[a smart guy]

Hi smart community. I'm getting to the age that I will need to be looking at getting a first car. I have been looking at smart as a choice for as long as I can remember, first seeing one I fell in love. I have looked into them more recently and the safety features and fuel efficiency have reinforced my love for them. But I am also realizing they are more expensive than the average used car. I was wondering if I should save my money and wait to get a smart or get a normal car and get a smart later in life. The only reason I'm hesitant is because ill be paying for it myself, since i have a job (have had it for 2 months) and money is extremely tight in my family. I could buy a nice ish normal used car by the end of the summer. I feel like if I wait to get a smart ill miss out on many opportunities since the average used smart in my area is like 6 to 8 k, which will take me a year or two of saving(being in school and working). I feel like it would be a super douche move to ask online for cash (some kinda kickstarter donation thing) but if you guys would do that, that would be amazing, like some people pitch in like 15 or 20 each we could reach a goal. Also Any tips on what I could do to get the money faster, or anything like that. I'm looking for a blue with black tridion safety cell, maybe cabriolet( they look really sweet). Thanks for reading










~Tyler

 

[jkjahobbs]

Whether it is a smart or another make of car only get what you can afford. There is more than just the price of the car to consider. You also need funds for licensing the car, insurance and maintenance.

I love my smart and think it would make a great first car but only if you can afford it.

 

[jwight]

:welcome: to SCoA!

 

[GeekGirl]

check out the Fiats!

 

[jimvw57]

Sounds like a ' Neon" all over again. For a first car, they do have their limitations. and if you need to contribute to the transportation of a family (give rides, carpool stuff like that) then maybe a more conventional car would be better. These are made by Mercedes, and they can be expensive if something goes wrong. Normally they are pretty darn reliable and do make for a fun car. I'd save your money until you can do an outright purchase and pay for the first year's insurance up front. You don't want to be saddled down with car payments.

But then that is an old man talking. 2 months is not too long at a job. Do what you want to do and enjoy life!

 

[Finest]

My first car was a Smart Passion (2 years ago)


I only needed 1 seat, dont really even need a trunk, and have no need right now for a 4 door with 4-5 seats.


I wanted a car that was small, different, and efficient. The Smart is exactly that.


Now my second car is a Smart ED and is even more perfect. Go for it.


I can imagine driving some honda coupe and not having anywhere close to the amount of fun i have driving the smart, and i like to stand out so the smart is just way too perfect for me.

 

[smark]

My daughter misses her Accord. The smart doesn't hold anything. Anytime she needs to haul something, she has to borrow one of our bigger small cars. She's not kin, on the high service cost, of the MB dealership. She doesn't like their MB snob attitude. We did find a another independent auto service department to do work, on the smart. A lot cheaper, since we spent a small fortune on this 6 year old car, this year. The smart worked for her, on her commute, back and forth from college. She waiting for us to buy a new Honda Fit. So she can have our old Honda Fit.

 

[MB DNA]

My daughter misses her Accord. The smart doesn't hold anything. She waiting for us to buy a new Honda Fit. So she can have our old Honda Fit.

So why did you take her out of her Accord and put her in a "hand me down smart" that BOTH you and she hate? :banghead:

 

[MB DNA]

I could buy a nice ish normal used car by the end of the summer.

I feel like it would be a super douche move to ask online for cash (some kinda kickstarter donation thing) but if you guys would do that, that would be amazing, like some people pitch in like 15 or 20 each we could reach a goal.

Tyler seems the answers are in your post? "WE could reach a goal" does not make a car deal.

If you need donations to do the deal you are already in over your head when it comes to first car ownership - license, insurance, maintenance and all the unknowns can be brutal?

 

[smark]

So why did you take her out of her Accord and put her in a "hand me down smart" that BOTH you and she hate? :banghead:

She made the decision to drive the smart. To commute back back and forth to college.

It's too small now, and up keep been $$$$$$$ this year. Where did hate come out of that cupcake?

 

[GeekGirl]

I must agree for a first car, I would get something a little lest costly, heck when I blew a front tire , no one online had one but one place, 5-7 day delivery.... And that's just for a tire thank goodness I didn't have any issues up to when I sold it, but I also needed more room and my fiat hold s so much, stick with a Toyota or honda for a first car.IMHO

 

[GeekGirl]

She made the decision to drive the smart. To commute back back and forth to college.

It's too small now, and up keep been $$$$$$$ this year. Where did hate come out of that cupcake?

SMARK are you related long-distance
To Larry? Lol I agree with you!

 

[Rustedwrench]

If money is the issue a smart would not be my recommendation for a first car. Look for a very used Honda Civic or Toyota Corrolla. Preferably one that looks like crap and runs great. They can be serviced anywhere for not much money and pretty much bulletproof when properly maintained.

 

[a smart guy]

Tyler seems the answers are in your post? "WE could reach a goal" does not make a car deal.

