Purpose designed- A bit of a rant

[kwagar]

This is targeted at all of the complainers, questioners and challengers of the smart cars design and functions. It is in response to those who post about the car failing to meet a certain need or not being a wise choice for them or for anyone else. It is my opinion only and I am a smart car owner reserving on the first day and having taken delivery on Feb 1.

Throughout automotive history most cars and trucks have been designed to serve specific purposes. For example Jeeps were designed for off-road, bad road, utility purposes, pickup trucks were designed to haul cargo and pull various work trailers and equipment, sport cars were designed for acceleration, speed and thrills and the family sedan was designed for comfort and long road trips.

It is we the people that purchase and use these cars and we often use them in ways they were not designed. That is OK--there is nothing wrong with personal choice. However, using a mode of transportation in a manner different than for which it was designed will likely result in certain compromises with respect to comfort, performance and satisfaction.

Thus using a pick-up truck as a daily driver will expose one to a "trucky ride", short wheel base issues with bumps, and terror on icy roads with the light weight rear end. Not to mention you are limited to two people in a standard pick-up.

Because we often buy cars as personal statements rather than simply modes of transportation, the auto companies have tried to blend or expand utility by building 4 door, 4 passenger pick-ups (which compromize the bed length and hauling capacity) and created SUVs to try to combine passenger capacity with cargo space. In other words we have forced them into trying to be all things to all people which often results in failure of design.

My point is simply this!!! The smart car was designed as an urban commuter car. Reasonably good mileage, no clutch for heavy traffic driving, small enough to park anywhere, relatively low acquisition cost, minimal cargo capacity and cute to death.

Should we decide to use them for full days of highway driving, cross country vacation drives, racing on the tail of the dragon, picking up couples with luggage at the airport, or other unintended purposes we will likely be dissapointed in their performance. This should be no great surprise!!!!

The smart may in fact have less utility than the Yaris, Fit and other small cars but it sure as hell is cuter and attracts much more attention as well as being harder to obtain and much more unique. This doesn't make it a better car just a different choice.

I love my smart and I use it as it was designed and have no complaints. I also know that if I want cruise control to simplify highway driving for which the car was not designed I can have it added as well as other enhancements I can make with aftermarket support.

The smart is what it is! If your needs fit with the design you will likely be very happy to own one. On the other hand if you want a cargo hauler, a sports car, a people mover, an off road hill climber, or a comfortable road car you might be dissapointed.

But just because it doesn't meet your needs please don't suggest that I am stupid for having purchased one or that I don't know what I am doing. I made a reasoned choice and couldn't be happier.

[jwight]

Ken, well written. Thanks!

[pdboilermaker]

Please keep in mind, that these are typically the same sort of people that complain that an H3 does poorly on gas, yet never seem to complain that a Toyota Camry cant pull a large trailer full of atv's, doesnt go through snow as well. etc

[JPaul]

Originally Posted by kwagar

[...] compromises [...]

Thank you for your valuable input.
"Compromise" was and is an appropriate qualification for any vehicle. When I first mentioned it to an official smart Representative, he just said: "absolutely", repeatedly...
No sales pitch can make the smart what it is not. Up to the buyer to know what it is intended for, and make an educated decision.
I do not regret mine. It was made years ago, and patiently tested until the fortwo was finally imported stateside. Again no regrets! Just the opposite...

Now, my smart is jinxed!

[msjohnson1974]

Well said and you hit the nail on the head...

[Suze]

... and cute to death....

~~ love it ~~

[jsenka]

Right on the money. I knew upfront what I was buying and have zero regrets whatsoever. 100% satisfaction on my end.

Knock on wood

[forestacademy]

Here is how our 4 person Family breaks down auto needs

Smart = meets 60% of miles
Versa = meets 30% of miles
Pick up = meets 9% of miles
Garden Tractor = 1% of miles

[Westfield 11]

Can we still mention build defects, squeaks & rattles, TPMS faults, trans issues, poor economy, engine failures, etc? Not that I have all those issues, but some folks here have had them and they don't seem to be a result of asking an orange to be an apple. The purpose of this forum is to share our smart experiences for the benefit of all owners, not just to be a booster site. This collection of knowledge is our best chance of early warning of fleet-wide issues such as the trans console lube issue of a few months back and I am sure that, as the years pass and our cars age, others will come up as well. It would be a shame to lose that cumulative knowledge base.

Also it is not uncommon for the end-user to employ products in ways that the designers never expected. Yes, the smart was designed for European intercity use, but here in America very few of us live in that environment. By your logic, only those who live in a downtown urban environment have any business making critical comments about their cars fun****ionality. But this car is sold in all 50 states to people with all sorts of use patterns in all sorts of environments, they too need a forum to share the things they have learned so that others in a similar situation may benefit from their experiences. Should they be barred from commenting upon how their car serves them simply because the smart was designed for Euro-cities? By those standards, none of us is qualified to make any comment since American cities are very different from European cities in paving type and quality, road size, traffic density, trip length etc.

[SunDiego]

Great!!


Those who don't like them... don't buy one! More for the rest of us