r/mildlyinteresting • u/Rekno2005 • 9h ago
This person on my street who owns (at least) 4 smart cars
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u/Short-Display-1659 9h ago
Perhaps they have 4 driving age kids. And bought them all the same vehicle.
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u/iAMbatman77 9h ago
Would have been sweet to paint them pac-man colors - like 3 ghost colors and one yellow.
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u/Slartibartfastthe2nd 9h ago
but then they would have to play IRL pac-man driving around the neighborhood streets, but without the power ups that let the pac-man just eat the ghosts.
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u/QuantumCakeIsALie 9h ago
Stop selling it to me
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u/Elegant_Situation285 7h ago
but now you gotta get a paintjob for that pickup. yellow with teeth on the front fenders.
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u/capincus 8h ago
We used to play car manhunt when I was in high school (because we sucked at naming things), where 1 car would drive to a hiding spot anywhere in town and give however many other cars clues to drive around until they were found.
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u/granny-long-dick 7h ago
We played something similar at our local mall when I was a teen. We would text a cryptic clue in the form of a storefront/kiosk we could see. The hunters would have to sneak up on those that were hiding and touch them, then We would switch who was hunting and who was hiding. It was basicslly hide and go seek tag but running was not allowed, because we didn't want to be those obnoxious teens causing a disturbance by sprinting through the mall. The fastest you could move was a speed walk.
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u/lhswr2014 8h ago
Sounds fun and much safer than the car tag we used to play… we’d actually (very gently) bump each other, no reverse bumps allowed, all around town. No tagging on major roads, only side streets. But my friend group all had old beaters so it was just some moderately unsafe teenage shenanigans.
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u/capincus 8h ago
No we only ever unintentionally hit each other's cars.
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u/Slartibartfastthe2nd 7h ago
That's hilarious. My best story was that I met a girl once, who I ended up dating for a while, by driving through the McDonalds drive through in reverse because it seemed like 'fun' at the time. I guess it worked out! The girl I met was in the car behind me (or in front since I was backwards) laughing hysterically.
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u/DigitalDeath12 7h ago
We found places to jump with our trucks. And I got ballsy and diced I’d power slide a lifted ranger towards my friends. They were right to be pissed, I could’ve killed them. They were mad about the mud though, I don’t think they realized how close I came to rolling the truck. I had plenty of practice on our property and would drive around trying different stuff like that. I even climbed a tree once! I never once tried doing any of it fast until that day.
I’m pretty sick right now but this nostalgia has me feeling a little better, and a little younger. Now if I move my body I know that’s gonna change!
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u/lhswr2014 6h ago
Ehh what’s a few “almost deaths” between friends? My buddy used to take us down dirt roads in his danger ranger almost every weekend and it’d be strange if we didn’t end up in a ditch by the end of it lol.
It’s fun to laugh and cringe at now, but fuck were we dumb and irresponsible.
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u/LostInDinosaurWorld 7h ago
And occasionally throw some cherries on the road, for the yellow car to never get them.
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u/LaytMovies 9h ago
Really callout which kid is your favorite
"Sorry Blinky, I mean Timmy, you cant go out Friday night"
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u/ILikeLenexa 8h ago
They did it with mini coopers in the movie.
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u/micande 8h ago
I went to high school with a couple of kids whose family bought five Ford Fiestas for everyone in the family to drive. I think they had a family van for when they needed to go somewhere together, but for all other times it was Fiesta time. I remember the older one I knew sometimes had the red one, sometimes the white one - it depended on who left first in the morning.
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u/LargePrompt5840 6h ago
Ford Fiesta with a five speed was my favorite car. Never had an issue with it.
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u/searching88 3h ago
As opposed to the fiesta with the DCT , the worst transmission ever made and recalled numerous times.
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u/BickNlinko 4h ago
That's like a straight up cheaper by the dozen situation. I can imagine the Ford dealer probably gave them a pretty good deal on the five Fiestas.
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u/johnnybgooderer 9h ago
“1 4-pack of smart cars please!”
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u/MrsAnthropy 8h ago
I think I saw that at Costco last week.
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u/tilt-a-whirly-gig 8h ago
I promised myself this was going to be the trip I didn't buy anything I didn't plan to. But I caved and got a box of whatever those samples in the last aisle were, so we've already broken the rule.
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u/jaxgolfguy 9h ago
This is what we did for our kids. Plus side it make diagnosing issues easier if the other car has already had a similar issue
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u/murrtrip 8h ago
We had 5 Dodge Omnis/Plymouth Horizons growing up. One became the donor car to keep the others running or when one of us teenagers would need a new door or bumper.
