I'm getting mixed signals from my Smart Car.
I filled up in Joisey (which happens to have the cheapest gas in the nation despite a law that requires them to pump your gas for you) on the way into Madhattan yesterday. Parking was a breeze, but I reparked to be even closer to my office (see the entry below from yesterday). Heading home, I basically had no traffic and only used the brakes 2 or 3 times, max. When I got to the Noop, I decided to fill up again, just to see how much petrol I'd used... and it came to 1.5 gallons for the previous 89 miles, or about 60 mpg. That just didn't make sense: I was driving uphill-ish, and there was a really stiff wind the whole way home. I expected no better than 40 mpg.
Today I drove in, maintaining my usual 60-65 speed the whole way and rarely using the brakes. It was a lovely, gust-free day. I expected better. I only got about 90 miles on what appears to be 2.25 gallons, or about 40 mpg. Considering that the car is actually rated for 40 mpg on the highway (and that I was driving downhill-ish at a low rate of speed), I deserved at least 45 or even 50 mpg, didn't I?
I'll have to sort this out soon. And towards that end, I've purchased a product called a ScanGauge, an after-market doodad that gives readouts of all sorts of important info for people like me.
HANDLING: Wind and Bumps
The car handles pretty well. Yesterday was really windy, and at times I felt like I had to fight a bit to keep in my lane, but later other drivers told me the same was true for them, so I didn't feel like I could blame my tiny car. Bumps, on the other hand, are for real. The Smart Car has smaller wheels than normal autos, so it picks up every bump you hit and even a few that aren't there. I found a great solution on the Internet, but I'm not sure it's for me.
Meanwhile, I try to avoid known bumps (after enough trips, you know a highway like you know your way around your house), and I guess this is one area that I just don't care too much about. I got used to my friend JJ's rattly car in Denmark back in 1989, and once you've driven in something that's constantly being tinkered with, any other car is butter by comparison. PARKING
Of course, this is the main reason some of us buy this car. Correction: We buy it because it's so cute and unusual, and we use the parking excuse as justification. Either way, there is no denying that the Smart Car is not only easy to park -- it's FUN to park! You almost don't want to take a normal-size (17-19 foot) space, just because fitting into a tiny spot is so much more satisfying. As noted, I actually moved closer yesterday when I found a tiny spot one block nearer to my destination -- a spot that only a Smart Car or a moped could have squeezed into. Parking alone can justify this car for my sake, because the areas I'm searching for spots in are generally tree-lined sidewalks without meters or angle parking. I don't think I'll ever have to park at a meter again. And who'd want to? It hardly seems fair to pay $1.50 an hour for half the space of an average car. Meters do me no good, anyway, because I need 4-5 hour parking, and the city hasn't figured out how to accommodate my needs.
SCRABBLE
That makes the Smart Car a great bargain in
time saved. I can get a space within minutes and use the rest of the time to play online Scrabble®.
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