April 12, 2004
The Smart Car, redux
The Star's Wheels section last Saturday was mostly devoted to the Smart Car:
Mark Richardson is a skeptic:
In Europe, where the cost of parking is exorbitant, gasoline is precious and congestion is prohibitive, I'd like to drive a Smart. It's the four-wheeled equivalent of a scooter, which I've often touted in this space as the future of urban transportation for its simplicity and intelligence.
But here in Canada, I'm not so sure. Everybody else should drive a Smart, but I don't know if I want to pay the financial penalty of being so conscientious. Not when a new Chevy Cavalier can be picked up for less than $11,000 and will drive me around in just as much comfort, albeit with less fanfare.
Jim Kenzie, on the other hand, has found love:
Okay, so it only has two seats. That'll still handle the average passenger count in a Toronto rush hour of 1.4 persons per vehicle with 0.6 of a seat left over.
Need more seats? Buy another Smart. You'd not be far off the purchase price of an average Canadian new vehicle, you'd still use less fuel than one bigger car would, and both cars wouldn't necessarily have to follow the same route.
We also hear from a freelancer who pootled around France in one, and Kenzie again on the car's safety record.
Posted by Patrick at April 12, 2004 10:19 AM