New Member barage!

[SmartCard]

Wow, I noticed all the new members this weekend....40 so far today! Surely they all can't be "valid" can they? (I know spammers can be a problem on other forums.)

anyway...for those of you who are legit.....WELCOME!

[SMART]

Well, looking at that from the other side there actually was very little attempted Spam signups over the weekend. I check out each new member and go back and forth between moderating there initial posts and was pleased with this weekends new members!

[SmartCard]

that's good! ......afterall there are over 20,000 new people out there who have recently jumped on the Smart Car band wagon!

[smartcar]

Ahoy new members... sorry I have been absent for a bit of time... travel and work stole me but I am back!

[tnt0604]

I just got back from my first drive in the Smart in Michigan. With the road trips going on right now there should be lots of new members signing up. Lots more fun to come

t

[smarty]

Hello, I just joined today and I'm thrilled to have discovered this cybercommunity of fellow smart enthusiasts! I have been following the smart car on its twisty-turny journey to America for years now, via Googling any and all cyberbytes of information I could get. There has been so much confusion regarding would smart be coming here or wouldn't it, etc., etc., etc., yada, yada, yada, that I can scarcely believe it is finally, officially, really TRULY happening in 2008!!!

I hope the arrival of the smart will signal a sea change in America wherein we move from favoring obscene, gas-guzzling behemoth SUVs to valuing behaving in ways that show more respect for the earth which sustains us. Besides all that wonderful green jazz, the smart is just plain FUN and cute and fabulous, yay!!! The only thing I do wish is that they would come out with a hybrid smart because, frankly, the 40 mpg could be a tad higher on such a tiny car. But color me thrilled that the smart will be arriving in 2008, and to have discovered this group of my fellow smart fans!

[Donniedark]

Greetings fellow Smart enthusiasts....
I decided to join your forum even though I am a neighbour to the North.
I have owned a Smart Pulse Cab since they became available in Canada (Sept 2004) and thus I have a CDI (Diesel) version which are no longer available to Canada due to recent changes in emission laws.
Too bad cause we love our diesel Smarts up here.....most of our Smart owners are enjoying economy in the the range of 60-80 miles per gallon (Cdn) on average.(Your gallon is 4/5 of our Imperial gal. so the numbers would be slightly less using your U.S. gal as the measure.....still would produce results in the range of 50-65 MPG.
Diesel fuel is cheaper than gas in Winnipeg by about $.20 per Litre or about $1.00 per gallon.... and that helps too for economy of operation.
We will be receiving the new Smart models next month or by October and the gas models will have increased power but will give up some of the fuel economy we are enjoying with the CDI's.
Some of the owners in our Smart club are considering a move up to the new Smart but most love their Diesel version enough to stay put for a year or two to see what other models may reach our shores....i.e. Brabus Exclusive for example..
I am considering a new Passion cab ( really want a Brabus Cabriolet Exclusive) but will keep my 2005 CDI, even if I do buy a new Smart...too fond of the CDI t to let it go!

I sold a Cobra that I OWNED since 1996 and decided a new "toy" was in order....that's when I learned of the Smart car coming to Canada and when they arrived that September I fell in love and had to have one.
I was lucky .....did not have to wait for 6-8 months to get one....I bought a loaded Pulse Cab that was won in a contest and the winner was a 72 year-old lady who opted for cash instead of the Smart....I got first "dibs" and had my car in 2 weeks....
My car is called SHREK ( color is Stream Green with Twister Green interior...no longer available) and my love for this unique car has gone way beyond "toy"...it is my daily driver, Summer and Winter unless I need more space for passengers or cargo.
Heated seats, heated Mirrors and the electric heaters in the heat ducts make this a super Winter car with the addition of Winter tires and Steel winter rims.
I should stop here....just wanted to urge you be enthusiastic about your Smarts that will be coming soon! Just wanted to say hi and would hope to be welcome to join in your enthusiasm waiting to become Smart owners...experienced that feeling in 2004.
You will love them as we Canadians have loved ours for 3 years!
Cheers from your friends up north !
DONNIEDARK (SHREK)

[ASmartMan]

Donniedark

I have a few questions, I just picked up my Smart car (Gray version for the US), I live in New England and with winter just around the corner I was wondering.

Just how well do these cars handle the snow? what did you have to do to make it handle the snow well, you speak about metal rims ( I assume you are speaking of the roadster rims), do you have a supply of them up in Ca and if so who do I see to ge a pair.

Donniedark where Ca is 200 miles away from me it would a lot easyer for me to get parts from Ca than the EU (I realize I would still have to got to the EU parts places for motor parts), so if you have a perfered supplier PLEASE share the name, details.

Thanks

ASM

[SmartCard]

Welcome DonnieDark....yes, the name sezs "Smart Car of America", but we're happy to have all of you Canuck Smarties as well!

[Donniedark]

Originally Posted by ASmartMan

Donniedark

I have a few questions, I just picked up my Smart car (Gray version for the US), I live in New England and with winter just around the corner I was wondering.

Just how well do these cars handle the snow? what did you have to do to make it handle the snow well, you speak about metal rims ( I assume you are speaking of the roadster rims), do you have a supply of them up in Ca and if so who do I see to ge a pair.

Donniedark where Ca is 200 miles away from me it would a lot easyer for me to get parts from Ca than the EU (I realize I would still have to got to the EU parts places for motor parts), so if you have a perfered supplier PLEASE share the name, details.

Thanks

ASM

The Rims we have purchased for winter use are the standard Steel Rims that come with a Smart PURE model.Alloy wheels and salt on winter roads do not get along (pitting and corrosion) so we have winter tires mounted on the inexpensive PURE Steel rims and swap out each Fall.
In our part of the country the stock summer tires do not work well in the cold and snow, nor do they grip on ice....my Winter tires are Continental brand and have performed well through 2 Winters....there are other brands appearing all the time in Smart sizes.
NEWS FLASH: I just called our Parts Manager @ Lonestar Mercedes here in Winnipeg and to give you a good idea of price he has a set of PURE STEEL RIMS (Front and Rear) with Continental snow and ice tires mounted and balanced and they sell for $800 Cdn....this will give you an idea of cost if you were to order from Canada.
We have helped Americans in Minnesota and Iowa get Tires and Rims out of Winnipeg Lonestar Dealership. Montreal Quebec would be your best bet....closest to you ?...ask Long Distance operator for the number of the Mercedes Dealer in Montreal and give them a shout....or Google search...

The Smarts perform well in winter....I have heated Seats and Mirrors plus we have electric heaters in the heat ducts which can be enabled when starting out in the cold....as you no doubt know, Diesels never run warm in the cold of winter so this is a great feature. Also, we have Traction Control, ABS brakes and panic-assist braking (all standard equipment) and this gives good grip and stability when in slippery conditions.
Obviously the car does not like deep snow (8" of clearence) and that is when my Jeep Liberty earns it's keep.
I will return and post some additional info on this subject but in the meantime you can visit the Canadian Smart forum and search for info on Tires-Rims ....etc. and trade on 3 years of experience by cold-weather Canadian Smarties.
I tried to supply a link but am not allowed to do this being a newbie to your forum so just go to "clubsmartcar.ca/forums" and explore around for some good tech advice......
I'll be back !
DONNIEDARK