'Orphan' Smart cars pile up as buyers back out

[homeslice]

Originally Posted by MPrice2984

I suspect the real cause is lack of financing available. Now that a lot of the banks won't finance with less than a 700-725 score that cuts out even people who pay their bills on time and carry small balances. Most car and truck models would be selling if it weren't for the banks and lack of job security.

That's exactly why I am having to pay cash for mine. My credit is in the tank from a foreclosure. I can barely save $1,000 per month. For a $16,000 dollar car... it's gonna take a LOT of months to save up the full purchase price. On the flip side, I won't be paying any interest. I just wish I could negotiate for a better price when the time comes. I'd rather buy a brand new one to help support the local dealer stay in business than by a used one.

[stephensussman]

hey wait another two weeks and we will be comming to annapolis maryland to see what they have, we are ready for our second smart . hey one turn down is thier loss and my gain, momma has the cabriolet convertible i settle for the plain pure, red and black hopefully if they dont have or cant get i will travel and see whats out there . as long as we are dumb enough to pay the higher gas prices i am sure the gas companies are dumb enough to keep raising em.

[SuperGeek]

I've found that in the current banking climate, credit unions are racking up on loans that banks pass on. Banks have more strict, corporate style standards. Credit Unions are more like a small business, local and benefitting their own community. The rates are lower and you're more likely to get a loan. For a HELOC, my own CU starts their A credit rating at FICO 680 where the average bank starts it at 720-750. That makes a huge difference. Plus, they offered me 4% interest instead of 7%.

[homeslice]

Originally Posted by SuperGeek

I've found that in the current banking climate, credit unions are racking up on loans that banks pass on. Banks have more strict, corporate style standards. Credit Unions are more like a small business, local and benefitting their own community. The rates are lower and you're more likely to get a loan. For a HELOC, my own CU starts their A credit rating at FICO 680 where the average bank starts it at 720-750. That makes a huge difference. Plus, they offered me 4% interest instead of 7%.

My credit rating is now in the 400's. I couldn't finance a pack of bubble gum at this point. I will have to be just wait it out and try to save $1,000 per month for 16 months until I have the cash to buy a brand new 2010 Passion.

[spdickey]

To help dealers with too many cars on their lots, smart is now holding cars on the docks until the dealer confirms that the buyer wants it. If they don't it stays with smart and goes into a pool that all dealers can access for a buyer.

[homeslice]

Originally Posted by spdickey

To help dealers with too many cars on their lots, smart is now holding cars on the docks until the dealer confirms that the buyer wants it. If they don't it stays with smart and goes into a pool that all dealers can access for a buyer.

Wonderful... so all those new cars can sit outside all day, fading in the sun. I want to buy one and either keep it in the garage or under a car cover the majority of the time to keep it looking like brand new for as long as I own it.

[pastalorenzo]

got mine in pburg-lots of them upstairs,8 I think plus a demo. This really is not a shocker and with people seeing more and more of them on the road they start to lose the stare factor.

[homeslice]

Originally Posted by pastalorenzo

got mine in pburg-lots of them upstairs,8 I think plus a demo. This really is not a shocker and with people seeing more and more of them on the road they start to lose the stare factor.

That's good. When I get one, I don't need people bugging me. I wish more people would buy them.

I keep thinking about buying a Yaris, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent or Mini Cooper... but then all I have to do is see articles about the crash tests and how the smart fortwo is the cheapest to repair out of all of the vehicles.

I know tons of articles and people all over the place rag on the smart car. 80% of the people I talk to in person that I tell them I am going to buy a smart car all tell me to buy something else. Just like the people who refuse to use Amsoil, all of these people are also misinformed. They all talk about how dangerous the car is in a crash, etc. You've heard it all.

Small Cars Have a Big Bumper Problem - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com

When I compare the smart to all of these cars (equipped with automatics):

Chevy Aveo (Korean junk. Parts start to fade from the sun when the car ages. I'd be dieing to get rid of it in a few years from it being ugly.)
Hyundai Accent (Same.)
Toyota Yaris (I love the interior of the smart better)
Honda Civic (nice, but all of the Honda dealers charge above and beyond the MSRP)
Kia Rio (Not built to last. )
Mini Cooper (Everything is super expensive for this car. Even used ones are much more expensive than a brand new smart.)

And the thing is with those cars that have the 100,000 mile warranty... it only applies to the ENGINE and TRANSMISSION, of which usually NEVER fails within 100,000 miles. It's everything else like the A/C, power windows, faded interior, various switches inside the cab, etc. that all fail which are never included in that warranty. I would only consider one of the above cars if the prices stayed the same that they are now and they all had a zero-deductible, bumper-to-bumper 100,000 mile warranty.


