Gas smarts dead in USA and Canada after Fall 2017

[John & Angela 16]

I don't know Mike.  The smart ED has a real nice feel about the car.  We finally had to make the jump to a 4 passenger vehicle for one of our two vehicles so our CDI Grandstyle has to go. (really going to miss that car although Angela was the principal driver)   But being in the Palm Springs area for the winter has given us the opportunity to drive literally half a dozen different EV's, some of them two or three times.  Although they all had their forte's and weaknesses without a doubt when we got back in our little smart ED after the test drive it felt very good.  Small, nimble, quick, fun (cabrio) and quieter than a few of them WITH THE TOP DOWN.  We wanted to wait until we had driven the Bolt before making a decision.  Really the only redeemable feature we found on the bolt was the range.  It was noisy, stark, cold, and although the seats initially felt good on my back it didn't take long before I knew it wasn't going to be right for us.  We ended up getting a 2016 left over Nissan Leaf SV at a great deal.  150 KM is more than enough range for us and it just drove and felt so much more upscale.  And about 12000 cheaper than the bolt.  Anyway, I know that is just a personal taste thing and I am not trying to slam the Bolt which I am sure is a great car for those who need a longer range.  

 

Just my two cents.  

[GMoney 28]

Thanks for the input on the Bolt, John. I'm hoping to take a closer look at one at the Toronto auto show next week. That might be the first time I've heard an EV described as noisy. Was it road noise, wind noise, rattle noise, electric motor whine? While the range of a Bolt is appealing the lease price I see is around $500/mo and for that money I can lease my Smart ED and buy a shitbox Hyundai for extra range. While I'd appreciate some extra range, what I'd really like is a faster charger.

[John & Angela 16]

3 hours ago, GMoney said:

Thanks for the input on the Bolt, John. I'm hoping to take a closer look at one at the Toronto auto show next week. That might be the first time I've heard an EV described as noisy. Was it road noise, wind noise, rattle noise, electric motor whine? While the range of a Bolt is appealing the lease price I see is around $500/mo and for that money I can lease my Smart ED and buy a shitbox Hyundai for extra range. While I'd appreciate some extra range, what I'd really like is a faster charger.

 

It seemed reasonably quiet until about 80 KMH and then got louder, or at least louder than a leaf.  The leaf feels a little more refined to drive as well but again this is very much a personal taste thing.  If someone needs the longer range then the choices are slim but we had the chance to analyse our driving and having an extra 100 miles of range would be more of a bragging rights penis size thing. IF we need to go to Vancouver from Vernon the CHADEMO network is adequate and getting better every year.  If it means an extra couple 20 minute charge stops over the BoltI, and my prostate (and my chihuahua)  will appreciate it.  And the 10,000 to 12,000 dollars in my bank account could more than pay for a few hundred rental cars if I go somewhere off the main corridors not serviced by Chademo.  In BC you can get a pretty well equipted Nissan Leaf for between 26000 and 28000 bucks for a 30 KW leaf.  We got the SV because we don't like leather.  The SL will end up over 30,000.  Seven years from now we will upgrade again and ranges will all be 500 KM plus by then.  The other thing we liked about the Nissan Leaf is it has a history, most of the bugs are worked out and all the quirks are well known.  Besides, I kinda like the looks.   Kinda funky.  

 

Test drive as many as you can and find the car that works for you.  Stay safe on the road.  

[GMoney 28]

A Leaf was the first EV I ever drove and my wife and I really liked it. We were driving Honda Civics that were 16 and 18 years old at the time so any new car seemed luxurious to us. But the clinchers for the Smart were its much lower lease price and its size meant that it would fit in the garage without having to sell a motorcycle. Not sure what will happen in 2018 when my lease is up. If there's a change in the provincial government before that, as it's rumoured there will be, the EV rebate may be affected. If that's the case it might be advantageous to lease a new car before the old one runs out. 

[niteshooter 30]

On 2/16/2017 at 11:49 PM, GMoney said:

A Leaf was the first EV I ever drove and my wife and I really liked it. We were driving Honda Civics that were 16 and 18 years old at the time so any new car seemed luxurious to us. But the clinchers for the Smart were its much lower lease price and its size meant that it would fit in the garage without having to sell a motorcycle. Not sure what will happen in 2018 when my lease is up. If there's a change in the provincial government before that, as it's rumoured there will be, the EV rebate may be affected. If that's the case it might be advantageous to lease a new car before the old one runs out. 

