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The Smart: Not so Smart Afterall?
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The Smart: Not so Smart Afterall?
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LaurenG on September 18, 2008
I've narrowed my hybrid vehicle search down to these two cars and came upon some interesting information leading me to ask, "In comparison to the Toyota Prius, is the Smart Car really that smart?" If you have a flexible budget, the Prius seems to be the better choice of the two. Take into consideration the following facts: City/Highway mileage for a Smart Car: 33/41. City/Highway mileage for a Prius: 48/45. The Smart Car is so tiny with practically no storage space. The Prius, on the other hand, looks like a real car and has a pretty good-sized trunk! Which one do you think is the real "smart" car?
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Comments & Votes for this comparison
Displaying 1-70 of 70 comments
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MomByChoice voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 18, 2008
You can't even fit a kid into the Smart Car! Say goodbye to a social life!
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Brian Sy commented on September 19, 2008
smart car all the way. can't beat the parking
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fastdriver voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Brian Sy voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
hate the smart car, it's just so damn small
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RumWetWell voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 19, 2008
smart car. It's all about parking for me
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
my uncle has one and its pretty nice on the other hand me n some buddies went to england and tried to pick it up... we did.. prius is way better.. its harder to steal
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
nothin smart about a smart car.
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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The Dentist commented on September 19, 2008
To the first comment about not fitting a kid in the smart: If you are packing kids into your car you've already said goodbye to a social life! :) As for which is better, I have a BMW 335 convertible that I'm lucky to get 14 mpg out of, but is a hell of a lot more fun than a prius.
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
I SO want one, but they are out of my price range at the moment!!
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous commented on September 19, 2008
It's funny how you write a biased column then have a poll at the bottom to see who agrees with you. You didn't want real input but to make yourself feel better.
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 19, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 19, 2008
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walendo voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 20, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 20, 2008
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Kevin voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 20, 2008
You said you wanted a hybrid. The only car in the comparison that is a hybrid is the Prius. The Smart is not a hybrid, just a very fuel efficient car.
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 20, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 21, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 21, 2008
Smartcar is dumb. Like really dumb.
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Anonymous commented on September 21, 2008
Kevin, you're right... the Smart ain't no hybrid. Misleading...
How about we call it the "Dumb Car" from now on? Oh, wait... that would be GM. Or Ford. Or Chrysler.
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 21, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 22, 2008
I own a smart. Mileage is about 44 in the city, 65 on the freeway. The Prius goes to gas at about 15 mph at which time your mileage drops dramatically. The smart is a brilliant commuter car. I can fit my Greater Swiss Mountain Dog in the back. It holds all the shopping for a family of 4. It does just fine on the freeway and is very fun to drive, and even more fun to park. The prius is a gimmick - if you are going to buy a Prius, don't, get a Honda Fit instead. If you genuinely want a commuter car with great mileage, get a Smart.
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 22, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 22, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 22, 2008
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openroad voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 25, 2008
PRIIIIUSSSS rocks!
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 25, 2008
One would have to think that there is no such thing as a "fender bender" in a "Smart Car". I would say that the people with the brains will go with anything over the "Smart Car". A motorcycle would be safer.
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BottleGenie voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 25, 2008
the prius is still the champ of hybrids
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 30, 2008
azn cars win
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 30, 2008
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Barrel Bum voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 30, 2008
The Prius is a gimmick the Smart is way better on gas than you guys think and it isn't a hybrid>
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Anonymous commented on October 20, 2008
I got a Smart. Except it's diesel. My MPG is (Canadian) about 60 city/70 highway. I love how I can get parking closer to events where other people can't park and I can also go to Costco if I want. Down the road I also won't have to spend the big bucks for battery replacement. Rumor is that the diesel is coming back but I don't know if it will be available Stateside. Too bad you guys got the gas model.
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on October 20, 2008
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morton07 voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on October 20, 2008
Smart Car all the way. You're going to spend much more money on the Prius because the initial costs are much more, and what you save on gas won't really matter because after 100,000 miles, you're going to have to change the battery which is around $3,000... So if you want to make a financially smart choice, the Smart ForTwo is the way to go. Though it is not very practical if you have a family..s
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on October 20, 2008
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on November 10, 2008
Look at price and battery replacement cost.
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on January 31, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on March 16, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on March 17, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on March 23, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on April 1, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on April 6, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on April 6, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on April 7, 2009
YAY COMMENT!
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on April 8, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on April 8, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on April 10, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on May 4, 2009
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on June 5, 2009
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Chris Patko voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on August 30, 2009
I think it cool!
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Anonymous voted for the 2008 Toyota Prius 5dr HB on September 15, 2009
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KD voted for the 2008 Smart fortwo 2dr Cpe Pure on September 22, 2009
It depends on where you're driving it and how many miles you'll be driving. The Prius will get more MPG than a Smart Car. You can buy one used to save more money. If you keep the car for 10 years and drive 20,000 miles a year it'll pay itself off in gas savings despite the maintenance costs people tell you. The battery should last a long time. Look on cleanmpg and art's automotive if you want to know more about the batteries.
The smart car is good if you live in a major city like San Francisco where parking is extremely difficult to find and small spaces are available that can only accommodate a motorcycle or smart car. Don't purchase it for the looks and the "unique" style. Purchase it based on your needs.
The Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris are a good fit in terms of size and MPG.
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KD commented on September 22, 2009
By the way if you know how to hypermile the Prius will give you higher results especially in city driving that the U.S. based Smart Car cannot achieve. You can get over 100 MPG on a Prius but don't expect that as an average for your entire commute.
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KD commented on September 22, 2009
About the battery myth, a Prius taxi driver in Canada has driven it over 200,000 miles on the original battery. 15 San Francisco Ford Escape hybrids have gone over the 300,000 mile mark source: http://articles.latimes.com/2009/mar/30/local/me-green-cabs30 While not a Prius, it proves the battery myth is false. Please back up your facts next time.
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KD commented on September 22, 2009
Battery warranty has also been extended to 150,000 miles in California.