The first time I ever saw a SmartCar was over in Yurp, back in the early 2000s. I loved the idea of a “city car” — still do, in fact — because living in downtown Chicago at the time, I could see its wonderful utility.
It made even more sense for Yurp’s teeny lil’ city streets.
For those of you who’ve only ever lived in the suburbs or on farms, it’s easy to dismiss the SmartCar as just a little toy. For city dwellers, though, this is a godsend.
Yeah, it doesn’t hold much more than a driver and a passenger, or a driver and a couple shopping bags — but that’s really all you need in the city. (For the record, both I and Connie could fit inside, but only if I pushed my seat forward because we couldn’t fit side by side #KimShoulders.)
And of course it fails the Kim Storage Test in that I don’t think you could fit a rifle case inside — although I never tested it because at the time I wasn’t shooting rifles that much #Chicago #NoGunRanges.
Also, at the time the SmartCar launched, there was no Fiat 500 on the market. But now there is, and to me the 500 represents the ultimate compromise between “too small, really” and “still too small, but less so” or even “acceptably small, because you can fit a rifle case in it”.
All this was triggered by the news that the SmartCar is going to be relaunched, as a Duracell car only. Of course, I wouldn’t touch one because a.) it’s going to be built (of course) by the Chinese, b.) because it’s hideously ugly — see the linked article but you have been warned — and c.) because I already own a Fiat 500 via New Wife, and see no reason ever to sell it.
But it remains a decent option for people living in tight spaces — hell, at least it gives protection from the weather, which is more than its competitor does.
