America Finally Starting to Buy Smarter Cars

             I was watching TV last night and came across a commercial that I found to be very interesting. The ad was selling the new eco-friendly Smart Car, a very tiny automobile that is quite popular in Europe, and has been for some time now. For example, when I traveled to Rome with my parents six years ago, the streets were filled with small cars, like the Smart Car and the Fiat (another type of small car). I was amazed because it was so radically different from all the SUVs, vans, and big sedans on American roads.

My family is definitely guilty of buying cars that are not the best for the environment. I’m not particularly proud of this, but we currently have two SUVs and one mini van. To be honest, I hate it because it seems like every time I go out, I have to fill up the car with gas! I can’t even begin to imagine the negative impact our cars have on the environment.

However, especially on the North Shore, I don’t think that my family is the only one with obnoxiously big cars. They’re all over the place in the U.S.! That’s why I was so surprised when I saw the Smart Car commercial on the TV.

I could tell that the company was trying to address the values that Americans have when it comes to buying cars. We tend to value big, powerful cars that make us feel safe. In the commercial, the narrator says that the Smart car comes with “eight airbags, a crash-management system, and the world’s only tridion safety cell, which can withstand over three and a half tons.” The narrator mainly focused on the safety aspects of the car, stressing that although the car is small compared to the typical American citizen’s car, it can still provide adequate safety for drivers.

Hopefully this commercial will help Americans realize that it is still possible to fulfill our car needs with a smaller, more environmentally - friendly car. Compared to five years ago when there were no Smart Cars in the U.S., we have come a long way. The U.S. car market has expanded and now includes Fiats and Smarts, which in unavailable in the U.S. until recently. We have made progress, but not enough. More Americans need to start considering smaller rides for their next cars.