[dink74]

I reserved mine on 12/24/08 and received my configuration email 01/30/09 and my ETA is now August 09 from the original December 09. Wife is jealous since she waited almost 18 months for hers that she got back in September 08.

Dink

 

[kmc4fb]

Reserved on 9/02/2008. I too got my configuration Jan 30, 2009.
ETA is August-Oct 2009.

 

[nmcl714]

I reserved mine on 11/11/08 and received my configuration email 01/31/09 . Will be Configing tonight. Eta Feb- April 2010

 

[paroyboy]

Reserved Oct 1 2008, configured early December, DDE says 3-16-09 to 6-14-09. Definatley getting faster

 

[stew7962]

After switching my first reservation to a Brabus (which I still don't have a date for), I put in a 2nd reservation on 11/30/08, and as of last week it said estimated delivery of aug-oct 09. On Friday I got the email to configure already.

 

[jwight]

Agree it does seem to be moving faster lately. My question is why? Don't think Smartville is producing any more cars. Has priority shifted to North America? My guess is no. So, maybe the waiting list is shrinking and folks with reservations ahead of us have canceled, moving everyone else up on the production schedule. Inquiring minds, etc.

 

[chieftmc]

ROUGH TIMES

 

[WhiteNBlack08]

ROUGH TIMES

I agree, this recession has hit the entire world now, in Europe, the wait for a smart was only 8-12 weeks, some dealers had cars on the lot waiting to be sold. If Europe isn't ordering, and there is still a huge backlog in the US, why not transfer some production capacity here? It just makes economic sense. I know the Indianapolis dealer has several orphans available right now, 6 months ago there was no such thing as an orphan in Indiana!

 

[VinceLA]

Yep the economy is shrinking instead.

My local smart center has about 20 smart cars in stock. They even tried to convince me to pick up their Brabus demo instead of waiting for the order.

 

[JPaul]

ROUGH TIMES]

This, and the fact that ultimately, once the novelty factor abates, the US market is going to be more stable, a bit like in Europe.

 

[Bill Marshall]

Agree it does seem to be moving faster lately. My question is why? Don't think Smartville is producing any more cars. Has priority shifted to North America? My guess is no. So, maybe the waiting list is shrinking and folks with reservations ahead of us have canceled, moving everyone else up on the production schedule. Inquiring minds, etc.

I'm not sure iuf it's moving much faster. I signed up 12/31/08 & was given an October-December ETA.

Smartville has increased production & is making more cars. If delivery is speeding up, I suspect it's because there are a lot of orphans around & folks are opting for them rather than wiaitng a year for delivery. At least that's what I did.

 

[SmartDigger]

It is not faster for me in Ohio

 

[Heckle]

Reserved - 6/20/08
Configured - 12/30/08
DDE - 2/08 - 4/09

I just think it is the fact that times are tough right now and people are not configuring which is making them seem like thay are coming faster for no reason.

 

[danag]

I just gave up my reservation last week and the car was due here at the end of this month. It just isn't the right time for me now, but I do think when the right time comes again I won't have the long wait next time. Actually my wait would have only been a total of 7 months from start to finish. I know when ever I talked to my local smart dealer the past couple of months they kept offering me an orphan. I doubt that will change anytime soon if ever.

 

[nmcl714]

Reserved - 11/11/08
Configured - 02/02/09
DDE - 2/10 - 4/10

I don't thing the wait is any shorter from configured to dde is 12 to 14 months. All total my wait could be up to 16 months.

 

[forestacademy]

A Year ago Gas Prices were rising with no sign they would stop rising.
People were scrambling to get their hands on a car they could afford to drive since they had to decide between gasing up the SUV or feeding their family.

Well we have now seen that oil prices can fall, fall sharply, and stay down.

Folks stopped buying most cars last year except fuel efficant cars. Now that they can afford to drive what they have again (at least compaired to last summer) they are not buying anything.

Thus, less clammoring for smart cars

On the other hand, I do like the fact that you can order the car you want rather than take whats on the lot. Once the wait time is limited to the time it takes to Make and deliver your car accross the world we should start seeing advertising and the demand should start to rise again.

 

[jkirsch]

The economy.

We reserved last May, and got the configuration email last month. We haven't moved on it. We have a 1995 Ford which still runs (our only car), and it is awfully nice not having a car payment these days. Yes, this is just following the frightened herd (Conventional Wisdom) off of the cliff, but my company is whispering about layoffs, and who wants a car payment without a job?

I would also hazard this speculation: smart cars tend to be 2nd or 3rd or 4th vehicles for people in this country (USA), not primary transportation. In these belt tightening times, it is easy to put such a vehicle purchase on the back burner.

Now, if Penske had the MHD version available here, well, I wouldn't be able to resist that.

 

[edirwin]

I really don't see a speed up at my end. Reserved Aug 18, 2008, Alexandria VA smart Dealer. No configuration message, no EDD. Same old canned message BS from smart customer service giving all the inane reasons they can't calculate an EDD. That dealer has 15 orphans but none to my specs.