Tag: cars

So SMART!

One of the biggest (and most favorite) perks of Ed’s job is his opportunity to bring home lots of different cars to test and drive. He has long anticipated the arrival of Smart cars in the U.S. and FINALLY – he got to bring one home yesterday to test! Carrie has always been terrified of the idea of him driving around in one – afterall, we live near Orange County, motherland to the SUV. It’s not too tough to imagine him being plowed by a giant Expedition on the road! Fortunately, we found it wasn’t quite as scary as she thought it to be, and we had a lot of fun driving it around.


It’s almost comical to see how short it is. You can fit two Smarts in one space!



Big bonus points for the groovy interior. (Ed’s fave color is orange, how much more perfect could it be?)



We each got a chance to drive it!



At home in it’s urban environment!

We got so much attention driving it – there were lots of stares and “What the …???” as we drove by folks on the road! It definitely seems as though it’s from another planet.

Overall, Ed’s review is that it’s definitely not a car for everyone – it’s a little too quirky to drive (tiny size, jerky transmission, really slow), and it just won’t do if you ever need to carry people or cargo. However, because of its very clever packaging and use of space, it feels very large inside – there is tons of headroom and legroom, and the seats are actually staggered to maximize shoulder room in this very narrow car. But as a fashion statement, the Smart can’t be beat!

Pretty Smart!

Ed’s loved the little Smart car that’s been available in Europe for years and has been extremely excited about the Smart finally coming to the US soon. Anyways, the day draws nearer and they’ve set up a temporary space in Venice that showcases the car in this amazing modern house on Abbot Kinney. We don’t know what blew us away more…the house or the car!


The Smart House is located at 1319 Abbot-Kinney. It’s three stories, very modern and very open. There was a Smart downstairs (and ones you could actually drive out in back…more on that later). We were both dying over the honeycomb screen and chairs.

The next two floors included the main living room and kitchen, as well as additional chill areas. All in white!

And finally, the best looking espresso machine ever…

The space is being used as a Smart art gallery as well. Lots of cool and witty pieces, mostly Smart related.

However – on to the car itself. It’s tiny and meant for really congested urban areas. You see them everywhere in European cities. It’s no “toy” car though…Smart is a sub-brand of Mercedes-Benz and is meant to survive crashes as well as any normal-sized car. Anyways, it was smart (knee slapper, we know) to locate this temporary Smart space in Venice on Abbot Kinney…one of the most congested and hip areas of LA.

The Smart is not only efficient (averages well over 40mpg), but it’s a very fashionable and stylish little piece, with body panels that are removable should you want to change colors on a whim. And inside, you’re met with cool shapes and fabric patterns, and it’s huge given the tiny exterior. Basically, this is a car as a fashion accessory as much as it’s a mode of transportation.

Driving it shows it’s a real car…it doesn’t feel unsafe and in fact feels particularly solid. Here’s Ed about to take it for a spin.

Anyways, we hope this car does well. We like everything the car stands for – the efficiency, frugality, and high style. Heck, it’s the only car that has a permanent place in MoMA’s collection for its design! And props to the Smart House too – the presentation of it all totally successfully communicated the Smart “lifestyle”. For more modern greatness, see the pics here.

And, another draw is you might even have a celebrity sighting while you’re there like we did…Jessica Biel was there today checking out the Smart House with a few sidekicks. Go check it out!


Fun in your own backyard


What a Saturday it was for us – our dear friends Kristen and Steve got married and of course that meant it was a big day. Today was therefore a perfect day for a chill day of experiencing the unfamiliar familiar.

After all, with a sweet new test car from work (and therefore free gas – thank god since we recorded an abysmal 14 mpg for the trip – YOW!), why not? We present the 2007 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited! Ed has loved these since they came out and today was a perfect day for some top down cruisin’ down PCH!

Yes, we’ve lived here all our lives and have been down this road before, but it’s been a loooong time and we’ve never done this drive together. But you know, rediscovering something familiar IS a lot of fun. Especially when you’re experiencing it together for the first time. We started our mini road trip at Bolsa Chica and just headed on south, taking in the scenery. Southern California beaches really are beautiful and for all the griping about real estate prices and the cost of living, well…we guess this is why!


We think we’ve broken down what each of the major beach areas represent. Huntington is a pretty laid back surfer town, albeit with a lot of tourists. Newport is incredibly wealthy – lots of orange skinned long blonde haired middle aged ladies with shih-tzus and leopard print pants driving Escalades. Laguna is genuinely pretty, with a borderline bohemian feel in parts. Dana Point is just kinda there, and finally San Clemente (which was actually new for both of us) was really nice, with a nice pier, a good restaurant on the pier, and a lively yet relaxed atmosphere. For all the talk of Orange County’s homogeneity, we certainly saw a lot of different faces of OC beach life.

Anyways, it was the perfect summer day in the perfect summer car. Proof that you don’t have to always travel far to experience something new! It’s often all about the context.