In alt.autos.ford FanJet > wrote:
> wrote:

>> High mileage conventional cars have been here before. My daughter
>> has a Chevy Metro, 3 cyl, 1100 cc, 5 speed. She gets 40+mpg overall,
>> but my Civic Hybrid has more power, more space, A/C, Power Steering
>> and Automatic.

> The smart car is entirely different. At least the Canadian model. It has
> very smart ABS, A/C, a decent heater and all the other things North
> American users might want. Certainly not a Metro and, if you're hauling 2
> people, much better and cheaper than a Civic hybrid. BTW, there are
> plenty of Metros around with PS, A/C and automatic transmissions.

A Metro with A/C, P/S, and automatic transmission is not going to get
anywhere near the same mileage. For 1998, the 5 speed is 44/49, the
automatic is 30/34. No mention of A/C.

Granted, the smart car might be a nicer car than the Metro, and that
remains to be seen, but it is smaller still. Why is there no high mileage
Mini, instead of a Cooper-S model?

You think a Smartcar will be better than a Honda Civic Hybrid for hauling
two people? By some definitions, maybe, but I can't believe it will be
better overall. What about a Honda Insight? Higher mileage, two
passengers.

What is the smartcar mileage with two people? My Civic remains unchanged
with one or two people, and I'm not sure I notice with three.
Passenger miles per gallon might be important.

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Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley (Lake County) CA USA 38.8,-122.5