going for a test drive today...

[pickledchang]

i will be test driving a smart today at portland, or!! im absolutely excited to take this thing for a spin, and possibly get ready to reserve, and wait, for one if i decide to.

kind of a pointless thread, i know... but im stoked to get behind the wheel. is there anything i should be prepared for as far as general disappointments? ive never really seen one in person except from a distance. i am prepared (i think) for how small it is going to look. and i keep hearing mixed reviews about its available power... some people are saying its too weak for american roads, while others are saying its plenty of power for getting around. the only thing i am worried about is merging onto 70+ mph traffic. so we'll see today i guess.

ive been browsing these forums for a while now, and i think they've convinced me enough that i may jump in with the others as another smart owner!

[randyzimmer]

The worst part is 3MPH to 15MPH until you get a feel for it (about a week) then you'll have your foot trained. The smart entering a freeway is not going to hold up normal traffic.

[pickledchang]

cool. i definitely understand that the smart is not built for speed and giddy-up, but at least its got enough power from the sounds of it to be fully functional on all types of roads.

[stevenvillatoro]

Don't be afraid to test drive it hard. They love to run!

[SmartBob]

Yeah I've read nothing but good things from our new owners about our fortwo having plenty go juice. Funny...I haven't had one out for a "real" test drive yet...only in the city which was nice but not enuff. When the weather gets a little better I'll be heading over to my dealer for sure.

[SmartAzz]

Just whip it around some corners, do a tiny U turn or two and have fun

Since I knew about the transmission before test driving I quickly felt out how lifting/pausing on the throttle can smooth out gear changes vs just stomping on the gas and had no problem sorting it out. I was focusing on getting feeling out the steering (which to me is so key to my enjoyment of a car - floaty or numb steering feel can kill the experience for me) and was happily enjoying it. The delay from a dead stop was quite a new thing for me and I had to acclimatize to it (but do know that even given the car's less then drag racer response from a start I still am 'out of the gate' faster then the many slow and distracted drivers without even pushing it) but the test drive showed me how overall engaging the Smart is and how well it works as a whole package.

Let us know what you think

[pickledchang]

welp, im officially extremely impressed by this little car, and even though its going to be a one year wait, count me in as another smart owner.

the transmission... i had fun with it. finally, it was something different than a regular 5-spd or automatic. it lets you shift if you want, or be lazy in traffic if you choose. not sure what everyone was complaining about, i was able to shift it as smooth as an automatic by taking my foot off the gas at each shift... JUST like you do for a manual.

the car handles pretty awesome too, not top heavy at all like i thought it might have been. no rattles, a decent sounding radio, sweet "sunroof", super tight turning radius, and a friendly staff at the smartcenter (portland)... to me, the car sells itself.

time to go config one online!

[Gortok]

Congrats and welcome to the "waiter's club"!!

[pwbapro]

I only got to test drive in a small city area. Now I'm ready to go back for a hwy test drive, just to be sure. Where I live there are a couple of high bridges that get some wind....I am a bit reserved about Smart & Wind (although can't be worse than our 1994 A-Class Motorhome! LOL!)

[pickledchang]

i was able to take it on a hwy to 65mph, and though it was a pretty smooth surface, the smart drove almost identical to my cobalt. i was able to feel its vulnerability to wind though when driving next to semis, but it wasnt too bad as long as you are ready for it.