hi-mpg.org Ratings for
2005-2006 Zap! Smart Car
| Price: | $25,000
(in 2005) |
| Style: | 7 |
| Performance: | 1 |
| Luxury: | 2 |
| Utility: | 2 |
| Fun: | 9 |
| Value: | 3 |
| Overall: |
4.00 |
| | Ratings scale: 1-10; 10 = best |
Europe has had them for years. Canada, too. And finally -- thanks to Zap! of California --
so will the U.S., not a moment too soon. The Smart Car, a joint venture between
Mercedes Benz and Swatch Watches, will be coming to our shores.
Dubbed "the car of the future", the Smart Car is powered solely by an internal-combustion
gasoline (non-diesel) engine, but rivals the gas mileage of hybrids. Its turbocharged
three-cylinder delivers about 60 horsepower, which is adequate to move this 1,600 pound
automobile up to 80 miles per hour. Despite its dimunitive 8-foot length (small enough
that in Europe, some owners "parallel park" the car sideways), its cabin offers
ample room for two people (although not much more). Both the driver and passenger
sit up high like in an SUV enabling them to look over traffic.
But never mind the practicalities. The Zap! Smart Car, as of July 2005, already has a
20,000-person waiting list not just due to its stellar fuel economy or ease of parking,
but also because it is fun! It is available as either a convertible or a hardtop. The doors
can be easily swapped for ones of different colors for one's whimsical fashion moods.
It looks fresh and futuristic. Nothing else on the road looks anything like it. All of
these characteristics compel us to proclaim the Smart Car as a bona fide Hot Green Machine.
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