smart value

[dennyrex]

I never owned or drove a VW beetle. But I watched the (1968 version) movie, "Love Bug" last night, and yeah, I can see some similarities.

[Smartfor2guy]

Originally Posted by curtis

plus VW's are crap!

This guy is very opinionated or is just a $h_t stirrer. Just like the post that people that have red smarts must have got them as orphans because they are ugly and no one would order that on purpose
or he is full of B.S.

[wahi]

I had two VWs (different times) when I was in college. MY first, which I bought for $350, ran real good and needed everything else, but that's how I learnt to drive the standard shift. My second, which I bought for my wife, was a souped-up semi-auto 1974. It wasn't as fun as my 'holey and rusty' bug.

I loved them then, and hope my smart biru would turn out to be the 'new' millenium bug...

[factor9]

Originally Posted by fusion

I am waitiing on my passion,but I must say im not sold on the premium fuel $ to regular unleaded $ value of these cars compared to other MPG cars?

Fusion - While I agree with you that I wish my smart used regular unleaded, I'm getting over 50 mpg. on the highway (80% of my driving), and well over 42 mpg. around town, so the extra $2.00 per tankfull for premium is more than offset by my mileage boost. Also, I bought the smart fortwo because I really like the way it drives, and I don't need a four-seater at this point of my life. So, I guess I'm saying that if you're really not sold on the car and the only reason you're considering it is the gas savings, then maybe it's just not the right car for you. And, yes, it definitely reminds me of my '68 VW, which was not crap (I sold when it had more than 150,000 miles on it and cost me virtually nothing to repair or maintain). Good luck on your decision.

[mmmeat]

Originally Posted by Dunerunner

jwight...Great post, it illustrates very well the value of the smart in todays market. In 1966, there were no power windows, air bags, side impact protection, power steering, disk brakes, stereo/CD players, heated seats, leather interiors, traction control, while the beetle was a very basic econo box; the smart is a car.

Hmm. While there may not have been traction control or air bags, 1966 automobiles did offer power windows, side impact protection, power steering, disk brakes and leather as an interior option.

Power windows: $250
Power Steering: $75
Disk Brakes: $125
Leather: $170

Your pal,
Meat.

[smaht]

Originally Posted by factor9

Fusion - While I agree with you that I wish my smart used regular unleaded, I'm getting over 50 mpg. on the highway (80% of my driving), and well over 42 mpg. around town, so the extra $2.00 per tankfull for premium is more than offset by my mileage boost. Also, I bought the smart fortwo because I really like the way it drives, and I don't need a four-seater at this point of my life. So, I guess I'm saying that if you're really not sold on the car and the only reason you're considering it is the gas savings, then maybe it's just not the right car for you. And, yes, it definitely reminds me of my '68 VW, which was not crap (I sold when it had more than 150,000 miles on it and cost me virtually nothing to repair or maintain). Good luck on your decision.

How much is the mileage boost from premium over regular? ie what would this car get for mpg if it were tuned for regular ( not what mileage would we get if we dumped regular into the current tuning setup).This seems more like urban legend than fact beyond perhaps an immaterial difference. Not being a wise guy, just looking for facts ( which may have been posted before but I can't find a definitive measurement post).

[pjneedster]

Originally Posted by mmmeat

Hmm. While there may not have been traction control or air bags, 1966 automobiles did offer power windows, side impact protection, power steering, disk brakes and leather as an interior option.

Power windows: $250
Power Steering: $75
Disk Brakes: $125
Leather: $170

Your pal,
Meat.

But a HEATER that works in a Midwest winter - priceless!
And a rear window defroster.
Life is good when its Smart. Life was good with a bug back then too.

[a2jack]

One of the great things about the old VW was how easy it was to work on and maintain. Any old drive way, parking space, or shed became It's "Service Center".

No electronics to go south if you screwed up. No air bags to blow out, just drips of oil in your face while you lay under and set the valves.

I expected the Smart to be a high Maintenance machine and I plan to offset some of the shop cost by DIY.

The availability of shop/repair manuals and parts will determine whether this car will become an all time great car, like the old "Vee-Dub, or just an expensive PIA.

A2Jack.


.

[mmmeat]

Originally Posted by smaht

How much is the mileage boost from premium over regular? ie what would this car get for mpg if it were tuned for regular ( not what mileage would we get if we dumped regular into the current tuning setup).This seems more like urban legend than fact beyond perhaps an immaterial difference. Not being a wise guy, just looking for facts ( which may have been posted before but I can't find a definitive measurement post).

I experimented with premium and regular unleaded in a couple of different cars, and the results were that I did get more MPG with premium than I did with regular.

My experiments were hardly scientific: I'd put a gallon of either premium or regular in a gas can, run the car until it was out of gas, add the gallon, go to a gas station and put in nine more gallons (and put another gallon in the gas can) and run the car out of gas.

I learned two things:

1. The few extra miles you gain with premium are eaten up by the extra cost of the fuel; in almost every case it was a wash. The cost per mile was virtually identical between the two grades.

2. Don't do this experiment with a diesel Chevy pickup truck unless you know where the priming doohicky is in the engine (it's on the passenger side) because the diesel won't restart until it's primed.

Whether there's build up of gunk in the engine or not I cannot say; I've owned well over 300 cars, and (obviously) don't own them long. The long-term effects of cheap gas will have to be left up to the person(s) who owned the vehicles after me.

Your pal,
Meat.

[jwight]

Meat - 300 cars! Wow, you must really be old.