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u/Rambozo77 8h ago
At least you won’t have to worry about the boys getting anyone pregnant.
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u/Longjumping-Weird374 8h ago
My neighbor has three Honda accords. I asked if he’s going to buy a fourth one for his youngest, who recently turned 16.
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u/Tigerkix 7h ago
You can find some good deals for smart cars now, in many cases the cars themselves are cheaper than the sum of the parts. This person could be buying a bunch of smart cars for parts.
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u/Dracongield-Wyrmscar 8h ago
One more and they can form Voltron.
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u/user-unknown-404 7h ago
What you mean? The truck is obviously the body and head while the smart cars are the limbs.
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u/MrZaptile933 9h ago
And somehow they still can’t fit it in their garage, unless there are more smart cars in there
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u/Rekno2005 9h ago
That's why I said "at least" haha. There might be more. That truck could be 3 smart cars in a trench coat.
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u/Over_Cod8525 6h ago
I thought, "What does he mean at least," and then read this, and was like, "I don't know how long he was waiting to make a 'the truck is 3 smart cars in a trench coat' joke to justify his original statement but I gotta say, it 100% paid off.
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u/Dattinator 6h ago
Garages aren’t for cars, silly. It’s for hoarding old stuff and holiday decorations.
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u/Earl-The-Badger 7h ago
A lot of people prefer to park their cars in the driveway and use the garage for many other purposes.
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u/Fantastic-Dance-5250 8h ago
Do you live in a touristy area or a big city? I bet they rent them out on Turo or something like that.
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u/LearningSomeCode 6h ago
Either that or they have kids, and each kid got a smart car as their starter vehicle.
Either way, that parking job is really satisfying.
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u/TheUnspeakableh 9h ago
The batteries keep dying and it's like printers. It's cheaper to buy a new one than fix the broken one. (/s, I hope)
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u/gothicgaybimbo 6h ago
those old smart cars aren’t electric, they have a 3 cylinder gas motor and are rear wheel drive. i’ve seen people turn them into pretty sweet little budget hotrod, without the abysmal gas mileage
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u/Narwahl_Whisperer 5h ago
I saw a hayabusa swapped one on youtube.
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u/NeverDiddled 4h ago
A video of a Hayabusa Smart doing donuts has lived rent free in my head for 15 years.
A common problem with those engine swaps is that frame gets bent from the horsepower. I love that the Smart car barely sold in the US, yet is wildly popular with the aftermarket performance crowd.
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u/Bad_Day_Moose 5h ago
saw that video two, bet... it didn't last long, that thing was fire.
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u/aw000000000000 7h ago
We had them in Minnesota as a drive share program. Everyone kept tipping them over, and they closed down. I think they were selling for $2k a piece. I debated buying a couple. Street legal go kart!
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u/HelpfulPerson4914 6h ago
Smart is owned by Mercedes and uses a stupid 3 cylinder engine. I think they're a pain to repair.
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u/Llohr 3h ago
How hard can they be to work on? You don't even need a lift, just tip it over!
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u/OlliHF 9h ago
I can't articulate why I want one so bad. I bought a pickup truck because I used my crossover to do truck things. But I'd give serious thought to trading it for a smart car
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u/Gchewy91 9h ago
lol a while back I had to put my truck in for front end work and borrowed my builders smart car and it was honestly a lot of fucking fun to drive around in. I could park everywhere and anywhere lol
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u/windexfresh 8h ago
A friend from high-school had one and it was a blast lmao. The guys in our group would sometimes just pick it up and move it to fuck with her 😂
Also you can fit an ungodly amount of people in oen if you're really determined and everyone's friendly lol. It was an actual clown car sometimes
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u/Gchewy91 8h ago
Oh man hahaha, they’re honestly great little cars, ridiculously cheap on fuel and if didn’t need a truck I’d be bombing around in one of those bad boys with the rag tops lol
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u/HermioneJGranger6 8h ago
I have a car that's not a smart car, but isn't much bigger than one. Parking that thing is great, because I can literally find the tiniest spot ever, and just turn right into it. I borrowed my mom's much bigger vehicle a few weeks ago for a trip, and while I loved it in some ways, I hated having to find parking for it. It felt massive, even though it's really a fairly typical SUV. When I eventually have to get rid of my little car and get a different one permanently, it's gonna be quite an adjustment, I'm sure, lol
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u/Gchewy91 7h ago
Oh dude, I would love to downsize eventually. I swear I’d never take parking small vehicles for granted again lol I will miss the height that the truck sits at but I’ll be fine without it lol
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u/SacrificeFlyGirl 4h ago
Is it a Honda Fit? Because that thing was my favorite car I ever drove. I would have kept it if it had just a little more power.
