I could win a SmartCar!

I'm donating blood this afternoon, and at my blood bank, if you donate during the month of September you are entered in a drawing to win a SmartCar, or one of a handful of $100 gas cards.  I'm sure I won't win the car, but if I did, what should I do with it?

They're tiny.  I wouldn't feel that safe commuting in one.  On the other hand, I have a 66-mile commute, round-trip, and it would be a great savings on gas.

I already have a late-model Toyota Corolla, though, and it gets 35 miles to the gallon, plus or minus.  I also carpool with my boyfriend, who works in the same business park as me, so I'm sorta minimizing my carbon footprint already.  Sorta.

Anyway, what would you do if you won a SmartCar?  Keep it, or sell it?  If you kept it, would you sell your old car?

I looked it up on yahoo cars, and it says the gas mileage is 33/41mpg - so not a huge improvement over your Toyota.

I'd probably sell it. Although they are aDORable, I think that most of the benefits of the smart cars are for city living, not necessarily gas mileage.

Interesting.  I should have researched gas mileage before I assumed it'd be a "great savings on gas," eh?  So I suppose the main benefit to the SmartCar is I'd be better at parallel parking it.  :)

Or perpendicular parking.

That's awesome!!

You could use it as a key chain for your Toyota keys.

I'd park it on the street where everyone else has to parallel park....but not the Smart car!  You can park it like you would in a normal parking space because it is about as long as a normal car is wide! 

Other than that, I'd probably sell it.

ETA: I should have read the whole thread...amethystgirl got there before me!

Sell it.

Have you seen the crash tests they put it through?  The thing flies!

Original Post by dnrothx:

Sell it.

Have you seen the crash tests they put it through?  The thing flies!

 That is exactly what I was thinking... flight of the SmartCar... also I was thinking about being crushed like a grape under the wine trucks that are all over the roads around here during harvest time.

The good news is, if it ever breaks down, you and a friend can carry it home!

It's a roll cage on wheels, you should be fine in a crash.

Unless I go airborne off a cliff!

And your corolla is going to fair any different how?

Hmm, good point.  At least in the Smart Car Lucy wouldn't be dying along with me, since there's no back seat for her to ride in.

edit - and the airborne thing was because they flew into the air and flipped 450 degrees in a crash test.  I think [hope] the Corolla's more likely to stay on the ground.  :)

put the dog in the front seat and the bf in the trunk

Original Post by ignayshus:

It's a roll cage on wheels, you should be fine in a crash.

 Check out the crash test videos.  Sure, you'll be fine.  Your brain will have just been turned to mush by being slammed against your own skull under the crazy g-forces caused by the car's spinning flight after impact.

Original Post by purespark:

edit - and the airborne thing was because they flew into the air and flipped 450 degrees in a crash test.  I think [hope] the Corolla's more likely to stay on the ground.  :)

Fwiw your corolla may be more likely to stay on the ground, however the oncoming car is more likely to end up stopping somewhere inside the passenger seat.

Small cars built pre 2008ish have terribad side impact protection ratings.

Original Post by dnrothx:

Original Post by ignayshus:

It's a roll cage on wheels, you should be fine in a crash.

 Check out the crash test videos.  Sure, you'll be fine.  Your brain will have just been turned to mush by being slammed against your own skull under the crazy g-forces caused by the car's spinning flight after impact.

lol, better than adorning the crush zone of the impacting car as a grease spot.

The Corolla's a 2009, thankfully :)

Do SmartCars have trunks?  I would have to strap the bf to the roof.

Original Post by purespark:

The Corolla's a 2009, thankfully :)

Do SmartCars have trunks?  I would have to strap the bf to the roof.

That seems like a reasonable option. Pitch it to him a la' Teenwolf.

I bet he'd go for it if I plied him with Booker's.