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- Thread starter Spectrum Abuser
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My brother and my dad both drive Smarts. I've borrowed them on occasion, so here's a few thoughts:
1. They're bumpy and noisy.
2. The economy is good
3. The gearbox is terrible
4. They're super-safe. My brother crashed his first one; wrote it off and walked away.
5. They're expensive to repair (because they're built by Mercedes)
6. They're really easy to park
7. They're really fun to drive!
Would I recommend one? Absolutely, as long as you're not going to be doing a lot of driving. For long distances, they're not great and the engine isn't designed for motorway driving. For driving about town, they're fantastic and cheap to run.
1. They're bumpy and noisy.
2. The economy is good
3. The gearbox is terrible
4. They're super-safe. My brother crashed his first one; wrote it off and walked away.
5. They're expensive to repair (because they're built by Mercedes)
6. They're really easy to park
7. They're really fun to drive!
Would I recommend one? Absolutely, as long as you're not going to be doing a lot of driving. For long distances, they're not great and the engine isn't designed for motorway driving. For driving about town, they're fantastic and cheap to run.
I've driven a fair number of cars (I used to need rentals several times a year, plus borrowed cars).... they all have "odd ergonomics" initially. The Smart is no different.... it's got some quirks, but so does every car I've ever driven. Yes, at 1st you may feel it's tippy... trust me it's not. Where I live there are a lot of winding country roads. I am not a poster-boy for slow safe driving (though I'd like to think I am a safe fast driver, but that is a different discussion). Smarts are not tippy. When you figure out where the engine is, you realize that the centre of balance is very low. The transmission problems have been solved with software fix.
A good round-up... though I would debate the gear-box... software updates have really smoothed them out. Also, as long as they are under warranty - and they have a great warranty, at least in Canada, then they cost nothing to repair. Get the extended warranty too, because they will be very expensive to repair once they come out of warranty. The only money we've spent on our two Smarts, over 2.5 years, is for the oil changes at the dealer. We do the oil changes there... and it's expensive, it's done by a Mercedes mechanic - because they really treat your right. They do a safety inspection, and fix anything that you may not have noticed. They do software updates. You get a loaner. They clean and vacuum the car. It's a free servicing, other than the oil the change.
Ok, perhaps the gearboxes are better now. Both the smarts I've driven we're a couple of years old and took at least a second and a half to change gear. Doesn't sound like much, but it is a lot. Also, because they were a few years older, there was no warranty on them and were fixed at Mercedes rates.
Which brings up another issue - when they are out of warranty, they're not cheap. Your local mechanic might not be able to repair them because they're quite specialist cars.
Yeah, that's why I recommended the extended warranty. Our thinking is that because so many Smarts will have come out from warranty once ours expires that the usual 3rd party parts suppliers will have geared up with replacement parts, and the local mechanics will have already been working on them for several years. Certainly this will be true for the OP, since their car will be under warranty for at least another 3 years. By then there will be a healthy trade in used cars and parts, though they will likely need to find a specialist mechanic.... but it won't be as bad as the dealer's rates.
They are VERY expensive to maintain out of warranty. My local dealer charges £99 per hour to work on my car, so I take it to an independent place that specialises in these cars.
And don't think for a second they'll be treating you like the best customer there. You will have the cheapest car by miles - why would they get their best mechanic to work on your car when there is a £50,000 S class in for service at the same time?
Ummm, because we have a good (honest) dealer? We have never ever felt we have been treated as 2nd class, and in fact they have done us favours on occasion far above what they were required.
How old are you? If this is your first time driving, probably wait a year before you get a nice car and get something that isn't quite a beater, but a cheap older car.
I love lived and worked in the area for a little over a year. I lived inside the loop and worked by the American Airline Center. I would still say the smart car is a bad choice for many of the same reasons as before.
Remember you are going to go to college in a few years and will want a larger car. Mpg can be match in larger cars for the same price.
Dfw is not really set up to take advantage the smart car.
I live in DFW area and drove a 50cc Honda met scooter almost daily for a while. If I can manage beautifully on a 45 mph scooter, no reason to fear a fortwo. I just took back roads and avoided the highway. Even in my autos, I rarely do much highway driving.
What do your parents think of your car search? Just curious. A lot of people are size minded and anything small is always wrong. If your parents fit this category, might as well give up the idea.
What do your parents think of your car search? Just curious. A lot of people are size minded and anything small is always wrong. If your parents fit this category, might as well give up the idea.
My parents will not support the idea. For the time being that is going to dominate my decision, but in a few years from now once I can manage to afford it on my own I'll jump to the smart side.
