So, Rover - back to Fred's question - did you get power steering? I'm sure many of us are wondering if this makes a difference in highway experience for the 451.
Thanks!
I do not have the power steering ... from what I read during the test-drives it was unnecessary and I have to agree with that. Steering requires very little effort as it is, even from a complete stop to a u-turn. You'd think it was power-assisted as it was. I can't see where the power steering would negate the effects of wind and ruts. The suspension is really tight on this car and with little side-wall on the tires - you feel e-v-e-y-t-h-i-n-g.
This is just my experience today ... and it may have been a particularly windy day as there's a storm rolling in as I write this. Just something to be aware of.
I'm curious if a power-steer 451 has similar issues.
Ok - back from the Newport run ...
No real traffic so it was 70+ mph the whole way and back ... hills in Laguna (which you'll never get up faster than 60 in 4th)
160 miles r/t ... 3.68 gallons means a pretty darn good 43.5 mpg !! That already beats the sticker of 41. Now if I was doing 60 like I usually do (I was running late), then I can see that being at least 45 to 47.
Some tidbits:
Don't drive 70+ mph on the freeway - especially if it's windy. The car gets buffeted A LOT by cross winds and cars next to you. Slow down ... seriously ... I'm pretty "ballsy" and it was almost to the point I might sell the car.
The ride on the freeway was not good at all. Any groove and you're getting pulled that way, any bump and you're feeling it. If you have a long freeway commute that isn't in bumper-to-bumper traffic, get another car. Don't get me wrong, I love my Fortwo, but it isn't comfortable at all on the open highway.
My experience so far has been quite a bit different. I took delivery last Thur (1/17) and have driven it just over 500 miles so far. I'm in metro Detroit and the temps have been in the single digits. My mileage in this weather with 75% city / 25% highway has been mid 30's - which seems acceptable during break in given the conditions.
The combination of stiff springing and short wheelbase makes rough pavement (frost heaves and pot holes) very unpleasant.
My daily commute includes 12 miles each way on metro freeways - 8 lanes of high speed agression. I was unsure about this, but am happy to report that the smart holds it's own. Every time I look at the speed-o-metor I'm at 80+ and need to back down due to the still new motor. The steering is VERY quick, and it doesn't require much input to change direction - but I find the car very stable regardless of other traffic or cross winds. I ran her between two 18 wheelers just to see, and no problem. I must note that I'm a life long motorcylist (approx 15K miles/year), raced sports cars (SCCA) for many years, and don't intimidate very easily.
See ya - gotta go for a ride
By the way - no power steering and really see no need for it. If it quickens the ratio, as I've heard, I certainly do not want it.
Last edited by mismart; 01-23-2008 at 07:28 PM.
Reason: add p/s comment
great to hear no need for P/s i dident get it but did alittle round tracking back in the day.when i went to the road show in cary nc and took a smart for a drive reminded me of a 1963 spitfire 4 i had damn fine driver.now that i think of it the smart might have been able to out run it!lol
I have the power steering and it works great, and I have driven the non power steering and it works fine as well. If you are looking to cut costs this option wont kill you if you don't have it.
As far as mileage my first fill up was 39.46 mpg. All the driving was done with 2 adults and 75 lbs of luggage. It was some very steep hilly terrain as well as some city driving.
Mixed city/freeway driving in Los Angeles. Some speeds up to 70 mpg, but mostly crawling through city traffic. Waited until I was down to two blips left on the gauge. 6.5 gallons of premium at Costco ($3.209) got me 222 miles or 34.2 MPG. A half a gallon either way would really swing the mileage, and I probably could have squeezed another 1/2 gallon into the car (which would drop MPG to 30). Better to average the next fillup to get more accurate.
One big tip, tighten the gas cap after filling. i didn't crank it around enough at the first fill, about 3 miles down the freeway the engine light came on. We're in massive bumper to bumper, crawling for over an hour. Mostly with foot on the brake and then letting it crawl. Engine started to miss, lost power, thought it would die, but didn't. Got a lot of engine rattle and rough running.
