Having Second Thoughts

[Jeff C.]

almostsmart,
I think that everyone here can unsderstand how you are feeling.I would have to say that it is probably a standard thing to wonder if you have made the right decision.the opinions expressed so far are very reassuring and the advise is levelheaded and reasonable.I would ALSO recommend that you keep the reservation.You will have over a year to ponder the wisdom and I am reasonably certain that you will be very glad that you did not cancell the reservation.My only further advice would be to not have unrealistic expectations about what this is---it is only a relatively inexpensive (compared to a conventional auto) commuter type car that is enjoying a huge popularity in America.I am looking forward to using it as an errand type car and an alterate to two wheeled transportation.As long as your expectations are not so large that reality is a disappointment then I think that you will be just fine.Re -read the advise from the people above once again and relax-you are doing the right thing.

[SmartPassion]

And you'll get about the same driving distance out of both.

Originally Posted by bottlerocket

I filled my gas tank yesterday, $37 with premium at $4.70 at costco

Then last night I filled my wife's Accord, $76!

U darn right it's the best decision I ever made!

[CruisingAZ]

Tomarrow marks 12 months of waiting, and there is light at the end of the tunnel. Glad I didn't cancel.

[Smart Car Geek]

Almostsmart, you seem to be looking for responses from those with 70-90K miles on their Smart, and I highly doubt that anyone in the U.S. has that many miles racked up on their car yet. Probably best to focus on the Euro Smart user as they have had their cars longer. Personally I would cancel your reservation until you buy your new Honda or whatever. You have nothing to lose by keeping your reservation until then. BTW- Honda will be coming out with a small coupe version of the Fit soon. It should be an incredible car. More information about it will be available around September

[Dave Van]

If that in doubt...bail out! But after 60 days of driving mine (and I have a small fleet of other cars to choose from) I am about to get Smart #2! I feel the Mitsu engine, well cared for, will outlast many others out there. One of the best cars I had was a Mitsu / Dodge Colt Vista. This car with prem oil and filters should do as well or better!

[imcquade]

3000 miles in less than 2 months; highway, backroads, long trips and short trips - I have had zero issues other than a little rattle in the drives door; but definately nothing that has left me stuck on the side of the road......

oh I lie...... Like a knob I locked my key in the boot and all the other (2) doors were locked - oops....

My wife has a 2008 Yaris 2 door - I really like that car too; but not as much as my Smart....

As I have said before I paid more for the Yaris and got less; no ABS, no ESC, no side Air Bags, No Alloy Wheels....... but it fairness it got a back seat

I am not worried about the car at all

If you aren't in it 100% buy something else but be really sure of your decision... hate to be you passing a smart in your fit thinking 'what if...?'

Cheers

Ian

[Smart Enuf]

I have 3200 miles on my smart cabrio, including a 1000 mile roundtrip from Sacramento to Los Angeles, and have not had a single engine, A/C, or any other type of problem. The car purrs like a kitten, and there's no indication that that will change in the near future.

I also have a 1994 Mitsubishi Expo LRV microvan with (gasp!) a Mitsubishi engine. I've had that car for over 12 years (it was a car rental prior to my purchase) and have put more than 125,000 miles on it. It is, without doubt, the most reliable engine (and car) I have ever had, and I've had a Mazda B2000 pickup, Mazda Miata, Nissan Pathfinder, and Toyota Corolla. Had I the money and the need, I would not hesitate for a second to buy another Mitsubishi with a Mitsu engine.

To put it succinctly, I was concerned about the smart only from the standpoint that it would have been my first non-Japanese car. But when I found out it was going to have a Mitsubishi engine, that clinched the deal for me.

'Nuf said!

[prm1177]

Smart Passion delivered end of January.
Current miles: 6723.
Miles per day: 75
Mileage last fillup: 47.2
Personal best mileage: 52.3
Problems: 00000

Would certainly buy another one.

[nprsmart]

Originally Posted by almostsmart

Does anyone have a lot of miles on their SMART?
What issues have you had and when?

I am trying to decide whether to cancel the reservation and look at something like the Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris.
Any input is welcomed!!

Right at 2500 miles on my fortwo in the last two months. Zero problems, nada. It has only visited the dealer once in the last two months and that was because I wanted to drop in and see what the scoop was on the bike rack...

Do I like it? My Trans-Am convertible is for sale (and on a trickle charger) and I "had" to drive the Silverado this afternoon to make sure the battery didn't go dead after nearly two weeks of sitting in the driveway.

If you liked the way the fortwo drove, keep the reservation and consider pestering your dealer for an orphan.

[pattison]

Originally Posted by almostsmart

I went over the weekend to my SMART dealer in CharlestonSC and test drove the SMART Passion. I also looked at the other 2 models as they had several dealer models on hand. I even reserved one with a number of 1626.
Since then I have spent a lot of time on this board reading threads and have become concerned that I may have made a poor decision. The more I read the more I think that the SMART is not for me.
I loved everything about the car until I found out it had a Mitsubishi engine. I am disturbed that so many have said their SMART has left them stranded. Some state door problems, alarm problems, transmission problems and most disturbing is the post that indicated the Mitsubishi engine was discontinued in European model because of reliability issues. As this will be my primary form of commuting and my dealer is an hour and forty-five minutes from my home, I really can not afford to have this little guy dead on the side of a country road. I am also disturbed that it only has a 2 year or 24,000 mile standard warranty and an extended warranty is $1,200 more. That doesn't give me the warm fuzzies!!!
I need reassurance!!!!

Does anyone have a lot of miles on their SMART?
What issues have you had and when?

I am trying to decide whether to cancel the reservation and look at something like the Honda Fit or Toyota Yaris.
Any input is welcomed!!

Over 10,000 units have shipped to customers in the USA as of June. Smart has built cars for over a decade and sell in 60 countries.....

I would take the issues listed on this forum as exceptions...
As an example - I was a little concerned about fuel economy after reading the poor performance/economy when new... well mine is two weeks old - All running around town,start/stop -now with 480 miles averaging 28 mph (worst kind of scenario) I am averaging 48.6mpg on the second full tank of gas