Considering SMART Passion have Questions.

[almostsmart]

I am considering a SMART Passion, but have a few questions to you owners. I think the best information is from someone who owns the product. I want to get past the hype and get the real story.

Here are my questions:

I live in South Carolina and commute approximately 100 miles round trip 5 to 6 days a week mostly on secondary roads.

Will this car withstand that type of use?
I commute with my 6'2" 260lb spouse and 2 Boston Terrors. Will the car accomidate this many passangers?
Can the Smart be serviced anywhere, or must they go to the dealer for service? (closest dealer an hour and a half away)
Are the Smart being sold at close to the MSRP listed on this site? (Just had someone tell me their friend just took delivery on a Smart Passion and paid a little over $20,000.00 (US Dollars) for it)
What is the actual MPG some of you are getting?
Are there any problems I should know about when considering?

Any input appreciated!
Almost SMART in South Carolina

[stevenvillatoro]

You'll all fit... but whether it might meet your expectations is another matter that you'd have to decide on your own. I drive about 70 miles a day, and it's a piece of cake. Many on here prefer driving the smart to their 'other' car, which is often a luxury car or larger vehicle. People report 40-45 MPG typically under those conditions. As far as possible problems, I suggest you spend time reviewing this site. It's really hard to determine the prevalence of some of the issues, but I think most on here would definitely go back and make the same purchase decision again. That is what tells the real story!

[a2jack]

The Smart will work for you but you will be pushing it. We push ours.

We originally purchased our car as a toy, and sold another toy to buy it (Miata). As we waited for delivery the cost of gas went through the roof, and, as we had a Subie and a van running as work cars we considered canceling our order.

However we took delivery, and it drove so well we decided to put it to work. What a surprise! We regularly run 300 mile work days with it. Town and country and fast freeway. We get 42-43 MPG, never less than 37 mpg (during break in).

The car is very comfortable to run all day long. We have a fully loaded Passion and just turned 10,100 miles on the ode. We paid MSRP only.

Good luck, and welcome to our list. Give us a good read then ask some more questions. A2Jack.

[bull8042]

I think the smart will be a very welcome addition for your family. Several of the roads here SUCK! But as long as you avoid the really big holes, you will do just fine.
As for the Terriers, they probably won't be able to reach the pedals, but as long as you do the driving, all will be well.
Unless you choose to accept an orphan that the dealer has "customized", you will only pay MSRP plus a few dealer fees that are inescapable. Charlotte is a great dealer to work with if that one is yours. I can't speak for Charleston.
Welcome to the forums.

[nevis]

Originally Posted by almostsmart

I am considering a SMART Passion, but have a few questions to you owners. I think the best information is from someone who owns the product. I want to get past the hype and get the real story.

Here are my questions:

I live in South Carolina and commute approximately 100 miles round trip 5 to 6 days a week mostly on secondary roads.

Will this car withstand that type of use?
I commute with my 6'2" 260lb spouse and 2 Boston Terrors. Will the car accomidate this many passangers?
Can the Smart be serviced anywhere, or must they go to the dealer for service? (closest dealer an hour and a half away)
Are the Smart being sold at close to the MSRP listed on this site? (Just had someone tell me their friend just took delivery on a Smart Passion and paid a little over $20,000.00 (US Dollars) for it)
What is the actual MPG some of you are getting?
Are there any problems I should know about when considering?

Any input appreciated!
Almost SMART in South Carolina

Hello, I will attempt to answer your questions. I have a Black/Silver/red orphan passion coupe.

1. The commute should be no problem at all. I like driving secondary roads the best. The smart seems to get its best mileage at 45-55 mph and it also rides really good on secondary roads, (expansion joints on the Interstate are felt because of the cars short wheelbase).

