Not enough information.

 

Why are they buying you a new car? And why are you deciding on a Smart as your first car? What is your budget?

 

My mum just wants me to drive a car that's safe, has good quality, and what she thinks looks good. I actually like the B200 Turbo she has though...

 

Have you seen the crash testing videos for the Smart cars. They get destoryed.

I would shop for a regular saloon or coupe.

 

no they didn't. didn't you see the crash into the concrete brick?? the safety cell was so strong. it hardly bent.

 

I understand what you are saying but understand this from basic grade 10 physics class, the laws of motion:

First law
There exists a set of inertial reference frames relative to which all particles with no net force acting on them will move without change in their velocity. This law is often simplified as "A body persists its state of rest or of uniform motion unless acted upon by an external unbalanced force." Newton's first law is often referred to as the law of inertia.
Second law
Observed from an inertial reference frame, the net force on a particle is equal to the time rate of change of its linear momentum: F = d(mv)/dt. This law is often stated as, "Force equals mass times acceleration (F = ma): the net force on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration."
Third law
Whenever a particle A exerts a force on another particle B, B simultaneously exerts a force on A with the same magnitude in the opposite direction. The strong form of the law further postulates that these two forces act along the same line. This law is often simplified into the sentence, "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

What this all means is basically the largest mass ALWAYS wins. I have a family member who is a paramedic here in BC and he's seen some things that will make your head spin. In an equal mass collision they are very reasonable but place it in one involving a Frieghtliner or even a full size pick up like my dodge and watch out.

Therefore, for me, I would tend to go to the side of caution, esp. if you live in a rural area (aka not a big city), get something a little larger - you can thank me latter.:thumbsup:

 

If you want a car that's "safe," get something bigger. Doesn't have to be brand new.

 

Don't let these people convince you the Smart is unsafe, it's very safe. It has a better safety rating from the U.S. insurance institute and the star ratings from the dept of traffic than the Mercedes E class, yet Princess Di felt safer in her E class.

People have this impression that cars can't be safe unless they are big. So imagine this, 200 mph on a race track, you are driving and you crash, which do you think you'll survive in, a Cadilac Escalade (specially modidied to go 200mph) or a formula one race car that's way smaller, doesn't have big massive bumpers, heck, probably doesn't even have air bags?

Smart Cars are not made by MB, so they don't have the poor reliability. Get the Smart convertible, it's a lot of fun.

 

So, Newton's laws of physics are wrong then? I'm not arguing that it, the Smart, is safe in a crash against itself or something of equal mass but it just isn't so when you consider it against a larger mass. That roll cage or "egg" as it is referred to can only absorb enough impact shock that the units materials can handle. Breech that point and the elastic limit is done and doesn't come back.

To think that an E class isn't the same is also foolish. 1, you can't go 200 MPH in a smart car and 2 3 or 4 people can't fit in the smart car. For a Caddy (K1500) to travel that fast it would need very little modification but it would only be able to do so in a straight line since America cars and trucks aren't know for being agile.

NHTSA ratings are much like JDP, follow the money and you'll figure it out.

I found this online:
Amazingly enough, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) tested the Smart ForTwo, it did receive their highest rating for side and front impacts. However, it fell short on whiplash protection, one of the most common injuries. Smart USA was looking for a Top Safety Pick designation to assuage all fears and concerns over its petite frame but the IIHS nipped that in the bud when spokseman Russ Rader made it clear that even though there is not a specific size requirement, the ForTwo is "just too small to be considered safe under all driving conditions". In fact, the ForTwo is the smallest car ever tested by the IIHS and is classified as a "microcar" due to the minimal crush space on the front end.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) conducted their own tests which also illustrated some room for improvement. 'Five Stars', the top rating, was awarded for driver protection in the front crash test but passenger protection was given only 'Three Stars', a pretty low rating that most vehicles never see.

Both the NHTSA and the IIHS did give the Smart ForTwo top ratings for side impact collissions. However, both times the doors became unlatched during the test. While not ideal, it didn't actually affect the test results.

 

A five star crash test rating ONLY APPLIES IF YOU HIT ANOTHER SMART CAR. And in almost all cases the car you will be hit by is larger.

 

Exactly, aka Newtons laws of physics...

 

I wonder how many people who purport to be car safety freaks are themselves obese or at least sedentary, and are therefore in a much higher risk group than a healthy person driving a smart.

Just saying....risk is relative, innit?

 

Every risk, all risk is relative. This is why "they" built an industry around it to make boat loads of money assuming the worst...

 

Yes, and hands up all tobacco smokers. Pot smokers too. There, that's put it in perspective.

 

You must like parking the Smart car.

 

Safety is all about who is behind the wheel. The car is the secondary system to handle when the driver fails. All vehicles have there achilles heel. Bigger does not mean safer. The laws of momentum say they cant turn as fast and may not be able avoid an accident as easily as a smaller lighter car. But that is not a reason to avoid them. They do have there purpose. The car you like and want to drive is the best choice. As far as I am aware cars today exceed the minimum safety standards. It sounds like you like the B 200 and it is a good car. A Smart car would do as well but choosing what will work for how you want to use the car is always the best.