[hansyes]

How safe are they.. does anyone know??

[ArmyBimmerDude]

They're not safe and everything about it is garbage. It was the last vehicle I drove before I left europe. What a piece of crap.

[montreal red]

they are safe according to crash tests but the car's wheelbase is so short, it jumps around the road a lot when it goes through potholes... i wouldnt recommend it unless you live in a place with pot hole free roads.

[Dmitriy@AUTOcouture]

How much do you think they are going to lease for, considering they have a MSRP of ~$16,000?

[HEY32G]

Originally Posted by ArmyBimmerDude

They're not safe and everything about it is garbage. It was the last vehicle I drove before I left europe. What a piece of crap.

C'mon dude, you gotta open up and tell us your true feelings. Stop holding back!

[Year's_End]

I think it's a bunch of overpriced metal. The only reason to have one is if you live in a place with narrow streets or crowded parking. "Safe" is a relative term in regards to this car.

[I335]

I'd guess they're at least as safe as a motorcycle...

[hansyes]

Well.. I guess I am gonna start off by saying thank you to everyone who posted their knowledge. Although the safety body shell is proven to be as strong as or if not stronger than a normal car, I think the impact on driver and passenger in real life accident is somewhat different from what they claim it to be. I bet it's mostly because the limited front crumple zone. More details on this can be found here

Why I asked here was because my girlfriend's friend drives this car and every now and then my gf happens to travel in her car. And basically this is where it got me start worrying about my gf. I'm not sure how to convince her on this but I really think I should find a way to stop her being a passenger in it or at least reduce travels in it.. Does anyone have a good idea on how to go about this?? I really dislike the fact that they sell these in Canada.. I heard soon they are available in states as well.. I just hope people don't die as a result of driving around in these cars.. thanks so much for reading such a long post

[NaTuReB0Y]

My Honda Fit gets better gas mileage............for the same price.

[silvrevo]

Neighbor just got one and I can stop looking at it.

Way way too small. Even if they call it a saftey C cage... Its way to small all around.

I would hate to be hit it the rear while driving this go cart.

I think I would feel safer on my Fz6.

[Mo]

These cars are not the safest cars out there but they've been used for years in Europe and as far as i know from my friends in relatives your not gone die because you are in one....

[ybbiz34]

I've seen tests where they ram a Smart Car into a telephone pole at 70 mph and both doors open just fine after the crash. I've also seen tests where they ram one head-to-head with an S-class and the structural integrity of the cabin remains solid.

You get bounced around a little more in a wreck because it is small and light, but they are really very safe cars.

[ybbiz34]

Originally Posted by KenB

A cabin that does not crumple = the energy from the crash goes somewhere else----the driver.

Dude, come on, the cabin doesn't crumple or the driver gets destroyed. The front end, rear end, doors, chassis components are supposed to crumple. The cabin is where the driver is, and the framework of that cabin should remain in as good as shape as possible.

[just4kickz]

to those who say its unsafe... its probably unsafe because its like a quarter the size of a SUV. most definitely if you get in a large crash your going to get owned. using the smart car as a city commuter isn't so bad... taking it out on the highway wouldn't be a great idea.

[just4kickz]

Originally Posted by KenB

A cabin that does not crumple = the energy from the crash goes somewhere else----the driver.

the energy doesnt go to the driver. & wait is the cabin supposed to crumple? i'm not sure. I know the front and rear should crumple but i'm not so sure about the cabin. the whole purpose of having a crumple zone is to increase the time it takes for the force to applied, which means decreasing its impact on the individual.