New member with some questions

[smartcarLINY]

Hey there everyone. I put $500 down on a new Smart ForTwo Pure. It's yellow with black, looks like a bumblebee. I went in there last Tuesday just to casually look, and I liked the one they had on the floor, the yellow w/black Pure. Cheap, cute, etc. They weren't willing to sell it, and the waiting list was crazy, of course, so I said no thanks.

Anyway, I get a call yesterday, telling me that they are now ready to sell me the one on the floor. So, I went in today and put the money down. They're running my credit in the morning, and I'm hoping/assuming I'll be approved and whatnot.

So, now, my questions. Am I foolish to get the Pure? It seems no one gets them. My dealer told me that nearly everyone gets the Passions. Part of me feels that I should be doing the same. However, I only need the car to get to work (14 miles round trip a day) and the supermarket, which is literally around the corner. The one I'm looking at comes with Air Conditioning and some silly door and wheel well coverings or whatever that the dealer threw in. I'm going to take the car to Circuit City or something and get a radio installed once I buy the car.

I spoke with a dealership in a nearby county, and they told me they had seven Passion Coupes that were all cancellations and ready to be purchased. However, the dealer apparently threw lots of extras in, bringing them all up to around $18,000. Not something I want to be spending on a cheap car. I'd rather get something used for that price.

So, bottom line, for $13,000, am I making the right decision here? Am I going to be happy with a Pure?

[maxtraxduffy]

they all drive the same so " yesssssssssssssssssssssss"and ita all about the driving

[dennyrex]

>Am I foolish to get the Pure? It seems no one gets them.
meet no one. I love mine, it's exactly what I wanted.
>Am I going to be happy with a Pure?
the pure is the same car without some things. if you like the passion (as a car) you'll like the pure (as a car). some of the extra things can be added on (eg. A/C). make a list of the differences and see if it bothers you, or if anything that you really want or need is missing. get a quote on adding them on. the main fundamental difference is the roof. look at each and see if it's a problem. as a fashion accessory, the passion has more "stuff", pretty wheels, etc. As a car you'll get to work and the supermarket just as easily in a pure.
is this a "new" car with only delivery mileage (~7-15) or a demo?
there are a couple threads here at least on the pure and whether it's a "smart" choice or not. it was for me.

[smartcarLINY]

It's got 9 miles on it, I think. It has been sitting on the sales floor since the dealership opened. So, lots of people have sat in it, but other than that, it's fine. I think I'm really just upset about the wheels. I like the ones on the Passion so much more, but I can't justify paying all that extra money. I'm okay with crank windows (after all, it's a commuting car!) and manual mirrors. I'm fine without the glass roof, especially if you can't even open it. And, as for the radio, I'm actually excited to get my own put in, since it means I can get satellite radio. Yay!

I was being a bit sarcastic when I said "no one" gets the Pure. I was hoping to draw all of you Pure-driving smarties out of the woodwork and into this thread, haha. Are there any options that can be put into the car at this point in time (as in, already out of the factory, sitting on the showroom floor) that are not too expensive and are seriously worth it? (Aside from A/C, of course, since the car has that).

Thank you all for your responses!

[dennyrex]

you can get wheels easy enough. tach & clock can be added. radio, too.

leather seats, heated seats, yada yada, dunno. rain sensor. dunno.

sounds like a pure might be a good fit "foryou".

[smartcarLINY]

Well, I'm assuming that any radio I get installed from Circuit City or whatever (any suggestions, by the way?) will have a clock built in. What does the tach do? I've never heard of that.

Leather and heated seats are not things I need in a second car. I'd like them, sure, but I can survive without them.

The wheels are something I will probably invest in. I really hate the look of the wheels on the Pure. They look so cheap to me. I want the nice wheels. How much will they run me, where can I get them? Do I have to go through the dealer?

[Winnetou]

I find the wheels and hubcaps of the Pure very attractive. I ordered a Passion for other reasons. If your dealer is smart center Smithtown, then I asked to purchase that very Pure in January. They could not sell the showroom models at that time. That is a lovely car (I saw it at the dealership, next to the street-side window, to-day; there were sixteen new smarts on the lot), and I very much doubt that you would be disappointed in it.

A tachometer indicates the speed of the engine crankshaft, in revolutions per minute (R.P.M.). This can be useful in the manual shifting mode, when driving for performance or economy, but is hardly essential. The pod set with the tachometer and clock is available from the dealer, and is simple to install.

[smartcarLINY]

It's not Smithtown. It's the other LI dealership, but I don't know if I'm supposed to name names here. I'm curious as to why you ordered the Passion over the Pure? Also, regarding the wheels, do you know if it's hard/expensive to upgrade to the wheels of the Passion?

I'm just really hoping I won't regret not splurging for the Passion once I get the Pure.

[factor9]

Originally Posted by smartcarLINY

It's not Smithtown. It's the other LI dealership, but I don't know if I'm supposed to name names here. I'm curious as to why you ordered the Passion over the Pure? Also, regarding the wheels, do you know if it's hard/expensive to upgrade to the wheels of the Passion?

I'm just really hoping I won't regret not splurging for the Passion once I get the Pure.

You can name the Roslyn dealership, there's nothing being said that's really proprietary here. With respect to the wheels, I've seen Passion wheels up for sale on the Forum before, Check out this post: http://www.smartcarofamerica.com/for...rade-pure.html

Okay, to the tach. The tachometer tells you how many revolutions per minute (RPMs) your engine is running at any given time. For many of us, we are used to looking at our tachs to make sure that we are shifting at a particular RPM or protecting our cars from exceeding the recommended maximum RPMs before the engine blows. Many drivers will tell you that you can tell your RPMs by just listening to the engine, so they really don't need it. I had several cars when I was younger without a tach, and I never hurt my engine once. But, now that I've had Tachs in my cars, I don't know if I would buy a car without it. Of course, there are many aftermarket tachs that you can install, and they're not very expensive.

But for what you plan to use your smart for, a Pure is not a bad way to go. As Dennyrex said earlier, you can just about add anything you want to your Pure to make it a very loaded vehicle.

Good luck! PS. Remember, the salesman is going to try to sell you the most expensive car they have, so don't listen to them about going with the majority. Most of us Passion folks are using our smart cars for more than a short commute to work each day.

[Winnetou]

Of course you are allowed to name dealerships here!

I ordered a Passion because by the time I had added desired options to the Pure, the cost differential was so small that I obtained a greater value by selecting the Passion. However, I would likely have purchased the Pure in January had the dealer been willing to sell it, and I doubt I would have any regrets now. Individuals vary! You must make this decision for yourself.

Alloy wheels can be very expensive, and I think that the factory Passion wheels are quite costly to purchase separate from the car. However, Tire Rack, an excellent on-line retailer of wheels and tyres, have an attractive Rial Le Mans model wheel for the smart car, at only $135 each:

Rial Le Mans Bright Satin Sil Paint

Note that the smart car has wider wheels on the rear. You need 15” X 5” wheels for the front, and 15” X 6” wheels for the rear. You will note that Tire Rack list both on the referenced web-page.