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u/Bad_Day_Moose 5h ago
favourite thing about them... My buddy never parallel parked, he'd just pull into it.. I found it hilarious lmao..
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u/ariesbitchclub 7h ago
someone i went to high school with had a smart car and while the student parking lot was usually a nightmare he could always find a parking spot
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u/tomsawing 9h ago
Have you looked up prices? They’re really cheap used (and not sold new if you’re in the US anyway) so you might be able to live both your dreams.
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u/Organic_Rough4433 9h ago
Carvana tryna sell 2019s for like 14 or 15k. Fuck that shit.
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u/TheDakestTimeline 8h ago
I only sell cars to Carvana, wouldn't dream of buying one
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u/ILikeLenexa 8h ago
They've always been more expensive than more reasonable cars here and they get pretty bad gas mileage considering their size.
Also, repairing them at this point is pretty hard.
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u/thejesterofdarkness 6h ago
Bad mileage? I got an '08 last month and I've been getting 30-35 mpg with mixed driving.
(Mixed cuz my drive to work is traffic heavy/lots of stoplights but all green lights & empty roads on the way home plus cooler temps at night.)
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u/ILikeLenexa 6h ago
for its size. This is the same mpg as a 2009 Mazda 3 which is significantly larger and cheaper.
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u/generic-username-100 5h ago
For comparison my ‘10 Toyota Yaris gets 35-45 mpg on regular gasoline, compared to a smart car that is meant to run premium.
Where I am 35mpg on premium is equivalent to 29mpg on regular gas price wise
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u/cavortingwebeasties 5h ago
My Prius gets 40-60 and I can put a refrigerator in it and carry 10 foot long shit from the hardware store.
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u/mysteriousfiggy 9h ago
In a country made to cater to massive vehicles everywhere it's so much less stressful driving a small vehicle. You basically have 1.5-2 lanes of width everywhere you drive and parking is a breeze even in busy crowded areas. If people can't stay in their lane you can just stay towards the opposite side of your lane and not worry about it. These things are surprisingly safe in crashes too for how tiny they are
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u/trowzerss 8h ago
I wish manufacturers would make more cars like this! I don't want a giant car. 99% of the time it will be driving a single person around a small town and carrying no more than groceries, there is no need for a fucking SUV sized sedan!
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u/throwaway098764567 8h ago
surprisingly roomy as well. had a friend with one, he was over 6' and his wife was close to it, they both liked it better than their other vehicles because they fit in it better. he got it because he had a long commute and his truck was costing an arm and a leg. his favorite new hobby became passing trucks because most of the time they'd get riled and have to pass him back.
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u/windraver 7h ago
I drive a 500e and it fits everywhere. Small cars are so much more fun and so easy to park.
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u/Vice4Life 9h ago
If you do choose to get one, make sure a mechanic you trust is willing to work on it. Mercedes won't service them after 2030 in the US.
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u/Adventurous-Bug671 8h ago
for a second I was like "well thats like 10 years away, that could be worse i guess"
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u/NFSAVI 9h ago
Not sure if they are all like this or just the one that I did but servicing the engine is super easy. It's just right under the trunk and you can reach everything pretty easy. Probably the 2nd easiest car I ever did when I was working at a quick lube shop
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u/Vice4Life 9h ago
Yeah, really not terribly difficult to do anything. But aging German cars and their needs.
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u/aaaantoine 8h ago
Former Smart owner of 10 years. It's the halo effect. There's no practical reason to own one unless you want to park in really tight spaces. The other main thing people might expect out of it is fuel economy. Efficiency is okay but not as not as good as you'd expect for the size of the car; on top of that it is minimum 91 octane.
Overall, it was an awful car and I loved it.
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u/Yarusenai 9h ago
I drove two of these when I was still living in Germany for years (and then the four seater which was really nice too) and they're great cars. Small, fit into every parking spot ever, good gas mileage. Only downside is the very limited space of course but if you're only ever driving alone, they're fantastic.
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u/Complex-Royal9210 8h ago
Just get one and keep it in the back of the truck for when you feel like driving it!
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u/Three_Twenty-Three 8h ago
You need to meet my neighbors. They have one that they use like a pickup. I don't know if they're freegans, upcyclers, thrifters, hoarders, or what, but their Smart car regularly has the whole back end full of cardboard boxes, furniture, and all kinds of stuff. The hatchback is open but tied down, and stuff is hanging out the back.
