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• Wednesday, July 2, 2008 09:48 AM

  auto choices

  I rather enjoyed this review. It told me what I would be looking for if I were test driving a SmartCar. It obviously didn't gush over the car, as it pointed out many things I would find fault with, and somethings I would notice as features. I did think it was a bit unfair to compare it with the Prius, however, as the the only thing I really see in common between the two models is that they have 4 wheels and are current "trendy" car choices. As a current mass transit user, the apparently biggest feature noted in the review, the ability to find parking spaces, isn't a big deal for me.

  There seems to be more and more choices out there, either now or in the next few years, for the prospective car shopper. Many of these cars are not one-size-fits-all, either. Vehicles like the SmartCar and some of the electric models from smaller companies (the Zap Xebra, or the defunct Corbin Sparrow, both basically enclosed electric motorcycles) are definitely geared toward the urban commuter buyer. If they succeed in the US like the Mini Cooper has, I wouldn't be surprised to see some of the other automakers adapt some of their European and Asian models, like the Ford Ka, for the US market. There are also models out there to fill just about every niche a car shopper could want. Reviews like this help me narrow the field to ones I might be interested in when I'm car shopping again.

  —J T Read J T's other letters
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