If the chrysler smart car is so "smart", why is it still short of Hondas (20 year old) 1987 CRX HF (51/60MPG)

Question

This critter boasts a whoppin 40 mpg on a 3 cyl dsl engine. Neat, but power and cost ineffective when compared to a 20 year old Honda CRX HF, which boast a top speed well over 100, and a 0-60 time muuuch better than that of a diesel. The true question is...who will run with the fad, and who will get wise, and go on e-bay, and buy a Honda for $8-15 thousand less, thus making use of cars already produced, in turn, reducing production of yet another fuel sucker. I've driven a Honda HF, and it lacks nothing fortwo. Sqeuze me, for a two seater.
Just a side note...Japan may not have strict emisions controls in place, but they have compact police cars that look like ferraris, and their cars traditionaly get remarkable fuel economy. This can be a lesson learned, or a lesson missed. Your call.

Answer 1

the smart gets way over 40 MPG. its closer to 70.+

i think they rate them dif in the US. maybe they rate it at 60 MPH, which is close to its top speed, aka it gets 40 MPG when floored.

and the CRXs got good mileage, but not that good.

Answer 2

extra often than no longer of thumb i does no longer purchase something over 10 years previous as an afternoon-to-day working automobile, particularly in case you have not got a properly-geared up storage and are not arranged to do your individual maintenance. that's whilst a automobile has gotten approximately as low-value because it ever would be and any layout flaws/recollects would be properly familiar via then, yet its technologies continues to be extremely cutting-edge and not something has probably rusted or rotted away on it yet. Later fashions tend to be extra solid, and in my opinion the overall performance and dependability of maximum mid-1980's American vehicles in specific have been surprisingly mediocre at maximum suitable (they only began utilising digital gasoline injection, working example, and that they hadn't gotten each and all the kinks worked out of it yet). I had a chum of mine at present purchase a 1985 Chevy van with purely 60,000 miles on it. regarded great and did no longer seem abused or neglected, yet after purely a million month it necessary a clean brake caliper (previous one rusted up) and the transmission began leaking and failed because of the seals being previous, cracked, and dried up.