By nature, I would be inclined to be slightly cynical, which isn't to suggest that there isn't happiness about my new SMART car, but rather, it is about the things I learned post-buying, that are, of course, more interesting to wrote about.
I took some one reservation and bought a car about three days ago. This was after handing another dealer $2000 in cash upfront, as incentive, or perhaps simply faith on my part, that I would buy. After numerous calls, all of which ended with cars that reached into the $20,000 category, I was nearly at end, when I found someone willing to give me their reservation at a decent expense.
DEALERSHIP and OWNERSHIP
I liked this dealer. It was pretty much no nonsense. In and out in about an hour and a half. On the road, the highway, for the first time, I like the feel of the car better than I thought. It's sluggish to be sure; this is no quick zippy car, but it feels substantial on the highway. In the city, it will take a long while to get familiar with this transmission. It feels like a bus, or a light boat hitting some moderate waves. The first thing that i noticed is that the radio reminds me of AM radio in the 70s. It's terrible. First thing on the list of to-do's for today is getting it replaced.
The car in drive seems to always want to move forward, so when you come to a stop, the car needs a full brake to prevent it moving. Last night, in the quiet of a lonely street, I noticed the car makes odd noises if you leave it in drive and just let it go on its own. Need to call the dealer about that.
HAPPY?
Yes. For simple uniqueness this is worth it. The gas mileage seems excellent! I do wish there was better car radio, a transmission that didn't feel cumbersome, and for a car that size, it should be a little more jet. Oh well.
Today
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