ForReal?

[Thinkin'Smart]

I'm a test drive away from getting a Smart. I have a Subaru Forester (which I LOVE) and am thinking that the Smart is the way to go. What about the Smart really makes you feel that this was the right thing? I know emissions, mpg and all the green reasons...I'm a true American and I love my car. But I know that I can't keep going down that path. So, again, What about the Smart makes you feel that it was a good purchase? thanks again!!

[KingNine]

What about the Smart makes you feel that it was a good purchase?

$4.00/gal. gas

[Dave Van]

It makes sense for me as I live in a rural area. The few times a month I 'go to town' It's a hour drive. Most the time I drive alone so the Smart just works for me. That's the logic side......The other reason is it's just a fun car to drive and own. I meet lots of folks that want to know about it and I just enjoy driving it. Time will tell how well made it is...but the car so far seems pretty well put together. My dealer treated me as if I was there to buy a $120,000 M-B and not a $12,000 Pure. The wife has a Jeep Compass so when we need something bigger and good in deep snow we have that...but 99% of the time the Smart is all I need. At the price and the mpg it is well worth it so far..

[curtis]

if you want good mpg get a Prius or a Honda Hybrid, I want a smart cuz it's cool and quirky, I'm so sick of all this green environmental talk regarding the Smart, it gets pitiful mpg's for a dinky 3 cylinder. If you are really buying it to save the planet I feel you are making the wrong choice in autos...

[SuperGeek]

I'm also a test drive away from purchase... that's the only thing that can stop me, really. Forum members here have me convinced it's worth getting the car I waited 13 months for.

For me, I've been extra observant lately. I noticed while driving my own SUV, that I fill it up once a week. For $50+. 10mpg has to become secondary; whether the Smart gets 25 or 45 mpg city, I'll be doing much better.

Driving to work, I wait. Then I go a bit, and wait. If I could floor it, I'd have to hit the brakes in < 2 seconds. To wait. What's the point of having a huge V8 engine and 7,000 pound towing capacity just to get to an office?

Parking ** maneuvering that 8,000 pound beast of an SUV is hard as hell in a parking lot. Three- and Five-point turns are regular for me when backing out. Whip in to a spot with a Smart that's 1/2 the length? Now you have my attention.

Design ** I've never been a fan of Swatch watches, or pimped out cars, but the Smart is quirky. And not the Geo Metro kind of quirky... more like the Mini Cooper, but less British and more... I don't know... it's unique for now. It will turn heads and from what I'm reading, exceed expectations. I keep reading "It's big on the inside" and "It's got more pep than you may think, when you learn how to shift just right."

[Amethyste]

I am not going to lie....

The car appealed to me because if its simplicity. The "Good things do come is small packages" innuendo really stuck with me after I saw my first one in Europe a long time ago... On top of having "flirty lines", I love my new mpgs! I KNOW when I am going to drive to the beach, its going to cause quite a wave! ;)

[knutliott]

Originally Posted by curtis

if you want good mpg get a Prius or a Honda Hybrid, I want a smart cuz it's cool and quirky, I'm so sick of all this green environmental talk regarding the Smart, it gets pitiful mpg's for a dinky 3 cylinder. If you are really buying it to save the planet I feel you are making the wrong choice in autos...

Driven correctly, the smart gets the same mileage as (or slightly better than if you're really careful) a Prius. Driven like a sports car it does not. But then that makes sense.

The smart car has a significantly lower environmental footprint than the Prius or any other hybrid. Practically the entire car can be recycled, and it's not carrying around 100 lbs of heavy metals in a battery pack. Environmentally, the Prius and its hybrid bretheren are overrated.

Buying one because it's cool and quirky is a perfectly valid reason, but so is buying one because it is the most environmentally friendly mass produced car on the market.

[stevenvillatoro]

It's not necessary to buy a smart for any *reason.* This car goes far beyond being *reason*able.

Either you 'get it,' or you don't! I love my smart... for NO reason at all.

[meaux61]

Originally Posted by knutliott

Driven correctly, the smart gets the same mileage as (or slightly better than if you're really careful) a Prius. Driven like a sports car it does not. But then that makes sense.

The smart car has a significantly lower environmental footprint than the Prius or any other hybrid. Practically the entire car can be recycled, and it's not carrying around 100 lbs of heavy metals in a battery pack. Environmentally, the Prius and its hybrid bretheren are overrated.

Buying one because it's cool and quirky is a perfectly valid reason, but so is buying one because it is the most environmentally friendly mass produced car on the market.

You beat me to it on the WHOLE thing being green, meaning starting with manufacturing in a green energy plant to recyclable parts to water based paint.

Someone mentioned 50.00 a week in gas. I drive about 300 miles a week and spend about 27.00 for gas. It WAS 25.00 until the price went up.

I like the smart because it is cute, economical, fun to drive, easy to park and maneuver but it was the incredible safety features that sold me, that and that you can get nice options in a small car. You cannot find all that in any other small car sold in the US. Show me a Prius with ESC standard. Show me a Toyota Corolla with ABS standard. NOT THERE. On most small cars in the US, ABS and ESC are not even available as an option.

Meaux

Meaux