:eek2:

Yeah no thanks. There's a guy at work with one and according to him it should fit in my truckbed with the tailgate down and the toolbox out.


P.S. in the summer it gets 70 mpg and 35 in winter with spinning tires all the way to work. (rear wheel drive, rear engine)

I'll skip all that after that test.

 

:disgust:

The French souldn't be allowed to make cars

 

Coffin on wheels! When you get hit, the just dig the hole and put you and the car in it!!!


I've told my wife I want one as a spare. When your truck dies on the side of the road, simply unload and drive it for help!!! LOL

 

If you look at the cockpit it stayed in tact. I bet that was a 100% survivable accident. Remember it does have to pass testing to be sold in this country.

That silver part is the frame. Its very strong

Smartcar gets top scores in crash test rating.

 

WASHINGTON — Unlike most cars on the road, the pint-sized 2008 Smart fortwo evokes a simple question at first glance: “How safe is it?”

The micro car, the smallest car for sale in the U.S. market, offers a good level of safety, according to new crash tests conducted by the insurance industry.

The 8-foot, 8-inch vehicle received the highest rating of good in front-end and side-impact testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, helping address some concerns that consumers may be more vulnerable in the tiny two-seater.

The tests, released Wednesday, show how well vehicles stack up against others of similar size and weight. The institute noted that the front-end test scores can’t be compared across weight classes, meaning a small car that earns a good rating isn’t considered safer than a large car that did not earn the highest rating.

Adrian Lund, the institute’s president, said a small car may be more practical in congested urban areas where serious, high-speed crashes are less likely. The institute conducted the crash test to help guide consumers who want a small car that can give them good protection.

“All things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always better. But among the smallest cars, the engineers of the Smart did their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very small package,” Lund said.

The institute’s frontal crash test simulates a 40 mile per hour crash with a similar vehicle. The side crash simulates what would happen if the vehicle was struck in the side by a sport utility vehicle at 31 mph.

In a test that assessed the vehicle’s protection in rear crashes, the fortwo received the second-highest rating of acceptable.

Smart, a division of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz brand, has arrived in U.S. showrooms this year as consumers deal with rising fuel prices. The automaker has received more than 30,000 reservations for the vehicle — which has a base price of more than $12,000 with destination charges included and more than $17,000 for a fully loaded Smart passion convertible. Customers are putting down $99 to reserve a car.

Video: Smart Car is smart safety choice

The vehicle, which had sold 6,159 units through the end of April, gets 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. The fortwo is more than 3 feet shorter and nearly 700 pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper.

In earlier crash tests conducted by the government, Smart received the top score of five stars in side testing but the driver door unlatched during the test and opened. While it did not affect the vehicle’s test score, government regulators said the incident required them to note a safety concern for the vehicle which will appear on window stickers at dealerships.

The concern was warranted because the unlatching of the door could increase the likelihood of a driver or passenger being ejected from the vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

When the IIHS conducted its side test, the driver door also became unlatched. But the institute said the injury measurements on the test dummy were low and the opening didn’t affect the dummy’s movement.

The 1,800-pound car has a steel safety cage and four standard air bags, including two in front and two on the sides to protect the head and abdomen. It also has standard electronic stability control, which is designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road.

“America has never seen a car this size before and their first question usually isn’t about (fuel) economy, it’s about safety,” said Dave Schembri, president of Smart USA. “And that’s why we think these results are so very important.”

Ignorance OWNED!!

 

it sez it in your post that bigger is better and getting the highest rating in its class doesnt mean its as safe as a larger car with lower ratings, and it is mainly intended for in town commute, i dont think the guy bashing it would drive a prius either, these eco-cars are cheap made with horrible road noise and no power due their main concern being weight reduction. i can understand having one for a big city but if your so worried about your carbon footprint get a moped, up to 100mpg and costs much less to maintain

 

^ knowledge owns

 

That wasnt so bad.. He spun out of it. Shit will buff out...lmao.

 

now i really want to see a smartcar in the back of one colly

 

I came close, Here's one in a GM. :shrug:

 

the cabin being intact does not necessarily mean its survivable, when you see the car come to a sudden stop and fly back because there is so little crush factor in the front is whats deadly, i was involved in a wreck with a ford ranger two years ago and the guy died for the same reason, front end was crushed, no cabin damage but he hit a 13,000lb truck coming to a sudden stop and killed him on impact from internal injuries

 

I think they are way overpriced as well. Plus you are REQUIRED to burn 91 octane or better. No 87 or 89 as you will damage the engine. Plus at a Maxcimum of 41 MPG, how much are you saving? My 2006 Malibu Maxx does 29Mpg with 5 passengers and luggage.

While the cabin maintained its integrity, the bouncing the car did after the airbags deployed, will increase the injuries sustained in the accident. After all the article did say larger vehicles are better, even though it did well.

