I want to thank you to all of you for your help.
Before i say anything else, I want to say I do like the car, and pretty much want one
From this forum, I learned all the stuff that should have been mentioned on the first demo drive, but was not. That is a sign of a overly lax attitude by the dealership that leads to a loss of sales.
Car sales are a business that one cannot survive by being lax.
At this time I have decided against the smart car due to several reasons, it is not so much the car itself, for the most part, but instead the people involved in selling it, from the dealership to Penske, to MB.
At this point, I do not think I would trust my dealer. If I was standing outside at high noon, and they said the sun was shining, I would take off my sunglasses to look up so as to double check them.
I do not feel MB is truly behind the smart, because they subcontract the sales, and marketing to Penske. Penske seems to be failing to market the car well for long term survival
I do not have a comfortable level of confidence that my local dealer will be there long term
I like the car for what it is, and have no real problem with the car as it is.
If the dealers, Penske, and MB do not make some major changes, I do not see how they will survive. The business plan is somewhat not quite right to me.
Under supply, over-priced, extremely cute, over computerized, novelty with some quirks car thing can only carry so far, when the car offers so little true value for the money. At some point, the novelty buyers will be satiated, especially if the other bigger manufacturers bring something to the market also, that is better. Fiat is coming, and the Toyota IQ will be here in September as confirmed by my Toyota dealer, and I am on the list. The IQ will certainly take sales from a smart.
The RV people, and gotta have the newest thing buyers have already bought, and the real consumers are what they have to draw now.
To do that, is going to require better than I have seen from the dealer, Penske, and MB so far.
I do not have faith that the local dealer will be there long term.
The shine is off, and now it will have to compete in the real American Car market. Hot sellers come, and then go. Judging by the last few months sales, there will have to be many changes of attitude, and strategy for long term survival. With this latest recession, and the experiences of the people, America has changed, and consumers are going to want more for their money than previously concerned them during the buying spree of the last decade.
I hope I am wrong, and smart does well.
Hyundai, and Kia have grown, and done very well, but they entered the market much like Honda, Nissan, and Toyota did many years ago, while smart is doing it completely backwards from what has yielded success in the past.
Anyway, Thanks for your help.
2009 Smart 451
tmater
Today
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