Smart Road Trip, 2190 miles!

[SmartBill]

Drove up Hiway 1 coast from Malibu to Big Sur, where using the steering wheel paddle shifters and manual shifting were very pleasing! Drove from Monterey to San Francisco on the 101, where I passed the only other Smartie on the whole trip (silver with black tridion going north on 101). In San Francisco, the hill hold feature was indispensable going up Lombard prior to descending the "crookedest street in the world". Many smiles and thumbs up in SF. as well as on the coastal trip. Drove I-80 past Reno and via Donner Pass finally into Oregon and onto Boise, Idaho. Crossing mountains no problem for Smartie, just drop down a gear or two and keep trucking! Drove at varying speeds, usually cruising 75, 80 or 85 mph, no problems staying with traffic in all conditions. Did experience some irritating vibrations from plastic area around interior light, but attributed it to the grooved road and harmonic vibrations. Disappeared once back on smooth pavement. Drove from Boise to Twin Falls and down hiway 93 (the Great Basin) into Nevada past Las Vegas and back to OC. This car will do the computer limited 92 mph according to the speedo, but GPS said it was actually 90 mph. Thank goodness for GPS and radar detectors! Saved my wallet (and my hide) on more than one occasion! I did not accurately determine mileage figures, but estimate they ranged from 27-28 mpg cruising at 85 with AC on, up to 40 mpg at 70 with no AC. Experienced high cross wind in desert, but still able to maintain 80 mph, just hang on and drive it! The trip lasted for a week, drove most days three to five hours, with an 8 hour stretch on the last day. The drivers seat was very comfortable and I really enjoyed the trip and the Smart! No problems encountered at all. So for those of you who still wonder if this car is a keeper, I say emphatically YES!! Now have 3500 miles on the car and it is running better as the mileage increases.
SmartBill

[jwight]

Bill, thanks for the trip report. I'm considering taking the smart to Houston and back (about 2,500 mi round trip) and this is just the info I needed. Would have more fun in the Vette but I figure about a hundred dollars more in gas costs. Sounds like you had a great time!

[dstackle]

Thanks for the report. We have two long trips planned in September. First from Irvine to Monterey, up HWY1. Second from Irvine to Texas and back (with stop at the Grand Canyon & Carlsbad Caverns along the way). Glad to hear others having a possitive experience with long drives.