In a metroplitan area I can see where they might make sense, easy to park, manuver in tight parking, etc. But in open country and on the Interstate....they don't belong.

 

Road Noise???

Mine has no road noise problems, I'v ridden in a handfull of other 355's an never noticed a road noise problem :shrug:

 

A head on accident then combined with a rollover after the fact.....F U C K that!

Yeah you might get good mileage, but the accidents in real life are not in a "controlled" environment! I will stick with my trucks for piece of mind

 

 

ok people on 355nation know more about crash testing and safety then professionals that crash and study cars for a living. :roll:

 

no im just saying i wont own one because you end up the tiny guy on the road and in a wreck that isn't a good thing

 

No...it's just that the video you posted showed the car bouncing like a beachball and overturning. Airbags fill and deflate in nano seconds...you will have hit your head at least twice in the roll after the airbags already went off, negating the airbag factor. The car NHTSA tested, doesn't roll as their testing is very controlled and limited in scope...I think 31 MPH max...Try that at 60 and see how the car fairs. I understand they need a set point, I have seen cases when a car was destroyed that people walked away from and minor accidents where someone died. The experts can not reliably predict ALL the factors in every crash. My truck against a semi or train is useless, but I would have an advantage over the smaller, lower vehicle. That is simple physics.

 

The experts can not reliably predict ALL the factors in every crash. My truck against a semi or train is useless, but I would have an advantage over the smaller, lower vehicle. That is simple physics.

A meteor might fall out of the sky and hit you in the head and kill you so walking outside is unsafe and you are going to die if you leave your house...

Your truck vs a train = you dead
smartcar vs train = you dead

whats the difference?

I know about physics, Im a mechanical engineering student. I do physics on a daily basis. There really isnt anything simple about physics at all. Go take a course in calculus based physics and tell me its there is anything simple about it lol.

 

i drive a truck and anything that is smaller than my truck or gets better gas mileage is a terrible terrible option and automatically unsafe beyond words.

thank you all, go home.

 

This is not a smartcar, but close.

VW Crossfox

i just dont want to be in a car accident that puts my life in danger!!

 

not a smart car but still dead

check out theres LOTS of deadly semi truck accidents on that site that have nothing to do with a smart car or anything like it

Better not drive anythign cause a semi can kill you while you are in it.

 

not a smart car but still dead



check out theres LOTS of deadly semi truck accidents on that site that have nothing to do with a smart car or anything like it

Better not drive anythign cause a semi can kill you while you are in it.

thats an obvious, 80,000lbs vs 3,000lbs ummmm idk which will fair better. im talking about car to car, if your in a non commercial vehicle and wreck into a truck at any considerable rate of speed your fucked

 

For those reasons, I choose to fly. I bought a jetpack. I only have to contend with flocks of birds.

 

Ahhh yes photos from an ambulance chaser web siteopc:

 

Doesn't matter what website they're from, they're actual accidents.

 

true Forrest, but they have to put their own twisted spin on the subject matter. You hit a semi with pretty much anything and year your dead.

My point and the OP's point is We'd much rater be in ANY type of accident in anything other than a smart car.


Yes Nick has a point they do have to pass crash test standerds to be sold in the United States but I don't want to be in one in even a fender bender.

I'll stick to my safer larger vehicles I own rather than some little car that gets 75MPG to me it's just not woth the myself or my families safety to save some gas

 

exactly,, my gf had a ford focus 2 door hatchback when we got together and we got rid of it and i bought her a blazer, ya its a huge diff on fuel mileage but will fair a lot better in a wreck compared to a small car

 

Rollover Crash Results for Pick-up Trucks | AutoTribute


Chevy colorado got the lowest rating for small trucks but you bought one anyway.

ARLINGTON, VA – The Nissan Frontier has the strongest roof and the Chevrolet Colorado the weakest among 5 small pickup trucks, all 2010 models, that recently were tested for rollover protection by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

In contrast, the Colorado is rated poor for occupant protection in side crashes. It’s equipped with standard curtain side airbags but lacks additional airbags designed to protect a driver’s torso. The Colorado’s poor structure, along with poor protection for the driver dummy’s chest and pelvis, contributed to its poor rating overall. Plus the dummy’s head came close to moving around the curtain airbag during the impact by the intruding barrier.

OMG your colorado is unsafe you better sell it and go get a tacoma cause they are much safer

 

goddamn you are stubborn

 

Nick if you hate the colorado so bad why do you still own one and so much time on this forum?

 

where have I ever said I hate my rado? I love my truck. Im just not a dumb fuck who thinks its the best thing to ever grace the roads. I dont bash other vehicles because I say they are unsafe when I buy an unsafe vehicle too.