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u/dthnathda 8h ago
I can articulate that for you. You can park em anywhere, you get a constant wtf look from other people (especially when you're passing them at 80mph), you get to be that annoying prick that parks right up the front of a spot in a busy carpark so people get hopeful before they see it, and if you're creative you can fit a decent amount in - like when I brought home a six burner grill in the passenger seat, you could fit more if you get the cabriolet and throw the roof down.
Been running one as my daily for five years now, it's noisy and the automated gearbox SUCKS but I love it.
Also; it's German, two doors, two seats, rear engine, rwd, (technically) manual transmission, staggered wheel fitment, and -2 degrees camber from factory in the rear wheels. It's basically a Porsche
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u/zackthirteen 9h ago
They’re a Mercedes Benz product, they depreciate like week old produce. you could get one for next to nothing compared to msrp. Live the dream!
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u/VapeRizzler 9h ago
They’re honestly so fun, my friend had one and she let me drive it. My god it’s like a little go cart that’s street legal.
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u/AerialApeRiffs 8h ago
I remember driving one for work years ago. Sometimes I'd drive it at 140 km/hr on the highway super late at night, and it felt like it will break apart comically at any minute.
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u/WalkerIsTheBest 8h ago
My wife and I added a Scion iQ which is slightly larger than a smart car (10”) I think. For years we shared my Tacoma but now we use the iQ for all errands around town. We love it. Highly recommend
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u/BlgMastic 5h ago
Love my iq! been driving it for 10 years and 200k with only a new set of breaks wish I could drive it for the rest of my life. I even have a trailer for it looks absolutely ridiculous but it’s awesome.
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u/Useful-Rooster-1901 8h ago
at least 2 people in my area have suzuki mini kei trucks - every time i see them i crack up but they must work well
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u/nocolon 9h ago
My two cars are enormous (dodge challenger, grand cherokee), but man I’d love one of these. To me it’s the four wheeled equivalent of owning a powerful motorcycle and also a 50cc scooter. Sometimes you just want to bop around with some dumb little thing that gets crazy gas mileage.
Also driving around town would be a hell of a lot easier. And cheaper.
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u/soniclettuce 3h ago
gets crazy gas mileage.
Their mileage was good for the time but isn't really "competitive" these days. It's like, 34-38 mpg and takes premium gas. A modern hybrid sedan will get like 48-54 and won't feel like it's going to tip over taking off-ramps. It would be neat to see an updated modern version. You'd hope the same kind of idea could get like 60-70 mpg as like a micro plug-in hybrid or something...
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u/windraver 7h ago
Have you heard about the Telo truck? It's the length of a mini Cooper but has a full truck bed. I'm on preorder for it because I want a truck that fits in my garage. Into small cars in general but I need a truck to haul.
They're still pre- production so my fingers are cross.
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u/EhMapleMoose 9h ago
I like smart cars, but I drive on the highway way too often to actually own one. I was already sketched out driving a Corolla 110 in the rain beside a tractor trailer
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u/1BreadBoi 8h ago
Idk I'd be sketched our driving any car 110 in the rain.
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u/EhMapleMoose 8h ago
Sorry, Canadian. It’s about 68mph
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u/1BreadBoi 8h ago
Oh, I honestly thought you were referring to a model of Corolla (e110) and was just going for a joke.
I didn't even account for KPH.
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u/mkp666 8h ago
I thought they were talking about driving on the 110 freeway in Los Angeles, which also made perfect sense. I wouldn’t drive on that in the rain with no other vehicles.
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u/Atlas_sniper121 7h ago
Same. Never heard of a corolla 110 but it sounded like a reasonable name, even though atypical lol
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u/ajc89 7h ago
My friend had one almost 20 years ago. You could feel the car get blown toward the side of the road on the highway in normal wind 😅
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u/USDA_Prime_Yeet 7h ago
Don't. The transmission shifts like a 98 windows booting up. If it wasn't for the absolute disgusting transmission it wouldn't be terrible. But that transmission is a death trap.
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u/supershinythings 5h ago
A family friend’s husband is a retired police sergeant. I asked him how they do in wrecks. He said in accidents they bounce around like a billiard ball. He didn’t recommend them for highway safety.
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u/IAmGoingToFuckThat 4h ago
I drive mine on the freeway and it doesn't feel unsafe. I stay away from big truck and semis (don't ride right next to them, give plenty of room behind them), which I would do anyway, and I slow down in the rain or snow, which I would do anyway.
