Random Thoughts... [Automotive Edition]

[Spectre]

I've seen those, and some guys tried to use them to increase the load carrying capacity of their Jeep SJs. Mostly the shocks blew out fairly quick, so they didn't actually work.

It should also be mentioned that for the amount of money you're talking about here, you're starting to get into the territory of being able to sell the Dakota, stack that cash on top of what you got for it, and get an F150 4x4 that's running and in better shape.

 

[katwalk]

Who would be stupid enough to take a Smart car on a highway anyway? Isn't the top speed something stupid like 80mph (and it takes about about 5 years to get to reach that speed)?

Americans that believed the sales droids' and Smart USA's pitch would be who. Half the time when I see a Smart forTwo, it's on the highway screaming its little three cylindered heart out.

Yes, that's right, Smart's US sales organization is telling people that it's fine to take these heaps on the highway.

Considering the cost of the damn things I don't think anyone would ever buy them if they threw on "unsafe for highway" onto the cons list. It is stupid enough to buy the damn thing when they are similarly priced to a fiesta which gives you 2 more seats and a trunk for the small price difference.

I did not even watch the video because I know it was not at a track. But you coud avoid the street racing by going to a track.

To be fair, it's not like there are race tracks everywhere. If I want to go to one it is a couple hours drive and at that point you wonder if it is worth it if you are going to be spending way more time commuting there than actually driving on it.
There is still of course the option, of driving more reasonable or at least not posting your asshattery online.

 

[geeman]

The Smart was designed to be safely driven on german highways. You know, the kind where there are sections with no speed limits! So I don't see how US highways that are limited would pose any more problems.

 

[eizbaer]

The Smart was designed to be safely driven on german highways. You know, the kind where there are sections with no speed limits! So I don't see how US highways that are limited would pose any more problems.

let me tell you, anything above ~115km/h (70mph) doesn't "feel" safe AT ALL in a smart. ridiculously large side-area means you get dragged into anything bigger than a fly when passing / being passed... it's not fun. i'd avoid going above 60 if anyhow reasonably possible.

 

[Cowboy]

let me tell you, anything above ~115km/h (70mph) doesn't "feel" safe AT ALL in a smart. ridiculously large side-area means you get dragged into anything bigger than a fly when passing / being passed... it's not fun. i'd avoid going above 60 if anyhow reasonably possible.

And WHY do you still own that thing again?

 

[Spectre]

The Smart was designed to be safely driven on german highways. You know, the kind where there are sections with no speed limits! So I don't see how US highways that are limited would pose any more problems.

You missed the part where since Mercedes couldn't come up with a small engine that would pass the US emission standards, they stuck the Mitsubishi 3B21 engine in it when they created the second generation car. That is the only engine available to US not-so-Smart buyers since 2008. We don't get the turbo or diesel versions, just the crap normally aspirated one.

The US NA version is further crippled and makes even less power than the Euro NA base engine. So, basically, you have to rev the holy crap out of the little three banger to get it to do anything on the highway. US ones also have a speed limiter that kicks in at 90mph, but it takes them forever to get there.

As for our limits... I have a helmet cam take from a recent highway drive where I was doing 80+ in a 70... and I was *still* getting passed. So, yeah, it's more a suggestion when there's no cops around.

Edit: And here's the video, just found where I'd put it.
[video=youtube;MLGPrWw-0ds]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLGPrWw-0ds[/video]

Note that the SUVs are doing about 80 or so and even the little Prius is somewhere in the high seventies trying to do 80 as well. I'm not saying anything else about the not-so-Smart's highway manners other than they're audibly screaming their little hearts out to try to keep up with US traffic, and that this seems to result in elevated dead engine counts/shortened engine life per the Smart forums.

Edit 2: Also, the Smart three-banger makes one of the worst sounds in the world when it's being pressed hard. They should all be crushed for inflicting that sound on others.

 

[Strelok16]

I was doing 80+ in a 70... and I was *still* getting passed. So, yeah, it's more a suggestion when there's no cops around.

yeah that's pretty much the story on any US Highway anywhere. I was in a 65 zone the other day when I decided to have a glance at my speedometer... "hmmm, I don't really need to be going 85, I think I'll back off a little..." Cue getting passed by all of the cars that were just behind me.


As for Smart cars, they look like little toasters someone stuck desk chair wheels on, and about as likely to roll over forwards or backwards than sideways. Yeah, that's pretty much all the thought I've ever given Smart Cars right there.

 

[Spectre]

yeah that's pretty much the story on any US Highway anywhere. I was in a 65 zone the other day when I decided to have a glance at my speedometer... "hmmm, I don't really need to be going 85, I think I'll back off a little..." Cue getting passed by all of the cars that were just behind me.

Exactly so. There may be posted limits, but most people ignore them when there's no cops around. Obeying the limits blindly is a great way to get run over here - or wind up as the hood ornament on someone's F-350 dually.

 

[eizbaer]

And WHY do you still own that thing again?

why not? i can take the roof down and have an immense amount of fun in it, despite the horrible gearbox and disappointing performance. i dont need to do long stints on the autobahn or anything and with the roof down i am more than happy to stick to back roads. around corners it's not bad at all and has a nice 'spring' to it (read: it bounces a bit) also, it's got terrific fuel efficiency... i average less than 4 liters / 100km with nearly 100% inner-city traffic. i pay a ridiculously low amount of taxes and especially insurance.

once again: i like it

You missed the part where since Mercedes couldn't come up with a small engine that would pass the US emission standards, they stuck the Mitsubishi 3B21 engine in it when they created the second generation car. That is the only engine available to US not-so-Smart buyers since 2008. We don't get the turbo or diesel versions, just the crap normally aspirated one.

