Remember the item from a few weeks ago about Consumer Reports slagging the qualities of the Smart car on the eve of introduction to the U.S.?
CR called the Canadian version of the Smart they tested "the worst vehicle we've tested in recent years."
The magazine's raspberry doesn't appear to have had the slightest affect on America's appetite for the tiny perfect Eurocar. There's already a U.S. waiting list for them that stretches out more than a year. So much for CR's legendary ability to influence large numbers of consumers.
Daimler sold 10,000 Smart cars in Canada in its first 21/2 years on the market here, which Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Daimler AG, called "a stunning success."
Penske Auto CEO Roger Penske said the acceptance of the car in Canada was the main reason he pursued the U.S. rights to distribute the Smart. The U.S. market is 11 times larger than Canada's.
The Smart is already well on its way to being a success in Yankeeland, too. Zetsche said Daimler already has more U.S. orders for Smart than it can build. More than 30,000 buyers have made $99 down payments for the mini-cars ahead of their sales launch in January.
That many orders is "far beyond the production capacity we have for next year," Zetsche said.
That's funny.....technically there actually haven't been any US sales yet!
And its pretty hard for CR article a few weeks back to influence what has already happened in the previous 9 months!!
The Consumer Reports article about the smart car appeared in the summer of 2006. The "item" referred to in the article was a mention of the CR report, not the actual article.
Methinks thee defends too vigorously...haven't you heard "there's one born every minute?" Maybe those of us who so eagerly parted with $99 belong in that group. I said maybe. Can all those "bad" reviews be totally wrong? As Martha would say, caution...it's a good thing.
Please don't shoot the messenger. I didn't write the above, it comes from a Canadian web site.
Ok, OK....I won't shoot anybody. After all, you guys have given me some very good information. However, I think a lot of you are in love and people in love often see only what they want to see. Big Smile and Happy Holidays.
I see a whole lot of unhappy people if the following prediction comes true..
I should have reserved a couple last March!
When I told my hubby who has not been following this that the Smart is made in France, he said "there's the problem, they have a work week that is ...let's see now, 28 hours?...32 hours? and how many holidays? Snicker, snicker. So unkind.
While those fearing a repair expense (above all other aspects of vehicle ownership) may consult CR, it is difficult for me to give gravity to their generalized expertise aligns with rating toothbrushes and toasters.
Their data may be valuable when getting a used car (a year or two into a model run often gives them the opportunity to fine tune their opinions) but what quantifiable data do they have at this point?
A few years ago, I wrote them about why a car I was considering which received a not recommended rating when no component reliability category in the vehicle's table was below very good (i.e., everthing was "red", which was positive, except for their final conclusion). They told me that their data did not indicate any particular problem area but that there were problems across all categories--it just was not statistically significant enough to warrant an "poor" in any category. To me, that indicated a supplier problem and not a design problem. I bought the car and have enjoyed it. It has had some minor issues but the dealer has managed my owner experience well. But, I may be atypical. I'd rather have a car than I enjoy than drive a toaster with the highest reliability rating.
The Smart has been sold elsewhere and will have a warranty. The price is reasonable and resale, at least for the near term, will be good because of demand.
Methinks thee defends too vigorously...haven't you heard "there's one born every minute?" Maybe those of us who so eagerly parted with $99 belong in that group. I said maybe. Can all those "bad" reviews be totally wrong? As Martha would say, caution...it's a good thing.
Clearly this car is not for everyone. For some, it will be a novelty car and I wouldn't expect the most pragmatic of auto reviewers (and I'm not sure they qualify) to be enamored with something that has such radically different packaging than the rest of the US auto market.
This is, however, a new vehicle from a "new" manufacturer. Regardless of Daimler's reputation as a maker of good cars, they are not infallible (see what CR says about the first year of the previous C class) and approaching the car with skepticism is the "safe" way to go.
Caution can be a good thing, but it can also be over-rated. This isn't an experimental drug treatment for a loved one. It's a car--a car with a warranty and high demand for the near future. And while the afforability of the price is relative to an individual's resources or perception, I think the Smart is less risky than a comparibly priced used car for the money.
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