[Rambo4]

Absolutely you should get one. I had to get my 5th one (2ea. 451s & 3ea. 453s) b\c wife can't drive a stick. I take Minimus Prime on the ATV trails where a 4x4 can't.. ..trees and debris.. ...heh heh! I got it that these things are disappearing faster than the Pinto and Edsel combined, but I wish Benz would have given the 453 a fair chance. Yay me and Minimus!

 

[strelnik]

Absolutely you should get one. I had to get my 5th one (2ea. 451s & 3ea. 453s) b\c wife can't drive a stick. I take Minimus Prime on the ATV trails where a 4x4 can't.. ..trees and debris.. ...heh heh! I got it that these things are disappearing faster than the Pinto and Edsel combined, but I wish Benz would have given the 453 a fair chance. Yay me and Minimus!

Given the current climate with smart, an electric or a diesel might not give you what you want. Any 451 or 453 would be great. DO shop[ around.
I found a real bargain on a 451 although it needed work. It is the Road Warrior discussed in forum posts.
I have noticed that smarts have the same weakness which some Benzes do: gasser cars which have stayed without use or maintenance for a year or two need to get ground connections (-) cleaned and possibly battery cables replaced, depending on age. Drain stale fuel, change oil and spark plugs, and the car will start if you have a good battery. Diesels have a few other issues, many of which can be solved by pulling them at 15-20 mph and starting them in 2ng gear if all else fails. With diesels, air leaks in the system cause problems.US dealers like to create an aura of magic around the electronics of these cars, but familiarity through reading this forum will chase away many fears. Consider some of the people who work on these cars at the dealership-- they may be talented but they weren't born with it, and they are not brain surgeons. Certainly you can learn what you need and don't need expensive tools. You will need a good set of Torx wrenches, similar to Allen wrenches. If you've ever owned a Volvo, you have all you need.

Let us know what you decided. Good luck!

 

[Chopper]

Get one. They're not that difficult to maintain and mend, as the active Canadian crew demonstrate. Cheap, minimally environment polluting, cheap to run, easy to park, and an absolute hoot to drive.

They have in spades what nearly every other newer car lacks - character! You'll fall in love with them in a way you never would with a sedan or a pickup.

All I would say is buy very carefully in the first place. Maximise your chances of a good ownership experience buy buying the best one you can afford, and then maintain it scrupulously. The 450 in particular is an enthusiasts car, in that you can't drive it, thrash it, and never lift the hood like a normal car. However, if you check your levels regularly and keep it well serviced and maintained they can give good service - in that sense they, and the 450 in particular again, are ideal cars for folk who aren't afraid of a spanner and who tend to maintain their cars better that is the norm. Enthusiasts, if you will.

Even in the UK where they're relatively common, my 450 is a hit with the ladies. I'm a 6'5" 270lb ex powerlifter with a face like a hippo's scrotum, yet probab,y every 2nd or 3rd go at the petrol station some young filly comes over cooing, "oh, I love your car, it's so cute!" More than one has asked for a ride, and I suspect a few of them wanted a 'ride', but being very happily married they don't get it. Nevertheless, the ladies love it, it makes nearly everyone smile, and you're guaranteed a cheer wave from other Smart drivers.

 

[DrSmartjh]

Just remember that there are 3 computers, 87 octane OK, 195/50 X 15 tires improve ride, your windshield will crack...$225 at safelite, ,$20 dino oil changes at WallyMart. Stay away from MB dealers and be really gentle with clutch and go paddle shift in stop and go traffic. Keep battery power optimal. Have Fun !!! 90 on freeway feels slower than 70 in my Jag "X" DrSmart

 

[sokoloff]

Take all the comments with a grain of salt. 87 octane might be okay, but there's got to be a reason 93 is recommended. There's nothing in it for the manufacturer. Synthetic oil is recommended, although I have never changed the oil in mine. My dealers have been wonderful. Different strokes for different folks. YMMV

Len
2014 EV Coupe 19,500 miles
2014 EV Cabriolet 16,500 miles

 

[machineman]

