Gas Prices

[30A Skunkape]

Oh no, the Smart Car is being produced and will be available soon. We saw one up close and personal at Jazz Fest a few years ago. You can actually park those little things perpendicular in a parallel spot!
http://www.smartusa.com/

 

[JustaLocal]

Last Summer when gas prices went over $3 per gallon I refused to buy gas and got back on my bike for all errands possible. I'm doing that again when weather permits. With a rack and panniers on the side you'd be amazed what you can carry. Only problem I had was going to Publix on 98. Did it once, it wasn't fun and I got a flat from all the broken glass on the side of the highway. If 98 had a decent bike path connecting 30A to Miramar more peopel could be car free. I've talked to both the state and the county about this and it seems like the county doesn't want to spent the money. Bonus with pedaling instead of driving is you get fit not fat.

Kudos! You are absolutely correct about the bike path to Miramar. Riding through Sandestin is dangerous - even on the sidewalk.

 

[beachmouse]

Last year some snowbird had driven a Smart Car down here from Quebec (or maybe it was Ontario). I saw it parked out front of the Destin Target.

 

[scooterbug44]

Smart cars rock!

IMO a lot of the traffic and parking issues would be resolved if people were driving Smart cars instead of those obscene XL SUVs! I always question that they need to bring more for a week's vacation in a furnished home than I did to move cross country. :roll:

I love my bike, but I will only ride it on the bike paths, not on the road where the odds of me becoming a squished bug are quite high!

 

[JustaLocal]

Oh no, the Smart Car is being produced and will be available soon. We saw one up close and personal at Jazz Fest a few years ago. You can actually park those little things perpendicular in a parallel spot!
http://www.smartusa.com/

When in Europe last year we were passed on the autostrada repeatedly by 1.4 L Audi turbos - the big A6 sedan - going at least 90 mph. The Mini Cooper was 1.1 L or 1.3 L (can't remember which) when it came out and got over 50 mpg. Last year they changed to 1.8 per American demand. We only saw the Smart Car in the cities, but you are right, they did park two to a spot and sometimes between other cars in spots by going perpendicular. Really cool. Europe has many small engine cars. Americans always seem to want "more power."

 

[seaside2]

I stand corrected. Thanks Skunky for the link.

The ones I saw were pure electric, golf cart style.

These are Diamler Benz cars with an internal combustion engine. So the backers are sound, as are the distributors (Penske).

Might work, especially for urban and metro areas.

I would hate to put in a trip to SoWal in one though!!!

 

[Here4Good]

I went and checked out the SmartCar site - it says the SmartCar gets worse mileage (under equal 2008 standards) than what is promised by the Civic Hybrid. (40 / 45 for the Civic, 33 / 41 for the SmartCar)

I can't imagine sacrificing the space and safety and actually using more gas! I know the Civic costs 8-10 thousand more, but would you ever use the SmartCar as your ONLY car? Would you take it on the road to Atlanta? Not more than once, I imagine. I bet the Canadians who brought theirs down trailered it behind their RV.

They are popular in Europe because of a lack of parking/garage space. That's not our biggest problem, our biggest problem is fuel use.

I'd rather see more plug-in hybrids or pure electric vehicles than SmartCars (unless they make them electric......)

 

[Smiling JOe]

It's been a while since I went to Europe, but my trip to Italy, sometime around 1997, gasoline there cost around $4 US per gallon. Most of the cars were tiny and the majority of people in cities drove scooters. I'm sure that cost has not decreased, so to say that they aren't concerned with gas mileage is inaccurate from my personal experience.

 

[JustaLocal]

It's been a while since I went to Europe, but my trip to Italy, sometime around 1997, gasoline there cost around $4 US per gallon. Most of the cars were tiny and the majority of people in cities drove scooters. I'm sure that cost has not decreased, so to say that they aren't concerned with gas mileage is inaccurate from my personal experience.

That is the point I was trying to make.

The Audi A6 has a 3.2 L engine in the US model. The smaller 1.4 L isn't available here. Same with most cars. Honda Civic for example - USA 3.0 L, Europe 1.4 L, 1.8 L, or 2.2 L. Also many models are offered in diesel in Europe, but not here. It isn't because the car companies don't want to sell them, it's because Americans generally want large motors - more power.

There are very few people that really need a V8, but many vehicles still have them. I hope that with the Smart Car re-introduction in the US, maybe demand will grow enough for us to have the fuel economy options that Europe does.

 

[Here4Good]

It's been a while since I went to Europe, but my trip to Italy, sometime around 1997, gasoline there cost around $4 US per gallon. Most of the cars were tiny and the majority of people in cities drove scooters. I'm sure that cost has not decreased, so to say that they aren't concerned with gas mileage is inaccurate from my personal experience.

That doesn't take away from my point that the Civic Hybrid would be a better choice for mileage than the SmartCar.