Smart Car Crash Test

[Cap'n]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6605730767077503480

[Invigor]

hmm.. i wonder what hitting an 18 wheeler head on at 70mph would do :D

[Scavenger]

If that car is so smart, why the heck didn't it avoid that big concrete wall in the road??? Not a smart car in my opinion. Reminds me of a few fish I've owned. (I'm in water, what would happen if I jumped out?)

[fakename]

That car actually stood up very well! The front end demolished....it's designed to do that to dissapate energy, and the passanger compartment retained it's shape fairly well. Much better than I expected!
Aaron

[muck]

Now they need to test it with a real driver.. :mrgreen:

[Funky_Fish14]

Look at the footspace though, it appears as though the front end was mangled where your feet would go. I would hate to lose my feet....

[deep6er]

I worked for Mercedes Benz 6 months ago, For thoses of you who dont know they sell the smart car. I was a little scared getting in the car at first but after seeing alot of testing like the one we just saw I am pleased with them. They are good on gas. It only costs $18. to fill the tank it runs on des, and one tank could get you around 300km. So they are not to bad in my books BUT you still look funny in it and the amount of trunk space sucks, you could just fit your 20gal in it.
and thats my 2 cents.

[Murminator]

I think they are very safe they are a roll cage on wheels doesn't matter what you drive if you get hit by a semi your coming out on the losing end. These cars a so light if you did get hit the energy would be transfered it would be like kicking a soccer ball as to kicking a brick. We sometimes think the bigger vehicles are the safest but sometimes not
Here is a vid of a ext cab truck at 40 MPH compare the driver compartment to the 70 MPH smart car
http://www.progressive.com/video/40F-150.mpg


see how well your vehicle faired

https://onlineservice1.driveinsurance.com/interact-cgi/rc/vown/rc_crash_videos.asp

[Funky_Fish14]

They are good on gas. It only costs $18. to fill the tank it runs on des, and one tank could get you around 300km.

My friend's dodge neon gets like 600-800km on one tank of gas, and cost 40 to fill.... thats the same as the smart car? We've been back and forth to Calgary a few times on one tank of gas.

[Cap'n]

Yeah, that distance has got to be higher than 300k. At the outrageously inflated cost of diesel today I can almost squeeze $40 into my Golf and then drive over 1000 kilometres. Calgary to Nanaimo has been the record for me so far.

[Cap'n]

"The fuel consumption is crazy-good: The combined rating is 3.5 litres per 100 kilometres, or 80 miles per gallon.



But the fuel tank is also crazy-small - just 22 litres, with 5 litres reserve. If you get max economy (like most cars, the Transport Canada numbers cannot usually be replicated in the real world) that will only take you 628 km. "



quoted from this article:

http://www.mcuniverse.com/The_Smart_Car_Comes_to_Canada.1325.0.html

[deep6er]

well im am wrong . I did drive the smarts like it was the indy. LOL
well the real numbers are
4.2 L/100km and a tank capacity of 27 L . So you could infact get around 600 km on one tank.

[BMW Rider]

Cosidering that they are really intended as a commuter car, 300Km fuel range is okay. I don't imagine they sacrificed a huge amount of space to the fuel tank. Its kinda like a four wheeled motorcycle with doors. Though not as much fun to drive IMO :razz:

[Gizmo]

We sometimes think the bigger vehicles are the safest but sometimes not
Here is a vid of a ext cab truck at 40 MPH compare the driver compartment to the 70 MPH smart car
http://www.progressive.com/video/40F-150.mpg


Well there's your problem... Its a Ford ;)

[Funky_Fish14]

Well there's your problem... Its a Ford ;)

I have heard:

FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily

Lol.

[Beermaster]

doesn't matter what you drive if you get hit by a semi your coming out on the losing end.


Acully Murry one of my Best friends last winter rear ended a semi @ 80km/h got spun out into on comming traffic and went head to head with a peterbuilt at 60 km/h and wrote off the semi did 75k damage to the semi and he broke his femer, all he was in was a Dodge pick up

If i can find the pictures of his truck i will post them

[Beermaster]

I have heard:

FORD = Fix Or Repair Daily

Lol.

I think it goes more like this

FORD = First On Race Day

[Funky_Fish14]

Haha, some like them, some dont, thats the only one I had heard haha. That one is good though!