Not sure if this is the right place to introduce yourself? anyway I bought one a 2013 passion with 14000 miles on it. I never ever thought I would own one. I used to poke fun at the smart car. its the newest car I have ever owned everything else I own is old school. the one I bought was flood damaged but not submerged. appears like the carpet got wet. it still has the dirty oil in it and due for a change. anyway the interior was taken out of it when my brother got it and it wouldn't start. so I worked on it for him. I took the shifter all apart trying to figure it out starting from there. and nothing wrong there. traced the wiring around and found the harness plug wasn't locked into the ecu. it started right up and from there I put the car back together and drove it around. I fell in love with it! I set back and really looked at the car and what it's all about. IMO the car is underrated and some how politics seem to play a role as to why someone would own one. it's a great car and the price was right and so for I like it in exception of the shift lag. That's it for me!

 

[strelnik]

Take all the comments with a grain of salt. 87 octane might be okay, but there's got to be a reason 93 is recommended. There's nothing in it for the manufacturer. Synthetic oil is recommended, although I have never changed the oil in mine. My dealers have been wonderful. Different strokes for different folks. YMMV

Len
2014 EV Coupe 19,500 miles
2014 EV Cabriolet 16,500 miles

With 93+ octane, the vehicle will run smoother and the sensors will last longer, with less residue on them. Also with 93 octane, combustion will be optimized given the individual fuel injection by pulse which modern gassers have.

Between this and good oil (here read: Mobil 1 0W-40) the car will be trouble free as long as the electrical system is not neglected (start it weekly!)

 

[Jamma]

Hi, I just joined and wanted to get your gals/guys take on the matter...

I'm looking at possibly getting a new car in the next few months and I am considering a used Smart Car as one of the choices. It will be a completely different pace as I am currently driving a 450whp Mustang Cobra. I probably would keep the Mustang but being in Cali there seems to be a cop on every block just waiting to milk the taxpayers for all they got, and it's certainly not easy to keep my foot out of the throttle! I'm also a student so the last thing I need is a speeding ticket or something along those lines. I do a TON of freeway driving and most the reviews I've seen say the Smart Car is more of a city type car which seems to make sense with having such a short wheel base and not the best coefficient of drag. I too make the occasional Vegas trip, for the typical reasons (gambling addiction, hookers, binge drinking, and other activities which I should probably not mention), in which 80mph is not out of the question, and perhaps is rather slow compared to most of the vehicles on that long stretch of beautiful scenery.

Anyways, I apologize for the long read. Here's what I am after... I'm also considering one of the new 2011-2012 cars like the Focus, Elantra, and or the Cruze. The mileage is about the same as a Smart Car but they do not require the Premium fuel. They too have at least double the HP, luggage room is probably tripled, and lastly they seat 4 which is kind of nice.The only reason I'm considering a Smart Car is because I think it would bring me enjoyment to drive as I would think I was in a grown ups Go- Kart! It also would be nice if I was planning on doing some parking lot racing with a couple buddies which I convince to get Smart Cars as well. In all seriousness a used Passion could probably be had for just above $10k which is about half that of one of the new 2011-2012's I mentioned earlier.

Obviously, I'm on a Smart Car website so the results should be swayed but here's my response... I'm just asking you to be honest! Would a Smart Car (Passion) be a good car for someone who does a lot of freeway driving (100+ miles a week) and is in college. Yes, I'm aware I can only give rides to one beautiful babe at a time, but I need to cut some of them out anyways because their affecting my GPA...

Thank you, to those of you who read my entire post!
No thank you to the people who did not read it, and then chose to give advice on something I did not ask about!

I have a 2013 smart car fortwo pure and I love it I dont drive it in the winter but when the weather is nice I will take it out of the garage and drive it, it is so much fun to drive

 

[1983JZR3W]

Welcome to SCoA!! We love to see photos of new member's cars.

 

[mir3]

I have a 2013 smart car fortwo pure and I love it I dont drive it in the winter but when the weather is nice I will take it out of the garage and drive it, it is so much fun to drive

Never thinking anything about Smart, but due the circumstances I get one. Few months driving it I had smile on my face, today it is my first car in 99,99% of cases

 

[strelnik]

Take all the comments with a grain of salt. 87 octane might be okay, but there's got to be a reason 93 is recommended. There's nothing in it for the manufacturer. Synthetic oil is recommended, although I have never changed the oil in mine. My dealers have been wonderful. Different strokes for different folks. YMMV

Len
2014 EV Coupe 19,500 miles
2014 EV Cabriolet 16,500 miles

I absolutely support Len on this. My car runs well on Shell 93 octane, which the former owner, a teenager, never used. After filter, plug and fuel changes, the car runs like a top. Before it was very rough running. No doubt that octane level and consistent maintenance of at least 1/2 tank at all times keeps the car running smoothly.

