Yes, those 4 cars went to Consumer Reports for their unbiased evaluation of the trans.
Really though, my guess is they are destined for the N.A. Auto Show and may end up in Detroit. So, following that line of thinking, perhaps McElroy did drive the new one.
The title of this thread questions the transmission. In the 3 years the car has been in Canada, I have been active on that forum for 2 years, there has not been a problem with the transmission. There have been a few instances of clutch adjustment problems.
The transmission lives somwhere between the engine and drive wheels and it's function is to get the power from the engine to the wheels. The smart's Getrag transmission does that. It does not have to be rebuilt in 20,000 or 30,000 miles like many transmissions that I read about on cars driven on US highways. A transmission requiring major repairs at low mileage has a problem. The smart does not.
Now the smart is a car different from what the US driver is accustomed to driving. It's transmission is different also. Does this mean there is a problem? No. Is it different? Yes. Is it so different that the US driver can't figure it out? I don't think so. I don't think the US driver is so dense that he or she can't get this little car to travel down the highway in an acceptable manner.
Does the car drive like a high performance sports sedan or race car? No. The fact is that it is a small economy transport for two people. Does it need to make lightning fast shifts? No. Does this mean there is something wrong with it? No.
If you want high performance, buy a Porsche, or BMW. If you want an automatic trans, buy a car that has one and be prepared to pay for it and it's repairs when needed. If you want a fun, depenable little car that will put a smile on your face, buy a smart and accept the fact that it is different and the transmission is part of that experience.
Throwing in my $0.02, I currently drive a Subaru manual and the Smart shift didn't seem any slower than my personal manual gear clunking. Manuals in general always have a slight delay in shifting. Unless you have a true sport coupe/sedan with a true short throw shifter, it takes a second for your arm to throw the stick from one gate to the next.
The post I made on this thread was not about how the trans works, but what the US auto press is saying about it.
After us Smart heads and Micro car folks get theirs, sales may die in the face of the all the bad press... And just wait until Consumer Reports drives it.
Myself, and others have also noted the possibilty of lawsuits from people being unable to adapt. Most drivers now, Boomers and younger, have only driven automatic transmissions. What surprises await them with the Smart car!
IMO, MB must do a real fix, before the shoes start to fall. Make the car so pleasant that the auto writers will just love it all. And not just the cute parts
I currently drive another limited production car and can share with you the fact that many of the idioscyncracies that appear to owners are a result of major and agonizing decision making of the manufacturer. I've sat in meetings with plant people and learned why certain compromises are made. Also keep in mind that the smart for the USA is not being positioned as a car for the masses as such, but as a precursor and test for products to come. They have planned for annual sales of 20 to 30 thousand units, and will be happy to achieve that goal. Their game board gives them the profit they are looking for, and a toehold in the market. I as well as most of the members here are avid "carnuts" and are suseptible to rumor, hype, and hearsay. At this point the only FACTS are privy to the manufacturer with Penske knowing 95% and future dealers even less.
Very good. It sums up the attitude that my wife and I will assume when we start driving our new smart. (we expect the e-mail next week).
My Wife is going from her Miata, I from a Festiva 1.3L. Both sticks. We also have a Subie and a minivan. Those are automatics.
Between us we have owned a couple of hundred cars Including early bugs Micro buss', a Honda 600cc, a Subaru 360cc, and a Hillman with 4 on the column And as a young man, my pride and joy was a 1952 red MG TD.
My only purpose for posting on Smart trany's is to get a lot of folks talking and delivering the message to MB that "All Is Not Well In River City".
By the "general public" are you referring to the masses? I do not believe this car was conceived for that marketplace given to production capacity in France. So much has been postulated on this and other forums, and understandably so given the painful wait and lack of news. Reality is that none of us have driven or seen a totally USA spec 451. Four were supposedly landed in Baltimore recently. Were they brought in for EPA testing or the tour? who knows. But knowing Penske, I have faith in the end product.
Penske won't have anything to do with engineering this car. It's all in MB's hands, and they've made some real bone headed moves recently. Trying to provide a teutonic flavor in their presentation of Dodge products to the Bubba market was a complete failure. The American economy car market is looking for a simple old fashioned manual transmission, not a quirky somewhere in the middle automatic manual (or is that manual automatic) that will fade away into the annals of automotive believe-it-or-not.
Speaking as someone who's always driven an automatic (save the one rental car I had that had the "autostick"), this is probably the only way I'll be able to drive a manual.
The AutoGuide.com network consists of the largest network of enthusiast-owned enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
AutoGuide.com provides the latest car reviews, auto show coverage, new car prices, and automotive news. The AutoGuide network operates more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share opinions as a community.
Today
Linear Mode
