Come, Say HI

[guyleb14 0]

Welcome to the club, I bet you are the lucky owner of the Highstyle in the showroom at Tri Star Mercedes in Saint John. I am from Norton, N.B. and own a 2009 Passion Coupe, I am having a ball driving it. I drove mine last winter with Contential winter tires and had no trouble on the snow and ice. I do not know how many litres per kilometer I am getting but in miles per gallon I am getting 50 in the winter and 60 miles per gallon in the summer.

That's the one I got yes I just love it so far. 7L/100KM gives me just 33 MPG - and that was highway & city combined. I know it was my first tank but I was hoping for more. This tank, I only got 2 bars left and I'm only at 334 Km...I'm hoping that it gets way better after the engine is broken in.

[MikeT 744]

Welcome, and please consider adding your car to the highstyle Registry.

[smart in nb 0]

Welcome, and please consider adding your car to the highstyle Registry.

Mike I already gave you the vin for this Highstyle in Saint John.

[MikeT 744]

Really? Well thanks!

[evanguy 0]

Hey guys,I'm a young guy with lots of student debt and I wanted a car for myself (wife has one though) to use personally as our work schedules conflict. I found a black '05 250 Smart Pure for $6500 with 140000km on it. I was about to buy it when I suddenly got in the mail from my parents a backlog of notices from my major student loan that they haven't received payment from me for a few months. I (despite calling and actually changing my address with them) didn't find out till now. It was on automatic withdrawal but something happened (still have to phone in and figure out) and I was clueless the entire time. I've made a small deposit on the Smart, so maybe they'll hold the smart instead of refunding me. It's all black too, which is my preference. So, I joined the forum psyched to be an owner... Only to have to wait... Oh how I will gladly.

[MikeT 744]

Welcome! Sometimes things are better than they may seem at first. This may be one of those cases.....I think the car is highly priced for what it is and the km, so see if you can get the small deposit refunded! You should be able to get one with more options (say a pulse model) and half the distance for that kind of money.

[evanguy 0]

think the car is highly priced for what it is and the km

I think you're right. I've been searching autotrader and all nearby used car lots for Smarts. This is actually the cheapest one I could find in my province. I live 40min west of Winnipeg. I did a test drive with all the snow on the ground. Despite it's all season tires, I really liked how it handled and in shifting I had no problems. I asked about the history of the vehicle and made a quote lower than they're advertised offer. And I really don't want to have to drive to Ontario or Quebec or back to BC (where I originally moved from this summer) to pick up a vehicle. Or pay destination charges. I don't know. What do you guys recommend?

[MikeT 744]

If you'd be willing to go to Alberta, there are tons of them in Calgary right now.... a good long drive! A friend recently re-sold several months ago a used Alberta pulse model in Vancouver with I think about 80K km for about what this Manitoba car is going for. The 2005/06 smarts come with summer tires, not all seasons. The 2008+ models have all season tires, which are useless below +7C anyway.Know what you are wanting.For me, a smart without steering wheel mounted shift paddles is no fun, and in Manitoba, you totally will need heated seats too. The diesels put out inadequate heat because of the efficient engine and also some quirks in the cooling system of most cars. 2005 pures did not come with heated seats, plus the upholstery on the 05-06 pures is indescribably disgustingly stain-prone and really nasty. You could get a 2006 pure with seat heaters but they still have the crap upholstery and no shift paddles. 2005 smarts also did not come with block heaters. You will need one for sure in Manitoba. You could retrofit something like a pan heater or get a later 2006 model which came with one right off the showroom floor. Make sure the car comes with a cord, M-B charges $140 for it.The only suitable upholstery in these cars IMO is the dark blue pulse cloth or the dark grey passion cloth (or leather if you like it). All the other colours are stain magnets and look hideous after a month's use. The upholstery quality is excellent though even on the red passion seats and light green pulse seats, though the latter fade badly in the sun.So where I am going with this is that you should focus on the car itself, not just the idea of getting the car, and choose a resonable vehicle for your situation. A 2005 pulse or passion might be obtainable with heated seats and paddles for under $8000, possibly less in Alberta.

[evanguy 0]

Good to know Mike. Killer mileage scores on your links!

