Purpose designed- A bit of a rant

[qsmkitten]

I agree, I knew what I was getting and even LOVE some of the features it comes with especially the way it feels like a manual even though its automatic. I have always wanted an manual car but because we live in a very hilly area it is hard to drive one. Now I can have the same feeling yet it be a automatic. A lot of the critics say that having that feature is a bad thing, I dont. The one thing I love the most is the attention I'm getting from it. I have people stare at my car. Just the other day a family followed me to the gas station just to ask me questions about it. It does get a bit creepy sometimes when I get out of a store and theres almost a mob around my baby. As for those who dont like the smart well you just arent normal who doesnt love this little cuttie.

[kwagar]

Originally Posted by 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.

Westfield,
I agree, there is nothing wrong with pointing out mechanical or other difficulties or shortcomings some are having That is a very valid use of this forum. I even agree that those who may be using the car differently than intended should be able to share concerns and issues.

It's the general trashing of the cars utility and the owners that are wearing on me.

Have a great day and enjoy your smart whatever it's use!

[JanetMermaid]

I live 40 miles outside of Austin, TX so I do sometimes spend an hour on the highway. I love my Smart both for running around our little country town and for the occasional drive to Austin.

I've had a couple of minor mechanical issues, but nothing that would make me become unhappy with my car. ALL new cars have a hiccup or two. In fact, the service I got from the Round Rock guys just reinforced my belief that I made the right decision.

As for functionality, I might not drive cross-country in Dory (although are actually discussing driving to Albuquerque in January) but I have no problems with the design, features, AND limitations of my little Smart.

There's only been one car I loved as much as this car. It was my FIRST car, a 1967 T-bird, which I bought for $800 back in 1973.

[Kermit]

I break the mold for what people (non-Smart owners) think the car is capable of.

I do 100 miles a day in my car with a passenger (wife) and myself - neither one of us are small so we do rub elbows at times but nothing major. Once I added cruise and an armrest in my primary driver Smart it made it MUCH more drivable. By putting the Scangauge in I am able to keep an eye on my mileage too which has me well over the shoddy EPA ratings that everyone scoffs at. (I do have 2 Smarts, one doesn't have the cruise, Scangauge or armrest yet so it spends more time in the driveway).

The 100 miles I travel are mostly secondary 2 lane highway that everyone cruises at around 65-70mph on so I try not to hold up traffic, in fact - I normally trail along to "draft" all the cars in front of me. A good portion is through town as well so I have plenty of lights to deal with. As of today my running 90 day average is 44.11mpg, 22.5% better than the combined EPA rating of 36mpg.

The Smart meets most all of MY needs. A commuter that gets fine gas mileage, is comfortable, breaks the plain vanilla trend that everyone else follows, easy to work on....so far, reliable (no problems yet, knock on wood) and is super fun to drive. I don't regret getting my Smarts one bit. It meets MY purpose. I have access to a truck anytime I want, I have plenty of trailers to tow behind that truck too if I were to need anything big - utility, car hauler, tow dolly etc so that fits my need for truck. I have a jetta busted in the garage that will fit the need to haul more than 4 people if I need it too which the truck can cover that as well.

[Piccola]

Well said everyone. I've had a few cars in my past, all new ones came with little glitches. This one is so unique and new, it's bound to have something "different", errant, or not tested enough (sunshade in the passion). But, that's the price we pay and the deal we sign up for when buying "the first" of something. I love these cars.

And, to all who disagree and say that a new car should be error free, never break, etc., I support your right to freedom of speech. We can all get along!! We all can agree on the reasons we selected these cars in the first place.