Hello From St Augustine FL

[victor24]

Just joined hello to all. I will not ask the dumb questions right now because I know the answers are on the sight I just need to search.

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by victor24

Just joined hello to all. I will not ask the dumb questions right now because I know the answers are on the sight I just need to search.

Go ahead and ask anyway. Someone may have updated information.

[SmartCard]

Originally Posted by lhoboy

Go ahead and ask anyway. Someone may have updated information.

...or at least a bunch of dumb answers! ;)

Welcome!

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by SmartCard

...or at least a bunch of dumb answers! ;)

Welcome!

^^^^^^
+1

[victor24]

Do we have members that actual have a car already and have posted their thoughts? I love the look and the gas mileage for running around. For the long trip of all things I use my 05 H2 Hummer or my 4x4 07 Ford pkup. I haul my fishing kayaks on a trailer or in the rear of the truck. The car looks like a lot of fun. I sent in a reservation for a white cabio but I have never seen the car in person. They are supposed to be in the Jacksonville area in October but I will be out of town till the 13th. Is there any storage trunk etc? Did not understand paddle shifter either. I had a Limited edition JCW Mini Cooper (218 hp) but I never wanted to drive it because it was one of 400. One fast pocket rocket. Sold it to a gentleman in NY for a 5k profit.

[alejake]

Welcome to the site . . . And what is that old saying. . . . . "The only dumb question is the one you don't ask." Welcome to the real Smart world!

[idahosmart]

Originally Posted by victor24

Do we have members that actual have a car already and have posted their thoughts?

Yes, I have owned my 2003 smart passion coupe since March 2006, one of the first 85 cars that were converted by G&K for the US market. We have loved every minute of owning it. There are approximately 1000 of the 2002-2006 smart cars in the US at this time.

The new 2008 model coming out in January from smartusa.com will be 8" longer and has a larger engine (non-turbo though). Many enthusiasts love the old model because it is still the original body style inside and out, plus has the Mercedes engine instead of the Mitsubishi engine.

Tom

[alejake]

My wife fell in love with the SmartCar during a vacation in Paris in 1994. In June of this year we found an extremely low mileage 2005 Passion/D'Vinci SmartCar in Mesa, Arizona. It is silver with the glass roof, air conditioning, and a CD/AM-FM entertainment center, and we bought it on the spot.

We have had no mechanical problems, and we are getting approximately 43 MPG to 57 MPG and we attribute that a little to my wives lead-footed driving, but mostly to the fact we use it for all local errands (speeds up to 45 MPH), only occasionally get up to freeway speeds, and we run air conditioning 100% of the time.

Until the SmartCar is as familiar as a Toyota on the US highways, be prepared to be honked over, waved at, given the thumbs up, be followed into parking lots, and to be asked intelligent as well as outrageous questions. She nows bear the Arizona vanity plate "SMART05".

[SmartCard]

Originally Posted by victor24

Do we have members that actual have a car already and have posted their thoughts? I love the look and the gas mileage for running around. For the long trip of all things I use my 05 H2 Hummer or my 4x4 07 Ford pkup. I haul my fishing kayaks on a trailer or in the rear of the truck. The car looks like a lot of fun. I sent in a reservation for a white cabio but I have never seen the car in person. They are supposed to be in the Jacksonville area in October but I will be out of town till the 13th. Is there any storage trunk etc? Did not understand paddle shifter either. I had a Limited edition JCW Mini Cooper (218 hp) but I never wanted to drive it because it was one of 400. One fast pocket rocket. Sold it to a gentleman in NY for a 5k profit.

As a few have already answered, we do have a few model 450 fortwo Smart owners, but as the 451 is just starting production, there won't be any 451 model owners until January/February. There is a storage trunk (or boot) behind the back seat which can hold some groceries and I guess a small suitcase or two. 450 owners have used small trailers to tow more belongings....I've even seen one that especially made for kayaks/canoes!

The paddle shifters are available on the passion coupe and cabrio, and are for shifting manually. The twofor has an automatic manual transmission (or is that manual automatic?? ) which can be essentially driven as an automatic, or one can shift to the manual mode and either use the gearshift to tap up or down a gear, or in the case of the passions, use the steering wheel mounted paddles to shift. Should be fun getting use to!
BYW...join the club - I think you the third on this forum (at least) to have had a JCW MINI (I have one).....great minds think alike!

[lhoboy]

Originally Posted by SmartCard

BYW...join the club - I think you the third on this forum (at least) to have had a JCW MINI (I have one).....great minds think alike!

Yes, but I think Victor is the only one to have has a GP JCW so far.