I'm smarting - literally and figuratively

[jsapero1]

Hello All:
Just drove my white/silver 2008 Passion Coupe home from the VW dealer up the street (Phoenix, AZ). I've had a Beetle convertible for 2.5 years and became really frustrated by the number times I've had to have warranty service. Finally got fed up and drove off the lot in this great car. I'm looking forward to visiting the Smart Center this weekend to find out if I have the 2.0 transmission upgrade yet or not, as the transmission is a little "different" from other cars I've driven. It appears the car has the Comfort option and the standard radio. Believe it or not, it has more trunk space than my Beetle did! I'm very excited, as I've wanted one since I was in europe a few years ago.

Any issues I should be aware of?

[burtandnancy]

I've got your twin, and I'm hesitant to get the upgrade. I think I'll leave it alone as it has been absolutely no problem, and I've got 6,000 more miles until the first oil change...

[mvaldes]

Congratulations on your Smart. If you can shift into manual mode by touching the paddle shifters, you have the 2.0 upgrade. (You go back to auto mode by holding the right one for a couple seconds.) I've had mine for over a year and, other than an alarm sensor replacement about day 3, it's been trouble free. It's also a joy to drive and to tinker and customized. Like any car, there are some problems that crop up, if you explore the forums you come across them and, usually, the fix. BTW, Welcome to the forums.

[jsapero1]

Thanks for the lesson - I can shift the car with the paddles without moving to the manual mode. Went to the Chandler, AZ smart center today and learned my car has been fully updated and serviced - yeah! I'm not impressed with the radio sound quality though and will need to upgrade.

[mvaldes]

I just put in new Polk speakers and it made a huge difference. Lots of good information in these threads:
DIY Step by Step Speaker Installation (door)
Door Speaker Installation -- Shortcuts and Recommendations
DIY Installing Component Speakers (door, alternate)

[fpage77]

Congradulations on your previously loved smart. (and that's not a put down)

[SmartDigger]

How do you know if you have a 9 or 10?

[Suze]

RADIO 10 has silver trim around the button bank.

[SmartDigger]

ok thanks

[jsapero1]

I read your posts right after joining the forum - great info about speaker installation. I actually looked at the Polk speakers on Sunday but didn't care for the speaker grills - do you think they could mount behind the stock grills?