shifting thoughts after 3000 miles

[Mr Bean]

I hate all the crap I see where people that test drive or do not owm Smarts say they shift rough.

I use auto 99% of the time and my shifts are smooth. Now the clarification there is that if the car were a manual with a true clutch, the lag time on the shifts in my Smart are actually less then if I had to mash in a cluthc pedal and select a gear and then let the clutch out.

I get no herky jerky motion unless I am driving it like I stole it!

My only transmission complaint is starting out in first is annoying at times but after that it is smooth sailing. I do find if I take off slow I do not have the problem.

So a big ole rasberry to those that complain the shifting is rough...get yourself a Smart and drive it for awhile,

Mike

[Docthrock]

Concur. After 5K miles my passion shifts quite nicely. The electronic brain still screws up occasionally, but no more than I probably would if I was clutching myself. Still, the transmission system isn't as smooth shifting as an automatic, but it's certainly nothing to complain about.

I try to tell everyone to expect the transmission to be herky jerky at the beginning, but stay with it, because it WILL smooth out.

[RVGRINGO]

Agreed. I think the error in the 2008 was the 'A' label leading folks to think it was an automatic transmission; it isn't. It is a manual transmission shifted electrically by computer, eliminating the need for a clutch pedal. There is a clutch, just no pedal. We are no longer aware of the shifting & all seems smooth and normal. Of course, our 2007 didn't mislead us with an 'A' on the stick; it just has ' +, N and R' with a button on the side to switch into automatic shifting which does light up on the dash as 'A' instead of the 'R or 1-6' indication.

[Westfield 11]

Ummm, we have two of them and we have over 7k miles combined. We both think the transmission is crude and after the lousy gas mileage is the biggest problem area of the car. If we could get the rated mpg once in a while we could accept the crappy shifting, but we don't........

[fortow]

Your tolerance of delayed shifting and not-so-smooth transitions between gears must be quite high. Shifting in manual mode is far quicker and smoother, but it certainly isn't like my other manual transmission cars with which I can get immediate shifts, heel-toe, double clutch, rev match and even shift without using the clutch pedal, except from a stopped position naturally.
Even so, I do find the manual shifting perfectly acceptable and it is a pleasure to just have to push the lever or flip a paddle and not have to bother with the pedal or anything else.
It continues to be puzzling to me that people would opt for using the so-called "automatic" position instead of selecting the gears themselves. It's an effortless process that anyone can do and gives you more control over what the engine is doing. This car is not an automatic despite the new visuals of "drive", "neutral", "reverse", and "park". That was only done to fool Americans into thinking it had an automatic transmission.

[letsgoskatepool]

Originally Posted by Westfield 11

Ummm, we have two of them and we have over 7k miles combined. We both think the transmission is crude and after the lousy gas mileage is the biggest problem area of the car. If we could get the rated mpg once in a while we could accept the crappy shifting, but we don't........

You must drive the smart like a race car! I completely agree with you on the shifting, but for you to have 7k miles and not be getting at least 40 mpg means you either do not know how to conserve gas properly or you have a defective car. Or you simply do not know how to do math

[eqwalker]

Originally Posted by letsgoskatepool

You must drive the smart like a race car! I completely agree with you on the shifting, but for you to have 7k miles and not be getting at least 40 mpg means you either do not know how to conserve gas properly or you have a defective car. Or you simply do not know how to do math

Indeed! I have now over 15k on mine and I don't even notice the shifting anymore. Smooth as silk for me. And I'm consistently getting around 44 mpg with the A/C on. I drive mine totally in automatic mode.

[GoMXracing]

this transmission is why i purchased the car. it seems crazy to me that people ***** about it.

where else can you buy a sequential F-1 style gear box in an affordable car>?. and on top of that....i dislike 3 pedal cars now. ( i am old and lazy when i commute)

people just like to complain .the haters should just go buy a generic nissan or something.(with an automatic)

i drive it like i stole it usually.. and i still get my 35MPG ..ill take the $35.00 fill ups instead of the $90.00 in my truck each week,,anytime.

and last but not least..... this car is fun to drive..most fun i have had in a while with a car.

and to all the haters..... did you all bump your heads>? or are you just ignorant>? do you go buy things all the time with out doing the research>? did you not look or drive the car before you laid down the money>? maybe do some reading>?

i need to get into sales.....seems as though there is a lot of you out there.

chris

[Westfield 11]

Originally Posted by letsgoskatepool

You must drive the smart like a race car! I completely agree with you on the shifting, but for you to have 7k miles and not be getting at least 40 mpg means you either do not know how to conserve gas properly or you have a defective car. Or you simply do not know how to do math

We have two smarts and neither gets over 31 mpg in city driving, we drive conservatively, don't ever exceed 50 mph in town, never go on the freeway. We try to use 3000rpm as a redline, and rarely exceed 4000rpm.

I think people are just smitten by the cuteness and are unwilling to hold the smart to the same standards as any other car.

BTW, I do know how to do math, thank you very much. I could do without the insult though......

[gadgets]

the car is not meant to do 3K rpm and get good mileage. in auto mode it will shift much sooner than 3K if you are light on the throttle. Yes if you were expecting a normal automatic you might be disappointed but I now think the transmission is the funnest part of driving one. The Smart is not just another car. It is much more. Remember the VW bug? Had a lot of things people bad mouthed but sold like hotcakes. What's the best mpg you have gotten?