Is Buying a Smart Worth It?

[Britmck]

Hello everyone,

I am expecting delivery of my Smart Passion in 45-60 days. Within 30 days from now I have to give my intent to purchase, or give up my Smart. I have been tracking this car for a while now, and have been reading all the posts about the good and the bad of the new 2008 Smart Fortwo, mostly the bad. The Smart, if I purchase it, will be my first car ever.

My question is, is buying a Smart worth it even with all of the known bugs, and will it be a good, reliable first car?

I ordered the following (just in case anyone was wondering):

Passion Coupe, white panels, black tridion, black interior, added alarm option, added power steering option .........

I have 30 days to make the big decision, and I am interested in hearing the opinions of others.

[SunDiego]

I have had zero problems with my smart. I love it! I'd go through with the purchase if I was you - unless if you need a car with room for hauling stuff around.

[SmartShanna]

This is such a subjective subject and question. I have had no problems with my car but know several driver who have had. What is your tolerance for risk? What do you want in a car? A Honda is safe and reliable. A Jaguar is not. Are you looking for a fun and unique driving experience or are you purely interested in getting from point A to B? Only you can answer this (truly). Best of luck with your decision--I am configuring my 2nd one (I will sell the one I have now) right after this post.

[RedDogInCan]

For any type of car, some owners are going to have problems. Its just that most makes of cars don't have online forums available for owners to voice their complaints. There is also the annoyance effect - people are more likely to complain about a problem that annoys them compared to a lack of problems that don't.

[rwjrn]

I just recently configured for my second smart. I have over 7000 miles on mine and I love it. No mechanical problems.

[Smartdavis]

Same story. Bought an orphan in February just configured a new one yesterday. No mechanical problems at all. Runs like a top and lots of fun to drive. I plan to sell my orphan passion (not marked up!) and take delivery of a cabrio. This car is perfect as an urban errand runner (lots of short trips and easy to park) and I love it! If I had to take long freeway commutes or needed more room for hauling gear I would opt for something a bit larger like a honda fit, or toyota yaris, or wait and see what the new Toyota IQ is going to be like. It really depends on where you live and what your needs are. If I was living in the Colorado rockies at 8000 feet this probably wouldn't be my first choice. If I lived in a city where most of my trips were under 30 miles, this would be my car! As a first car this would be a memorable choice. I get lots of smiles, waves, and thumbs up from complete strangers.

[SmartCard]

Originally Posted by Britmck

Hello everyone,

I am expecting delivery of my Smart Passion in 45-60 days. Within 30 days from now I have to give my intent to purchase, or give up my Smart.

is this something new, or just a game this dealer is playing? Technically I don't think you need to give any "intent to purchase".....you already did that by configuring your car!

[RVGRINGO]

We've had our 2007 Passion since November, 2006 and have driven it 17,000 Km, including a trip from Guadalajara to North Carolina, and back. We have great confidence in our Smart. It has never had to go in for repairs of any kind.

[forestacademy]

I know some have reported there problems, and that is most likely why they have searched out this community. Folks are more likely to say something when they have a problem than when things go well.

Since this is your first car I assume you don't have a back up car, so one thing to consider is the distance to the Dealer for service. Some of us who are 2-3 hrs away could have problems if it is our only car. If you live in an area with the ability to use public trasportation to and from your dealer than I wouldn't think twice about it.

And since it will be your first car, you will remember this car fondly for the rest of your life, just like a lot of folks from a different era have memories of a VW Bug. Go Herby!!

[SmartBob]

To be objective, it would be good to know the reasons you like your fortwo. Most people here are very happy with their car. I see more and more on the road. Any problems are typical of any car on a percentage basis.
Questions to ask yourself that we would need to know to help you:
Where is your dealer?
Where do you drive?
How many miles will you put on the car a day/week/year?
Are you getting a good price?
Is the fortwo roomy enuff for your needs?

These sort of questions can help us help you.