smart car
 

anyone bought the smart car? any comments on it?

http://www.smartusa.com/

sister in law bought the top of the line one, 2 weeks ago.
Should have bought a Yaris IMHO.
Really bad ride, awful manual/auto trans, noisy, great on gas, a joke to park.

Check the "Car and Driver" test. Not very flattering. IF you're buying for fuel mileage, you'll do almost as will with a Civic or Corolla and have a lot more comfort.

I drove one Sat. Gearbox is very odd. I don't quite understand how the fuel mileage can be so poor - 33 city, 41 highway. I can do much better than that in my Jetta TDI's and seat 5 people with luggage. I suppose it could be a fun little car to drive around the neighborhood - everybody smiles and waves when you're driving around.

Stupid fad. Mileage is no better than a nice civic, corolla, hybrid. 2 Seats, poor safety, no utility. I don't get it.

Its not designed for here and they are about as stupid as a Maybach. In France/Germany the Smarts are everywhere, which is where they belong.

When I first read it was coming here a few years ago I thought maybe I'd buy one. Now that I see what it's turned into, no chance I'll own one. For the $$ I'd much rather have a Civic or Fit and a pile of cash in the backseat.

Lots of them around here. I think they're neat little cars, I'll certainly be interested in one as a second vehicle when they become cheap used cars.

However, as a practical vehicle they just don't make any sense to me. Less room then a Yaris, and a VW diesel gets better mileage.

Strong points on styling, and I liked the handling on my test drive last year.

The engine is in the rear.................gotta love that aspect of it.

Totally over-priced for what you get.

Just like a new Porsche, so just buy pre-owned.

I was in the UK last week for a wedding, saw plenty of Smart cars in London but very few elsewhere.

I can see their utility for living in a city where your other major option is a motorcycle, but as others have stated it doesn't have much to recommend it if you have space for any other econobox.

scary on highways

What do they cost?

Can you elaborate on the poor safety part of your thread?

I respectfully disagree with that opinion, based on what I've seen and heard of the design of the smart. Granted, with a lack of mass, there is very little impact absorbsion, but there is a very, very strong passenger compartment area which does a fantastic job of protecting the occupants from intrusion in an impact.

There are very few cars that are designed with as much safety in mind as the smart. The problem is - given it's size, there's only so much they can do.

- Z-man.

EDIT: 04/09/08
I went to the Smart Dealership yesterday.

Convertible: $17,500

Coupe: $14,500

.............and a long waiting list.
.................................................. ........see pictures on page 2

Posted by james on April 27, 2006 at 11:46 AM
http://www.retrothing.com/2006/04/smart_car_poise.html
Date posted: 11-21-2006
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=117630

http://www.erynn.ca/smart%20car%20cost.htm

Honestly, if you're in the market for that type of car, check out the Honda Fit. I came this close to buying one - they handle well, have plenty of interior room, and get about the same mileage as a Smart.

Size and power would be my main concern. The bodies proximity to the edges of the vehicle. Visibility to other vehicles. Ability to handle higher speeds and get out of trouble with power when needed. You can have a great impact absorbing design but remember, this thing is competing against our standard huge SUV's out there on most of our roads. Suburbans, Escalades, full size trucks, etc. That's one of the differences between their use here and many parts of Europe. This thing is designed as a true "city" vehicle but in the US, how many cities can you really stay contained in? Maybe in LA or something it makes more sense. I can make it from one end of Seattle to the other in 10 minutes. I feel like I've got a target on me driving my 911 most days. As such, the civic/corolla are still scary but I would assume would fare better in a collision with a larger vehicle. They also have enough power to handle our roads, get out of trouble and are larger and therefore more visible to other drivers. I could be totally wrong about that. I'm certainly no expert, just seems like common sense.

I drive an old 911 and race a Formula V so safety for myself isn't my #1 buying concern. My main issue with the Smart is the $'s you pay for what you get. That calculation makes no sense. But neither does driving a 25 year old Porsche to most people:D

The Smart cars were also designed to use less parking space. In Europe, you'll see two Smart cars share one standard size parking space. You'll also see them parked on the side walk without taking too much space. See what happens if you try doing that here. The car was not designed for America.

It's fine to say they are designed to bounce on impact, but controlled decelleration is preferable, hence the development of crumple zones.

And with pick-up trucks and SUV's on the road you are at a decided disadvantage, I think that's pretty obvious.

Z-man - shouldn't you be declaring a conflict of interest here?

You are still faced with buying a used Smart car vs. a used Jetta. Look at fuel consumption, utility, and life expectancy. Smart is the new dumb.

Can you a) put a weeks groceries and a passenger in your smart car? or b) take a kid to hockey (or any sport with bulky equipment) in a Smart car. Not practically.

Maybe when Tata ships their $2,500 car this will make sense. Not now.

Pay more-get less?

There are a few running around where I live and I'm not in the intercity. A used car can be found that is cheaper, gets better/same mileage, lower insurance, holds more stuff and safer.

The smart is not designed for those functions. Neither is the Toyota MR2, the Porsche Boxster, the Audi TT, and so on.

