"Don White" wrote in message
...

"Larry" wrote in message
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"Canuck57" wrote in news:IQOkk.50593$nD.27486
@pd7urf1no:

At least if I buy a Tata Nano for $4000 I know I am getting a cheap car.



Dave, do they have Nanos in Canada, yet?

I'm seriously considering flying to Canada to buy a Smart ForTwo DIESEL
they won't sell me in South Carolina. I found out I can import it as it
is
on the EPA list of excluded cars way back to 2004 Smart Cars so bringing
it
home isn't a problem.

They sure don't lose their value very much. Used 2005 Smart Diesels are
$CN12000 in Toronto.



A storey you may find interesting...
http://www.wheels.ca/article/29504

Amazing how they picked just past mid-summer for that PR test. Right after
seasonal road repairs and ideal driving conditions.

Now how about they try that say on January 10th. Bet it will not be so
easy. Say north shore of Superior, 1-6" of snow every other day at -10C.
Maybe hit a deer in NW Ontario. Or perhaps the -35C with blowing snow of
Manitoba. Get a slight break in SK as -15C is more typical. Get to Calgary
in time for a chinook inversion and get 1 good day before a storm. Rogers
pass, will be fun when you hit the 8" pothole followed with 4" of pack ice.
Then down hill to Vancouver if the axles are not broken.

As a second summer time car though, I bet they are neat. But here are the
economics. I only need one good vehicle. A vehicle depreciates
conservatively at a rate of $3,000 per year. I can't drive 2 at once. If I
have 2 vehicles, I would have to *save* at least $3000 in fuel for it to be
economical. That is 30 tanks! I don't use that much in a year total.

And 30 tanks, I could drive coast to coast easily and pull a boat with 5
passengers. A/C works too.

So, I keep my F150 V8. Works all year for all my needs. Even at -30C it
gets warm enough the inside is habitable. No space problems for 4 flats of
24 beer, fishing gear, hauls a boat and if I drop by Costco and see a fridge
or TV that works I just flip it into the back. Or a load of firewood for
the fireplace. Got me through that ugly December snow storm last winter
from a Montana/Alberta sneak snow storm.

They be fair weather cars. Seen them here, May through October.