Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2007 23:57:52 -0400
Reply-To: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Greg Potts <greg@POTTSFAMILY.CA>
Subject: Re: Smart Car..Wow.. NVC
In-Reply-To: <013301c7ca62$5bc8cac0$0401a8c0@cspfr2>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed
Hi Bryan,
I guess it depends on your needs. Personally, I consider the Smart
to be a 4-season motorcycle. It has little cargo capacity, but it
runs for cheap. There are a lot more expensive bikes out there, and
they don't stay upright very well once it starts snowing. Bikes also
have even less weather protection than my Baywindow bus. The Smart
might cost more than other cars, but I will bet it has a better
resale value as well. There is value in that beyond the sticker
price. If you're commuting more than 60 miles a day, the savings add
up pretty fast.
I just don't understand why we should use more than 2,000lbs of metal
to move 200 lbs of human. The Smart is a good step in correcting that.
And I think the fact that everyone in Philly is driving big SUV's and
smacking guardrails still doesn't justify buying an SUV.
But.... my 1973 baywindow camper achieves better fuel economy than
the Smart when I have 5 people on board.
Those are my thoughts on the matter. As they say.... Your mileage may
vary.
Happy Trails,
Greg Potts
1973/74/77/79 Westfakia "Bob The Tomato
www.pottsfamily.ca
www.busesofthecorn.com
On 19-Jul-07, at 8:10 PM, BJ Feddish wrote:
> I'm just stating an opinion here. I think $17K is a rip-off for a
> tiny
> little car that has 2 seats strapped to an engine. Sorry, but as
> far as I'm
> concerned I can get allot more car for $17K. Just because it's
> "green"
> doesn't justify the high price. Unless you want to be even smugger
> than a
> Prius driver. You'd get no smug points for that here outside of
> Philly, just
> a t-bone into a guardrail by an SUV. Why not just get a scooter and a
> raincoat for $2K. So "real" and "regular" would mean a $17K Jetta,
> Honda
> Element, Mazda A3, etc.
>
> My point is the car costs too much for what you are getting.
>
> I also think $50K for an SUV is a joke too, that's my opinion. I
> can get 2
> "real" cars for that price, or half of a GoWesty Syncro Camper.
>
> Bryan
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: monte merrick [mailto:montemerrick@speakeasy.net]
> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2007 7:51 PM
> To: BJ Feddish
> Cc: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Re: Smart Car..Wow.. NVC
>
> regular? real?
>
>
>
> If I have unjustly wrested a plank from a drowning man, I must restore
> it to
> him though I drown myself. - henry thoreau
>
> On 19 Jul 2007, , at 15:45, BJ Feddish wrote:
>
>> What is the point of buying one of these things? They cost as much as
>> a real
>> car and some real cars can be had for quite a bit less. I could see
>> them
>> being a good buy at $7K but $17K? Once again, why? Is this so I can
>> be even
>> smugger than a Prius driver and say "hey look at me, I'm saving the
>> planet."? The thing is ridiculously small and has no cargo room. A
>> Ford
>> Exterminator would take it out at 10 mhp.
>>
>> When VW came out with a ridiculously small car 50 years ago the point
>> was it
>> lasted a long time and the biggest issue was it was CHEAP. If VW had
>> tried
>> to sell those things in '49 for more than people were paying for
>> their
>> regular cars they would have been laughed out of the country. Same
>> goes for
>> the Honda CVCC.
>>
>> Geez
>>
>> Bryan
>>
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