Official Car News and Discussion Thread

[Wildkat]

Not exactly on topic but next week I will be driving from Florida to Arizona. I'll have other people with me but we will all be driving different cars so my question is, what the hell do I need to keep me entertained? I've got Sirius in my car but thats it. I can't imagine there being many things to keep me from looking at the time every 5 minutes.

I just did the 16+ Hour Hartford,CT to Ultra-North Bumfuck, Maine and back again trip, twice in the span of a month.

XM Radio kept me sane. The New Red Vault soda kept me awake.

Don't be afraid to get out and stop a bunch of times, get out, walk a bit, get back in a drive some, it will help a lot.

[Wildkat]

We get:
Europe gets:

Australia Gets:

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We get:

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[stormy]

In other interesting news, I was walking down Melrose last weekend and there was a Smart car tour truck there. I took a Smart for-two cabrio for a test drive. On the plus side, the car is very cute and interesting looking. The size and mileage make an awesome city car. It's the type of thing I'm sure celebrities like Cameron Diaz will drive around to pretend to be "green".

On the down side, it's like driving a riding mower. There is no power, which is to be expected, but the engine shakes the whole car far too much, and it has the worst automatic transmission I've ever experienced. The thing literally takes a "one-onethousand-two-onethousand-three" count to make shifts. It is totally unacceptable. Even the Smart guy riding along said it's best to take your foot off the gas while it shifts when he tried to give some sort of explanation for it other than "it sucks balls".

Oh and I think it costs something like $17k LOL!

[stormy]

Australia Gets:
We get:

Probably not a good idea to get your hopes up, but Autoblog has pics of a RWD falcon test mule driving around Detroit.

[MarkRyan]

Australia Gets: [ Ford Falcon ]

We get: [ crickets chirping ]

Maybe this is a sign of things to come.

I took a Smart four-two cabrio for a test drive. On the plus side, the car is very cute and interesting looking. The size and mileage make an awesome city car. It's the type of thing I'm sure celebrities like Cameron Diaz will drive around to pretend to be "green".

Those would be neat if they were about five grand cheaper. For the price they are, you could get a real car that gets similar mileage and doesn't look quite as dopey and scary on the freeway. Also, with your description of the transmission, I'd hope they have a manual option.

[stormy]

Those would be neat if they were about five grand cheaper. For the price they are, you could get a real car that gets similar mileage and doesn't look quite as dopey and scary on the freeway. Also, with your description of the transmission, I'd hope they have a manual option.

I'd go with this if it makes it over here. One engine choice will offer 54 MPG with no hybrid BS.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/05/31/m...-mazda2-demio/

[Wildkat]

Yaris>Fit>>>Smart.

It will be interesting when the Dodge Hornet Finally surfaces as well.

[Dyne]

On the plus side, the car is very cute and interesting looking.

that is not cute or interesting. it is the very definition of a gay car. it would fucking brokeback any other car if it had the chance.

[stormy]

I don't think it's gay.

Small cars are gay, like the Miata and Mini. But the Smart is not really a car, it's more like a hopped up golf cart. Driving around in golf carts is cool, especially a tricked out one like this. If the Smart didn't have a tractor engine, had an acceptable transmission, and cost about what it's worth (somewhere around $10k & under), it would be very cool as a second vehicle, and not gay.

[torgo]

Europe gets:

Europe gets a Ford Scion tC?