Final Score: Six Point Buck 0 and Smart Car 1

[user 2027]

So after the downsizing on Halloween I picked a new gig 2 weeks ago. Great company and great folks. My commute is 50 miles a day so I figure it was time to give up the Caddy (100k miles) and get a commuter car. Smart Car from Mercedes is perfect for my commute and the price made it a simple decision. Fun car to drive around and yes, nobody believed I went from a Caddy to a Smart Car. I guess I'm just a practical guy.

So last Friday I got a Smart Car. Advertised as 35/45mpg city/hwy. Basically a roll cage with an engine. Here is the picture on Saturday morning.

Saturday evening I'm in the right hand lane and six point buck is at a full run to cross the 5 lanes of traffic (which there was plenty of vehicles on the road) and his head connected just below the windshield and his body whipped around and hit the driver side door. Scared the hell out of me.

Called the insurance number, took a picture of the buck, then called my wife. After I talked with her I pulled out the broken bits of headlight. I look up and a Honda had stopped, loaded up the buck in the trunk and drove off. Welcome to the south!

Here is how the car held up after the strike in less then 30 hours after owning the car.

So watch out for the fuzzy buddies that don't carry any insurance or brains for that matter!

 

[SteveS]

speaking as someone who has hit a deer on the highway, I've gotta tell you that you and the Smart Car came out really well ... that car must be even smarter than you first thought ...

 

[monbla256]

Just shows that Mercedes makes GOOD cars !! It looks better than others I've seen that have hit deer ! Was it in season up your way ? :twisted: 

 

[Brewdude]

Damn! You came out of that pretty good Geoff!

:shock: 



Cheers,

RR

 

[gravel]

Wow.

Aside from that, how does it feel to drive a MicroMachine?

 

[rothnh]

Well, beats hitting a moose.

Some years ago, my driver did indeed hit a moose on I-95. Upon contact, the moose flew up in the air and landed on the limousine's hood, shattered the windshield, then pooped all over the driver and the front seat. The smell was awful, but luckily no one (except the moose) was hurt, though the excrement covered the driver and the entire front seating area. It made for an interesting morning.

 

[SteveS]

One of the greatest dangers in hitting a large animal such as a moose is that the animals tend to 'rear' and come down hoofs first, often 'spearing' the driver and/or front seat passengers ... the daughter of a friend of mine became a widow on her honeymoon in just such an encounter ... being pooped on by a mortally stricken moose, as unpleasant as it no doubt was, sure is to be preferred to being killed by the animal ...

 

[Briar Spirit]

Good lord, very very pleased you weren't injured, close call or what, WOW, the car doesn't look like it hit a deer at all, amazing or what, good choice on commuter car by the way and it's a Merc', say no more eh. :cheers: :sunny: :cheers: 

 

[Fr_Tom]

This ended a lot better than it could have. I am glad you were not hurt. The deer went to feed the hungry.

 

[user 2027]

Yeah if I was in the Caddy it probably would have rolled over the hood and gone through the windshield, totaling the car and likely injuring me in the process. I am pretty lucky.

I like the Smart Car. Acceleration is not like the V8 Northstar but that is not why I got it. It is a pretty fun car. I take the backroads to work (25 miles each way) and average about 44MPG. It is pretty roomy in the car and even with my long legs I move the seat up. The seat is fairly comfortable. Did jump on the highway and took it up to 70 MPH and you can feel the cross wind push the car. Don't plan on being on the highway very much in this car.

I did a lease on the Passion model which comes with power everything and moon roof with 20k a year miles and it still less then $200 a month. It is a pretty good deal if you need a commuter car.

 

[pepesdad1]

Damn, you were lucky.

How does the car handle, even with the cross winds taken into account?  Being an MB I would expect great, but in that small a car.....  I have a C-280 and it is fantastic to drive, particularly on curvy roads.

 

[AJ]

Glad the damage was slight in comparison to the usual results of such meetings. Very glad you were uninjured. Take care my friend and drive carefully.  

AJ

 

[huffelpuff]

Glad so little damage was done! Stay safe in your travels Geoff.

Jim

 

[user 2027]

pepesdad1,

Only had it on the highway once but the car seems to handle fine. All the weight is on the bottom. I have it back at MB to fix it back up.

Cheers,

-g

 

[user 2027]

You won't believe this . . .

My son called last night and I had to go get him. He hit a deer with our other car. I totally disabled the Camry. Son is alright but the car is now towed to the same place that is currently fixing the Smart Car.

I hate deer . . .

 

[pepesdad1]

Damn...who did you piss off in the wildlife world?

 

[user 2027]

I never hunted but I'm now considering that as a hobby.

 

[plumbernater]

Ill let you borrow a rifle. Its alot cheaper to hunt deer with a gun instead of a car. And you didnt even get the meat. What a shame :roll: 

 

[KevinM]

Suicidal deer, I suppose. Last week, one I-84 exit East of me, a woman was cruising along at 1:00 a.m. when a fully grown black bear decided to cross the road in front of her. She ended up in the hosp., the car on its roof in the median and the bear is probably being turned into a rug. There's a nice little fly-fishing stream up there, and I've noticed quite large tracks on the banks. Most people wouldn't think of CT as big wildlife territory, but the combo of big critters plus lots of high-speed highways makes for dramatic encounters.

 

[user 2027]

Yeah I use to live CT. We had all kinds of critters in the back woods. Don't recall black bears but I was down by the coast.

Twice in 2 weeks has be totally paranoid driving at night now.