Topic: smart car

[net_minder]

Has anyone heard anything good or bad about the smart cars.  I need an economical good on gar car for dirivng hour to work every day

[The Mighty Duck]

People seem to like them...  they're great on gas, but other than that (imo) mostly useless.  For the money, I would rather get into a Yaris/Civic/Fit and pay a little bit more for gas, but have a capable and practical car.

Smart car is a novelty in North America, imho.  As a second (or third, or fourth...) vehicle, sure.  But as a primary mode of transportation?  No, thanks.

[ovr50]

Would not be my choice either. Most sold around here have been to ppl with other vehicles and they are a bit of a "fad" IMO. I see several offered for resale already. Also very pricey when you can get a Yaris or a Civic for less and have more car IMO.

[avtoller]

There have also been significant reliability problems throughout the lifetime of the make. They have always been a money loser, and according to what I've read, warranty work is one of the main reasons for this. When they were first announced for Canada I had some interest, but I quickly lost it, especially after doing a bit of research.

[robarakira]

All I can say is people are belligerent in thinking the Smart cars are unsafe by default.  Actually they perform well in crash tests.

[avtoller]

All I can say is people are belligerent in thinking the Smart cars are unsafe by default.  Actually they perform well in crash tests.

Very true! 

[mdxtasy]

All I can say is people are belligerent in thinking the Smart cars are unsafe by default.  Actually they perform well in crash tests.

Who said they are unsafe? 

For a 1 hour commute, an 18K Civic or a 15K Yaris would do you just fine.  The savings of a couple grand over the Smart would take many years of travel to make up.  There are a lot of small economy cars out there that would suit your requirements better than the Smart.  Just because it's a lot smaller doesn't mean it's a lot more fuel efficient.   

[ovr50]

All I can say is people are belligerent in thinking the Smart cars are unsafe by default.  Actually they perform well in crash tests.

Agreed, but I still don't want one and it has nothing to do with safety.

[tpl]

I would go for a more common car than a SMART....something with more than one dealer per city outside To, MTL and Van

Civic, Yaris, Golf TDI, suzuki

[footlong58]

[wing]

The smart IMO would not be a great car for a 1 hour commute, it's a little long.  It is fairly noisy inside.  I'd get a yaris or civic.

[johngenx]

I tested one and here are my impressions based on my roughly hour-long drive...

1. Comfort.  The seats felt supportive, but only a long drive would confirm.  Ergos are good and the greenhouse is large.

2. Acceleration.  Sucks.  Forget the "auto" mode and shift it.  Even then, it's painfully slow from a standstill, but not nearly as bad at freeway speeds.  For heavy stop-and-go or freeway it would be fine.  It's the "cut and thrust" of some surface street driving where you'll have to have a thick skin.

3. Handling.  For a skinny tall car, it's got good stick.  The "low profile" (relative!) tires bite and the steering is pretty responsive.  The short (!!) wheelbase makes it pretty nimble but it's pretty stable at speed too.  Good work.

4. Storage.  Sucks.  Not much at all.

5. Safety.  The Smart has more safety features and engineering than many cars costing twice as much.  The safety aspect would be the reason to pick the Smart over other $20K-ish econo cars.

6. Long term prospects.  Not great.  MB build quality is suspect and Smart has no rep for quality, either.  The little diesel engine is supposed to be durable, but the heaped-on electronics would be worrisome.

For a commute-only car, it makes sense.  I could easily drive one on a long commute especially if most of it was on freeways/highways.  But, if you need a "real" car to haul groceries, a friend to the airport, or a couple kids to a movie, forget it.  The Yaris would be a much "smarter" choice in that case...

[Snowman]

I think it would make a great car for “City” driving. I would not be comfortable driving the Smart car on a highway for an extended period of time. The Smart Car appears to be aerodynamically challenged and I am concerned abbot encountering dirty air form a transport in either direction.

[Bullet Blue]

I saw a smart on the highway this past sunday and it was in the passing lane passing a lincoln town car. 

One of my friends father just took delivery of a smart about a 2 weeks ago. i've been in it only once as a passenger and buy, that cdi engine was a lot louder than I expected. There isn't a whole lot seperating the engine from the cabine, so it can hard hard maintaining a conversation as soon as the light turns green. Interior wise, I was impressed with how much  leg and head room there is considering its size. The intereior isn't much to look at, but I only saw it in person at night so I didn't get an overly good look. While driving it felt pretty solid. The price can creep up very easily. My buddy has the base version with like only 2 options. They've said that the fuel economy of it is slightly disapointing so far. But to be fair, they've driven it EVERYWHERE, even when they don't have to (the new car feeling we all get) so that might have something to do with it.

I'd take a yaris/fit/ or more than likely a civic though. Try it out and see if you like it.

[sirAQUAMAN64]

I had a deposit on one for many months but in the end there was little reason to get out of my Golf TDI.

On the upside, good fuel economy (but when you're flooring it everywhere it's not as good as stated), great front interior room and airyness, fun factor with colours and just the mere sizing of it, convertible or glass roof is neat, price starts out fairly competitively for basic versions (+ much more than A/C and it gets up there, but more and more the pricing looks in-line to me), and it's very safe.

I have no quams about driving it over extended distances or on the highway. A few have been on my bumper and passed me going 130+km/h. No issues for me there.

On the downside, the interior is quite noisy. Like BB, I was very surprised how loud the interior was. More irritating and unacceptable to me was the transmission. It shifted with a huge pause as if it was a manual and some novice driver held in the clutch 4 seconds too long. Really abrupt, crude shifting. Doing it yourself helped, but not by enough. Also, options get pricey, but you can spec exactly what you like and quality might be suspect. Also, simple things like pouring windshield washer fluid are a pain. Also, no back seat.

Overall, unless you really love it, I'd probably stick to a new Accent, Yaris, Civic. More car, great fuel economy, a back seat, lower maintenance costs, and less question marks.

If you're really contemplating it, just drive it. If you're anything like me, that was the deciding factor.

[wing]

bullit, finally someone agrees with me on the noise level.  It's loud IMO and that's turn off.  I've met owners that say they don't notice it being loud, but I found it louder than my S2000 with the top down.