What do YOU think?

This story seemed a sort of filling follow-up to my previous one.

Yesterday, I stopped by Cam's Pizzeria at lunchtime (Cam's is a New York City-style pizzeria in upstate New York). As I walked in the door, a gentleman sitting at a nearby table asked me an innocuous question about the car. I think it was "do you like it?", a question I enjoy answering.

His next question was "What does it cost, $5,000?" No, you can't buy a car in the US for $5,000, especially not one with all the safety features, AC, and extras the smart has.

Next was, "It's all electric, right?" No, I told him, it's all gas. That's a pretty common mistake.

His last one amused me the most. "What do you get, like 80 miles per gallon?" I already told him it's all gas, and no non-diesel gas car in the US gets over 50 mpg, let alone 80. I laughed as I answered that one.

I thought this was an interesting way of asking questions. On the one hand, it shows the misconceptions people have about small cars and the smart in particular. On the other hand, I couldn't help but feel, afterward, that he made my car seem inadequate. The way he phrased the questions, the car came across as expensive, old-fashioned, and poor on mileage.

Of course, those things aren't true. And I like to think that wasn't the way he intended to ask the questions. But it's interesting to note how the way you ask a question (and I'm trained to ask questions, so this is part of my expertise) can go a long way toward influencing how others answer and how they see you. Something to keep in mind as you stuff your mouth with pizza, I guess.

How Much Does it Cost?

You would think the most common question I get when driving my smart is what kind of gas mileage it gets. That's close, but the most common question I get is "how much does it cost?"

Let me just start by getting the numbers out of the way. The 2008 models start at $11,590 for the Pure (basic model), $13,590 for the Passion (the model I have), and $16,590 for the Passion Cabriolet (the convertible). Obviously, any dealer extras and option packages will increase the price from there, but that's the sticker, and that's what you will pay when you buy your car. There is no haggling, and the dealers do not work on commission.

I don't mind telling people how much my car costs, really. I shouldn't, because the numbers aren't a secret. Anyone can go online and track down the price of the car - or any other car, for that matter. But somehow, it feels incredibly invasive to ask me how much I spent on the car. Maybe it's my upbringing, but asking someone how much they paid for a large purchase - whether an iPhone, a computer, a car, or a house - feels rude.

Today, I was filling up my tank at the gas station (40.8 mpg on this most recent tank, which was atypically 70% city driving and used the air conditioner). Cars were stopped on the street going by, and one person rolled down his window and shouted across the gas station parking lot "How much did you pay?" I sighed and shouted back "About 12," and he just shut his window. That was beyond rude!

I don't mind answering questions about the car; in fact, I enjoy it. Most people will start with "what kind of mileage do you get?" or the simpler "what is it?" Often, you get "is it electric?" first. But, invariably, you get the question about price. My response is to be as vague as I can. I typically say "They start at about $12 for the base model, and this is the middle model." That way, I'm giving them enough info, but I'm avoiding saying how much I, in particular, spent.

I wonder, though, why people need to know how much the car costs. If they're thinking of getting one, that's fine. I'd like to tell them they'd have to put their order in now, and there's a year waiting list. If they're making comparisons to their car or other gas-conscious cars, that's ok too. I like to point out that the smart gets only marginally worse mileage than a Toyota Prius, which starts at $21,500 for essentially a full $10,000 difference.

But I don't think they ask for those reasons. I think they ask because the car is small, and they think a small car should cost less. They see it as a stripped-down vehicle, so stripped down it's lacking a back seat and hood or trunk. It's really not, and I'd be happy to tell them about it's surprisingly roomy interior, its safety and comfort extras, its standard features. But I see it in their eyes - they're comparing their gas-guzzler to my brand new sipper, and they're trying to make themselves feel better when spending $25 or more beyond what I spend at the pump.

Maybe I just don't give people enough credit. But I've never, in my entire life, heard anyone ask anyone else how much they spent for their car. When a co-worker bought a new Toyota FJ Cruiser, we ooo'd and ahhh'd over it, but no one asked the price. When a neighbor brought home a Prius, people talked about mileage for an hour, but the cost never came up. When another neighbor upgraded both his and his wife's Volkswagens, I wasn't remotely curious to know how much of a loan he took out.

I think, perhaps, this is linked to the mileage effect. Folks want to feel better about their own situation when other people are bettering their own. I guess that's human nature. But it's still rude to shout at me across multiple cars and gas pumps and ask me how much I spent on my car. Or, if you're going to ask, at least inquire about mileage or safety first. I'd be more than happy to share the details.

No Respect

Today, on the day to work, I was driving in the left lane of the highway where it turns rather dramatically to the right and then to the left. You have to slow down in this section, but I was still driving a hair over 55 and passing a car. But another driver in a gray Toyota Celica (I think) with a ridiculous spoiler was tailgating me and glaring at me. The road straightened out, and I finished passing the other car, then changed lanes. As he passed by me at a minimum of 75, this guy in business attire and sunglasses (despite a steady drizzle and thick gray clouds) gave me the finger without looking in my direction. Ten or so miles later, I get off the highway at my exit and head down the road to work. Turns out, the guy is four cars ahead of me. I hope it was worth it.

