Axlegrease: Don, what do you know about the new Smart car? Think it will catch on?

Don Hammonds: Yes, I do know about the Smart. It's a cute, economical, fun to drive small car that's smaller than most of our compact cars. DaimlerChrysler has been debating for some time whether to bring the car to the U.S., from Europe, where it is extremely popular. My issue is that I don't know if it will sell well here. Unlike Europe where there are very narrow streets and crowded city areas, the U.S. has wi8de open highways and broad streets, where more power than is currently supplied by the Smart maybe needed. Plus I think people are just hesitant to drive smaller cars than what we already have. I do wish Smart well and hope they make it!

Carman: where can i get the best mileage figures for cars?

Don Hammonds: Try the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency which publishes its gas mileage figures regularly. But because their way of calculating mileage is outdated and is about to be replaced, I would take any figures from the EPA with a grain of salt. A better choice would be Consumer Reports, which uses more realistic road conditions to do its measurements.

Axlegrease: Thanks for the Smart answer! are there any very small cars that you would recommend?

Don Hammonds: H'mm! Depends upon what you consider to be small. But my favorites among the small cars here include the Hyundai Accent, which is peppy, has a lovely interior and a wonderful warranty, the Mini Cooper which is economical, a blast to drive, and can be personalized a lot; the Dodge Caliber, which has a lot of personality, goes its own way on styling, and has a lot of cool accessories available with it; the Mazda3, which is sporty, aggressive looking, and well turned out inside; and the new Toyota Yaris, which is "way cool" with its airy, bright interior, snappy exterior, terrific gas mileage, and has Toyota quality, too.

joe: don, do 4 cylinder engines always get better mileage than sixes? or are sixes better sometimes?

Don Hammonds: Not always! A lot depends upon the age of the technology of the engine, its displacement, the overall weight of the car and a host of other considerations. A V-6 that has displacement management-- a system in which some cylinders shut down temporarily when they aren't needed for power or passing--probably gets as good mileage as a four.

Don Hammonds: Thanks to everyone who joined us today for the chat line. I will talk to all of you next Thursday at the same time, 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. Have a great holiday weekend! Don