I was primarily interested in the 450 model with the diesels being the fuel efficiency. I really didn't mind not having paddles for my test drive. I would for sure be looking into seat heaters and block/oil pan heaters. Especially for diesel. A proud moment was seeing it start up no problem on the -12C degree day I did my test drive. It had been sitting in the cold for a few days since it was last started. The fabric was luckily a dark grey instead of the gross colour I've been warned about. I believe the previous owners had switched the fabric colour. I'm not sure how I would feel about paddle shifters. I would need to see them in person. I wouldn't want to be dependent on them with big thick gloves/mitts on for winter. I really really liked playing with the shifter as a personal fascination. Having farmers around, I might purchase some bio-diesel (I know, CAUTION) however there are a lot of diesel stops for the big rigs around here. I really look forward to a small nimble vehicle for commuting. I like the interchangeable body panels. Stick-on veneer anyone? Stability and safety. The little sucker is pretty good in winter time for traction and stability. Fun factor of driving. Many practical reasons to get a used 250 model Smart, none of them because of the, "I have to have it!!!"

Another note, I work as a parts guy for a gm dealership I have been researching parts (I can look up other vehicle makes not just GM) and determining best parts prices. I haven't phoned the M-B dealership in winnipeg about their costs, but I'm pretty happy with projected maintenance costs in comparison to some other vehicles I've seen. Our 2005 Jetta is redonk for costs at the dealership.

Looking to eventually get:

-Heated seats $???

-All weather floor mats (trim to fit ones) $30

-Sound/Heat insulating $100

-Window cover $29.99 (US)

-Manlier horn $40.00

-Lift Kit $349.99 (extra ground clearance for snowy conditions even our Jetta is having problems with)

-Block/Oil Pan heater $140-$200~

Wanted features:

-Lambo doors of course $1,499.99 (US) (any reviews or opinions???)

-Cruise control $549.99 (US) (Increase mileage on long drives)

-Alloy wheels from some classifieds $??? (for reducing overall weight/increasing mileage)

-High airflow vents $109(US) and air filter $49.99 (US) for summer time

Being friends with the techs at the dealership means I can pay them under the table to help me work on the vehicle instead of paying an outrageous price for a Mercedes-Benz tech to work on my vehicle. There are days that the dealership lets the shop be open for personal days. Awesome perk on top of employee discount on parts and service already.

Edited November 27, 2010 by evanguy

[evanguy 0]

Opinions on paddle shifters?-okay to use with gloves/mitts on?-fun?-costly?-???Thanks guys!

[MikeT 744]

It's "450", not "250"!If you get a car with paddles, you don't have to use them, you can still use the floor shifter if you prefer. I don't wear gloves when driving but they would work with them just fine, though the thicker gloves might be a tight clearance with the paddles when turning a corner and gripping the wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock. Bit if your fingers are like cucumbers with gloves on, you'd probably be a bit tight. I wouldn't wear really thick gloves when driving any car, for safety reasons. A thinner glove with leather fingers and palms would be good.The paddles were built into the base cost of the pulse, and they were a $890 option on the passion. To retrofit at a dealer they would be about $1200 unless you get a discount.OE cruise control can be activated by Fast Eddy in Vancouver for $400 total. The downer is that it's got to be done in person in his shop, or at least with his STAR laptop. OE cruise control with speed limiter is far superior to the only alternative for the 450 (MDC cruise). The CC units that are advertised for the 451 are excellent (Area 451) but will not work on the 450.The steel wheels are lighter than the alloy wheels! So if low unsprung weight is a key for you, the best bet would be OE steel wheels and tires, or if you want more rubber on the road, then roadster steel wheels with wider tires. The bigger the alloy wheel and the wider the tire, the more unsprung weight.The US lambo door kits are not for the 450, I am pretty sure.The lift kit is going to negatively affect handling and may also affect steering alignment. Better to surf on the snow I think, or if it's that deep, maybe park it in the winter.

[evanguy 0]

It's "450", not "250"!

My bad, fixed! Bummer about the doors. A little too unnecessary for me anyways. I'll ask around and double check. Vancouver is a long way to drive from Winnipeg without cruise control. I'll tolerate without it until I drive to Vancouver for visiting friends and family one of these days. I don' care for more rubber on the road, although most people assume a 'wider' tire gives more traction and grip. True but untrue. It helps with turning stability. An old biker hounded me one day for liking fat tires. He said when a tire is skinny(width wise), there is more vehicle weight on it and it becomes harder for it to lose traction. Too skinny of course is bad.On evilution they say to not put larger than stock tires on the front when it comes to 450s. I'm sure there are many reasons, some to do with the brakes, steering arms, etc... I might have to try the paddle shifters, otherwise stick was fun enough for me Yeah, the lift kit is more of a possibility than a necessity. I might just get skid plates. I'm just worried about driving along and turning down an unplowed road and the middle section is still high and either getting high-centered or smashing the front fender. If you go slow you'll end up just pushing it, but if you hit it hard you can cause damage. There will be some days I will not be driving the little vehicle. Well a co worker has a jeep and lives one block over (yay small towns!). I'll call on him for a ride when necessary.