Finally got off the freeway, called the salesman on his cell (its after 6 pm) and asked what to do. First thing he said was "did you just fill up?" Said fix was easy, turn off the car, tighten the cap and restart. That will reset the light and get everything back. It worked! Light went right out, idle went smooth again and all is happy! Thanks Vinnie at bhbenz.com! My wife was with me and boy did i get an earful until we fixed things. Unhappiness is being stuck on the 405 in the rain with traffic at a standstill. Glad it never did get that bad.
smart passion coupe, AC, PS. Lots of 2 passenger driving, no cargo mostly.
Does the car come with continental tires? OMG! We had those tires for 16,000 miles before they went thread bare! Thank god we had tire warranty.
agree. continental tires, in my opinion, are nothing more than a pricepoint tire. i would never even consider them in the class of a Michelin, Pirelli or even Goodyear.
Let's start hearing some real world MPG's! One review I read said they couldn't get it to get better than 35.5 MPG!! Please tell us this isn't so! I can't justify confirming my order (1256) if the fortwo can't average over 40. We should keep this seperate posting just for MPG averages.
I put 281 miles on my car before I filled up my first tank of gas in my new smart car.. Here the results.
Total on the trip mileage 281
Filler up with 7.868 gal of gas
Unl-Prem Octane 91
Price per gal $3.179
total $25.01
results 35.714 MPG about 60% highway driving and 40% city
It was late at night so I stop at Circle K off 99th ave (Lake Pleasant Rd. & Pinnacle Peak Rd) Sam's & Costco pumps were closed so yeah I could have gotten a better rate.
Look forward to seeing what other are getting.. I have a lead foot..(I hope I never run into ya CruisingAZ.. lol) So I could of maybe gotten a better MPG but I'm not crying.. My 1997 Buick Le Saber gets 15-16 mpg in the city and 18-20 on the highway not to mention $50+ to fill the tank. I do have a Suzuki Boulevard C50T I ride alot which gets 47-48 mpg in the city and 53 mpg on the highway. Right now I'm trying to get rid of my Buick and the first thing people ask is "Does it get good gas mileage" lol
Look forward to seeing what other are getting.. I have a lead foot..(I hope I never run into ya CruisingAZ.. lol) So I could of maybe gotten a better MPG but I'm not crying.. My 1997 Buick Le Saber gets 15-16 mpg in the city and 18-20 on the highway not to mention $50+ to fill the tank. I do have a Suzuki Boulevard C50T I ride alot which gets 47-48 mpg in the city and 53 mpg on the highway. Right now I'm trying to get rid of my Buick and the first thing people ask is "Does it get good gas mileage" lol
Enjoy!!!
i haven't actually filled up yet, but am doing some guesstimating based on the fuel that i have left on the gauge and your numbers seem to be where i am roughly. it doesn't take a lead foot, it's just how people drive in the real world. i know there are people on this board who want to prove the numbers on the window to be way too low, but i've been saying all along that those numbers are probably spot on if not high for city driving. on the NBC piece this morn, Dave S. was asked about the mileage and he said he felt that they had to look at both car performance vs mileage and try to balance the 2 for the car in the US market. i'm fine with the mileage. i didn't expect it to be any better than advertised and to this point, it is not. and it certainly beats the 12 i get in my S5!
on the NBC piece this morn, Dave S. was asked about the mileage and he said he felt that they had to look at both car performance vs mileage and try to balance the 2 for the car in the US market. i'm fine with the mileage. i didn't expect it to be any better than advertised and to this point, it is not. and it certainly beats the 12 i get in my S5!
Yeah, I think if it didn't have some type of performance the car wouldn't have sold as well as it is.. beside that who can complain about the gas mileage it does get.. along with the performance.. and the sticker price. I'm very happy with my purchase and with everything about it, sure I wish it had cruise control and a arm rest but you get what you pay for I say... So yeah I agree with what Dave S. said on the Today Show which I also saw telecommuting from home today. As I told the Smart manager, if you bring a diesel Smart car to the US next year please put me on the list... 70 MPG.. someone said yeah but you pay about $4 a gal at the pump.. I said do the math.. It still be worth it.. I feel letting those Smart diesel here can't be as bad as some of those cars, truck/SUV polluting the air...Just my thoughts here..
My first 3/4 tank yielded only 29.1 MPG in mixed city/freeway driving. This low figure may not be accurate, however, because I can't attest to the reliability of the first-tank dealer fillup, and my driving style was a little more <ahem> aggressive than usual. (Respecting all break-in rules, of course.)
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