KARE (May 14, 2008)
"As gas prices continue to climb, thousands of drivers are trying to beat the problems at the pump by going small, really small."The tiny Smart Car has seen an increase in sales but there have been serious questions about the vehicle's safety."
But is is safe?
That depends: safe compared to what?
"Adrian Lund, President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says 'for such a small package it does test pretty well. It gets a good rating for frontal crash tests, also good rating for side impact protection, and an acceptable rating for rear crash protection.'
"And while the experts warn it may not be a wise choice for trips on high speed roads where larger vehicles provide more protection.
"It could be a smart and safe pick for congested city streets." [emphasis mine]
KARE has a video, too
40 miles per gallon sounds good.
And, I think the itty-bitty Smart Car looks cute.
But, I live in central Minnesota. I have to drive almost fifty miles to reach a reasonable facsimile of "congested city streets," and a hundred twenty or more to reach the Twin Cities.
Out here, a cute little car like that could get lost in a snow drift.
On the highway, I'm afraid that driving it might feel like being a ping pong ball in a cement mixer.
Still, it's cute.
(photo from KARE, used w/o permission)
No comments:
Post a Comment