[MikeT 744]

On the smart 450 there are lots of benefits of going to 175/195 tires, not the least of which is the understeer is reduced. Ultimate grip and stability are higher and there is no downside I have seen when driving in rain. The wide tires are hopeless on snow but so are the skinnies (summer tires). The 175/195 combination costs 0.2 L/100 km. Both my cars have this size.

[evanguy 0]

Wow, you really got it nailed to a science. Bravo I have looked at some Smarts over in Alberta-land. There are some good prices. When the time is right for me to buy one, I'll definately look that way.

[codfather 0]

hello every one just got a 2006 smart fortwo passionnot to happy with the milage dont know what is wrong 74.000on it

[codfather 0]

hello every one just got a 2006 smart fortwo passionnot to happy with the milage dont know what is wrong 74.000on it

[smart142 605]

Welcome to the club!How many fillups have you had?fyi- we are having a dinner on Thursday night in Ilderton.

[lesoakes 0]

My name is Les Oakes and I live in Calgary AB Canada and I have had a Smart car since mid 2007. Presently I need to rebuild the engine so would love to hear of any great diesel mechanics or machine shops that have done any major engine work for you, thanks, Les

[MikeT 744]

Hi, what is the fuel consumption that you are getting? If you drive the car between 1800 and 2800 RPM, it should be good, under 5 in winter and around 4 in summer.

[OneSavvySiren 0]

Hi! I'm brand-spanking new to this site and also brand new to smart cars, just test drove my first one Tuesday and bought my first one on Thursday (I had intentions of buying one just due to the amount of driving I have to do to get to and from work, about 45km each way). I understand that where I am (Victoria) tends to have a very high density of smart owners so I guess that could wor kto my advantage if I have any questions or worries about my new little car (we call him Mike just because it's the bright 'stream green' and looks rather round, like Mike from Monsters Inc.).So far the site has been very informative and I'm sure I'll be learning a lot more as I get through more of the forums! Just became the owner of my first smart at the beginning of the month and have been enjoying my new toy (2005 Stream Green Pulse...I call him Mike only because the colour and shape remind me of Monster's Inc). So far I've been getting about 60mpg but am still getting used to the controls and the best gears to be in on the highway and in town. Going to be switching out the deck to something with bluetooth within in the next month so any advice would be great! -CourtneyNote - merged a couple of pending approval posts - Administrator

[squeakylynn 0]

Hiya cousin! Happy to have you aboard.With a good set of snow tires, this little car will serve you well in the winter.Bil

[squeakylynn 0]

Hi everyone,I became a Smart owner last month (October 14) and I'm loving my car so far. I'm from New-Brunswick and a little worried about winter driving with my Smart. Anybody here have tried the Bridgestone Blizzak WS60 for the Smart? I got them already installed on the car and anxious to see how it will handle in the snow. I fell in love with the Smart when I test drove an 06 in 08 and finally traded my 2004 mustang on a 2010 Highstyle Edition. It is really fun to drive. For all the 451 owners, when did your fuel mileage started getting better? I only had to go fill it up once so far (only did 7.0L/100KM).

I also abecame a Smart car owner at the end of September and absolutely love it. Can't believe the miles I have already put on it, now that I am retired I can just see them mount up now. I have the bright yellow and black and have bees in it. Would like to also put large eyelashes around the headlights but haven't yet. Hope to meet some of you on one of the convoys you do next year. squeakylynn (Lynn)

[Leadwing 565]

to the club lynn. I know you will enjoy your smart. I liked mine so much, I got a second one

[bbinbc 0]

Hi bbinbc here, new to this forum and smart cars. Just bought a 2005 Pulse with loads of options and only 31699 km on it MB service from new. Bought as a commuter car. It was an instant hit and is now the most popular car in our fleet of 5 cars.

[smart142 605]

Welcome to the club! I'm still loving mine after 6 years!