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Can you elaborate on the poor safety part of your thread?
I respectfully disagree with that opinion, based on what I've seen and heard of the design of the smart. Granted, with a lack of mass, there is very little impact absorbsion, but there is a very, very strong passenger compartment area which does a fantastic job of protecting the occupants from intrusion in an impact.
There are very few cars that are designed with as much safety in mind as the smart. The problem is - given it's size, there's only so much they can do.
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Size and power would be my main concern. The bodies proximity to the edges of the vehicle. Visibility to other vehicles. Ability to handle higher speeds and get out of trouble with power when needed. You can have a great impact absorbing design but remember, this thing is competing against our standard huge SUV's out there on most of our roads. Suburbans, Escalades, full size trucks, etc. That's one of the differences between their use here and many parts of Europe. This thing is designed as a true "city" vehicle but in the US, how many cities can you really stay contained in? Maybe in LA or something it makes more sense. I can make it from one end of Seattle to the other in 10 minutes. I feel like I've got a target on me driving my 911 most days. As such, the civic/corolla are still scary but I would assume would fare better in a collision with a larger vehicle. They also have enough power to handle our roads, get out of trouble and are larger and therefore more visible to other drivers. I could be totally wrong about that. I'm certainly no expert, just seems like common sense.
I drive an old 911 and race a Formula V so safety for myself isn't my #1 buying concern. My main issue with the Smart is the $'s you pay for what you get. That calculation makes no sense. But neither does driving a 25 year old Porsche to most people
