Smart car fun for local driver

Jo Bundy recently purchased a Smart car, the new two-seater crossover car from France – downsizing from a SUV.

While the car may not have the capability to pull a horse trailer, it still manages to get from Point A to Point B.

There's enough room for her groceries, which are her most frequent riders, said Bundy.

The Smart car – which ranges in price from $11,500 to $16,500 -- was designed for greater mobility and it's fuel efficient.

"Everyone knows [we're in] a gas crunch," said the Berryville resident, who has driven "gas-guzzlers" her entire driving career.

According to the company, the car gets 33 miles per gallon in town and 41 on the highway.

"We're going green," said her husband, Tom. "We have to do our part, you know."

The Smart car has reduced emissions for better air quality. It also has a high power/weight ratio, which lends itself to less fuel consumption.

Standing next to her tiny car, which resembles an enclosed go-kart, Bundy said she's prone to claustrophobia.

"I really liked big cars," she said. Her GNC Yukon, which she once used to tote her six children around town, is now parked under an overhang attached to the car shed.

However, she doesn't feel cramped in her Smart car.

Even her 6-foot-plus sons can fit in and maneuver the car.

"When you're in the car, you don't think about the size because the part of the car that's missing is behind you," Bundy said.

But the question remains: How smart is it to be in a tiny vehicle when you're surrounded by those that are twice its size?

Smart car aficionados claim to have redefined automotive safety.

Earlier this year. the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the Smart car four out of five stars for front-driver safety, and five out of five stars on side-impact safety. Overall, passenger safety received three out of five stars.

The Smart car has a tridion safety cell -- comparable to a Jeep Wrangler's roll bar -- that consists of reinforced steel components.

Other safety features include a raised seat position that places the passengers above a direct danger zone, four airbags and wheel carriages that act as shock absorbers.

The Smart car is not for the demure -- heads will turn.

"I call it my tennis shoe because it looks like it has a big swoosh," Bundy said, waving her hand in a check mark. "It's cute."

While Bundy does get attention from other drivers, pedestrians and, on this day, a man painting a shed, it's not intentional.

Her license plates add an additional quirk. She considered personalizing them but decided not to. However, a few weeks later the plates arrived in the mail, and the first three letters read "XXL."

Bundy's family is used to unusual cars. Husband Tom was one of the first in the area to drive a Mini Cooper. He also maintains a 1930s Model-A Ford.

"My goodness, every car we have, people turn their heads at," she said. "But you know what? They smile at this one."

Tom Bundy said, "Everybody thinks it's dramatic, and it is. But it won't be six to nine months from now."

The current wait for a Smart Car is 16 months; 391 were reserved for 2008 at the Smart Car Tysons Corner dealership. Distribution began in January.