Still a Smart idea

I'm amazed that Smart cars still haven't taken off in Bermuda. They're tiny, so they're cheap to licence. They're fuel-efficient, so they're cheap to run. They're made of fibreglass, so they don't rust. Their size makes them ideal for navigating Bermuda's narrow, winding roads.

So are they generally available here or not? The first mention of their arrival was in September 2004. In November 2004 we were told that a Smart dealership would be opening in January 2005. Today's article in the Bermuda Sun says that Smart is still "in the process of setting up in Bermuda".

Right now Suzie Pewter seems to be the only person here who owns one.

Comments

[Eric Wolfram on 04.01.06 at 18:27]

My cousin, who is 6'7" tall, has one in Germany and loves it -- pictured here:

http://www.justbijou.com/germany/family/toms_car.jpg

This car would be perfect for Bermuda, I would think. Then again, bikes would be perfect for New York City but only the brave use them...

[silencedogood on 04.01.06 at 19:10]

You read my mind. I'm also wondering when hybrids will take off in a big way.

[sandgrownan on 04.01.06 at 19:23]

Great idea, instantly doubles the parking capacity of Hamilton too...

Smart used to make a roadster too. Not sure if it's still available.

And when an Aceboy eventually rides his bike into you, you just pull off the damaged panel and snap in a new one. Perfect.

[SmokingGun on 04.01.06 at 19:33]

$24,000 for a two seater is difficult to justify for a lot of people when you can get a four seater with trunk space for a lot less. But still I'm a little surprised they are not a little more popular. Maybe people are worried the company is going out of business?

[Bill Cook on 04.01.06 at 19:56]

If I can get my golf clubs in thats my next car its really very well made and perfect for Bermuda, but not for families.

OK for two and a small dog.

[sandgrownan on 04.01.06 at 19:56]

Rent them to tourists? I'd love to see one pimped!!

[VB on 04.01.06 at 20:16]

I happened to go to the Toronto car show last March. I was very surprised to see the number of the 'smart' type cars that are available. They would be great in Bermuda for those who do not or cannot ride a bike & don't have the need for space to carry kids or other stuff around.

I can't go 'smart' just yet. In the meantime the 4 wheels stay at home unless they are needed. At the moment this means that most days everyone in the family gets around on bikes.

Now if only there was a way to be charged on a 'per use' basis for the 4 wheeled vehicle. A smart chip in the vehicle & readers embedded in the road surface similar to security access for vehicles around airport roads overseas.

[Tim Taylor on 04.01.06 at 20:17]

Smokin' - is that really what they cost? Wow.
I saw one on Front Street parked ass into the curb, and it still took up less room than one of those little Subaru's. Easy parking for days!
Why so much money - anybody?

[SmokingGun on 04.01.06 at 20:27]

24 to 26.5 thou is what the article says.

They are not cheap to start with and they are probably purchased third party from a dealer as DaimlerChrysler likely will not sell them outside their network in such small quantities. Therefore when you do the math you have multiple mark-ups, multiple delivery costs, multiple taxes and then the final charges and mark-ups in Bermuda.

There are ways to bring costs down but it would take a significant investment that I doubt any of the importers are willing, or can, afford to make.

[RedOnion on 04.01.06 at 20:31]

Apparently they are around $24K. Surpisingly high cost considering. One thing worries me though, since they are only available by special order, at least that is the impression I got from the RG story, what kind of service can we expect and also the question of spare part availability.

If the price was right I would give serious thought to giving up my Class A Atos, but other than saving on gas, at @24K it isn't worth it.

However, I would be in favour of other people giving up their CRX's for a Smart Car anyday!

[Phil on 04.01.06 at 21:04]

VB

Now if only there was a way to be charged on a 'per use' basis for the 4 wheeled vehicle.

There is:

The British government is currently considering replacing road tax and petrol duty with a pay-as-you-go road charging system. A black box would be installed in every vehicle to allow a satellite system to track it; drivers would be charged by the mile for the journeys they make. Quiet roads outside rush hour would be cheaper than busy roads at peak times. A feasibility study conducted by the British government last year concluded that such a scheme could cut congestion by 40% there.

