2012 Detroit Auto Show: What To Expect

Nearly a month from today will mark the return of America’s — and maybe the world’s — most important auto show. Thirty-six all-new vehicles are set to debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, according to the Detroit Free Press.

After a two-year hiatus, Nissan and Infiniti will be at the show. At the same time, Suzuki, Land Rover and Jaguar will be leaving.

New vehicles at the show will include the 2013 Toyota Prius C, which will be the most fuel-efficient and most affordable Toyota hybrid available, according to the automaker.

Cars.com Podcast: 2011 Toyota Prius, 2011 Subaru Tribeca, 2011 Smart ForTwo

Join editors Joe Wiesenfelder, Bill Jackson and Joe Bruzek as they discuss three very different vehicles. The most popular hybrid ever, the Toyota Prius, remains alluring, while the editors discuss the merits of the largest Subaru, the Tribeca, and the smallest car on the market, the Smart ForTwo.

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What Does This Button Do?

At first glance, the button under the Smart ForTwo’s stereo controls looks like it could be similar to the Toyota 4Runner’s Party Mode. On the button, there’s an outline of the car and some sort of sound waves blasting inside. In the Toyota, Party Mode dials up the stereo’s bass and sends audio to the rear for tailgating. Closer inspection of the Smart’s button reveals an upside-down question mark and “Off” functionality, hinting that it has nothing to do with the stereo system.

2011 Smart ForTwo Video

The Smart Fortwo has been on the market for a few years now and remains one of the cheapest and most fuel-efficient options available. Despite those winning qualities, this small city-car is hard to recommend for anyone, according to Cars.com editor Bill Jackson. Are there any redeeming qualities?

Cars.com Reviews the 2011 Smart ForTwo

The Smart ForTwo debuted in 2008 to a U.S. population beset by record-high gas prices. At 33/41 mpg city/highway, the ForTwo had the best gas mileage of any gasoline-only vehicle. Today, those high gas prices have returned. Is the ForTwo still a “smart” choice, especially with the new crop of 40-mpg compacts? Read Cars.com editor Bill Jackson’s review to find out.

2011 Smart ForTwo review

Smart ForTwo Electric Available for $599 Lease Now, Purchase in 2012

While Nissan, Chevrolet and Tesla get most of the attention in the electric-vehicle arena, there’s another, often forgotten, entry available nationally right now: the Smart ForTwo Electric. You probably haven’t heard about the model due to its limited availability, its lease-only policy and mostly because of its recent business problems with the brand in the U.S.

Still, if the pint-sized electric car tickles your fancy, you can lease one for $599 a month with $2,500 due at signing for the EV coupe, according to Smart spokesman Rick Bourgoise. The lease is good for four years or 40,000 miles. That's a long time to be tied to a new technology. A cabriolet model is available for $649 a month.

Smart to Shut Down 21 Dealerships, Transition to Mercedes

The little brand that could — and more recently couldn’t — has been curtailed by its parents. Today, Mercedes-Benz announced it will reabsorb the Smart brand in the U.S. from Penske Automotive Group, the company that launched it in the U.S. in 2006.

The Smart dealerships will close at Penske’s expense. These are only stand-alone Smart dealers or franchises that do not also have a Mercedes store attached.
 
Smart will be integrated into Mercedes’ U.S. business in a move the company says isn’t because of a loss of sales momentum. Instead, the company says it needs the small Smart ForTwo and its 36 mpg combined EPA rating to tackle future CAFE ratings and to save costs overall.

We expect ForTwo to continue in its current form, and current owners will be able to have it serviced at the 58 remaining dealers. There’s no word if other Mercedes dealers will be able to service them.

Mercedes to take over Smart distribution from Penske (Automotive News)

How Not to Park a Smart ForTwo

When the Smart ForTwo was introduced to us, we saw a few photos like the one above. The difference was that the photos we were shown were mocking in tone and were supposed to illustrate the size of the tiny city car. You actually weren’t supposed to park like this.

But wouldn’t you know it, some poor Chicagoan was so fed up with circling the block that he or she just backed right in perpendicular to the curb. Check out another shot of the parking job — which is right outside our offices in downtown Chicago — below.

Smart, Nissan Team Up for New Subcompact

Smart USA and Nissan Motors signed a agreement today that will bring a new Smart car to the U.S. starting in 2011.

The agreement will give Smart a five-door, gasoline-powered, subcompact hatchback, which means the car will be larger than the Smart ForTwo or around the size of a Toyota Yaris or Ford Fiesta five-door hatchback. The car is said to go on sale sometime in the next 12 to 14 months.

Smart, eager to show it still has a future in this country, also provided photos of the yet-unnamed subcompact. The car looks similar to the Nissan March/Micra, a subcompact sold in Europe and Asia, but Smart styling cues appear up front and in the rear, including unique headlamps, taillamps, grille and front and rear bumpers.

This wouldn’t be Smart’s first five-door hatch, either. The company had a product called the ForFour in Europe – this new Smart could be the revival of that nameplate.

Smart’s ForTwo hasn’t taken off with American consumers. The company has sold only 3,909 in the U.S. in 2010, a 60.9% drop from 2009’s already abysmal numbers. Smart sales peaked in 2008 at 24,622.

Check out the two pictures Smart released below for a closer look.

Trucks and SUVs Cheaper to Insure

When involved in a crash, some vehicles are simply less costly to fix, and the affordability of those fixes is a strong factor in how much it will cost to insure a vehicle. Trucks and SUVs tend to have an edge, according to a government report that tallies losses of insured vehicles for 2007-2009.

For instance, a Mercury Mariner is 59% cheaper to insure than the average vehicle, while the Chevy Traverse is 57% cheaper, making them the insurance champs of this report (although the Ford Econoline van is actually the top vehicle at 61% cheaper).

Ford is touting the list because it has a number of vehicles toward the top. Ford Vice President Frederieck Toney attributed this strong showing to Ford’s engineering prowess, saying in a statement, “We design our vehicles to be easier and more affordable to repair.”

The only car to make the list was the Smart ForTwo, which was 52% cheaper to insure than average.

Other notable vehicles include the Ford Escape (50% cheaper to insure than average), Jeep Wrangler (53%), GMC Acadia (47%), Ram 1500 (45%), Ford F-150 Supercab (44%), Kia Sorento (44%), Dodge Grand Caravan (40%) and Ford F-250 (40%).

Trucks Dominate List of Cheapest Vehicles to Insure (DriveOn)