The November 08 issue really trashes the smart badly. Slow acceleraton, jerky transmission, harsh choppy ride, crashes over bumps, stiff ride, exhaust/wind/road/engine noise, leans in corners, sluggish steering even with power steering, unrefined powertrain, has to work hard to get momentum, bottom of the subcompact cars. Frequent shifts are slow and jerky that sends the occupants rocking back and forth.
Interior- bare-bones fit and finish, exposed metal and screws, limited elbow room, seats border on being too firm, seat adjustments, poorly designed controls, hard to read climate controls are mounted atop the dash making them hard to reach, radio controls are awkward, key and shifter too close to your leg. Expensive for what you get.
They did say that the predicted reliability is excellent.
There's another thread on this somewhere. Those are all subjective opinions from a magazine that looks at cars as appliances. However, all of those things have been brought up as issues at one time or another by some prospective buyers or current owners, so CR isn't making them up.
Guess somebody forgot to pay off the evaluator....I never put much stock in what they say, especially when their magazine that rates a brand of car highly is loaded with advertising for that same car.
Based on my Consumer Reports research a few years ago I was going to buy a Toyota Tacoma (pickup), but instead bought a 2002 Ford Explorer SUV, which it rated as not a great choice. I'm glad I bought the Explorer. Now, if I could just convert it to electric for under 5 grand...
The November 08 issue really trashes the smart badly. Slow acceleraton, jerky transmission, harsh choppy ride, crashes over bumps, stiff ride, exhaust/wind/road/engine noise, leans in corners, sluggish steering even with power steering, unrefined powertrain, has to work hard to get momentum, bottom of the subcompact cars. Frequent shifts are slow and jerky that sends the occupants rocking back and forth.
Interior- bare-bones fit and finish, exposed metal and screws, limited elbow room, seats border on being too firm, seat adjustments, poorly designed controls, hard to read climate controls are mounted atop the dash making them hard to reach, radio controls are awkward, key and shifter too close to your leg. Expensive for what you get.
They did say that the predicted reliability is excellent.
Yep, yep, yep, etc etc, so what? My rule has always been, and will always be, if Consumer Reports recommends it, RUN!!!!!!!!! It's either boring to the tenth power, or a Volvo.
Have a very thick boned person driving or sitting in passenger seat. It makes the car lean over to one side, like the guy in Deal or No Deal tonight he won one all he had to do get in it which he did but could lean.
The November 08 issue really trashes the smart badly. Slow acceleraton, jerky transmission, harsh choppy ride, crashes over bumps, stiff ride, exhaust/wind/road/engine noise, leans in corners, sluggish steering even with power steering, unrefined powertrain, has to work hard to get momentum, bottom of the subcompact cars. Frequent shifts are slow and jerky that sends the occupants rocking back and forth.
Interior- bare-bones fit and finish, exposed metal and screws, limited elbow room, seats border on being too firm, seat adjustments, poorly designed controls, hard to read climate controls are mounted atop the dash making them hard to reach, radio controls are awkward, key and shifter too close to your leg. Expensive for what you get.
They did say that the predicted reliability is excellent.
I love my Smart car, but Consumers reports just tells it like is. BTW, they don't have advertisers. They do like the boring Hondas. We all have choices and I like all the things consumers mentioned-it's a drivers car.
Last edited by mkradin; 10-03-2008 at 08:40 PM.
Reason: Typos
Consumer Reports is the same publication that views the Honda S2000s as the ultimate sports car. Given that their views on any item differs from that of enthusiast publications, I'd say shred, not put down that issue of consumer reports.
BTW, not allowing advertising isn't any proof of being nonbiased.
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