If you need donations to do the deal you are already in over your head when it comes to first car ownership - license, insurance, maintenance and all the unknowns can be brutal?

I could pay the licensing and all the fees. But I can't just outright buy the smart now. I could eventually buy one but saving all my money I make , it would take about 2 and a half years( I averaged the hours I would get weekly for the year) but by the time I saved all my money I could have bought a conventional car and could have been driving it for 2 years.

 

[Mike T]

My advice is: if you have to ask this question, the answer is obviously no.

 

[fred27]

I bought mine used in 2011 its a 08, when I got it it had 1 key, I went to buy a manual and saw keys were 350.00, thought, don't lose it, well I dropped it on a bus at work, another driver picked it up and didn't turn it in, I posted 100.00 to anyone who finds it, I ordered the key, and didn't know I had to replace the computer, so that cost me 1542.00 including the tow to the dealer, the day I had the work done, I find out she had the key, for a whole month, kept it at her house, she never saw the note, later one day I turned off the car, and when I went to start it again it wouldn't go in R or D, I shut it off, and then it wouldn't start, kept trying, nothing, called up smart, the number that's listed on the visor, talked to them, waited maybe 5-10 and it started and went in gear, it never did it again until this yr in jan, then all these other things, starter went out, the not in gear more than usual, they said it had to do with the clutch, they replaced it, was still doing it, replaced it again no charge, and it still does it, but not as much, im afraid to go back to be charged more, maybe a diff dealer next time, then in the winter I ran over something and the cover under the card got stuck on something, pulled back, broke, and went up into the charcoal canister and broke it, this time I called smart madness and they saw the part on ebay, so what could of been a 500+ job cost me 165.00, and when the car was at the dealer for the gear thing, I damaged the loaner, hit a Chicago pot hole, 1900.00 in damages, lucky my ins covered part, but now im out another 1K, so ya 1st car, no get something else, I saw the smart in 2005 and wanted it, got it in 2011....... and if anyone knows the wont go in gear, please let me know, oh and after I had the key problem, I now keep it on a lanyard attached to my belt loops

 

[MB DNA]

I bought mine used in 2011 its a 08, when I got it it had 1 key, I went to buy a manual and saw keys were 350.00, thought, don't lose it, well I dropped it on a bus at work, another driver picked it up and didn't turn it in . . .

. . . then in the winter I ran over something and the cover under the card got stuck on something, pulled back, broke, and went up into the charcoal canister and broke it, this time I called smart madness and they saw the part on ebay, so what could of been a 500+ job cost me 165.00, and when the car was at the dealer for the gear thing, I damaged the loaner, hit a Chicago pot hole, 1900.00 in damages, lucky my ins covered part, but now im out another 1K . . .

Sorry for your misfortunes. Don't know that they are unique to smart? :shrug:

Losing a key, running over road debris, hitting a pot hole - could happen with any car even a Chevy?

smart is not the only modern vehicle whose immobilization electronics require a key fob that can cost upwards of $350 to replace (or more if you lose THE ONLY KEY!). One reason why when buying ANY pre-owned vehicle it is important to make certain that there are two operational key fobs included in the sale!

 

[justalittlesmart]

Normal maintenance doesn't cost any more than any other vehicle.

I think the key thing that I keep hearing in this is the word "conventional". They are all cars. Our car isn't any different than any of the others except it seats 2 and gets 40 mpg. I had a BMW Z3 that seated 2 and got 28 mpg. I had a Scion xB that seated 4 and got 35. What makes one of those conventional over the others? You can buy a used smart as inexpensively as any other car, you just will pay a lot less for gas in it after the purchase. If you're trying to buy a car for $1500, you are going to end up getting a 1500 car regardless of who makes it. lol

Stop referring to anything that isn't a smart as "conventional". Buy what you want that you can afford. I've got 2 smarts in the garage that are paid for. Money is tight in EVERY family. I'm not pooling my money to buy one for someone else's kid. LOL

 

[Schorschi]

Dude, you need a dose of Mr Money Mustache to help you with your finances.

Mr Money Mustache's rules for buying cars are:

• You NEVER, EVER borrow money to buy a car.
• Buy a car that does whatever you will use it for MOST.
• Cars are for inter-city travel, not for quick trips to the store.
• Cars are not for picking up your teenage kids from the high school 1 mile away.
• If you have to own two cars, pick them to cover all your needs efficiently.
• You don’t “look funny” driving a small car. This is all in your head. But you DO look funny ponying up your car payment every month.
• Cars don’t cost you money per month, they cost you money per mile.

 

[RVGRINGO]

This appears to be a teen who has no shame about begging for us to kick in for his first car, which he is definitely not ready to buy. He has been employed for two whole months, probably at a summer job which will end soon.
My message is:
Save until you have enough to buy a used car that you can pay for in cash, AND have the money to buy one year of liability insurance AND aother $1000 for gas, oil, inspections, maintenance, etc.
Until then, you are not ready to drive.