Considering a Smart

[lhart8385]

I have just joined, as I have made a reservation and have looked at the display in Seattle. Consumer Reports is pretty negative about the Smart. I Will need to drive one now to see if their report is true.

My use would be primarily on Whidbey Island where I live The Smart sounds reasonable to me, but my wife now must be convinced.

Would appreciate any comments pro or con re; the Consumer Reports early impression report, especially as i relates to the transmission shift response.

[Dunerunner]

Go drive the car and make the decision for yourself. Consumer Reports is still in the GM mode. Nearly 2000 miles on mine and I couldn't be happier. If you have ever driven a stick, you will be very familiar with the shift operation of the manualmatic trans. You can't argue with the 40+ MPG either!!

[Dave Van]

almost 3000 miles....mountains, Interstate lots of country roads. Most fun I have had driving a car. I feel the shifting issue is WAY out of proportion....it is different...but not near as bad, in manual, as some reviews have made it out to be. Power is fine if you remember the engine is less than one liter! But in WV we have 70 mph Interstate which means 75 mph to stay up with traffic....and my Smart does fine. For a island...I'd think it would be ideal!!! But I am bias!

[rwjrn]

Didn't see the consumer report, but everyone has issues with the transmission shift response when they first drive this car. It isn't like other cars where you need to let off the gas to allow it to shift. That just confuses this car and makes it lurch badly. I have about 4000 miles on my cabrio and I love the car.
Pros: easy to park with more parking options
spending $40 less per week on gas
roomy interior
excellent crash test ratings
won't be asked to help anyone move, but enough space for
groceries.
paddle shifters
everyone has a smile for you and it's a great conversation starter
room for the dogs
some amenities like leather, buttwarmers, (see comfort pkg)
simply a fun car to drive.

Cons: poor ride quality on bumpy roads
gets blown around a bit in strong winds
not enough room for your wife and mother in law (Pro, Con?)
cruise control still a little ways off
no center console or armrest (after market stuff available)

If I had it to do all over again would I buy this car? In a heartbeat. It isn't perfect and in fact there's a lot of room for improvement, but I've never had so much fun driving a car and this is somewhere around the 16th or 17th vehicle I've owned. Read up in this forum and you'll see how much people who actually own and drive this car really like it.

[PerryA]

Shifting. . .
I was driving next to a guy with a rough muffler most of the way to work today so I could hear every time his automatic shifted. We were almost in perfect synch. The difference could be accounted for by the slight difference between when we first stepped on the accelerator. I've been driving manuals 90% of my 30+ years of driving, so I wasn't sure what was normal with an automatic. I thinnk today's experience reenforces the fact the car is not that much different from others. It's not a 4-litre V8, so consider that, but you'll get into it.

[NCC1701]

After I took an all-too-brief test drive a few months ago, my reaction to the transmission was so strong as to make me re-think my decision to buy! I hated it! I didn't care much for the brakes either. I'm sure glad I didn't write it off without further examination!!
Personally, I wouldn't have bought it for purely economic reasons. My other car is a 2006 Nissa Sentra which gets 25-26 MPG in city driving, and seats 5 comfortably. In my view the Sentra is a much more practical car than the smart fortwo. On the other hand, the Sentra hasn't had its motor started for a week, as of today. And, I'm contemplating selling it.

[brian r]

Originally Posted by lhart8385

Consumer Reports is pretty negative about the Smart.

Consumer Reports also hates the Lotus Elise. Like my fortwo, I put a deposit down a year before my Elise was built.

I don't plan on selling either of them.

Besides taking a "test drive", see if you can find a local owner who has lived with the car for a while.

[Suze]

Has the entire world forgotten when driving used to be fun?

I've had mine for 5-1/2 months, 3700 miles and I am totally in love with this little devil.

It's a smart car. You either get it or you don't. Browse this forum for an hour or two. It'll be worth your time.

The US media in general has bashed the smart for over a year. yawn. or is that Bahaa... ?

[rwjrn]

I've had mine for 5-1/2 months, 3700 miles and I am totally in love with this little devil

5 1/2 months? I haven't made my second payment and I've got over 4000 miles. Sometimes I really wish I had a shorter commute.

[dvdenny2]

Chrysler had a similar trans clutch in the 50's
They are fluid clutches
The clutch is part of a torque converter and normal clutch
That's why the engine doesn't, die when you stop, just like an automatic trans