To Smart Or Not To Smart?

[sbernali]

To Smart or not to Smart? If you have 10 kids and one in a car seat I would say not to smart. If you don't like being looked at or pointed at or asked countless question then not to Smart. If your going to be worried that its going to break down everytime you pull it out of your drive way then not to smart. If your upset that three weeks of grocery won't fit in the back not to smart. If your worried because car magazines don't have long write ups on how good the Smart is then not to smart. If you need to have a smoother ride in your smart then a $60,000 luxury car then not to smart! If you want to drive a fun, gas saving car witn the mind set of COME WHAT MAY then TO SMART!! If your waiting for your Smart and your already worried about the stated negatives then I would say NOT TO SMART because if you do have a problem with it your going to go down hill from there. I don't see to many of us smart owners crying bloodie murder here and a few have had problem but they all say they would buy another in a heart beat! So the question is TO SMART OR NOT TO SMART? For me it easy TO SMART!!

[SmartAzz]

I agree, except for the part about not to Smart if you have 10 kids - with that many offspring I think you need a Smart for some time alone

[robotbill]

After driving a 1981 Alfa Romeo Spyder as a daliy driver in San Diego and never knowing if it would start, if a throttle cable would split, having my repair bills be same as my rent...etc I would say that I am ready for whatever the smart can put out. I still own the Alfa and never regret it. I pick my smart up this Saturday.

[Frankenstein_Casanova]

I've had mine for about a month, not counting the last week and a half it's sat in the dealer's shop waiting for some doofy seatbelt reel part, and have a few observations about the car:

• Great second or third car. Probably a bit too small and underpowered to use as a primary car, although that may say more about my lifestyle than the car's limits. Some may be able to make it work just fine for them.
• Get ready for questions. Is it Electric? Hybrid? Who makes it? How much $? On and on and on. Fun at first, but eventually it gets old.
• The Clown Car Factor. Uncomfortable with people gawking at you constantly? I never realized I was until I started driving a Smart, but it got so weird I had to get the car limo tinted. I'm accustomed to people staring and photographing my Lotus, but there's something inherently creepier about the gawking at the Smart. Maybe it's because the Lotus gets reaction from Gearheads, where the Smart gets a reaction from EVERYBODY. I dunno, but it's creepy.
• The gearbox blows. Sorry, it's the truth.

Johnny

[Smartdavis]

Originally Posted by Frankenstein_Casanova

I've had mine for about a month, not counting the last week and a half it's sat in the dealer's shop waiting for some doofy seatbelt reel part, and have a few observations about the car:

• Great second or third car. Probably a bit too small and underpowered to use as a primary car, although that may say more about my lifestyle than the car's limits. Some may be able to make it work just fine for them.
• Get ready for questions. Is it Electric? Hybrid? Who makes it? How much $? On and on and on. Fun at first, but eventually it gets old.
• The Clown Car Factor. Uncomfortable with people gawking at you constantly? I never realized I was until I started driving a Smart, but it got so weird I had to get the car limo tinted. I'm accustomed to people staring and photographing my Lotus, but there's something inherently creepier about the gawking at the Smart. Maybe it's because the Lotus gets reaction from Gearheads, where the Smart gets a reaction from EVERYBODY. I dunno, but it's creepy.
• The gearbox blows. Sorry, it's the truth.

Johnny

The gawking is not that big a deal so far for me although the tinting is an interesting idea. Most people ignore you and the one's that ask questions have been quite polite. The gearbox does not blow for me. It seems to get better after a 1000 miles. I have no idea why. Maybe it's hooked into the computer and it knows it's doing break-in at first, and once it's done it tightens up and uses higher RPM's. Maybe I'm just getting used to the car and using a heavier foot and getting the Zen of it all. Maybe there is a ghost in the machine. All I know is that it gets better with age.