2. I am 5' 8" and weigh 345 and I am comfortable. It is almost impossible for me to get in most all economy cars and I am normally only comfortable in my minivan, but its easy to get in and out of the smart because of the seat height and large doors. The dogs will have to ride in the back and not knowing how big they are I can't comment. Otherwise it should not be a problem. If both of you and the dogs go shopping, it won't leave much room for purchases, but I just went by myself to Costco and filled the back end with a ton of groceries with no problem, you just have to be careful packing.

3. Service, (oil changes) can be done anywhere, however you may need to keep part numbers handy as most service companies don't have a listing for smart yet. The oil is Mobil 1 synthetic almost any synthetic should do, but the company recommends Mobil 1. You can always buy the filter in parts and take it to your service rep., but several filters are available that work if you have the part numbers. Warranty work, of course will have to be done at your dealer.

4. I bought my smart passion with power steering for sticker price plus tax and life insurance on the loan amount. The dealer did not force any options on me or ask for any premium. I paid $15885. plus tax, dealer prep and life insurance, total $16,346. Dealer was Bob Neill Mercedes/smart in Winston-Salem. Very good dealership, enjoyed my buying experience. Salesman: Mark Kendall.

5. My wife drives a short city commute of only 7 miles 1 way with air cond. all the time, and short trips to the store, etc. and we are averaging 32-33 mpg. On a secondary road commute at speeds of 45-55, you should get low to mid 40's very easily. I have read reports of people getting mid to high 40's on a regular basis who have medium speed long commutes. Our 1st tank at highway, city, and secondary roads combined was 39. Everybody has said their mileage increased after 2-3,000 miles. I'm not there yet.

6. I have had no problems at all, no warranty work at all with 1500 miles. I love the car and so does my wife. I like it so well, I have configured my reservation car and expect to own a second smart by November.

Note: You will get a lot of attention and answer a lot of questions from people in parking lots! I have even had people coming up to the car in fast food drive thru's asking questions when I am paying for my food. I have insurance with State Farm at a very reasonable rate, so they must have a good safety/repair cost with the insurance industry. I think you will love the car. I hope I have helped you answer your questions.

[rawlus®]

Originally Posted by almostsmart

I am considering a SMART Passion, but have a few questions to you owners. I think the best information is from someone who owns the product. I want to get past the hype and get the real story.

Here are my questions:

I live in South Carolina and commute approximately 100 miles round trip 5 to 6 days a week mostly on secondary roads.

Will this car withstand that type of use?

yes

I commute with my 6'2" 260lb spouse and 2 Boston Terrors. Will the car accommodate this many passengers?

judgment call, i'm 6'5" and fit fine in driver's side, so-so on passenger's side. i can't imagine two dogs in the car, i suppose they could be on the shelf in the back but that's a relatively small space for two dogs to share and they'd be projectiles in the event of an accident.

Can the Smart be serviced anywhere, or must they go to the dealer for service? (closest dealer an hour and a half away)

dealer only at this time.

Are the Smart being sold at close to the MSRP listed on this site? (Just had someone tell me their friend just took delivery on a Smart Passion and paid a little over $20,000.00 (US Dollars) for it)

if you get on the waiting list and wait 18-24 months for yours (current estimate) then you'll pay MSRP... if you get on an orphans list (bascially cancelled reservations) you may get one quicker if you are willing to take one with less control over your ideal set of choices and options, commonly dealers have been adding aftermarket items to orphans and marking them up to get greater profit, again, these prices are likely not to be too negotiable as demand far surpasses supply.

What is the actual MPG some of you are getting?

it varies due to alot of factors, temp, road conditions, driving style, etc. but low to mid 40's seem to be common. current EPA estimates are considered to be very conservative.

Are there any problems I should know about when considering?

nothing really out of the ordinary. it is a vehicle you have to be prepared for as it does change the convention significantly. it is unique in more than just appearance. premium fuel is recommended. there is a repair kit instead of a spare tire. it is a manual tranny with an automatic shifting option. currently tire options are limited and most parts are dealer-only (though that should change with time), there is no shop service manual available to the public, etc.

Any input appreciated!
Almost SMART in South Carolina

NP

[Springlering]

Both of you need to go sit in a demo at the same time. Period.

