My partner Joe and I headed over to the Green Car Company in Kirkland to see the fortwo Smart car. The fortwo has been sold in lots of other countries, but has been slow making it into the US.
I’ve been interested in this car for about two years. I first read about it online and became very curious. Where could I see one (I couldn’t - they weren’t in the US yet.) When would they be arriving? (Soon - yeah, right.) At a cost of US$14K and better gas milage than a hybrid, but without the battery packs, who wouldn’t be curious?
Now that the cars are here, and available, the truth has shaken out from the hype. The cost is around US$26K and the gas milage is 40 to 45 MPG. Not shabby. The 8.7
gallon tank will take you around 350 miles. The car comes with a 36 month/36,000 mile warranty, which is short compared to other cars. Another problem is that there is only one service department in the Pacific Northwest. I think it would be a big hassle to have to head over to Kirkland to get maintenance done. What happens if Green Car Company goes out of business? Or if I move to Portland? What then?
I asked why is the price US$10K higher than if you were to buy it 140 miles North in Vancouver, BC? I was told that it was mostly due to the modifications that need to be done to have the car meet EPA requirements. Those requirements are what would keep you from being able to import the car from outside the US.
That makes this car similar to a hybrid — if you want to be “green”, you’re going to pay for it.
I have to confess that I’m still drawn to this car for reasons that aren’t logical. In the end, I suspect that logic will win out. There are too many things that lead me to consider other vehicles like the Honda Element, Diesel VW Beetle or Golf, or a good used Volvo wagon. MPG is important, but it’s only part of the car buying decision.
BTW, I’m six feet tall, and my head was almost touching the headliner of the fortwo. A baseball cap would have been ok, a cowboy hat would have been out of the question…