What's Smart About the Smart Car?

The invasion of the Smart car is about to hit the shores of the US, but is the car able to withstand the hype?

I'd seen the car in Paris, and thought it was cute, but wondered whether it was really a solid alternative for drivers - consumers who would likely need a second car if they've got children and need to lug around strollers, baby seats, and all the other stuff that goes along for the ride. The car really isn't a good option if you have children and need to get around. It is not much more than a commuter vehicle, and I thought the idea was to get people out of their cars altogether.

It certainly is a small car, but does it really produce where it counts - gas mileage?

Well, let's see.

The Smart Car gets 33 mpg city / 40 mpg highway.

How does that stack up against other small cars?

The Chevy Aveo is 24 city/34 highway while the Toyota Yaris, is 29 city/36 highway.

The Prius gets 46 combined mpg based on the EPA figures. The Mini Cooper gets 28/37 mpg.

I've got a 2005 Toyota Corolla and it gets about 29 mpg in mixed driving in the NYC metro area. That also happens to correlate with the EPA figures. However, I can lug around a 6 foot ladder in the trunk and a whole host of other items, which is pretty much impossible to do with the Smart car.

The Smart car might appeal to some urban dwellers, but I don't think the benefits are truly going to win over the public to buy the small cars. You might get some early adopters who buy it for the cool factor, but there's serious competition on that front with the Mini.