It made me think about how folks don't give the smart much respect on the road. Sure, it's an oddity and something unique to watch. But most folks don't think it can hit highway speeds, much less pass cars. Folks, the smart drives wonderfully at 65 or 75. It's fun to see a look of surprise, at times, on the faces of drivers as I pass them.

I'm sure it's small car syndrome. People didn't tailgate me aggressively when I drove my SUV, because it's big and imposing. The smart is small, so they feel they can overpower it.

However, there's another problem on the road - the need to gawk as they drive by. I don't mind if a car slows down as it passes me to get a good look. But when I'm stopped at a red light and cars turn from a side street toward me, I've seen several come close to drifting into my lane or each other as they gawk at the car. I'm not remotely afraid to drive my car on the road, but I do worry about these people who clearly aren't paying attention!

Road rage + curiosity is a bad equation, let me tell you!

What's my opinion worth?

As many other smart owners have, today I received a fairly comprehensive survey from JD Power. Along with their politely worded request for my opinion was one lovely, crisp dollar bill.

The survey was pretty extensive, walking through your impressions of the engine, driving, comfort, interior and exterior look and feel, and my car-buying history. But I had the $1 payment already, so I figured I owed them a well-thought-out and detailed response. I noted the previous problem with the shifting mechanism, and I noted that my gas mileage has been exceeding EPA expectations.

I'll be interested in seeing how this impacts car buyers in the future. Especially since smart celebrated its 10-year anniversary this week and noted an electric model due out in 2010. That's reason to celebrate! As if I needed another, I now have an extra dollar in my wallet!

New exhaust - my smart can breathe!

I was telling a friend recently that I've never had a car I enjoyed and cared about so much that I wanted to modify it. I've known car guys who are always tinkering with their cars, and I never really understood it until getting my smart. These cars are so unique and different, they just beg you to put your own personalized touch on them.

And I was completely sold on the new Breathless Performance twin-tip center exhaust performance muffler. Not only does it look great - solid steel and chrome and sexy as hell - but it provides performance improvements. It adds 6 horsepower and will even slightly improve mileage.

But that's not the whole reason I wanted it. As shown in this YouTube video from Breathless (below), it sounds great. It's louder and more aggressive sounding. In essence, it sounds manly and powerful, and that sold me on the exhaust.



This image shows the rear end of the smart before the new exhaust:



And here's a closeup. You can barely see the existing tailpipe, which tilts down and is extremely short.



We put the smart up on the lift, itself a unique experience worth memorializing in photos, as they've never had to adjust the lift for such a short car. Still, it was very stable and worked fine!



Getting the old exhaust/muffler off required taking off the plastic valance along the bottom. This came off pretty easy and showed how the old exhaust fit in and took up so much space.



It wasn't easy getting the old exhaust off. It's a large muffler, and the bolts were not easily accessible. Again, having the car up on the lift really helped reach the bolts, and having a mechanic with the right tools helped even more. Once we got the heavy thing off, I snapped a picture showing the side-by-side comparison:



Fitting the new one on was a piece of cake. It slipped right in and took up far less space, meaning the bolts were far more accessible. We had it on in no time, the whole process taking about 40 minutes. But it did require cutting the plastic valance. Thanks to Smart Billet, I had a bezel to fit around the cut and make it look professional.



So the main question smart owners will want to know is what it sounds like. I'll have to capture some mp3s, but I can tell you that it's definitely louder. Of course, you know that going in. It has a throaty rumble that is more evident while driving in fourth or fifth gear and giving it continuous gas. The idle sound is not too loud at all, whether inside the car or outside, rumbling gently. When giving it gas, it is much louder than the stock. I don't have much to compare it to, but it doesn't sound like a loud motorcycle. It's more of a sports car rumble.

I haven't driven it too far yet, but my first reaction is that the extra horsepower is evident at the low speeds, and the transition from first to second and second to third is much smoother. You may have read complaints about the smart's lag when shifting, especially at low gears, but the new exhaust makes that far smoother. This leads me to think that a new exhaust option may be offered with the future cars. I haven't been able to tell a mpg difference yet, but I'll keep track.

So now the car has attitude and oomph. It sounds as good as it looks, and if you don't notice it, you might hear it and take notice. I'm very impressed with the quality of the product and the sound. It's expensive, but I think it will be worth it!

Smart vs Mini Cooper

The Mini Cooper was my favorite small car before the smart. Technically, it sits four people, although it's a tight fit. But they pack decent horsepower and luxuries into a small form factor, and it's fun to drive.

But don't be surprised by the Mini's size. The dimunitive Mini Cooper is approximately 12 feet 1 inch (I say approximately because the website breaks measurements into tenths of inches) compared to the smart's 8 feet 8 inches. Fuel efficiency is pretty impressive, at 28 city / 37 highway (versus 33 / 41 for the smart). The base model Mini starts at $18,700 (versus $11,500 for the smart).

Note: I don't think the front end of the SUV behind the Mini aligns with our front ends. At least, by how far out it sticks, I sure hope not!