[SmokingGun on 04.01.06 at 21:14]

And the police will be directed to the pub parking lot after the vehicle has not moved for three or more hours..... lovely, can I have another?

BTW another reason for the high cost is the $US is still sucking wind against the Euro.

[Raptor on 04.01.06 at 22:08]

Transponders in cars are in common (voluntary) use for zipping through toll gates. You wouldn't even need toll gates, just some sort of spot for whatever it's called that records from the transponders. Fees are deducted from a balance maintained on one's credit card.

[blovator on 04.01.06 at 22:09]

I shall bore all who know me once again by mentioning my electric bike. It's advantages I will not list again. I was a proud proponent of this beautiful thing until it need parts that were no longer made.

It was absolutely Bermuda-sensible but it was not sexy, it did not make a loud noise ( it made no noise ). If cost very little to run.

But those things are not what Bermudian want in thier transport.

Being sharp is everything. So we will be using BULL S%)T transport for some time to come.

[Bill Cook on 05.01.06 at 07:36]

Smarty is only $16,000 in Canada (not sure if Canada $) the convertable is $20,000.

If government was SMART it would do all it could to encourage more small fuel and space economy cars and bikes.

If one wants jazzy cars they should be taxed more to discourage them.

I never knew there was an electric bike just knew about the car, seems like a great and sensible idea.

[Somers on 05.01.06 at 08:05]

I know a few years back a local car dealer had enquired into bringing the cars into their fold - but at that time Smart wanted a full dealership setup with glass structures and huge billboards - something which would never get past planning. So the idea stalled simply because Smart didn't wantt heir brand sold alongside other brands.

I see them as a cool concept - but having a kid now - where are you supposed to put the stoller let alone the kid? Or does the car "transformer" into a baby carriage once you arrive?? :)

[Combat Banker on 05.01.06 at 08:08]

They do look like cool little cars, but as why people don't seem to want them in Bermuda?

Simple: No Trunk Space.

If I am only allowed one car, why would I possibly want one that I can't fit my stuff in?

[Phil on 05.01.06 at 08:11]

Somers

I believe there's a four-door version too.

[hotspur on 05.01.06 at 08:58]

The prob is that you can't put wicked, 19" spinning chrome rims on them, innit.

[H Reardon on 05.01.06 at 10:01]

There was another Smart car (in addition to the Pewter's) that was for sale on Pomander Road for several months this summer. Probably still there.

[Two Cents on 05.01.06 at 10:28]

In the U.K you can buy them as follows
2 Door - £6,810
4 Door - £7,295
Covertable Roadster - £11,995

Check Out wwww.smart.com

And for those who still feel the urge to "pimp your ride" they have a line of after sales accessories for each model.

[Bandit on 05.01.06 at 10:39]

Smart cars in the UK start at around the same as a basic Toyota Starlet. THey are not expensive. A friend of mine has a convertible Smart 42 (for 2) which was around £10K. $24K sounds about right for a fully loaded one with sat nav etc (sat nav in Bermuda?).

They also do a roadster and a 44. These are expensive.

Build quality is not that brilliant (they are built in France, say no more) and reliability can be a problem. They are easy to service though.

In my opinion, hybrid and other eco friendly cars like the Toyota Prious are simply too expensive at the moment. The Prious costs similar to a BMW 3 series. In addition, Mercedes has done loads of work on hydrogen powered cars (as has Honda) but the problem is that although the green house gas emissions from these proto type cars is nil, the amount of green house gas produced whilst producing the hydrogen to run the engines far exceeds the amount of green house gas produced by a similar gasoline powered car.

I guess we will have to see what the future brings!

[Somers on 05.01.06 at 13:41]

My favorite smart car video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6605730767077503480&q=smart

[thedude on 06.01.06 at 12:15]

Bermudians are too vain to buy a cheap fiberglass car.

