Would you drive this?

I understand why Ancalagon has you on ignore. You are in your own little bubble responding to distorted voices passing through the membrane. It becomes too burdensome to communicate with so little payoff.

Good. Only took you a decade to figure out that I'll never take you seriously. Congratulations.

You're still posting.

I would drive one of those.

There are two reasons to drive a Smart car. Gas mileage/operating costs aren't among them:

1) To fit into parking spaces an ordinary car wouldn't fit into and
2) To show the world how much you're willing to sacrifice because you love the environment more than them.

Three pages in, but I'm sure similar comments have already been made:

If you want to look like a fag that other drivers make fun of, the Eliomobile is for you!

My Subaru Impreza has been getting 30 MPG this summer. It was advertized at 36, but I'll take it.

That's much better looking than a smartcar.

I would not drive this. Not in a million years. It looks like something Liet would drive.

Fuck, you can buy a Fiat or a Mini* for that.

*Minis being speed demons require more expensive gas, so you save fuck all on that anyway. I'd spend way more than 50 dollars on gas if I lived offbase.

But that's the thing: Minis actually look cool, are fast, and are fun to drive. Fiats to a lesser degree, but they are still an actual car--at least to some degree. A Smart is a hair shirt. It has no purpose but to show people how much you love the environment*. It is impractically small, doesn't get particularly good gas mileage, doesn't have particularly good performance, and costs a lot. You buy one as penance for being a wealthy white person so you can suffer for Mother Earth.

*Unless you live someplace where finding parking is problematic.

It's really amazing how advanced even 'traditional' engines have become in the last few years. Ford's little I-3 Ecoboost can fit on a piece of paper and produces 125hp. For comparison the 305 V-8 used in the 1982 Trans-Am (KITT) produced 140hp.

The Ford Fiesta isn't much bigger than the Smart, gets the same mileage, and has MUCH better performance, all at half the price.

I think I rented a Fiesta the day I went to Pasadena to by my car. That thing was complete ass and I could barely get the fucker to get up past sixty on the fucking freeway to pass anyone. If that was anything like what a Smart car drives like, then fuck them.

That said, Anc is right that they're a good option for downtown areas, and San Diego has some car sharing thing in place in a few place. But then, nearly everything in downtown is walking distance anyway so....

This is a new engine, Car and Driver gave it high marks:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/2014-ford-fiesta-10l-ecoboost-test-review

Clarkson reviews the Fiesta. Worth watching through to the end.



Seem European Fiesta have long been superior to their US counterparts.

So this Elio car is jot my idea of a dream car. But I commute 14 miles each way and it's pretty slow. And as I sit there on the freeway I wonder if I'd have more fun in an audi that goes 0-60 in 5 seconds when the top speed is 20. Why bother? I do drive at off peak times on the weekends or for trips. Yeah that's when I can open up. But daily commute? No. What's the point of the other four seats in my car every day? I really just need one for my daughters ride to daycare.

I guess I'm not against the idea of this douchemobile on weekdays.

14 miles? You might as well ride a bicycle.

In a suit?

Ride in workout gear, then change to a suit when you reach the office. A towel to dry the sweat, along with some deodorant will do fine if you don't have access to a shower.

I would not drive that shit. Ever.

Minis are awesome. I'd like to have one - in sea-foam green. That would be pretty kick-ass.

As a pure city car I would get either a Fiat 500 or a Mini-Cooper.
However, since I feel the faint stirrings of mid life crisis, I'm thinking of getting a motorcycle. And a full sized replica Captain Kirk chair.

Fiats have grown in popularity the last few year. Before I left for my ship's pre-commissioning trials last September, the only place I saw Fiats were in Hillcrest neighborhood where parking is scarce and is very gay-friendly. This summer, there's now quite a few on base.

That said, have you seen a convertible Fiat? It's just...why even bother? It pretty much guarantees Mini's spot at the go-to convertible parade car for Pride Week.

In the old days, Fiat stood for Fix It Again Tony. But they just have something to them.

My next car is gonna be an old skool El Camino. I'll need something with actual storage capasity, and they have a timeless appeal. Plus, I see these park in one out of every five houses in the heavily Hispanic neighborhoods round here so it shouldn't be hard to find one in the price range and budget for repairs/restoration one will need.

In a body bag if you try to bike 14 miles where I live. No back-streets, narrow weed/trash filled road shoulders filled with dead deer and armadillos, zero lighting and zero bike paths.

I do believe it's illegal to bicycle on highways.

Might be fun to one on a loading dock without an off ramp...

Feeble Italian Attempt at Technology.