Nickname: Art

Review: I worked for Arthur Stanton, the man who first imported the VW in 1949 and who started the Beetle revolution. I am convinced that the Smart car is the first of a wave of what will soon be a very popular "personal transportation" machines. It's cute, it's efficient and it makes sense in this country, where energy costs have finally started to catch up to the rest of the world. It's environmentally conscious, which addresses the second most important issue in this nation today. I predict that this car will sell like hot cakes and quickly provoke competitive responses from the Big Three.

Date reviewed: Feb 7, 2007 9:27 PM

Nickname: Grisko

Review: Phil Penske has not backed out. Smart will be available in the U.S. in 2008. New ForTwo will be launched in Europe in 2007 and will be slightly larger. This is the same model that will be available for sale in the U.S.

Date reviewed: Oct 9, 2006 3:16 PM

Nickname: 'L.A. PHIL'

Review: I have heard from a number of sources that Roger Penske has backed out of the SMART car program announced in June 2006. Can anyone confirm this rumor, and if true, when will the SMART car be available for sale in the U.S.? I also heard that if and when the SMART is introduced to the U.S., it will NOT be the 'ForTwo' that is so familiar overseas, but instead, a completely redesigned vehicle using a Mitsubishi engine.

Date reviewed: Sep 19, 2006 12:21 AM

Nickname: gizmo

Review: Remember the e-mail that went around saying we should all boycott Exxon gas on a certain day in order to drive down gas prices? What a stupid idea! On the other hand, if we all increased our fuel-efficiency by 2-3 times, like I just did when I bought my ForTwo (50 mpg!), now that would make a difference! (If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem!)

Date reviewed: Sep 10, 2006 11:53 PM

Nickname: Zane

Review: The Fear Factor of driving a small car is just plain silly, considering how many subcompacts are still on the road. Common sense tells us to respect 18-wheelers, whether you drive a Hummer or not. To dismiss the importance of Smart Cars because they don't make up for a man's shortcomings is so last century. I fell in love with the Smart Car Fourtwo that still zips around downtown San Francisco. The dashboard rivals the Mini's in cuteness, and like my Rav 4 2-door, passengers sit higher up. Now that gas has topped $3 in California, and hybrids are not only expensive, but hard to come by, it's time to join the rest of the world and buy smaller, greener vehicles. I loved the 55 mpg my '68 Renault got back in the 70's, and still can't understand why families wouldn't want at least one of their cars to be small and efficient. Mercedes should not have to fix the Fourtwo to fit some imaginary market. Like the Mini and Miata, cute cars just sell themselves.

Date reviewed: Aug 22, 2006 12:56 AM

Nickname: sfbay

Review: Now is probably the best time to introduce the Smart brand to the US. As the article mentions, soaring fuel prices have renewed interest in subcompacts. With only the Caliber to tackle this market, Smart would help DCX gain greater market share in the segment and also help offset the financial difficulties of the Smart brand in Europe.

Date reviewed: Aug 13, 2006 7:11 PM

Nickname: ExOwner

Review: Just to comment on the other article "DC 2Q Profit Rises," as the comment section for that article doesn't appear to have been included. The 2Q profit can only be because Mercedes Benz is having a tough time with customer service and the low quality of its cars. They are firing a lot of people (some 9,000, and probably more to come). Their customer service on a global scale is absolutely a disgrace. People who buy an MB car, just remember, that should you ever have problems with your car, you will be treated like dirt by MB customer service. Most of them will never answer you, or you will be thrown back and forth because nobody can take action. On a 3 year old E270 that broke down, I had to go through one full year of struggle with MB, and the case was not even settled with the full required refund, even though the car was still under warranty. Stay away from MB cars!

Date reviewed: Jul 28, 2006 8:13 AM

Nickname: Phani Mullapudi

Review: SMART is a real smart car & is one great solution to the gas-guzzling vehicles in US & can also reduce vehicle waste as it is 90% recyclable material, which is truly amazing. All the Eco-Lovers shud pick-up one of these Smarts...

Date reviewed: Jul 11, 2006 5:23 AM

Nickname: smarty

Review: Speaking of greed, don't forget to buy Smart Car of America's Exclusive Waiting list for $55.00.

Date reviewed: Jul 1, 2006 2:43 PM

Nickname: crashdummy

Review: It's not the C-class Mercedes I'm worried about - it's the 18 wheelers, Navigators, F-250s, K3500, etc...

Date reviewed: Jun 30, 2006 6:02 PM