 

[eraoul]

I'm going to recommend against Smart (at least the electric drive version), although we loved our Smart Fortwo ED until recently. It turns out that if the 12V battery dies in one of these cars, the high-voltage battery will self-destruct by discharging to 0 and preventing itself from being recharged. This happened to us during the COVID-19 quarantine. We didn't drive the car for a while and it bricked itself; waiting confirmation from the dealer but I think we have to sell it for scrap.

Note that it's not good enough to keep your car plugged in to the high-voltage charger -- you have to drive it around a lot to keep the 12V battery in good shape too.

This wasn't at all obvious in the manual, so I feel like Smart/Mercedes should have made an effort to educate their owners that if you're not on the road all the time, the car will stop working permanently. Seriously -- we try to bike and drive as little as possible; you'd think that would be more common than average with Smart owners, but we certainly weren't warned of this self-destruct "feature" of these cars. Want to go on vacation? Better set up an elaborate trickle-charge thing on your 12V battery in your private garage, or else your car will be destroyed. Who knew? Note that this is different from a more typical EV such as the Leaf, which is supposed to be recoverable even after a year off-the-grid.

And finally, no one will service these things, even in a community (Seattle) where they're pretty common. Traditional mechanics won't touch EVs, and even the ones that claim to work on EVs won't work on Smart (since to be fair, they seem designed to be thrown away; repairability of the battery was not in mind with the design.) Even the dealer said they won't service the battery; all they can do is install a new one for $10k on a car that's worth $4k.

 

[Shalmaneser64]

I'm going to recommend against Smart (at least the electric drive version), although we loved our Smart Fortwo ED until recently. It turns out that if the 12V battery dies in one of these cars, the high-voltage battery will self-destruct by discharging to 0 and preventing itself from being recharged. This happened to us during the COVID-19 quarantine. We didn't drive the car for a while and it bricked itself; waiting confirmation from the dealer but I think we have to sell it for scrap.

Note that it's not good enough to keep your car plugged in to the high-voltage charger -- you have to drive it around a lot to keep the 12V battery in good shape too.

This wasn't at all obvious in the manual, so I feel like Smart/Mercedes should have made an effort to educate their owners that if you're not on the road all the time, the car will stop working permanently. Seriously -- we try to bike and drive as little as possible; you'd think that would be more common than average with Smart owners, but we certainly weren't warned of this self-destruct "feature" of these cars. Want to go on vacation? Better set up an elaborate trickle-charge thing on your 12V battery in your private garage, or else your car will be destroyed. Who knew? Note that this is different from a more typical EV such as the Leaf, which is supposed to be recoverable even after a year off-the-grid.

And finally, no one will service these things, even in a community (Seattle) where they're pretty common. Traditional mechanics won't touch EVs, and even the ones that claim to work on EVs won't work on Smart (since to be fair, they seem designed to be thrown away; repairability of the battery was not in mind with the design.) Even the dealer said they won't service the battery; all they can do is install a new one for $10k on a car that's worth $4k.

A disturbing though, being designed to be thrown away, but not far from the truth, I’m sad to say, given that one of the marketing points was the high percentage of components in the smart that could be recycled. So much for inspiring long term confidence on that point. I may be in the minority, but the compostability (as opposed to combustibility) of my car is not of any great concern.

 

[sokoloff]

I'm not going to make a duplicate post, but I expressed my thoughts about the electric version here in Post #12.

Buy used fourtwo electric? Hidden problems?

I am currently talking to someone selling their used 2014 fourtwo electric with 4k miles for $5000. I am thinking of getting it? Are there any hidden issues i should check? i suspect something might be wrong with the batteries.

www.smartcarofamerica.com

Len
2014 EV Coupe 20,000 miles
2014 EV Cabriolet 18,500 miles