And is it strange that almost everyone I show the car to compares it in a collision with a semi? I try to explain that if you get hit head on with a rig you'll be toast in any vehicle, but they always say you'll survive with a good old fashioned truck. #Irritatedwiththebiggerisbetterconcept
And is it strange that almost everyone I show the car to compares it in a collision with a semi? I try to explain that if you get hit head on with a rig you'll be toast in any vehicle, but they always say you'll survive with a good old fashioned truck. #Irritatedwiththebiggerisbetterconcept
You're aware, then, that most people can't do this. The Metroplex is put together on the concept that a highway gets you close to where you're going. My commute would take me three hours each way if I took "back roads."
It doesn't already take three hours? Every time I go to DFW, it seems like it takes 3 hours to get ANYWHERE around there! It's ginormous!
I'd buy anything else. A mazda 3/ ford focus, Toyota Yaris, maybe even a chevy whatever they call the small car at the moment model. Any of them are going to be cheaper to service than the smart car.
It doesn't already take three hours? Every time I go to DFW, it seems like it takes 3 hours to get ANYWHERE around there! It's ginormous!
I live 40 miles from our Dallas office. Depending on when I leave the house, it takes me anywhere from 50 minutes to an hour and a half one-way. I also live 55 miles from our Fort Worth office, and it takes me anywhere from an hour and ten minutes to an hour and 45 to get there. But yeah, there's a lot of area to cover; doing it on back roads is more chore than it's worth.
My brother lives in DFW, and has a similar commute. It's about 45 minutes or so in normal traffic to his office. It just seems anytime we go somewhere when I'm visiting, it seems to take forever. When I was there last summer for my niece's wedding, we went from south of I-20 to Addison. I thought we were going to Oklahoma.
My daily commute is around 45 minutes to an hour, but it's because my office is 35 miles from my house.
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What kind of kid wants a lame ass smart car? Get something with a stick shift so you learn something, and it works fine with city traffic (LA, not no suburbs right in the heart of the city where most parking is pay or parrelel) IMO everyone should have one car that was manual, why not get it out of the way.
What kind of kid wants a lame ass smart car? Get something with a stick shift so you learn something, and it works fine with city traffic (LA, not no suburbs right in the heart of the city where most parking is pay or parrelel) IMO everyone should have one car that was manual, why not get it out of the way.
The other thing for me is fair play, trying to go against the bigger is better concept, but to go with what is a pretty expensive and impractical car is a bit silly.
My first car was a £250 Vauxhall Nova. It had a 1.2 litre engine, a 5 gear manual transmission and could seat 5. It had great fuel economy and felt quick at times. I had it for my first year of driving and then went onto something quicker but just as cheap.
Manual gears are great for learning about car control, gearing, engine braking and fuel economy.
What about a Jetta or something?
My first car was a £250 Vauxhall Nova. It had a 1.2 litre engine, a 5 gear manual transmission and could seat 5. It had great fuel economy and felt quick at times. I had it for my first year of driving and then went onto something quicker but just as cheap.
Manual gears are great for learning about car control, gearing, engine braking and fuel economy.
What about a Jetta or something?
Scion is coming out with a micro car called IQ sometime this month. It is a bit bigger than a smart but not by much.
My commute is three miles. It is a lifestyle choice I made. When I move I find a place to live based on where I work. I set up doctors and such from there on a five mile radius. When I need to go into dallas I take the TRE or other transport.
It is imporant for my quality of life not to be stuck in traffic or fighting othr commutets. Other people value different things and adjust their lifestyles accordingly. Chances are if someone is looking at a micro car they are looking for easy ownership and a more relaxed lifestyle.
My commute is three miles. It is a lifestyle choice I made. When I move I find a place to live based on where I work. I set up doctors and such from there on a five mile radius. When I need to go into dallas I take the TRE or other transport.
It is imporant for my quality of life not to be stuck in traffic or fighting othr commutets. Other people value different things and adjust their lifestyles accordingly. Chances are if someone is looking at a micro car they are looking for easy ownership and a more relaxed lifestyle.
A 3 mile commute? Bicycle time! Your oil is barely at operating temperature by the time you get to work...
That would be nice. I use to ride a bike to work but the police game me a problem on the access roads.
the iQ has been out over here for years (Toyota iQ). It's actually quite nice and looks like a Pokemon version of a Smart, it's always smiling. but, it a bit wider and can't park perpendicular like the Smarts can, which kinda negates it's usefulness.
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we do 10k each way and if it's cold we use the subway. almost a zero emission commute
