looking to buy

[16d @ 4]

Yick Yack,

Get on the orphan list as soon as you can! Take the plunge!!!!!!

[rwjrn]

My thoughts on the Smart after a few weeks of ownership

The good: Averaging around 40 mpg. Enjoying driving to work again. Get
to meet lots of new people. Seats are very comfortable for
me with good lumbar support. Top can go up or down at
freeway speeds. Paddle shifting is fun. Enough storage space
for my needs. Parking is a breeze and there's more space
between your car and the next so door dings are less likely.

The bad : Poor visibility to the rear. Car is a dog on hills especially if you
are starting from a standstill. A bit bumpy ride. Not many
luxuries available (cruise, armrests, garage door openers) You
have to answer A LOT of questions.

The good definately outweighs the negatives. If you are not looking for a luxury vehicle and want something fun, different and fuel efficient this is a great car. I'm having a blast and have no buyer's remorse whatsoever.

[yick yack]

The wait period won't kill me since i have a motorcycle for the summer .. the only thing is trying to sell the car i have now.. also what is the "orphan list" exzactly?

[JPaul]

Originally Posted by yick yack

[...] what is the "orphan list" exzactly?

It's a list of people interested in getting a car sooner than theirs, foregoing in the process some or all of their preferences, and maybe buying some unwanted Dealership's add-ons.
Orphans are cars ordered, made, ready to be delivered, but not bought. In smart lingo, they're called "drop-offs".

[nevis]

The best way to explain Orphan list is that when someone who paid $99 for a smart reservation and then configures (orders) the smart they want, if they then decide the car is not what they want or they can't afford it (job loss etc.) or have an unexpected addition to their family, for any reason cancel and get their $99 back, then when their car arrives at the dealer the dealer is required by smart to 1st offer the car to current reservation holders who have put their name on a list at the local dealer. The dealer begins calling down their list of people wanting to adopt an orphan until someone says, "I'll take it!"

If this sounds like its for you, then 1st get on the reserve list for $99, 2nd go to your local dealers within a reasonable distance from you and get on their list of potential adoptees, Orphan list. 3rd, make sure you give a phone number that can reach you at any time so if offered you will get the call. 4th, keep in touch with a sales associate periodically so they will know you are serious about your desire for an orphan. They will look out for you if they know you will be a quick sale for them.

I reserved in late November and got a reservation number of 1423. Put my name on the local dealer's list the 1st of February. Got a call on a Saturday at the end of February and took my smart home the same day. To increase your chances of getting a car, try and be as open to any available car as possible. We told the dealer we would take any passion with a silver tridon cell, any body color and any options. The 1st call I got was for a car with a black tridon cell and we turned it down, stressing that we were totally flexable except we wanted a silver cell. We were lucky and got a call a week later with an acceptable car.

Fortunately we had a great dealership at Bob Neil smart center in Winston-Salem, NC and they didn't try to fleece us like some dealers do by adding unrequested dealer accessories just to raise the price and make additional money on the car.

We still have our original reservation intact, even though we accepted an orphan, and we configured the car in late April with the options we want and should get that car in the Oct 08 to Dec. 08 range. We will probably take that car also and my wife and I will both have smarts. If we decide we don't want 2 smarts it will be no trouble to sell one of them, possibly for a profit, or cancel the reservation and get our $99 deposit back.

Hope this helps in understanding how the process works! Whew, I am out of breath now! ;)

[yick yack]

Yes it is very helpfull.. im really excited to get mine, im going to cherry hill this week to look at one upclose and maybe test drive and stuff before i put my 99$ and get on the orphan list. at least with ordering it i have time to sell my car.

[astuto]

another pro is parking. I've put "little red" in places no other car would dare. That's a real plus at the oceanfront in Va. Beach. So is the hidden storage in the tailgate. As to merging onto the hwy, I slip it over to manual and get the power I need. Also the passenger side folds forward and is almost flat. That enabled me to haul 1/2 a sheet of plywood.

cons: the design of the seats causes me problems. I'm short and the driver's side curves wrong for me. My head hits the restraint wrong. The passenger side blocks some of my rear view ( at first I drove with it folded forward). The key is also a problem. Replacement is over $200, and it's rather big. There is no simple one available. With my old car, I'd take a spare into the ocean with me, now I have to leave my key on the beach and worry that someone might steal it.