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Thread: RIP Smart Fortwo in North America

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    RIP Smart Fortwo in North America

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    Another small car has been taken out behind the barn and put out of its misery:

    > Confirmed: Smart Brand Dead in North America After This Year

    Smart went EV-only a couple of years ago. Not surprisingly, that did nothing to arrest its sales decline. (Fiat 500, take note - the company said the 500 is going EV-only next year. See thread: RIP Fiat 500: gas version cancelled next year (report) )

    Coincidentally, I noticed a new-ish Fortwo in my parents' neighbourhood recently. I eyed it carefully to see if it was the EV, but wasn't sure.

    I know that a handful of members here went from the Fortwo to a Mirage.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Top_Fuel (04-30-2019)

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    Senior Member Top_Fuel's Avatar
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    When the Smart car first came out, I thought... "Maybe I would get one of those if it got 70mpg."

    Then I saw the EPA ratings which left me scratching my head...

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        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 52.2 mpg (US) ... 22.2 km/L ... 4.5 L/100 km ... 62.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member timw4mail's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    When the Smart car first came out, I thought... "Maybe I would get one of those if it got 70mpg."

    Then I saw the EPA ratings which left me scratching my head...

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    The Premium Gas tax doesn't help its case either.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2018 Mirage SE 1.2 automatic: 33.6 mpg (US) ... 14.3 km/L ... 7.0 L/100 km ... 40.4 mpg (Imp)


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    MetroMPG (04-30-2019),Top_Fuel (04-30-2019)

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    I never understood how it got such poor(for its size and tiny engine) mpg's
    The Mirage is as small as I'd go.

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    Top_Fuel (04-30-2019)

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    Moderator inuvik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pryme View Post
    I never understood how it got such poor(for its size and tiny engine) mpg's
    The Mirage is as small as I'd go.
    Same here

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 40.5 mpg (US) ... 17.2 km/L ... 5.8 L/100 km ... 48.6 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member dspace9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by timw4mail View Post
    The Premium Gas tax doesn't help its case either.
    The Smart of the early 00's has a 3 cylinder motor by Mitsubishi. It was used in the Mitsubishi i kei car, i.e. the little electric car Mitsu sells, the one that looks like a golf cart, has a gas-powered version.

    So, that engine is shared in the Smart car.

    The Mirage doesn't have the same engine as the Smart, but there is a connection.

    Here's the wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitsubishi_3B2_engine

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 42.2 mpg (US) ... 17.9 km/L ... 5.6 L/100 km ... 50.7 mpg (Imp)


  11. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Pryme View Post
    I never understood how it got such poor(for its size and tiny engine) mpg's
    The Mirage is as small as I'd go.
    The first gen Smart had an 800 cc diesel 3-cylinder that was ridiculously efficient. It was sold in Canada (and elswhere in the world), but not in the U.S.

    I drove this one once:

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    I saw 67 mpg US / 3.5 L/100 km in 100% city driving. Warm day, warm engine start, using the "manual shift mode" on the automated manual gearbox.

    Rating was:


    • City: 5.7 L/100 km (41 mpg US)
    • Highway: 4.7 L/100 km (51 mpg US)
    • Combined: 5.2 L/100 km (45 mpg US)


    I wrote up my experience here:
    First test drive: Smart Fortwo diesel cabriolet - saw 67 mpg US (100% city)

    One of the interesting things about the 2nd gen car was you could get it with a manual transmission in 2016/17, so you could undoubtedly beat its 34 mpg combined rating by a fair amount. The 2st gen Fortwo was automatic only.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Pryme (05-01-2019)

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    Quote Originally Posted by Top_Fuel View Post
    When the Smart car first came out, I thought... "Maybe I would get one of those if it got 70mpg."
    Why would a Smart be more economic than a Mirage? According to Wikipedia a (2014) Smart has a frontal area of 1663x1555mm, and a curb weight of 880kg. While a Mirage is 1665x1490mm, and a curb weight of 920kg.

    A Mirage has a smaller frontal area, and thanks to it's length it can have a better streamline, so the only strength of the Smart is it's marginal lower weight.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2013 Space Star Cleartec Intense 1.0 manual: 55.7 mpg (US) ... 23.7 km/L ... 4.2 L/100 km ... 66.9 mpg (Imp)


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    Senior Member DonkeyPal's Avatar
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    Before Smart cars came to the US, I remember the reports that they would get 70 mpg, and that was supposed to be on gas, not diesel. My 90s Geo Metro got 55 mpg, unless I put the AC on. 70 mpg was only 15 mpg better than that, so I believed the reports, but then when they were finally available, I was also disappointed in the EPA fuel economy ratings. I could also never understand why nobody made a non-plug-in hybrid car that got 70 mpg or a lot better than that.

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage DE 1.2 automatic: 43.0 mpg (US) ... 18.3 km/L ... 5.5 L/100 km ... 51.7 mpg (Imp)


  15. #10
    The 1st gen Honda Insight 5-speed could get 70+ mpg cruising on the highway.

    With modifications, mine could do 100+ mpg round trips at ~50 mph / 80 kph.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2014 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 63.2 mpg (US) ... 26.9 km/L ... 3.7 L/100 km ... 75.9 mpg (Imp)


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