More iQ - from Jeremy Clarkson (of TopGear)

[smark]

Love all the IQ feature. I can do with out the CVT transmission. MT said its a dog. I can save gas and have creature comfort too. Blue tooth great don't have to touch the phone. Smart could use some airbags in the rear. I sit only a couple feet from a plastic tail gate.

[RACNXTG3]

richard might go in the back but not james cause he would be splooshed!

[geosynch]

Originally Posted by vwW12

«And I loved the enormous array of equipment...
I liked:

• The Sat-Radio

Bunny. I've got news for the British. Sat radio in the car is nice, but they need a satellite above them broadcasting before they can recieve it.

And they don't. At least not yet.

geosynch

[2smartArizona]

Sorry, no satellite radio offered....don't know where that came from...must be available in Japan though....

OPTION AVAILABILITY

Standard equipment and factory options

iStyle – Chrome side sills, rear chrome garnish & aluminium scu

ff plates ● ● £213.04 £31.96 £245.00
iSports – Rear roof spoiler, rear skirt, chrome exhaust pipe fi nisher ● ● £430.43 £64.57 £495.00
iUrban – Rear parking sensors, reversible velour & rubber boot liner, textile fl oor mats ● ● £300.00 £45.00 £345.00
Leather seats – ● £600.00 £90.00 £690.00
Navigation – ● £808.70 £121.30 £930.00
Metallic Paint ● ● £321.74 £48.26 £370.00

Exc VAT £ Inc VAT £
iQ iQ

 inc fitting VAT £ inc fitting

ACCESSORIES

Bluetooth® (except where Navigation is

fi tted) ● ● £292.53 £43.88 £336.41
Alloy pedals (manual transmission only) ● ● £63.78 £9.57 £73.35
Footlight illumination ● ● £177.65 £26.65 £204.30
Illuminated scuff plates ● ● £219.25 £32.89 £252.14

Accessory alloy wheels (set of 4), from: ● ● £500.96 £75.14 £576.10

[mdfortwoguy]

Mind you you are one end of the demographic that purchased this car for practicality.

I cross shopped this with several other cars that cost more than twice what my smart did - so money wasn't really an object in the purchase. That being said, it is a toy, and I like my gadgets in my vehicle.

Originally Posted by fortow

You don't need to pay for built-in satellite navigation.

I'll agree here - OEM nav can be so limited in feature set.

You not only don't need Blue Tooth, but you shouldn't be using cellphones while driving.
Ditto for Ipod.
Satellite radios don't need to be built-in.

Seriously? Do you never take your car/are you not in a position where you might never have to answer your phone while you are driving?

Back-up camera - get serious - this isn't a motorhome.
Parktronic - is that something a microcar car needs?

This one is a bit more frivilous... however if it helps you squeeze into a tighter spot or keeps you from hitting a curb, isnt it a bit worth it? Mind you, you can't turn your head and look out of the back at the bumper in the iQ like you can the smart.

Turnsignals in the mirrors? - my upscale pickup has them but maybe they are a good idea for that - not for a microcar though.

Why are they not a good idea? Do microcars not need to signal and let people know where they are going? The more (properly used) lights on the exterior, the better IMO.

It has everything it needs. If it cost any more than it did other vehicles would have been chosen. Anyone who buys an overpriced iQ and outfits it with even more costly options may actually have a low IQ already.

Think of it this way - these cars are going to appeal to a lot of different people - young city-goers and such. It may be their only car, and they may want a few more options out of it. Not everyone wants/needs to be practical... $13,590 in the case of a base 2008 Passion coupe versus $16,000 for my loaded Passion coupe isn't exactly a huge jump in the big scheme of things.

If we're going straight practicality, smart should kill the cabrio then. The roof has a finite life, a smaller rear window, is not quite as safe to park in a bad area due to a slash and grab, and the cargo area is not as easy to get to and load as the coupe. How many people would scream out if they went hardtop only? More than half the brand's current owners probably...