My husband and I bump elbows getting in and buckling up, but otherwise OK, although we are certainly much more at close quarters than in our old cars. I will say, getting embarrassed about being such a large woman in such a small car inspired me to do something about it. So in that regard, the Smart is doing me a favor.

We tried putting a couple of our dachshunds in the back. They flipped out and made it very clear they expect to ride on a seat, in comfort, and would far rather one of us ride in the back. Others on the forum have said their dogs love it, but I would be hesitant, since even though it's insulated, it does get quite warm over the engine compartment, and is not where I'd want my beloved bevvy of hounds in hot weather, unless I wanted roast weiners.

We paid MSRP on two of ours, but we waited the year to get them. Patience is a virtue in this regard. By the time our second arrived, we wanted a third, and we were enamoured enough we would have gladly paid more via the orphan list, but were fortunate enough to pay MSRP on the third one, too, which we bought from a member of this forum. He had only put 600 miles on it before deciding it wasn't what he wanted after all. So, as a suggestion, make doggone sure it's what you want before plunking down your money. They may be cute and (relatively) green and you've seen them on the TV and yeah they're really cool, but imho, you need the right personality and appropriate expectations for the Smart.

If you all's interstates up yonder are a rough or really "segmented", be prepared for your kidneys to shake a bit aloose. You get used to it after awhile on the freeway, but sometimes you are very concious of the jostling.

We have some good sections of interstate down here in Atlanta, and some verrrrry bad ones. The state highways and side roads are the best to drive on, in fact, an absolute pleasure, but you will wake up one morning to find yourself being extra aware of gutters and bumpties you never noticed before, and accomodating accordingly.

If you or your wife are really shy, the Smart will be make or break. I have one child who refuses to ride in it, because she is so upset with all the random strangers tackling us in parking lots, honking, or speeding up to look (and often nearly running us off the road in the process). We got out yesterday morning in a parking lot, and literally had people running from four different directions shouting questions as they ran. There was no escape from that episode, and she gave me an earful afterwards. Yes, sometimes it is very unnerving....

But, to sum up, my husband told me the other night, "My Smart is the first time I've ever had fun with a car." He's a good man, works hard, puts up with a houseful of illtempered women, a pack of hounds and sundry other headaches, and I am all for him having fun. It meant a lot to have him say that.

We are, btw, in the process of selling our last non-Smart car. We have decided to make a go of being Smart-only.

[timhood]

The smart makes most sense the farther your daily driving. You'll save even more gas $. I would suspect it would hold up very well for you. Generally cars last longer and require less maintenance when you drive them for long periods (as opposed to short stop-and-go commutes). You'll maintain a steadier speed for better gas mileage, the engine will be running easy and you'll put less wear-and-tear on items like brake pads, etc. This, of course, is generally true of any car, but the added bonus with the smart is the savings on gas.

As for the size, I think you'll fit just fine. Not sure how big your dogs are, but you have choices. You can put one in the front and one in the back, or possibly both in front or back. There's a cargo net accessory that hooks up to the roof so you wouldn't have to worry about dogs flying forward in a sudden stop, or if your dogs are hyper and might jump around.

As for service, you don't have to go to a smart dealer, but you probably will need to for anything other than oil-change type of service, at least for a while until other shops become "capable", i.e., get some experience. But the service intervals are 10,000 miles, so they won't happen as frequently as other cars you may own or be considering.

New smarts basically sell for MSRP. "Orphans", or smarts that were reserved for someone on a waiting list but given up, can be sold for whatever the dealer can get, often gouging customer by piling on dubious after-market options, warranties, etc. That's where $20,000 comes in. :-) (Either that or it was a loaded-up convertible with an extended warranty, etc.)

I've been getting around 41 MPG overall with basically no freeway driving, and that's driving it reasonable but not pokey or holding up traffic behind me. I would think I could get between 45-50 on an all-freeway trip. Subtract a few MPGs for the A/C.