[deep6er]

I think it goes more like this

FORD = First On Race Day


what to be in the repair shop!!! lol

sorry Im a chevy freak

[AndyL]

no... FORD = F***ing old rebuilt dodge... And my exploder proves it to me EVERY darn day

[Murminator]

spun out into on comming traffic and went head to head with a peterbuilt at 60 km/h and wrote off the semi did 75k damage to the semi and he broke his femer, all he was in was a Dodge pick up


Thats because he was in a Dodge :mrgreen: sorry to hear about the poor sap driving the Peterbilt...the yugos of trucks

F....found
O....on
R....reservation
D....dump

[albert_dao]

Ha! Poor Andy, I'm surprised the boost didn't fry your truck. *wwwaaaahhhtaaaah*

[BlkWolfe]

Fix
Or
Repair
Daily

Or those mornings you gotta smack the dash just right to get the heater controls working again

[Murminator]

Problems with your Ford Josh? :razz:

[StirCrazy]

I think they are very safe they are a roll cage on wheels doesn't matter what you drive if you get hit by a semi your coming out on the losing end. These cars a so light if you did get hit the energy would be transfered it would be like kicking a soccer ball as to kicking a brick. We sometimes think the bigger vehicles are the safest but sometimes not
Here is a vid of a ext cab truck at 40 MPH compare the driver compartment to the 70 MPH smart car
http://www.progressive.com/video/40F-150.mpg


see how well your vehicle faired

https://onlineservice1.driveinsurance.com/interact-cgi/rc/vown/rc_crash_videos.asp

you know even after the accident (which were two different types) the ford truck still had more room in the cab than the smart car did.

to compare you would have to see the smart car do a head on instead od a glancing blow, I don't think it would work quite as good in that one. there was another video of the 99 ford truck (first year they went to 2 back doors opening) and there was a flaw that was fixed for 2000. but everyone uses this video to repersent all fords, which are the best selling vehicle (let alone truck) in north america.

so you can slag ford truck all you want but remember they sell more f150's than dodge (don't over drive gutless engines) and GMC (got mechanic comming) all you want:mrgreen: want to see some neat comparasons between different trucks go to http://www.fordvehicles.com/trucks/f150/truth/ I will agree it is a ford site and they will not show stuff that may be better than ford but it is pretty interesting all the same.

Steve

[Cap'n]

to compare you would have to see the smart car do a head on instead od a glancing blow,


That is a head on collision. The only reason it appears to be glancing is because the car hit the barrier a bit more to the right and pushed the barrier back on that side, which allowed the force of the impact to be directed more to the right and upwards.

[Cap'n]

to compare you would have to see the smart car do a head on instead od a glancing blow, Steve


And the car would have to slow down by 30 mph.

[StirCrazy]

That is a head on collision. The only reason it appears to be glancing is because the car hit the barrier a bit more to the right and pushed the barrier back on that side, which allowed the force of the impact to be directed more to the right and upwards.

yup thats what I mean, the test facility one doesn't move, so it would be interesting to see it again against an inmovable barrier that won't adsorb some of the impact by moving.. having said that it is still a lot better than I would have expected from thoes little match boxes

Steve

[Cap'n]

Yep, I agree on all points. It reminds me of the F1 crashes where all that remains of the car is a cage with a driver inside.

Makes me think, if the manufacturers can produce a high quality cage when they need to, like in the itty bitty Smart, just how safe could all of our vehicles be with the same attention?

[lukep77]

I have to say that regardless of all the saftey features and all the money I would save on gas I will take my full size sedan over that coffin on wheels. The smallest thing I will drive would be my gf convertable and that is a fair sized car. I work around tractor trailers and Ive seen some compacts after hitting a semi and the semi allways wins. But I would love to see a tractor hit a smart car, but hopefully not with some one in the smart car.

just my 2 cents worth.

[Ruth]

Well no matter what I'm sticking with my full size GMC 3/4 ton PU. If I went into the ditch in one of those things up here they wouldn't find me until spring. With the traffic up here my vehicle is probably considered a sub compact.

[Cap'n]

I wouldn't feel safe using one as a highway vehicle either, but that's not what they were designed for anyway. As an economical, inner-city commuter I think they are a great alternative.

[StirCrazy]

I wouldn't feel safe using one as a highway vehicle either, but that's not what they were designed for anyway. As an economical, inner-city commuter I think they are a great alternative.

wouldn't you concider a single pourpose car a waist of money for the average person? I think the smart car is a nich product myself as most people need a dual purpose car (ie highwat/city/more than 2 people) I personaly bought a motorbike for comuting and for the 75 miles a gal it gets me it is money way beter spent than a smart car.

Steve

[G1GY]

One of those smart cars would be great for me!!!

I could put it on the back of my Supercrew and use it to go get gas when I run out.

Yes........ This would be a great gas can for me. :)

Seen lots of them while traveling around Europe last summer and realy don't like them at all. :(


Edit:

I hope they are available in a gas can red color

[G1GY]

no... FORD = F***ing old rebuilt dodge... And my exploder proves it to me EVERY darn day

Did you ever try turning the lights off to have more power for the next start Andy? LOL