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Fuel economy: Retirees among first in Alabama to own popular European vehicle that gets 40 mpg
(The Decatur Daily (AL) (KRT) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Aug. 18--Donnie and Ann Dickey know they made a smart choice on their recent car purchase.
It's stamped right on the hood.
The retired couple's new coupe is officially dubbed Smart Fortwo by its manufacturers, who hope the two-seater that gets more than 40 mpg will catch on in the minds of more American consumers seeking to save money at the gas pump.
That's what drove the Dickeys to order one -- and wait a year for it to arrive. They are among the first Smart Car owners in Alabama, but they expect the engineering marvel will become more common. That will end their unexpected ride as owners of the most curious, smile-inducing vehicle in town.
"Everybody who looks at it, it just lights them up," said Donnie Dickey, who worked 22 years as an instrument electrical technician for BP Chemical before retiring 31/2 years ago. "I never dreamed it would attract the attention it does."
There's no denying its shape and size make it an instant attention-grabber. It looks like it belongs in the background of a Travel Channel show in London, Rome or Paris, and not zipping among SUVs and pickups on Beltline Road Southwest.
Even a Volkswagen Beetle or Honda Civic look large compared to the Smart Car. It's less than 9 feet long, and it's exactly as tall (5.1 feet) as it is wide. The Fortwo actually is more than 3 feet shorter and nearly 700 pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper.
It's powered by a 3-cylinder, 71-horsepower engine that rests in the back under the trunk. A short front compartment under the hood stores all the fluids.
The specifications say it can go from zero to 60 in 12.8 seconds.
As retirees, the Dickeys said they are in no hurry these days, and it's "peppy" enough for driving to the grocery store or golf course.
This car was strictly for running around town, Dickey said, noting they will use their Nissan Maxima for out-of-town trips.
"With gas prices going up and being unstable, we were looking for something low cost and low maintenance," he said.
They looked at several hybrids, which did boast better gas mileage, but when they added on the costs of replacement batteries every few years, they decided it was cheaper to stay with gasoline cars.
"Replacing batteries, that could cost several thousand dollars," Donnie Dickey said. "That will buy a lot of gas. So this is the best mileage car we could find that was strictly gasoline."
Some manufacturers list the hybrid battery as lasting the life of the vehicle.
Internet auto dealer Cars.com listed the Smart Fortwo as the top fuel mileage vehicle sold in America when factoring purchase cost, fuel usage and certain driving habits for an eight-year period. It reported the Toyota Prius hybrid, though it gets 15 more miles per gallon in city driving and four more on highways, costs $7,000 more to own after eight years.
The Dickeys are thrilled with the fuel economy, but they brag more about the Smart Car's crash test ratings.
U.S. safety ratings on the 2008 Smart models provided an overall four-star rating out of five.
Smart Car comes standard with four airbags, anti-lock brakes and an electronic stability control system designed to stop vehicles from swerving off the road.
The key to its safety rating was the steel cage that surrounds occupants like a walnut shell.
The Dickeys selected a yellow and black color scheme because "we wanted everybody to be able to see it," Mrs. Dickey said. Then she explained if they get bored with the color, they can replace all the body panels for $1,000 (excluding labor).
Among the Smart Car's other features is its automatic and auto-manual transmission. It doesn't have a clutch, but it does allow a driver to switch to a manual shifting through all five gears with a spring lever on the steering wheel.
It does have a trunk, which the Dickeys said can handle groceries and both sets of their golf clubs.
Dickey said what's odd about the Smart Car is that it feels much bigger than it looks. He and his wife have to step up into their seats. They drove it to Huntsville last week to see how it handled on the interstate. Dickey said it felt like any other car at 70 mph.
"When you drive it, you forget how small it is," Dickey said.
As for that fuel economy, the first tank got 41 mpg, mostly driving around town, Dickey said, and he figures that will improve as the engine gets "broken in."
An unexpected attribute of the car is the celebrity-like attention the Dickeys have received since bringing it home two weeks ago.
"Everybody. I mean just everybody stares at it," Mrs. Dickey said. "Everybody has to ask about it."
The life of their fame may be as short as their car if the vehicle catches on like the Dickeys expect. They spotted a second one Thursday on the Beltline.
Smart doesn't have a local dealer, and you can't just walk up to a showroom to pick one out anyway. They must be ordered. The Dickeys waited a year for theirs.
That wait could get longer based on growing demand, said Mark Roberts sales manager for smart center Birmingham, a part of Crown Mercedes, which is one of 71 U.S. dealerships handling Smart deliveries geographically.
"We're just blowing and going right now," he said of orders coming in.
The Dickeys received the fourth Smart Car delivered to the dealership -- two of those went to Florida. The dealer has since delivered 45 and expects 13 more to arrive Saturday.
"I really think they're going to catch on," Dickey said.
A Smart Car? --The Smart Car is a joint venture between Mercedes-Benz and Swatch with the intent to build a safe, fuel economy car with a small carbon footprint (low on pollution).
--It's 8 feet 2.5 inches long and weighs 1,650 pounds. It's claimed to be the smallest car in the world.
--EPA fuel economy listed as 33 city and 41 highway.
--It's the only vehicle still in production on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
--Production began in 1998 in Hambach, France, but it wasn't until January that U.S. transportation officials allowed them on American highways.
--More than 900,000 have sold worldwide in 37 countries.
--Nearly 14,000 Smart cars have sold in the U.S. since January; 2,559 in July.
More for the money
Combining sticker price with fuel cost estimates ($3.40 per gallon) for vehicles driven 15,000 miles per year over eight years, the cheapest car for the long haul was the Smart Fortwo. None of the hybrid vehicles made the top10 because of the added cost of replacement batteries.
1. Smart Fortwo 33/41 mpg
$11,590 sticker price
$12,273 fuel cost
$23,863 total cost
2. Toyota Yaris 29/36 mpg
$11,350 sticker price
$12,838 fuel cost
$24,188 total cost
3. Hyundai Accent 27/32 mpg
$10,775 sticker price
$14,049 fuel cost
$24,824 total cost
4. Kia Rio 27/32 mpg
$10,890 sticker price
$14,049 fuel cost
$24,939 total cost
5. Chevrolet Aveo5 24/34 mpg
$10,235 sticker price
$14,750 fuel cost
$24,985 total cost
SOURCE: CARS.COM
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Copyright (c) 2008, The Decatur Daily, Ala.
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