 

Good question about the rebates. Odds of Wynn being re-elected might be as high as trump getting a Nobel prize for literature.

[smartzuuk 167]

I'd sure like to know what Car2Go's longer term plans are without small cars.... I thought that was hugely critical to the success in places like Vancouver and Calgary where parking is the issue. The per minute rate for the MB badged cars is around 50% higher...... And does MB no longer need the sales of smarts to help with CAFE/fleet averages??..... I used to be on top of this stuff, but have been slackin' for awhile!

 

Well, Mike called it!

[MikeT 744]

The fuel consumption rating of the gas 453 is poor, to the point where the CLA comes awfully close.  So the CAFE benefits of having the gasser on sale is not that great.  The electric will help with things but as more Mercedes cars are electrified, that too will pass and that will be the end of smart in North America.

[smartzuuk 167]

They are expecting a substantial push towards electrics in the marketplace, but I am still skeptical... the pushers are the ones making the money off the news releases. And it's like a mantra in some circles that EEV's will save the planet.... yes, I did mean 'EEV' - as Mike T coined the phrase I think - 'elsewhere emission vehicles'.... And in the US, that means coal, at least for the foreseeable near future.

 

Not that I am opposed to EV's; just all the mining required to get those rare earth elements for the batteries is a bit concerning.....

 

Reduce is the first R, and I suppose I am a bit disappointed to learn that the way of the future is larger vehicles, at least for MB.

 

But yes, all that idealism aside, the smart gasser suffers from lacklustre fuel economy performance, and the marketplace has spoken. How good will the deals be??

 

I still have my canada1 coupe which is running very well, and if no one takes it off my hands soon, then it'll get a bit more preventative love this year and I will take it out for some summer trips. It has less kms on it than my first cdi did when I sold it after 2.5 years!!

[booneylander 37]

I might just have to buy myself a 453 Cabrio Manual this summer if it's going to be my last shot at getting one.

[booneylander 37]

17 hours ago, smartzuum said:

Not that I am opposed to EV's; just all the mining required to get those rare earth elements for the batteries is a bit concerning.....

I think one important distinction to be made is that once those precious metals are mined to build the batteries in the first place, they should be easily recycled into new batteries ad-infinitum, whereas coal/petroleum that is mined and burned, is gone "forever", or at least until it's photosynthesized. 

In the ideal scenario, all the EVs and manufacturing processes to build it would be powered by sustainable energy, and at the end of it's life, the car could be 100% recycled into a new one. It's a lofty but not-unacheivable goal really. 

[MikeT 744]

There should be some fire sale prices soon, one would think.

[steveyfrac 73]

I've ordered myself a Bolt.  I expect it to be in by April.  RIP Smart in North America.

[MikeT 744]

Ah well it was fun while it lasted!

[darren 192]

On 2/18/2017 at 2:13 PM, smartzuum said:

I'd sure like to know what Car2Go's longer term plans are without small cars.... I thought that was hugely critical to the success in places like Vancouver and Calgary where parking is the issue. The per minute rate for the MB badged cars is around 50% higher...... And does MB no longer need the sales of smarts to help with CAFE/fleet averages??..... I used to be on top of this stuff, but have been slackin' for awhile!

 

I'll be disappointed to not have the fortwos to zip around town with using Car2go. They're a lot of fun, and SUPER easy to park.

 

The rates for the Mercedes cars are not very much higher… nowhere near 50% higher. It's 47¢ per minute, vs. 41¢, $19 per hour vs. $15, and $79 per day vs. $59. That's a premium of 15% for the per-minute rate, 27% for the hourly, and 34% for the daily. And they did recently lower the rates on the smarts.

 

 

 

It'll be interesting to see what Mercedes-Benz does this year to try and retain their smart customers. My lease goes back in September, so I'll be interested to see what kind of offers they might have. My current plan is to turn it in and completely forego car ownership for the time being. I'm now living back in Toronto, and with Car2go, Zipcar, a bicycle, and close access to several transit lines, I see little benefit to owning, insuring, and operating a car. Car sharing and ride sharing is the way to go in urban environments.

Edited February 20, 2017 by darren