[Uncle Elvis on 06.01.06 at 12:37]

Thanks for the gross generalization.
'preciate you lumping everyone in together.

And... um... $26,000 ain't cheap. That's the problem.
If they WERE cheap, I think they'd sell better.

[Bandit on 06.01.06 at 12:43]

You would be stupid to let vanity stop you because most of the underlying design, engineering and badge markings are Mercedes Benz. How many Bermudians are too vain to own a Benz?

[Bandit on 06.01.06 at 12:48]

Have a read

http://www.betterproductdesign.net/npi/products/smartcar.htm

[Combat Banker on 06.01.06 at 12:49]

If it were cheap, I'd buy one. That and if there was room for the baby stuff...

Id' even buy one of THESE

http://engadget.com/2005/12/30/mits-stackable-concept-car/

if MIT even got it to market and it was cheap.

[SmokingGun on 06.01.06 at 13:00]

Combat Banker - first mistake. Picking GM as the build partner.

[Chris Broadhurst on 06.01.06 at 13:34]

Since we have a progressive import tax on cars, perhaps cars below a certain length could be duty free.

That would sure bring the price down.

[Somers on 06.01.06 at 13:51]

Chris - that is the best idea I have heard yet... anyone willing to write a letter to Transport Dept?

[Two Cents on 06.01.06 at 13:55]

"Perhaps cars below a certain length could be duty free".

Sounds like the begining conversation of the Condom Duty Relief Act 2006.

[loki on 06.01.06 at 14:33]

"Since we have a progressive import tax on cars, perhaps cars below a certain length could be duty free.

That would sure bring the price down."

Given that TCD, in its infinite wisdom, recently approved an illegally-proporitioned vehicle for use on Bermuda's roads on the basis that it was only 'slightly illegal', I won't hold me breath for movement on that front.

[Somers on 06.01.06 at 16:17]

Nothing new - those Scoopy 100's are actually 101cc, and they were "passed" by TCD a long time before the bigger engine size bill was passed...

[Tiggy on 06.01.06 at 16:38]

Yet, the latest trend seems to be longer and bigger - the Honda SUVs that are "almost" legal on the roads. Doesn't make sense, does it?

[RedOnion on 06.01.06 at 18:48]

Talking about the Honda CRX's .. a personal gripe of mine due to their size, I saw one parked in the Cavendish parking lot a few months ago ... the rear of the car was exactly level with the rear line of the bay, but the front was so far into the bay in front you would have to have a Smart car to park there. These CRV's are actually longer than some parking bays! I was about to take a pic of this car but the owner walked up to it and glared at me before I could get my camera out.

I also have had a couple of close calls with drivers of CRX's on Harbour Rd, I guess they figure that being allowed to have a larger car means they ahve a licence to hog the road and force us Atos drivers to make way for them.

[Chris Broadhurst on 07.01.06 at 11:04]

This should give you an idea of how far we've come.

20 years ago my tiny little Honda Prelude was one quarter of an inch too wide for Bermuda. At test time TCD would insist that I take off the door bumpers to narrow it up.

At this rate we'll have Hummers here in 2025.

[RedOnion on 07.01.06 at 11:45]

Chris .. that reminds me of my old Renault I bought in 1986. Every year when it was time to get it tested it, I had to take it to Eurocar and they would remove the side trim panels and foglights and get it tested, then re-install them before I could pick it up. No charge to me of course, the car was too wide, but an attorney friend told me that when they sold it to me, there was an 'implied warranty' that it was legal for the roads, so if in fact it wasn't of legal width, then the dealer had to absorb all costs for TCD approval each year.

Hummers huh? How long before one of the construction company bosses gets one and licences it as a truck?

[SmokingGun on 07.01.06 at 12:08]

Stripping cars to get them tested then rebuilding them for daily use is symtimatic of how Bermuda is run in general. What a complete joke.
It's all about greasing the hands of the people who make the decisions. Over-size vehicles are so obvious that I would start wondering if the importers have been making any donations to the new pool house fund.