Buying a New Car?

Lol, I'm referring to a Smart Car: http://www.bootsandsabers.com/images/uploads/smart3_020308_big_thumb.jpg

I know the importance of saving the environment, which is why I drive a 2010 Toyota Prius Hybrid, exactly like this one: http://ecomodder.com/blog/wp-content/gallery/2010-toyota-prius/001-2010-prius.jpg

At least with the Prius you have literally tons of room! And the money I save on gasoline is phenomenal. Seriously, I only have to fill it up once every 2-6 mos., depending on how much I use it (usually only the weekends; I have another car I use during the week). Lol, I'm sounding like an advertisement, but I recommend the Prius if you want luxury & room. However, the Smart Car is also good if one can't afford a Prius, and if one is single; lol, they better be because there's no extra room for anybody else to fit inside!

In a number of ways, the Smart Car is better! (My niece has one). My 6'4" neighbor who is a car nut took it for a spin in perfect comfort. And it's crash rating is actually very good. The weakest thing is that the draft from big semis blows it around a bit on the interstate. The best thing is the parking!

When you consider the environmental impact of a car, you have to include the shipping (both of raw materials and the completed car, and the amount of diesel both on the ship from Japan, and from the port to your site, especially if you don't put a lot of miles on it per year. The Smart Car is very light, and it is made at Mercedes Canada. The Prius not so much. While the original Dust to Dust report had some very questionable assumptions, its premise that the environmental impact of anything includes its manufacture, the manufacture of its component parts, its maintenance parts and its disposal, as well as the fuel it uses, is absolutely correct.

So in the case of the Prius, the issues of its batteries (nickel is a smokestack gas intensive product) has an impact. So while the Prius is not worse for the environment than a Hummer, despite the claims, the Smart Car is cheaper, smaller (requiring less parking lots) and fuel efficient, and in a dust to dust sense, and gives it a run for its money.

I'm sold! Seriously, if I were back in college I would definitely get myself a Smart Car, though I used to drive a moped.

Any way to help the environment is good with me, be it a Smart Car or a Prius.

Btw, I read your post on fsu the other day about how Rachael Flatt would be a good spokesperson for the Smart Car, and I concur. In fact I loved your whole post. Especially Mrs. Smith's Apple Pies and the Campbell Soup Kids. ^D

Night, Doris

Sorry for completely going off-topic, but I had to mention this past weekend's Automobile Show in Paris, which displayed a plethora of gorgeous electric cars!

The Kia Pop is my favorite, though if I could afford it I would also get the Renault: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20101004/paris/101009966/car-pictures&template=photo

The Renault is great looking car! . Not too good for the environment in parts of the US though, where the electric power is mostly from coal (Wyoming, or Fairbanks, Alaska, for example). If I lived in France, I would so have that car, OTOH.

After our beloved 2001 Toyota Tacoma was totalled a few weeks ago, we bought a 2010 Prius III on Friday. We got the Blue Ribbon exterior with the Dark Grey interior.