Old Jul 19, 2008 | 07:12 AM
  #34 (permalink)  
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Loren
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Bob, I'd really hate to see you buy a Smart, so let's discuss:

First, the US model Smart doesn't get 60 mpg. EPA says 33/40... with hypermiling, you MIGHT get up to 55-60 on the highway. (compare that to my Yaris that's rated 29/36 and can hypermile to 45-50... 38 city and 42 highway is doable by mere mortals) It's a cute little thing, and probably kinda fun to zip around in, and 40-50 mpg is nothing to sneeze at, but consider that it costs about $10k more than a Fit and fully twice the price of a Yaris... is it really worth all that? Oh, and it requires premium fuel to deliver its 13 second 0-60 performance... the Yaris will do 9 seconds on 87 octane.

IF you could get a Smart for its sticker price of around $12k, it would be (barely) worth considering. But, as long as they're fetching the premium price that comes with being new, different and limited availability... leave them for the rich trophy wives with a green streak.

And... IF you could get a diesel Smart for $12k... then you might have something.
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