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Smart Car - Test Drive Report
I drove a Smart Car today! :D
It was a snappy little ride, I liked it. I did not take any turns real fast, and no jackrabbit starts (okay maybe a little aggressive), but as a normal driver it was fine. Turns were not wobbly or tipsy; felt like a nibble small car, steering was light, I�d say right in between my Porsche and my Tracker. It's a car, not a golf cart. You know it's not a golf cart because there is no room for golf clubs. Full auto mode, worked just fine, although you never coast long in the car, as it will automatically down shift, but never abruptly. When switching to manual paddle shifter mode I kept forgetting to shift when the arrow on the dash went on. The instructor said you can keep driving it that way but when in manual mode it just will not go any faster unless you shift. It�s a smart car, will not let you over rev and hurt the engine. The lag in shifting was not annoying or even noticeable around the city blocks we drove. However on the closed street when driving back I had room to shift (speed shift/keeping on the gas) 1,2.........3 that last shift took forever, its no sports car - don't expect it to be. The 1.1L European version is what I test-drove, the American version is supposed to have a larger engine and faster shifting. The instructor said $14,000 including A/C and radio, but no dash dials those are extra. My car had the dash dials although I never looked at them, kept my eye on traffic and that stupid semi-invisible shift arrow. They need to add some color; black on gray does not work for me. Someone had asked about towing, supposedly some will come with a hitch so cyclist can cantilever their bikes (and maybe town something bulky but light). They had an engine running when I got in and an Anita Baker CD playing at low volume, plus the instructor�s walkie-talkie squawking loudly half the time. When I could hear the engine it sounded fine, don't know if they were intentionally masking it though. If you get a chance, drive one. http://s184.photobucket.com/albums/x295/kach22i/Smart%20Car/ I'm legal: http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...t%20Car/S1.jpg The car I drove: http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...t%20Car/S2.jpg Line up: http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...t%20Car/S3.jpg Line up 2: http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...t%20Car/S4.jpg Buck: http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...t%20Car/S5.jpg Other stuff at the Ann Arbor Art Fair: http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...t%20Car/S6.jpg |
George, how do think that car will handle longer distance cruising on the highway?
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Yup cool cars for city driving. I've rented them a few times in Europe. It's really all you need if your driving is mostly city driving.
The short wheelbase makes for an annoying ride on longer stretches though. |
Is it a Diesel ?
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I would like to see a crash test. Any info on that?
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There's one here in Wichita. Watching it drive in the midst of trucks and SUVs.........that takes balls. Better than a motorcycle, but only slightly. For a dense urban area, I can see how it would make a lot of sense.
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What is that, a Men in Black watch? Wow, blast from the past....
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A front crumple zone is a good thing. |
$14,000? Way too low.
They are $18,000 minimum here, and our dollar is roughly at par right now. They are totally practical for a second car, but totally overpriced. Try taking that car, and a passenger, then going grocery shopping for a family of four. Good luck, half the fuel consumption, but you have to make two trips to bring everything home. Try taking your son to a hockey game, with his equipment. They need to be priced about one-half where they are now to be practical/economical. At current prices you are better off buying a Yaris or a (insert small cheap foreign car name here) and running that into the ground. At leasy you get a back seat. |
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It was a gas engine, they are not bringing in the Diesel to the USA. Big mistake as the larger engined US version gets only 40 mpg. The electric conversion by that 3rd party in California still seems like the best deal to me. I'd like to drive one of those if I had the chance. |
If you are invovled in an accident, they will take you to the hospital to have it removed.
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My co-worker has one as a commuter car, so he drives his on the highway daily. 70 mph is normal.
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Not in Michigan, I don't care what the posted speed limit is. What's it like on the highway? |
Re: Smart Car - Test Drive Report
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+1 on the men in black comment :D as for highway/speed/stability.... who is the person that missed the point that this was a CITY CAR not a hwy gran tourer??? either way, it keeps up w/ hwy traffic just fine unless you're comparing it to an amg s class |
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As the driver of two manual shift cars I was lifting off the gas for the shifts during most of the drive (old habit). It was not until the last part of the run where I tried "power shifting" and it sucked at it. City car, even my Tracker is a city car with it's short wheelbase. The "Smart Girl" was "snappy" too (or is that perky?), she liked the watch and my man bag.;) This is real nice..............Brabus Smart. http://www.tuningblogger.de/2006/03/brabus-black-star-101.html http://www.tuningblogger.de/uploaded...Star_101_1.jpg http://www.tuningblogger.de/uploaded...Star_101_2.jpg |
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I saw quite a few on the autobahn in Germany, they seemed to be doing just fine. Drove one in Stuttgart, it was a fun drive.
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They have one of the best protected passenger cells of any car on the market. They over-engineered this like crazy - anticipating the safety concerns. It's a shame they are not bringing the diesel to the US. That's the motor to have. |
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