Quote:
Originally Posted by mightyss
hi,
ive been following the smart car from its inception. now that its finally here in the states, im moving closer to purchase. i am not in the reservation program, but the closet smart dealer has 10 smarts in stock, so i could buy one tomorrow! ive begun doing research on the facets of the car, and have come accross some disheartening rumors. first, the trannies suck big time, herky/jerky. second the prices seem rediculous, asking prices for used ones are more than new prices??!! third, the used ones i do see all have less than 2-3k miles on them. this leads me to believe that everyone selling theres is because they HATE it???? i look forward to getting the real scoop on the smart car...........steve
p.s. ive owned about every small car available here till the new smart(geo convertable,samurai,etc..........)
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Disclaimer: You'll get a million opinions on the car that aren't yours, so you're better off forming your own during a long test drive.
That being said, my experience has been very positive. Here are my responses to your concerns from MY point of view (YMMV):
1. Transmission. No big deal if you drive in manual mode, which I do 99% of the time. I can shift it as smooth as any manual transmission and as well as most autos. It also eliminates gear hunting which automatics have a tendency to do in my hilly terrain. In full auto mode, with the computer running the clutch, the shifts are a bit jerky in the 2008s. That has supposedly improved for the '09s. The 2008 (2009?) transmission is an oddity, but no deal breaker for me. You should decide based on your driving conditions.
2. Price. It's new and highly sought after hence the months wait time. Many new cars of their day (Miatas, New Beetles, PT Cruisers, etc.) sold for sticker plus hundreds or thousands of dealer markup when they were new. That's part of the equation. The other part is the feature content. Ever wonder why small, well-equipped laptops cost more than regular sized laptops? (Dell XPS, etc.) It takes quite a bit of engineering to pack relative performance (safety, efficiency, comfort, etc.) into a smaller package. The exchange rate with the US Dollar/Euro probably doesn't help either. I'm alright with the price, but wish they did include a 3/36K warranty. Paying more than sticker will likely subside when the uniqueness wears some. Only you can decide if the entry price is worth it. I traded a Honda Civic for the smart and haven't regretted it yet (my insurance went down $300/yr!).
3. Appearance of people 'dumping' their smart. I wouldn't be surprised that there are people doing exactly this. People who ran out plunked down $99 and bought the car for its novelty when they frequently need more than the smart can offer were probably unhappy after a very short period of time. That's a consequence of not understanding your needs and making an impulse purchase. Add in the people who weren't fond of some of the smart's quirks and people selling everything because of the economy, job loss, etc., and I'm not surprised that there are several low mileage smarts available. Again, you'll need to decide if the smart works for you. I have a Nissan 4x4 crew cab truck that I still use frequently for inclimate weather, hauling cargo and more than two people. The smart can not, will not, nor should be expected to fill every automotive need. But, it transports my wife and I to work and back nearly 75 miles every day and it works fine for that purpose.
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