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u/EhMapleMoose 3h ago
I admire you for doing so, unfortunately the highway I use it’s impossible to not be near a semi
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u/Nermalgod 5h ago
They are freaking awesome in wrecks. You sit inside a steel roll cage. The engine is under and behind the seats so the weight is really low. I could cruise in snow and ice. I had a long commute and opted to lease a Smart car because the offset cost of gas for my truck covered the lease, the insurance, maintenance, and fuel cost for the smart car and after 3 years, I saved 50,000 miles of wear and tear on my expensive truck. I plowed into a group of deer one night running up and over a large 8-point buck. There was deer guts everywhere. It looked like someone filmed a slasher film on a highway. Total repair bill was $120. I'd take a Smart car over any sedan.
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u/KittensFirstAKM 9h ago
At least they do not have an F350 longbed blocking the sidewalk.
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u/RVelts 7h ago
I mean when your other car is a Smart Car, you can almost justify owning a basic pickup truck since if you need to haul something you really can't do it in the car. You couldn't even get a few 2x4's home from Home Depot
Or maybe pick up a Ferd FTeenThousand
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u/123123000123 9h ago
My dad had 4 pontiac fieros. One of the death traps was my daily driver in high school. He might be hoarder that’s only allowed to hoard weirdly… like my dad. I think he’s also undiagnosed autistic lol
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u/beetle-being-blue 5h ago
200 clowns live in the house and carpool in those 4 vehicles.
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u/oghore_macduffy 5h ago
Bought one for my daughter after she got her license. My rule for a young teenage driver was no more than 1 passenger. This fit the bill. It was black, so I bought her a set of Batman seat covers and the big yellow and black logo for the hood. Great car really never broke down.
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u/nebu1999 9h ago
They are the car version of Chihuahua dogs, there to protect the red truck.
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u/PlsNoOneFindMe 9h ago
Didn’t censor the house number or nothin
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u/Background-Mode-4036 9h ago
Oh wow house 4666. Really private info.
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u/kev_bot36 9h ago
You could see license plates too. Wouldn’t be too hard to sleuth if you really wanted to.
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u/pspahn 8h ago
Took about two minutes. Fairy Tail Drive, Kissimmee Florida.
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u/juliagenet 7h ago
Yep, with a quick google I have now seen the entire interior of their house on zillow.
I say this cause this is an issue that isnt taken srsly enough- not cause I am wanting to encourage surveillance. We are on a dark path of self surveillance it is insane, makes me wanna move to an island without wifi
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u/TheMisterTango 6h ago
People are way too flippant about sharing identifying information online, I’m not even that old and growing up we were always told not to share personal information online. People don’t realize how little info is actually needed to be able to pinpoint someone. It’s why I try to be as vague as possible when discussing details of my life online.
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u/CatsBatsandHats 9h ago
I hate that you can't live your life in peace without some twat taking a photo to get likes on the internet.
Leave people alone.
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u/Jordan-515 9h ago
I’d bet you the kind of guy who owns 4 smart cars would get a kick out of this post.
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u/CactusBoyScout 8h ago
There was a guy in my neighborhood as a kid who owned 4 1950s cars all in the exact same maroon color. He loved when people stopped by to ask about them.
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u/HydroCorgiGlass 9h ago
Yeah, and the least they could have done is blur the license plates and house numbers too
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u/Epistaxis 6h ago
Least they could have done but also the most they should have done. It's a photo taken from a public sidewalk with no attempt to reveal anything the owner isn't showing to the public. Just block a couple of irrelevant identifying details, without even trying to anticipate what kind of harm internet weirdos could do with them, and this is a perfect Mildly Interesting post.
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u/adamfps 9h ago
The fuck? This is indeed a mildly interesting.
I’ve never seen someone own two, let alone 4.
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u/coolmanjack 8h ago
Yeah I am completely baffled by these comments and the reaction to them. Thinking this is a problematic or a privacy violation is absolutely stupid
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u/coolmanjack 8h ago
This comment and the replies are absolutely baffling to me. Who could ever conceive of giving a shit about this or think it's a problem to neutrally point out how interesting it is that a person has 4 smart cars and take a pic. It's actually unbelievable
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u/Afterclock-Hours 7h ago
What is he gonna do with them? Make a sequel to Italian job but with smart cars?
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u/sk_latigre 5h ago
There's a dude fairly close to me that has Suzuki Samurais in his driveway and parked all around his corner house. Probably like 7 or 8 total
It's marvelous
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u/AliceLunar 7h ago
I don't know why we don't all just drive cars that size, just need some 4 seater version and it would suffice for the vast majority of people.
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u/fractiouscatburglar 9h ago
They had a 4-pack on sale at Costco.