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The Smart car.
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Barry Blomquist with his Smart car. The car which is a yard shorter than a Mini Cooper, was introduced in Europe 10 years ago, and has now arrived in the U.S.
Erik Daily |
Introduced 10 years ago in Europe, the Lilliputian vehicle arrived in the U.S. earlier this year, and slightly more than 6,000 were on the road by the end of April. And several La Crosse trendsetters recently became the first kids on their block to drive the smallest thing on the road.
That’s small enough to pull head-first into a parallel parking spot, yet roomy enough to accommodate two basketball players (but not their golf clubs).
The 70-horsepower, three-cylinder engine tucked behind the seats gives the car enough get up and go to drive on the freeway, though it won’t set any performance records — top speed is 90 mph, according to the manufacturer, a division of Daimler AG’s Mercedes Benz.
Dr. Mary Hovel fell in love with the Smart car years ago in Europe. Several weeks ago, she finally got one, a black Passion coupe.
“Driving back from Milwaukee, people were pulling cell phones out and taking pictures,” she said.
Patients who see it parked outside her La Crosse dental office ask her if it’s street legal. (It is.) Family members ask her if it’s a death trap. (It isn’t, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which gave it top ratings in front and side collision tests.)
Barry Blomquist has owned numerous sports cars and hot rods since his first 1957 Chevy. He said he was the first person in La Crosse to own a Mini Cooper when it came out in 2001.
“People gawked,” he said of the pint-sized vehicle.
His newest ride is more than a yard shorter.
He parks it in his Onalaska garage, next to his Porsche SUV and right behind his electric golf cart. (“The golf cart is bigger,” he said.)
Blomquist admires the design of the tiny convertible, which he uses mostly for tooling around town, picking up groceries and running errands.
“There’s so much engineering in such a little package,” he said.
Next week, he’s planning to go to Milwaukee to pick up his second one.
The nearest dealerships are in Milwaukee and the Twin Cities. They estimate three or four Smart cars are in the La Crosse area and one in Winona, Minn.
Blomquist doesn’t obsess over gas mileage, but estimates he’s getting better than 30 mpg driving in town. The manufacturer’s rating is 33 mpg city and 41 mpg highway.
The mileage isn’t as good as most hybrids, but the price tag is a lot lower. Smart cars start at $11,590 for the Pure — just a car, as the name suggests: no air conditioning, no radio, no nothing — and tops out at about $18,500 for a Passion convertible with leather seats and all the options.
But don’t plan on running out and getting one this weekend. You can put down a $99 deposit, but the wait for delivery is 22 months.
Chris Hubbuch can be reached at chris.hubbuch@lee.net or (608) 791-8217.
