It just needs a modern micro engine...maybe from Honda or one of
the other world class engine builders, imo.

In the NCAP ratings, the 2007 SMART has the same rating as the 2007 5 series. Or you could research on You Tube. Your call.

I do agree that in a collision between two vehicles of different weights, the heavier one tends to win. What needs to be considered is the accident frequency as well as the accident result.

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NCAP is just a number. I'll sit in the 5-Series and you sit in the Smart as we drive head on into each other at 40 miles an hour. I'm confident I would live through the encounter with only minor injuries. How about you?

Have to agree. the Smart weighs about 2,100 pounds less than the 3,946 pound 530i. To put that in perspective, the Smart car weighs a whole Smart car less than the 5-series. Although, they did build it safe, that is too much weight to overcome. With weight on it's side the 5-series safety ratings would go up and the smarts would go way down. Those crash test results are based on the cars hitting an object that doesn't move, not hitting a car twice it's weight. The 5-series momentum would have much more of an affect on the Smart than the other way around if they were in a head on collision.

LabGuy:

I have the 5 series. Considering a move into the city (downsizing from a large house) and if we do, we will likely pick up a small urban runabout. Smart is one candidate. Mini is another. No, I don't plan to crash it into either my 5 series, or yours. Very thoughtful suggestion. I'll take it under advisement. But I also wouldn't lose any sleep over the safety of the vehicle.

Did you read my comment about vehicles of different weights?

The You Tube comment was based on the fact that TrueX5er posted the link of the crash test, along with the rest of the episode where they discussed the result (the passenger cell was intact). You then posted the same link, edited to erase the comments about what happened after the crash. If you are going to use You Tube clips to substantiate your premises, you should find ones that do so.

Most of the ratings are based on collisions betwen vehicles of equal weights, not fixed objects. Many of the ratings don't apply to crashes into fixed objects, or crashes that don't follow the precise trajectory prescribed in the test protocol. All of them are just numbers.

So, we have consensus on what happens when they hit. Now, how likely are they to hit? Does a vehicle that is half the size present half the target? How about agility, and the chance to avoid the collision?

What I meant to express is that out in the real driving world (especially in the US) there are many large vehicles on the road and if you are driving a Smart the only real chance you have of being the heavier vehicle in a crash is if you hit a motorcycle. That means that if you are by chance in an accident, the weight of the other vehicle will most likely come into play. Seeing as the Smart weighs less than 2,000 pounds, there is a very good chance the other vehicle will come close to doubling its weight. Becasue the Smart is so much lighter than the typical car on the American road, I would like to see how the Smart performs in a crash with say a vehicle weighing at least 3,500 pounds. I would venture to say that it's safety ratings would go way down, whereas the BMW's would not if it were hit by the average car on the road.

I agree that the size of the Smart makes it less of a target, thus maybe helping it avoid some collisions, but motorcycles are even smaller and people get hit on those every day. The small size of the Smart may also be a safety hazard as some people may not even see the car because of it's size. It may not even fill up an X6's blindspot.

Some small, nimble objects can avoid certain situations easier, but have you ever seen what happens when a linebacker gets a good shot on a tiny halfback?

BMW=linebacker and Smart=halfback.

WOW the porsche actually looks better as a smart car

Maybe we should be comparing the safety to a motorcycle? The Smart has more in common with a motorcycle then a 5-Series, besides the added two wheels.

Smart vs. Mercedes E-Class: (offset collision)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnVNUvixWUQ

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