The smart pluses for me:
- gets better gas mileage than all of them
- cheaper to fix in small fender benders
- fraction of the cost in oil and transmission fluid changes
- has a timing chain instead of a belt (big thumbs up here! It's nice to not have to pay a mechanic hundreds of dollars to open the engine up to change a timing belt.)
- plus the fact that I'd like a German car.

Every one of those cars will cost me a lot of money to service the transmission. The smart car is only 3.5 quarts of tranny fluid (gear lube) every 100,000 miles and that can be changed on my own. For all of the cars above, I have to buy a ton of fluid and then find a place that has a flushing machine. It's a real hassle. I can do all of the service on the smart myself without ever taking it to a shop or dealer. That's not so with all of the above cars. So the transmission will only cost me barely $40 bucks every 100,000 miles to service. THAT'S NOTHING compared to all of the multiple visits to a shop for a conventional automatic transmission.

I know this car has it's faults, but it will get you from A to B, reliably, comfortably and the cheapest way possible.

I can't wait to get one. Hopefully by early 2010... that's the target date for a 2010 model. I'm hoping for the MHD version if they bring it to the U.S.

[deltadart]

Originally Posted by homeslice

That's good. When I get one, I don't need people bugging me. I wish more people would buy them.

I keep thinking about buying a Yaris, Kia Rio, Hyundai Accent or Mini Cooper... but then all I have to do is see articles about the crash tests and how the smart fortwo is the cheapest to repair out of all of the vehicles.

I know tons of articles and people all over the place rag on the smart car. 80% of the people I talk to in person that I tell them I am going to buy a smart car all tell me to buy something else. Just like the people who refuse to use Amsoil, all of these people are also misinformed. They all talk about how dangerous the car is in a crash, etc. You've heard it all.

Small Cars Have a Big Bumper Problem - Wheels Blog - NYTimes.com

When I compare the smart to all of these cars (equipped with automatics):

Chevy Aveo (Korean junk. Parts start to fade from the sun when the car ages. I'd be dieing to get rid of it in a few years from it being ugly.)
Hyundai Accent (Same.)
Toyota Yaris (I love the interior of the smart better)
Honda Civic (nice, but all of the Honda dealers charge above and beyond the MSRP)
Kia Rio (Not built to last. )
Mini Cooper (Everything is super expensive for this car. Even used ones are much more expensive than a brand new smart.)

And the thing is with those cars that have the 100,000 mile warranty... it only applies to the ENGINE and TRANSMISSION, of which usually NEVER fails within 100,000 miles. It's everything else like the A/C, power windows, faded interior, various switches inside the cab, etc. that all fail which are never included in that warranty. I would only consider one of the above cars if the prices stayed the same that they are now and they all had a zero-deductible, bumper-to-bumper 100,000 mile warranty.


The smart pluses for me:
- gets better gas mileage than all of them
- cheaper to fix in small fender benders
- fraction of the cost in oil and transmission fluid changes
- has a timing chain instead of a belt (big thumbs up here! It's nice to not have to pay a mechanic hundreds of dollars to open the engine up to change a timing belt.)
- plus the fact that I'd like a German car.

Every one of those cars will cost me a lot of money to service the transmission. The smart car is only 3.5 quarts of tranny fluid (gear lube) every 100,000 miles and that can be changed on my own. For all of the cars above, I have to buy a ton of fluid and then find a place that has a flushing machine. It's a real hassle. I can do all of the service on the smart myself without ever taking it to a shop or dealer. That's not so with all of the above cars. So the transmission will only cost me barely $40 bucks every 100,000 miles to service. THAT'S NOTHING compared to all of the multiple visits to a shop for a conventional automatic transmission.

I know this car has it's faults, but it will get you from A to B, reliably, comfortably and the cheapest way possible.

I can't wait to get one. Hopefully by early 2010... that's the target date for a 2010 model. I'm hoping for the MHD version if they bring it to the U.S.

It's hard to argue with a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty on the engine/transmission even though they usually don't break. That's still lightyears better than the Smart unless they have change the 24K mile warranty. And what "multiple visits to a shop for a conventional automatic transmission" are you talking about? There are quite a few cars that have sealed transmissions that require very few ATF changes.

[JohnnyM]

Originally Posted by spdickey

To help dealers with too many cars on their lots, smart is now holding cars on the docks until the dealer confirms that the buyer wants it. If they don't it stays with smart and goes into a pool that all dealers can access for a buyer.

This I believe to be true, and it also may be affecting the delivery of ordered cars to the dealer that are spoken for. By delaying delivery as long as possible, while orphan cars(or cars shipped to fill lot space) sit, some customers may feel their choice may be to take the available unit even though it may not be optioned the way they want. I noticed that some available cars are optioned as to produce the largest markup, like instead of the comfort package on the car, each of the separate options of the package are added instead.