The smart car is designed to be a light-weight, small commuter car to be used primarily in city traffic. For folks who live in large metro areas, it can make sense. Granted, the Toyota Yaris / Honda Fit are alternatives to the smart - and one may argue that both may be better value for the money. Similarly, one may also argue that a used Toyota MR2 Turbo is better value than a Porsche Boxster, yet most folks here favor the Boxster.

Yes and no. While I do work for Mercedes-Benz, USA's corporate HQ in the IT department, we technically don't have a main interest in the smartcar, since it is being imported by the Roger Penske auto group. Actually, the smart car isn't even on our employee purchase plan (yet), but OTOH, I can still get a Chrysler product with an employee discount.

Would I buy a smart? Since most of my commute is on highways, and I feel that the smart car isn't well suited for highway driving, the car doesn't make much sense for me. If I were living in Hoboken and working in Jersey City (the next town over), it would DEFINATELY make sense to me.

-Z-man.

I think for some strange reason the diesel Smart isn't being sold in the U.S.A.

I guess fuel consumption doesn't matter.

Au contraire. The Audi TT does just fine in those capacities. The rear hatch design and fold down rear seats offers surprising space. Groceries, Costco runs, baseball games with catchers gear, no problemo. The issue's start when you involve a third human being.

Agreed the smart car does not make much sense here in the US. A VW diesel would be much more practical.

Its either Smart is not smart enough for America or America is not smart enough for the Smart. Somethings going to eventually give.

Friend of mine bought one last year, and quickly renamed it to the "NotSo".

Try doing the same thing with a TT 'vert.
-Z

Put a Briggs & Stratton in it and you'd be better off.

But those are 'sports cars'. They accelerate, corner, and perform in a somewhat sporty way. They are impractical with redeeming qualities.

Smart? Not so much.

I can't understand the Smarts.

I think a big opportunity was missed.

I don't know how workable it would be, but I think something like this would work:

You buy a Smart for 10 grand.

You agree that it will only be serviced at the Smart car dealership for a cheap fee. In fact you buy into it when you buy the car. say another 2 grand. At every 5K miles you show up they do a oil and service change. At 75000 miles you come in, sign up for another 75000 miles, they take the old one, they charge you 5 grand, you get a completely new one from the lot.

Take the one you just got bust it down, refurb it, rebuild it, update it with anything you have to, put it back on the lot.

It seems to me you could set it up, and basically keep people for life with this kind of program. I would be interested in it for a cheap assed commuter car.

Hmmmm..... definately not the dumbest thing ever posted on PPOT.....

Kinda like those loaner bikes that get left all over town.

very witty

Absolutely irrelevant and does not even peripherally have anything to do with this discussion, but witty.

It is designed for a situation that does not really exist in North America

Doesn't a boxter have a trunk?

It seems to me the latest and last attempt of Daimler Benz to try and salvage some of their massive initial investment with the Swatch debacle by foisting this on the US. Or perhaps Penske thinks he is still that good of a salesman.

Regardless, once you set aside the (a) early adopters (b) cute car fashionistas and (c) Z-man, I struggle to see any practical use for this thing in this market, given its current competition here.







Tim

There is a big factor that hasn't been really mentioned here- the emotional aspect. Folks just LOVE to upstage each other. Why do you think there are so many MB G-classes and 911 TT's in people's garages?

The smart, with is unique exterior shouts, "LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!" and there are many people who feel that way. I suspect it will be quickly embraced by the 'artsy' folks, as well as those who have money to burn. In today's "smaller is greener" attitude, it is definately the newest, coolest thing on the block. And there are those who just HAVE to have the newest, coolest thing on the block.

Nowadays, the buzz-word is GREEN. Hybrid technology is old news. In the US, the diesel motors still have a smelly, dirty stigma attached to them. Electric cars aren't quite there just yet, despite Chevy's efforst and the Telsa. The smart car may not be uber-green, but then again, neither are the hybrid cars. But if people want to feel smug, and want the newest out there, the smart will work very well for them.

Will it be more than just a flash in the pan? Only time will tell.

-Z-man.

I think its hard to even make that argument in the Smart's behalf.

A teensy one litre engine that can only achieve (according to C&D) a real world 32MPG combined, and also requires pricey 91 octane premium fuel in the process seems a less than convincing green statement, uber or otherwise.

It is cute, though.







Tim

The diesel Smart uses 3.9 l/100km, about 60 mpg.

That's good, but compared to a diesel Jetta which uses about 5 l/100 km, it is not worth the reduced utility in my books.

Doesn't Brabus do a version of the Smart? That'd be cool.

Then again, I think a Smart with a 3.6 and PMOs would be b!tchin'.

Smart car, the hard top is $3,000 less than the convertible price shown. Salesman said all the cars on the lot are pre-sold, gotta place the refundable $99 down first, three month waiting list right now. Claimed it's the highest Non-Hybrid MPG in America. Also said who ever said it's scary on the highway has not driven one.

He asked if I wanted to buy one; I said if MPG were the main thing I was looking for, I'd consider it. For the price of the convertible I could get a used Porsche Boxster with a 100,000 miles on it (2001 Boxster-S) for the same money. He said quote; "Nice car, that would be nice" before he could catch himself. I liked his candor.

Don't know why they needed four sales people on the floor if they are all pre-sold. Claimed a lot of snow birds were coming back from Florida soon and will be picking up their ordered cars here in Michigan.

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