Gee... after a recent discussion in the Off-Topic forum about SMART coming to America, I've already seen 9 ForTwos on I-5.. one was actually following an xB and looked like it could probably fit in the back of the darn thing.

Then this morning the Seattle Times had an artical on a dealership that test drives and sells the little Smarts in Kirkland

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...martcar04.html

 

There is a guy in my neighborhood with one. I parked my green box next to it in front of the grocery store and it was the only vehicle that gets more looks than mine. My little 14yo sis & I camped out and waited for the owner to show up. People kept coming by both of our cars.

When the owner showed up we talked for a while. He bought his from the Green Car Company. He even bought stock in the company that brought them over here (they only had 250 modified for US street legality). He paid $31K. They are going for half that price up in Canada.

He was very "high brow...nose in the air" kinda person and he acted as if he was "better" than everyone else. I got to look inside and asked questions about the gas mileage (60 mpg/city) and the gas type (they don't have diesel available in the US from the Green Car company yet).

We talked about how Mercedes has been talking for a while about bringing them over here. He said the news was that they never would. Then a week later, Mercedes said in a press release that they are coming to the US with the 2008 model. I laughed because this guy thought he was sooooo special...yet in the end I could buy a new '08 model for a fraction of what he paid. And his stock in the other company will probably tank.

Oh well...next time I see him I won't bring it up.

 

Yeah I never can understand people like that. I have met some real nose in the air people that own a Kia and some real kick ___ people in Lambos...

I might get a Smart ForTwo just because it looks like a mini xA in some ways and the other just appeals me as something unique.. a la xA...

Hmm, means I'll have to get a Mini now too....

 

i saw one with BC plates on theway up to toyota fest....he was cruisin right along at 85.

 

I saw a truck with about 9 of them here in Battle Ground. They were on a flatbed trailer and parked sideways. Kind of wierd for cars.

 

I saw a truck a couple days ago with a bunch of smarts parked sideways as well... kinda distrubing but funny at the same time. Makes you wonder how they offload the critters....

 

ive seen one in kirkland parked at some business behind ford of kirkland

 

ok now i realize that business is Green car

 

saw this one at a Wal-mart in Sequim, think I posted about it, anyways the guy was hi-mucky muck too (cocky) and didn't want to talk much to the guys gawking at the thing, maybe he was hungry. But he got his in Cali and had it modified, said he only paid around 20k for it. I saw tons in London last year, so no big deal...they'll be a trend then die off, cuz Americans like it BIG!!! j/k

 

Those remind me SO much of the old BMW Isetta, except that the doors are on the side instead of the front, and the rear wheels are farther apart.

I've had tiny cars (including a 600cc air cooled Honda), but quite honestly these days I need more than space for two people and a suitcase.

Let's face it, driving next to an Expedition, Suburban, or Hummer even in the xB is a bit worrysome - especially if it's soccer-mom-on-a-cellphone, 2.3 kids and a dog. I don't trust 'em.

 

In Paris...they are...EVERYWHERE!!!!

I nearly got hit by them every corner....
I couldnt stand them
My parents ended up getting something that was like...a impala basically but made by Pigeot ...however you spell it

 

I saw them last in Paris too. But I like 'em. I even went to a dealership and got a ...what do you call it... big 'ol Car info packet thinggy. <Technical name.

 

Whoa.

 

Reminds me of the South Park Episode where everyone starts driving Hybrids..

Its a Hybrid....Thaaaannksssss!

 

LOL^

GOOOD FERRR UUUUUU!!!

 

makes ya smug

 

we have one on the lot...

 

there is one here on buckley air force base in colorado with washington plates. the owner is a 25y/o laid back guy and we talked about his and mine. i was parked next to him at the chow hall and between our two cars we had a car show, lol. he paid $24k i think. they have alot of nifty features that you wouldnt think would make sense in a car but they do, like hill start assist... keeps the car from rolling back so the engine dosent have to work quite as hard to acheive forward momentum, lol

 

Absolutely off topic - but fun.

http://www.suvcitythefilm.com/Pages/watchfilm3.html

Tom

 

I went to Europe in 2000 and Smarts were everywhere. They even had special parking spaces right up front for the Smarts in certain areas. I really wanted to bring one of them home. - What I'm really waiting for are the small diesel cars that the rest of the world gets. The three cyl turbo diesel Yaris, Diesel Honda ect ect. I'm purchasing a 06 XA right now but I'm going to keep an eye out for the super eficient diesels to show up in the years ahead. I've driven a VW Diesel pickup for the last 6 years and I'm pretty used to the 48mpg that it got. Man a small turbo diesel XA would be great!

Hodakaguy