New Cabrio Owner

[tovilin]

Hi everyone,
I'm getting a new Cabrio this week after much thought. We slept on it and tested other cars (Yaris and Fit) and then my wife and I made our way to the SMART dealer here in Chicago and decided to buy an orphaned Cabrio they had by coincidence. We're very excited as this is the car we really wanted. The other cars are a safe bet but didn't get our adrenaline flowing.

This will be our only car (we live in Chicago so we don't need anything else or thats what we tell ourselves) so we'd like to hear from some of you. Are there any others here who have a Smart as their sole car? How has the experience been?

Also, this will be my first convertible ever, and we're worried about leaks, noise, winter maintenance. Do we have to treat the soft top any different during the winter? Do I have to worry about snow accumulating on top? Does the car start to make rattling sounds or anything after months of driving?

Thank you all!

[nprsmart]

Originally Posted by tovilin

Hi everyone,


Also, this will be my first convertible ever, and we're worried about leaks, noise, winter maintenance. Do we have to treat the soft top any different during the winter? Do I have to worry about snow accumulating on top? Does the car start to make rattling sounds or anything after months of driving?

I can't speak to the snow, but I'd driven through some gully washers here in Florida without any leaks. Enjoy.

[sammri]

tovilin, As someone that owns a Honda FIT and like it very much, I always prefer to drive my wife's smart cabrio. If you can live with a two seater vehicle, the smart is an excellent choice and the cabrio is the best way to go. It has all the best features and adds to the fun. We have had NO problems with the cabrio. Can you tell, I like the smart the BEST! If FUN is the name of the game, the smart wins everytime. You made the correct decision! The snow should not be a problem for the convertible top.

451 CabrioGuy

[sheureka]

Tovilin - you might look into getting a pop top. Check this thread - Cal pop top. It's very easy to remove, even with snow on it, and really protects the car and the top. Keeps it a lot warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, too. - sheureka

[BigWarpGuy]

Originally Posted by sheureka

Tovilin - you might look into getting a pop top. Check this thread - Cal pop top. It's very easy to remove, even with snow on it, and really protects the car and the top. Keeps it a lot warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, too. - sheureka

It looks like a good idea even for those with non-cabrio Fortwo's. It could keep the snow and ice off the windows.

[JimDantin]

We have a 2008 Passion Coupe and just took delivery of a 2009 Cabrio. The Cabrio is definitely noisier than the Coupe. We can hear some wind noise, and other vehicles. Having owned convertibles before, this is not a problem for us, but you should do a test drive of both models.

[pdboilermaker]

tovlin - we have a yellow passion and love it, but my wife decided that she is going to get rid of it and replace it with a Chicago Cubs blue and silver one that is a rag top.

[tovilin]

Thanks for the replys everyone. We're really excited to pick up our car in the next few days. I'm going to have to take a picture of the car with the top down inside the dealer because I won't see it like that until May!

[spikey01]

Cabrios are WAAAY sexier. If it's too cold or rainy in Chicago, just move to SoCal or Florida for God's Sake.

[tovilin]

Here we are taking our new baby home under a blazing snow storm.