You think a festiva is small.. (smart car content inside)

[project b6t]

For those who don't know (every one), I work at a smart dealership.. decided to compare a smart to the festiva today durin lunch.. The smart is smaller hah

[j.ess]

Dustin (anomoly40) test drove one this past weekend.
He said he was disappointed because the ride was so rough...


Is that because it's so small?

[fastivaca]

Hey Ian,

What kind of bumper is that on the front of your car?

[festyxfi]

I've heard conflicting reports regarding MPG. What's your experience?

[anomoly40]

I waited 11 years to test drive a Smart. I was dissappointed because of the minute or so between shifts in the Auto. The brakes are awkard to press and the steering wheel is hard to turn so itseems like it has manual steering. And they wanted $19,995 for a USED car with 4000 miles on it.

For the size it should get better than 43mpg.

[freshtiva]

I stopped and checked them out when I was in STL at the festiva meet. I still think the festiva is the "$marter" car.

[project b6t]

Dustin (anomoly40) test drove one this past weekend.
He said he was disappointed because the ride was so rough...


Is that because it's so small?

the wheel base is small so the body moves more noticably when you hit bumps ext.. i personally like the stiffer ride.. less body roll and better feel for the road, so opposite of a festiva lol

Hey Ian,

What kind of bumper is that on the front of your car?

it is off a gen 1 eclipse.. it is coming off this weekend, PO put it on there.

I've heard conflicting reports regarding MPG. What's your experience?

Depends how you drive it.. like any car. Most reviews I have seen and even EPA do testing before the motor is broken in. The last demo car we had was at about 5000 miles and we were constantly getting 38 mpg around town, and with in one week we did about 300 miles of highway driving and got just over 45 mpg.

I waited 11 years to test drive a Smart. I was dissappointed because of the minute or so between shifts in the Auto. The brakes are awkard to press and the steering wheel is hard to turn so itseems like it has manual steering. And they wanted $19,995 for a USED car with 4000 miles on it.

For the size it should get better than 43mpg.

Sorry you didn't like it.. the shifting takes a couple drives to get used to. brakes are a bit graby, smart wanted to make sure that if some one wanted to stop fast, they could. Don't know why you thought the steering was hard.. its no festiva but it has a very sporty feel.

The car is not for every one, but its safe, gets good gas mileage, and of course its smallness is great for getting around.

[Damkid]

the diesel version is even shorter than the gas version

[MJD]

Smart vs. Festiva

In Germany, France, Belgium, Europe, etc........the diesel Smart is a great mileage getter.
But here in USA ? Not really....our '90 L Plus gets at 45 mpg, and the Smart just will not. Too many restrictions. Because of our great govt. demands, and no diesel engine yet.
I do admit, when we rented a Smart in Gemany, it did have lots of power, and drove great.....fast too. But the highways we were on were all excellent, great for speed. Although the Smart is a great looker, wait a few years when Ford Fiestas appear, and I think the Toyota iQ, is it ? Even the Kia Rio will give the Smart a contest for mileage, here in the USA !

Here is a Smart factory pic from Hambach France, when we drove to it.

[ejp2fast]

I stopped and checked them out when I was in STL at the festiva meet. I still think the festiva is the "$marter" car.

]

well said. The smart car in my opinion is TOO small. 2 seats plus room for a briefcase. Its too heavy. BUT, I haven't driven one yet... so maybe i shouldn't talk quite yet. Our car weighs more or less 1900 lbs driving on the highway and no safety features. Smart car weighs a couple hundred more with all the safety features aka airbags and crash "tests". In terms of SAFETY ONLY which car do you guys think is safer? Festiva or Smart car?

[freshtiva]

The smart is probably safer. My $marter comment was from an economics point of view.

[Ogrestiva]

well said. The smart car in my opinion is TOO small. 2 seats plus room for a briefcase. Its too heavy. BUT, I haven't driven one yet... so maybe i shouldn't talk quite yet. Our car weighs more or less 1900 lbs driving on the highway and no safety features. Smart car weighs a couple hundred more with all the safety features aka airbags and crash "tests". In terms of SAFETY ONLY which car do you guys think is safer? Festiva or Smart car?

As you can see from my profile picture, I am 6ft 8in tall an as such I am too big to fit in a smrt car. I tried to drive one but my leg was stuck between the steering wheel and the door and we had to keep the roof down in order to keep most of my body mass outside of the vehicle...that was still a tight fit! I think for most people smaller than 5'7" the smrt car would be safer, but as far as which I think is better...Defiantly the festiva!

P.S. I'm slouching in the picture.

[project b6t]

well said. The smart car in my opinion is TOO small. 2 seats plus room for a briefcase. Its too heavy. BUT, I haven't driven one yet... so maybe i shouldn't talk quite yet. Our car weighs more or less 1900 lbs driving on the highway and no safety features. Smart car weighs a couple hundred more with all the safety features aka airbags and crash "tests". In terms of SAFETY ONLY which car do you guys think is safer? Festiva or Smart car?

Smart car is safer by far. Your weight numbers are off too. Smart is 1800 lbs (coupe is 1808 cab is 1850). Smart has a high strength steal cage around it with 4 air bags, festiva has some sheet metal and 21 year old unibody structer with no air bags. Festiva has a larger crush zone but the smart is designed to not let any thing intrude into the cabin.

Smart hands down a safer car, even if it is smaller.

[shawnw]

Isn't there already four or five threads complaining about smart cars?

[hawkdoc60]

If I were to drive a small goofy looking car, I would rather drive one of those three wheel BMWs that Steve Urkel drove on "Family Matters." At least i would have the BMW name. LOL