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Some questions about smart car??

I'm thinking about getting a smart car as my first "new" car. My parents are going to help me and they are concerned about it being too small. I drive a lot and the 45 MPG really appeals to me My dad wants me to get a Kia Spectra.. It will cost the same but it has lower fuel economy. He thinks those smart cars are not safe and silly looking. ( I'm a Counter Strike playing Biotech major.. that's sorta my personality) Anyw000000t. Anyone know about these cars.. or have better suggestions.. Also Kia is having a deal this weekend so that's another reason he's interested. both of those cars are twice the cost of the smart car... not an option.. that voltwagon would have been nice i tell ya

Public Comments

1. look at the Honda Civic hybrids (40 city/45 hwy mpg) or the Volkswagen Diesel-Electric Hybrid Golf (83.1 city/69.9 hwy mpg but diesel costs more) they have allot more room and less funny looking with really good fuel economy
2. The Smart car is a totally awesome option! After reading ConsumerReports though they had a really good recommendation on the Honda Fit. You would still be getting over 30 MPG, great reliablity ratings, low depreciation, and seating for 4ish people. The Kia didn't rank all that highly and the Smart doesn't have the testing completed but several sites online suggest it would be a good deal. I think the Kias look cool and would be a very nice economy car and the warranty is a HUGE selling feature! Best of luck to you!!!!
3. Go used and get a Civic or something. Smart cars are relatively safe, but they are Mercedes made so maintenance could become expensive.
4. Kia Spectra is not very good car. it scores only marginal is crash tests. the mpg is not very good and ABS brakes are very hard to find. Kia does make the highly recommended Optima and Sportage as well as the new to the US Rondo. but the spectra is mediocre at best. Lows: Agility, IIHS side-crash result, ABS option hard to find. look at the Kia Optima or the $15,387 Honda Fit the Kia Rio also scores poorly is crash tests if your Dad wants to buy a Kia get an Optima
5. That 45 mpg is under ideal driving conditions, not real-world conditions, so I wouldn't expect the kind of gas mileage they advertise. Plus it will take premium gas, and be expensive to fix. Also they are really only made for city driving. Try taking a car with only 70 hp on the highway. KIA's are garbage. Get a Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, or a Nissan Versa. The Hyundai Elantra could be an option if you're looking for something a little cheaper.
6. Right now, the Smart Cars on on backorder in the US, so if you have not put a deposit down by now, you aren't getting one until 2009. Besides that, there are 2 concerns I have with the Smart Car: 1) They offer only a 2 year bumper to bumper warranty. 2) They are made by Daimler, which means reliability is iffy. They did great in crash tests, so don't worry about the safety compared to a Spectra. That being said, I think the Kia is a bad choice, as well. Below average reliability and terrible resale. Why not check out a 2008 Toyota Corolla? You can get a base model with Automatic and A/C for about $14,500. Toyota redesigned the Corolla for 2009 and they are clearing out their 2008's right now. It is the better choice in the long run for reliability and resale.
7. the smart car loses the physics war, get into an accident and you're screwed, I don't care what the company says. Kia...dont do that, who cares about the warranty if you have to take it in every three months. Plus parts for kia are hard to come by, I know because I used to work at a parts store. I would say buy a newer used car from a more reputable manufacturer. You wont pay the premium price of a new car and many small cars on the market get good gas mileage.