I appreciate that car makers are doing what they can to be able to give people a reliable car for less than what some people pay in rent.  But I think in doing so, they are negating safety altogether.

First came the Mini Cooper.  Everyone wanted it because it was the main character in The Italian Job (my apologies Mr. Wahlberg) and you could park it anywhere.  To me, they still look like the belong in Europe and not cruising American streets, but whatever, at least the Mini has a backseat.  Yao Ming couldn’t sit comfortably back there, but now I’m just getting picky.

Then came the Smart Car.  It was touted as the next VW bug, cheap and reliable.  Hopefully people used the money they saved buying the auto to purchase life insurance.  In the rare occasion that a Smart car driver has the chutzpah to get on the highway, I am shocked.  I tend to pull along side them and giggle as I realize they could fit in the cargo area of my Jeep with room to spare. Then I realize I am going 42 on a highway, and I forget about the little car that could.  The other day I couldn’t believe my eyes, a convertible Smart Car! As if this thing wasn’t as crunchable  as a sardine can in a trash compactor, let’s take away the metal roof and replace it with soft cloth.  Who was the genius that came up with that design.  Making a car into a convertible will NOT make it cool.

I didn’t think about it much, but I thought the Smart Car was as deadly….I mean small as you could go, but now comes the Tata Nano.  If you just read the name you would think it was a cocky rip-off of an iPod.  But no, this is a car for $2000 that has hit the streets of India.  I have always been a frugal shopper (I won’t spend $100 for a pair of jeans) but I think everything has it’s minimum, a car definitely fits in that category. You can’t reupholster a living room set for under $2000, so where the heck do they get the material for this car?  Not to mention, India is not the safest place to drive.  Driving down a Mumbai street in a Sherman tank is still taking your life into your hands (so I’ve heard).  But I would think that AC would be worth risking your life when the mercury hits 120°F, it would be for me anyway. Personally, I would love to see the crash testing of this car. Does it fold up completely like an accordion or is it more like a bug hitting my windshield?

So as tempting as it is to have a car that is cheap and that you can keep in your purse, somehow, I think I will stick with my slightly pricier car that comfortably seats 5….and a Smart Car.