[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

Most households have two cars used primarily for commuting, not one. In addition, Murphy's law will bite at the worst possible moment. (I need car 'X', but it's at home. So I have to go home, get car 'X', come back to do the job car 'X' is needed for, then go back home. Or spouse/SO has the car I need, same juggle. Or both I and my spouse and SO need the same car at the same time...) What price is my time worth?

I don't know... is your time worth paying $25,000 for a vehicle that you'll use to its full purpose maybe 2-3 times a year, versus paying $17,000 for a vehicle you'll use to its full purpose 98% of the year, plus an extra $200 or so for 2-3 vehicle rentals? If that math works for you, then by all means, spend the extra $7,800 for the big vehicle. (After all, the payment is spread out over 5 years... you'll hardly miss that cash...)

These numbers, BTW, are not pulled "out of a hat"... they are based on 2000 dollars and vehicle costs, and were exactly the numbers I faced when shopping for my car.

You know, it's entirely possible that a rouge meteor could hit the Atlantic Ocean and cause a giant tsunami... I'd better buy a boat to live in. The "Murphy's law" bit is just an excuse for bad planning and/or not accepting that, occasionally, one gets caught unprepared. Sometimes you just have to say, "What the ****"... I don't have a problem putting something off if it is not convenient to do so right now, but that's something that a lot of Americans don't like to have to settle for. In the future, however, I suspect that Americans will have to start settling for a lot of things that they'd rather not, which is why we find ourselves discussing Smart cars in the first place.

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

There is always a market for single purpose tools. But there is a bigger, more vibrant market for multifunction tools. (Ebooks are a very niche market. But I love 'em!)

Sure... but ask any mechanic if he'd rather have an adjustable wrench, or a 3/4" box wrench, to turn a 3/4" nut... or a Swiss army knife instead of a full-handled screwdriver. He'll tell you that the specialized tool will outperform the multi-tool every time. That's why the best mechanics have the biggest tool boxes. (Insert sexist comment here.)

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

How many times have you rented a U-Haul? My average checkout time is 45-1 hour. That's not use time, that's the time it takes to get the U-Haul. And where do I leave my other car? At the U-haul shop? I have to get there first. If I pull a trailer, there's the hitch setup time. (and backing up with a trailer, extra driving headaches, ect.)

As I indicated above, about 2-3 times a year. And versus the almost $8,000 savings for not owning my own truck... I'll take a few hours' inconvenience every time. And I'm pretty sure that if more Americans did that math, there'd be a lot more small cars on the road today.

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

It also may maim/kill them. I don't see those costs in the calculation. If I seem thin-skinned about this, I have a 2nd cousin about my age. He has been a quadraplegic for 18 years from a Suzuki Samari rollover. (He didn't know that they were so dangerous when he bought it. It looks economical and fun...)

I can relate, I've lost loved ones in auto accidents, too. But without challenging you, I can only say that that's one vehicle: Different cars have different safety aspects; and small cars aren't as "dangerous" as they're depicted, nor are trucks as "safe." Always be mindful of the quality and safety of your ride. You might find that some cars like the Smart are safer than you'd imagine.

Originally Posted by Ralph Sir Edward

The Smart car is like a canoe. A wonderful design for a Canadian stream, but not particularly practical for Lake Superior. If you limit it to small, slow streets, a la small German or other old European town streets, it's great. You put it on a 120 KPH freeway, it's a deathtrap. And in Texas, at least, freeway driving is necessary, not a luxury.

How about if you live and work in Dallas? You can conceivably drive from home to work without touching the highway. And a lot of city dwellers are in exactly that situation... not everybody commutes on Lake Superior. I never said the Smart was the best highway car, especially if you are surrounded by lunatics that drive 20 MPH over the limit. (Being a DC resident, I can relate to that, too.)

I reiterate... it's not for everyone. It may well not be for you. But it is well-suited for a LOT of people. And if most of those lot drove a Smart, we could be talking about significant fuel savings and less pollution in America. Again, what's wrong with that?