Hi,
In Frans we receive money (1.000euros) to buy this funny and ecologic's car !

The Mini Cooper comparison was about marketing and customer perception. People have to get over their preconceived notions to even think about looking further into purchasing a particular car.
When you mention Mini Cooper, most people would say small, cute and fun. If that is what they are looking for then they might look further into it.

Once they become popular, a second wave of interest can emerge. This car has not really not gotten to that second phase where people are telling one another about how much fun it is to own and drive. In this phase, the car starts to sell itself to others that did not even know that they were interested in it.

Alex-

O.K.- In congested cities I concede the Smart's diminuitive size gives it a slight parking advantage (the Yaris is between 1.59 and 1.12 meters longer- depending on model).

However, I would not want to do a road trip of more than 80km in a Smart. Here in the USA we must often drive long distances- moreso than in Europe.

Also, I would not enjoy mixing-it-up on US highways with cell-phone/text-messaging-large-SUV-driving morons while in my 14.5 second 0-60mph Smart fortwo! (Not that the Yaris is that much safer- but at least there's more power and a little more crumple room)

For all of the above, it is my opinion that the Smart remains a not-so-Smart proposition while the Yaris remains the superior conventional (non-hybrid) choice for the USA.

I don't know about those "real-life" numbers for the yaris. Looking at them 2/3 of the numbers are much higher than highway numbers and i doubt that they are hypermiling.

The 2008 EPA numbers for the yaris are 28/32/36 compared to 33/36/41 for the smart. These are better guidlines to compare but ultimately it will be how the individual driver does his/her stuff that will decide what mileage they will get.

As for the acceleration and safety issues. Well, I've second hand drove a couple of other peoples clunkers and they all have issues. The question is when you are behind the wheel, can you get used to it? Having learned to use manual and riding a bike, I've learned that situational awareness is something that people should develope more when driving that alleviates lots of potential messes.

Personally, I would lean to the yaris myself, just for the extra room. But I would also have to be truthfull and say I really wouldn't need that extra room. That sort of slippage into something always slightly bigger has got us to the light truck = normalacy mentality which is just plain wasteful.

I think that the Smart will be purchased overwhelmingly as a second or third car in the US, so arguments about size and suitability for long trips are almost totally irrelevant. If anything, the small size makes it much more convenient to park in a multi-car driveway.

Skidpad numbers are also irrelevant. As Mercedes used to say, if you are getting skidpad numbers on the street, you are about to crash.

The fact is that the Smart is a much more bold car than the Yaris (or the Korean equivalents), and that it has a much, much nicer interior (better materials and colors). It's also a hoot to drive and very safe (safer than a Focus in crash tests).

The negative backlash on this board show that the Smart is not for everybody, but I think that that is the whole point.
If you think that cars are just appliances that should have grey-on-grey interiors and forgettable exteriors, you will buy a Toyota or an Aveo instead.

Yes, the Smart is bold and a very welcome trend here in the land of the SUV. It is my humble opinion that, for the money, there are "smarter" choices available now that are not the subject of waiting lists nor dealer mark-ups.

The fortwo manages to deliver little in a suprisingly under-performing package. Leaving, what appears, no rational reason to buy one, except to make the misguided statement: "Look at me! I'm trendy and I'm green!"

I agree, the Yaris is the polar opposite of bold, verging upon appliance status- much like the Prius.

Toyota's iQ- on the other hand, is bold and packs more usefulness (3+1 seating) and performance than a similarly-sized fortwo.

I am hopeful that the Smart's overwhelming success here will prompt the makers of (more useful = rational) micro cars to consider the US market as well.

I really do not know who this car is for and I am astounded by the sales numbers. But I was also astounded by the public interest in a small cute car like this in the first place. There might be a latent interest after all the SUV craze that car makers can tap into. Maybe it is the VW Beetle mystique all over again. People think that if it is small, it must be cheap. They could buy a new one for their kids. When they find out that the price is not cheap, they look elsewhere.

