These Smart cars look cool. I am not surprised they were originally introduced by Swatch, the funky watch company.
But just how safe are they?
UPDATE: Check the comment below from George. An alarming video of a Dumb car crash.
When Daimler-Chrysler announced the planned sale of Smart vehicles in the United States in 2008, a Forbes article claimed that the car is designed for tight European roads. North American roads are usually wider although city drivers may find a benefit of the Smart’s size. Fuel efficiency in the city is lower than the 5-seat Toyota Prius, though its highway fuel efficiency is higher. (However, the base price of the Prius is $22,175 (MSRP)(ref: autos.msn.com), compared to the Smart’s base model ‘Pure’ at under $12,000.
Safety
Smart vehicles use a very small front crumple zone. The main structure of the car is a stiff structure called a Tridion, which is designed to activate the crumple zones (if any) of a colliding vehicle.[13] This design creates a very strong safety cell around the passengers. However, it also subjects them to higher forces during an accident than in a conventional car.
I would still prefer an old Volkswagen van.
Note: Daimler-Chrysler has been renamed Daimler AG after dumping Chrysler.
Rick McCharles 
I think I’d take the S-class. I hate the little cars. You hear all the time about how sports cars are so impractical (luggage space anyone?) and yet these micro cars have equally as little storage space as your average Lambo or Ferrari. I guess just because it’s more fuel efficient it becomes “practical”. I think not. Try to take one of these on vacation, especially if you have two people in it. I have a hard time imagining packing anything more than a couple of toothpicks. Hardly practical, and in case of the Smart car hardly justifiable because of their price tags.
If I’m looking for impracticality I’d take my Pantera over one of these any day. Either way you still need two cars if you want to go outside of the city, but my way seems like more “fun”.
There’s a guy down the street from me who has four or six parked all over his lot. I take it he fixes them and sells them. Should we go talk to him?
Old VW vans, that is.
Nah, I think I’ll pay off my dental work and outstanding line of credit first.
: )