and transverse members that displace impact forces over a large area of the car. So it's not about the amount of steel, but how that material will resist an impact. That's what the tridion safety cell is all about". The "shell" is made up from steel bars in the front and rear bumpers "that are bolted to the safety cell´s longitudinal beams via slip tubes" which help absorb any impact from minor parking lot bumps to major accidents.

With the push to own smaller cars with the ever so rising fuel costs, it does not appear that the smart car is better then a Honda or Toyota on gas mileage. The fuel efficiencies are relatively the same. The push for the smart car is safety. Te company did make a hybrid edition for the 2007 year models, but I believe that was a test of sorts to see if it would sell. No word if they will continue to make a hybrid series.

Maybe some day we will have one in the fleet?