That is the interesting thing about marketing and image. It is not just the image of the car company and the car, but the car buyer as well. What are they trying to say? I have bought my teenage daughter a new car, I can afford it and it is somewhat impractical, but that is ok because it is not a family car. It is good in crash tests, so I am a responsible parent, but it was not one of those cheap Tata cars.

There may be such a thing as too cheap. A low price is not always an incentive when the buyer is looking for some form of status. But there is also too expensive, if they can get something else for around the same price with more perceived value. If these guys want to get a price premium for this product, they better build a cache and target some group, or watch sales fall off.

The SMART just failed the NHTSA side impact test. Its a death trap.

You are why we should have a login and password system here so that people like you do not come on with phony emails:

death@trap.com

Then throw a flaming bomb into the crowd and run off. A form of cyberterrorism to be sure.

"Is it not possible that the small size of the SmartForTwo, and its consequent ability to park in much less space than a Toyota Prius, and also take up less room in crowded traffic, may be a virtue in and of itself?"

Not if you live in North America. Taking up less space means more cars/metre in crowded traffic.

For some crash test information, you can go here:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3033656/

It sounds like the car passed well except one test, hit from the side with the door open. Otherwise it was a safe car.

The Smart is still way too expensive. I guess some of the Mercedes Benz characteristics have rubbed off on this little sibling !

Daimler needs to TataNanofy their Smart to bring the price down to around US$ 6K.

That could be part of the image. Mercedes delayed and debated bringing this car to the U.S. I would guess that their marketing people are betting on the upscale little car image to carry the day.

"Daimler needs to TataNanofy their Smart to bring the price down to around US$ 6K"
You want a tata nano? No airbags? Cable drum brakes? No AC? No crash testing? You like that idea?

Actually, the Tata Nano HAS been crash-tested.
The deluxe version of the Nano DOES offer AC. The brakes are operated hydraulically. But, you are so right, the Nano does not have air-bags.

So, if you still want to keep getting ripped off by the European luxury-car brigade or the Japanese & Korean syndicates or the homegrown US-carmaker-clique, go ahead and keep forking out US$ 20K, while knowing all the while, that Tata can deliver the same car to you for US$ 6K.

We Americans emit the most CO2 (green-house gas) per person. The CO2 emissions per person in the developing countries is only about 1/10 that of an American.
And, assuming that "All humans have equal rights and privileges", it is clear that the US needs to take drastic meassures to reduce their emissions of CO2.
This clearly indicates the need for the increased use of public transportation, bicycling or walking to work.
Ever wonder why most US cities have such primitive public transportation ? It's because the US automotive-industry-mafia wouldn't have it any other way. They've brainwashed us into believing that we should buy one car per American man, woman, child, and dog, with the head-of-the-family installed in a monster gas-guzzling SUV. It doesn't have to be this way. Start riding the bus to work, and see the difference it makes.

I think the hot sales of smaller cars lately is the reason why I think Honda will start building the second-generation Honda Fit in the USA within two years.

The Smart ForTwo is a neat vehicle but frankly, it could be overtaken by the Toyota iQ almost instantly if Toyota decides to sell the iQ in the USA (which could really happen given the hot sales of the Yaris lately in the US market).

Well, the acceptance helps if it and others like Yaris can fly to certain consumers, sometimes it can have trickle effect on manufacturers to be more bold.

Personally, no way would I purchace the car. But at least the option is available for those who would. Marketing it from the start was "smart."

When comparing the SmartTwo to the Yaris, You will also have to factor in that the SmartTwo Uses Premium Gas, compared to the Yaris using Regular Unleaded.

It seams that if a person is looking for a 2 seater vehicle, gets great gas mileage and your looking to purchase it in the next year. Venture Vehicles (maker of the Tesla) is gong to have a Flex Fuel Hybrid capable of 100MPG, 0-60 mph in less the 7sec.

It's something to think about!