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Travel Solutions: The Smart Car

We’ve been eyeing the Smart Car ever since rumors of its US debut. Living in the city can make you jaded when it comes to car ownership. Cars are often more of a burden than a convenience. However, Smart provides a strong solution for our car issues. The low cost ultra-ultra compact is nimble, parks just about anywhere and consumes approximately 45 miles per gallon. Could there be anything wrong with this car? Well, whenever we discuss the Smart Car the elephant in the room is safety.

Wired recently took the import for a spin. The version they tested costed $14,000 and performed well. As usual, they wrote a great article, but we were still left wondering how safe the vehicle was. Below we’ve included a video that tests the Euro version of the Smart Car. They basically run the Smart into a concrete wall at 70 miles per hour. While the car survives (somewhat) the outcome doesn’t look good for a would-be passenger. Physics are physics. It’s a small car with little room for interior deceleration. The testers concluded that while the Steel Cell protects the car and activates the impacting car’s crumple zones, at high speeds a passenger’s arteries wouldn’t be able to take the impact. So, in regard to safety, it appears that the Smart Car is perfect for medium pace driving in a city, but it may not be great for open roads and highways.