Edit 2: Also, the Smart three-banger makes one of the worst sounds in the world when it's being pressed hard. They should all be crushed for inflicting that sound on others.

at least you americans can't ruin them in the first 50k miles by reving the nuts off the damn things while cold and killing the turbo -.-
my diesel sounds like a sewing machine (which isn't too bad), but above 4000rpm it does get a little distressed-sounding, i admit but because of dieseltooooorque and above-mentioned turbo-unfriendliness i never go (or need to go) there

 

[TC]

Exactly so. There may be posted limits, but most people ignore them when there's no cops around. Obeying the limits blindly is a great way to get run over here - or wind up as the hood ornament on someone's F-350 dually.

Yep. I always maintain the flow of traffic, even if it's well above the speed limit, as it's the only safe and responsible way to the drive, imo. The vast majority of people know how fast they're comfortable driving. When someone is driving slow, err, the speedlimit, it's like they're creating a rolling road hazard forcing people to get on the brakes and change lanes to get around. Seems like they're making the roads dangerous. Plus, hearing stories of retired sheriffs and whatnot saying that our speedlimits are kept artificially low so as to give police departments another source of revenue, and I'm surprised anyone has any respect for the speedlimits in this country. I've driven past police cars while doing 8-9mph over the speed limit and they don't care. Even when we had speed cameras, they didn't take photos of anyone unless they were doing at least 11mph over the speed limit.

 

[rickhamilton620]

I try to keep up with the flow of traffic when possible. Around here that means 70 to 75 when the posted limit is 65. Since pa has "old driver" syndrome, this can be touch and go on back roads where the limit is 45 - 55: one oldster going 35 can hold up everyone for miles, and its not as easy to get around them as it is on the highway.

 

[prizrak]

I think most Europeans (especially Germans) assume that a speed limit means anything int the US. It really doesn't, I won't get pulled over on the Belt (one of the major highways in Brooklyn) till I go 70 (limit is 50) so most of the traffic is doing around 65ish during the day. At night when there are less cars 75 becomes average and a very large portion of the road is unpatrolled and the police likes to stick to certain known spots. Last time I saw a Smart on the highway he was trying really hard to break about 60 and he was weaving in and out of traffic.

 

[GRtak]

I got pulled over in Ohio for doing 70ish in a 65.

 

[Spectre]

I got pulled over in Ohio for doing 70ish in a 65.

Ohio is notorious for that. They will write you for 1mph over (aka, speedometer error.) Contrast that with here, where the state troopers can't be bothered to write you anything but a warning up to 99mph in an unincorporated area.

 

[YF19pilot]

I got pulled over in Ohio for doing 70ish in a 65.

I hate that, especially after moving from NoDak where it's 75 mph on the Interstates and 65 mph is the "statewide unless otherwise posted" limit for paved roads (55 for dirt/gravel). I've yet to be pulled over, but because I try to chill out on the speed. Though, the local township police don't seem as hard up as everyone else.

Conversley, the only two times I ever got pulled over for speeding in Florida was when I was racing a Camaro in traffic (I had the Grand Prix at the time, got off with a warning because I was wearing my taco bell uniform), and the second time was the FHP laying down a speed trap right before a construction zone. The second incident, there were basically one or two cops at either end, pulling cars over about a mile or 1/2 mile before the construction zone (before even the first orange sign, so no one was getting slapped with double fines), I think on purpose to get people to slow down through the zone (it worked). Cop only gave me a ticket for like 5 over when I was realy I was doing closer to 15, and a little lecture about slowing down.

 

[TC]

The only time I've ever gotten pulled over for speeding was in my 4Runner. Which I find ironic, because it's the slowest thing I've ever driven and it's the only thing I refuse to speed in. That was also the day I learned that my speedometer is wildly inaccurate over 45mph. Luckily the cop was pretty cool. He even ignored my lack of mudflaps and my busted windshield.

 

[geeman]

I think most Europeans (especially Germans) assume that a speed limit means anything int the US.

Probably because people actually follow the limits quite strictly at these parts of the world. The general flow of traffic is usually well within ~10km/h of the posted speed.

 

[killpanda]

I drove quite a bit in Canada / the US and most of the time I had no idea what speed limit I had to obey! It varies so much from state to state and from kind of road that it was nigh on impossible to actually keep track of what you're supposed to follow. That's why I got done for "speeding" once actually.

It's much easier to just follow the flow in that case.

 

[_HighVoltage_]

I just sold the 850. Such a sad moment in my life. I loved this car.

I took off my plates, got the registration from it, and transferred the title to the buyer. Do I need to do anything else? Should I maybe call the WV DMV to tell them I no longer own the car?

 

[EyeMWing]

I got pulled over in Ohio for doing 70ish in a 65.

I will not travel through Ohio when bound for any location that is not in Ohio for this very reason. When westbound, I will take the scenic route through West Virginia every single time. It's longer, but I'll get there quicker (substantially so, given that I have never in my life seen a West Virginia cop of any sort)