In the late 70's, during the gas crisis, my dad loved Chevettes because they were cheap and got good mileage. We had at least three. His favorite, which was our family car for awhile, was a diesel 4-door. He loved it because it got 55 MPG.

The things were crude as hell but we never had problems with them (the diesel Olds Gutless we had briefly was a different story).

That's the thing that bothers me about the Smart. It should get a lot better mileage. I have a 2001 Chev Prism (same as a Corolla) that I easily get 40 MPG in mixed driving and have gotten 46 MPG while hyper-miling. I can carry four people and have a decent sized trunk. I don't see the point in driving a tiny car if I can get the same or better mileage in a bigger car, except maybe for the "look at me" factor.

You may "easily get 40 MPG" but most cars don't. Fact is, the Smart gets the best MPG of any new car that is not a hybrid or diesel.

It's a solid little car that isn't too expensive (I paid less for mine last year than your '01 was going for in it's heyday) yet people expect miracles from it, when it's just a car and... hey, wait a minute! My car is Matt Cassel! :doh!:

so you are "that guy."

I remember the diesel Chevettes, kinda odd but if that thing got 55 fuggin MPG then GM needs to start building them again. Hell I'd take that over a Smart car or a Prius.

All of the new emission laws probably prevent that from happening, though the VW Golf TDI gets close to that.

The diesel in the Chevette was an Isuzu engine that you could also get in the LUV. My dad had one of those in the mid-80s, too. It was a LUV 4x4 diesel. I think he got in the low 30's with it. The thing about it, though, was that 55 MPH was the absolute fastest it would go.

You could also get that little diesel in the Nissan Sentra around that time. I gave that one a serious thought for a commuter.

Actually GM had developed a 4.5L V-8 turbo Diesel that would fit in the same space as their 5.7L gas engine, was making over 250 HP and 500 lb/ft of torque, would get over 30 MPG combined city/highway and they were all set to start putting them in their '10 1/2 ton trucks, all emissions legal burning the latest formulation of fuel. Want to know what happened to them?
Government take over, they killed the project.

http://kansascity.injuryboard.com/au...oogleid=277316

"Now, USA Today has reported that Toyota knew about its gas pedal and accelerator problems last year but failed to issue a recall until the day before ABC News broke the story about additional problems."

Fuggers.

The truth is really starting to spill now. It is all about the $$. Floor mats my ass, that was an insult to the American people.

"Oh, what a feelin', to <strike>drive</strike> crash... a Toyota."

Toyota has been delaying recalls and hiding safety problems for years. This is just one of many instances.

Let's see.

They're a Japanese company.

Their cars are suddenly going out of control, and killing people.... everywhere except in Japan.

IT'S ANOTHER SNEAK ATTACK!! NUKE THOSE LITTLE F**KERS!!!

This is almost as bad as when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor!

Close, very close.

yeah, and it is a Japanese designed part, that they had built by an American company. It all makes sense, they are still trying to win.