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eqwalker

Driver reviews at the tours

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Here's a video from inside a car at one of the road show events that I found on Youtube:

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The guy actually got one of the smart chaperons to do the filming.

"This is so awesome!" "I hope it's still recording."

It's my favorite road show video yet.

And here's another of the interior from the Buffalo NY road show:

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Very nice videos! I love hearing the guy's enthusiasm in the first video. He was sooo excited and I know that is how I'm going to be next weekend! Thanks for sharing, Regina

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Yeah, that's what I loved about it. He kept saying "This is so awesome!"

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There are so many threads out there for the new one, I'm not sure where to post these. I guess I'll stick 'em here. :)

About 15 cars came from Canada this morning to the Buffalo tour. We lined up on the street across from the tent smart had set up. Initial impressions I'm finding are really hard to sort out! The biggest thing I guess I'll say is WHOAH there is a helluvalot more power! I'm so used to just mashing the accelerator to the floor and then shifting as the power comes... so I did that while talking to the guy who took me out and it totally threw me back in the seat! They were really cool though, let us basically do whatever we wanted to... "have fun" and smiled; he was more curious about my car!

They fixed everything I would have complained about on the new model. But at the same time, gone are the things that I really, really like. The plastic roof didn't really impress me like I thought it would. It's only about 2/3 the size of the current glass roof. The transmission though is a huge improvement; i didn't even notice any lag at all on my test drive. And the engine is really quiet. But it doesn't sound "quality". I can't figure that out. It's so weird... so weird! So different.

I guess I still at the end of the day felt that my car feels like an actual Mercedes; I hate to use the word "dissapointed", because that's not how I feel - but it's just not what I expected. They've done everything right, as far as the new one goes; they've lowered the price, made it loads smoother, and I think this car will appeal to a lot more people than the current model. For the price they're selling it at they're going to be a huge success. But right now it's not something I would ever consider taking over my current one. :) Maybe when it's time to retire Nosedive I'd re-look at it.

The employees there were very professional, helpful, and the whole thing was organized so well (as far as getting people in and out of the cars, paperwork, that sort of thing).

And if you're wondering, no, I couldn't make it tip. :P

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Now I get it - this is the part people were talking about that was ugly (and I agree).

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They really do look a lot more butch/agressive!

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Nosedive sniffing a Diesel Jetta's butt.

-Iain

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That was a great report! Thanks. Looking forward to my 451 drive in about 4 weeks......

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Thanks. It's really nice to hear what 450 owners have to say about testing the 451. It puts in a better perspective. I trust your observations more than the bloggers and news media.

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I have a G & K modified Smart Gas car and am wondering if anyone with a Gas Smart has tested the newcar for comparison? I did not see it in the above information.I drove a Remapped Deisel Smart last weekend on our road trip and can see why the Deisel owners feel the new Smart has so much more power. My car has a bunch more power than a remapped Deisel Smart. So if anyone with a Gas Smart has driven the new car I will be real intrested to hear their comparison.And after this weekend I will have aremapped Gas Smart for comparison. :yahoo: Hope to hear some tests soon. Otherwise I will write my own when we drive the Smart in September.

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I have a G & K modified Smart Gas car and am wondering if anyone with a Gas Smart has tested the newcar for comparison? I did not see it in the above information.I drove a Remapped Deisel Smart last weekend on our road trip and can see why the Deisel owners feel the new Smart has so much more power. My car has a bunch more power than a remapped Deisel Smart. So if anyone with a Gas Smart has driven the new car I will be real intrested to hear their comparison.And after this weekend I will have aremapped Gas Smart for comparison. :yahoo: who is doing the gas remap?Hope to hear some tests soon. Otherwise I will write my own when we drive the Smart in September.

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I have owned a 450 diesel coupe, a 450 diesel cab, have driven a 450 gas coupe extensively and tested the new 451 gas coupe. Here's what I found. The first thing I noticed on the a 451 cab during the test drive is that the cloth on the lowered top was visibly vibrating during idle. This makes me wonder about the long term durability of the Mitsu engine. I could feel it during driving too. Those of you who own G&K converted cars can count yourselves lucky in one area. Your Mercedes gas engines are the ultimate in smart smoothness and therefore the nicest to drive, perhaps the fastest too due to the lack of turbo on the 451 test cars. Still, I would never trade my diesel for anything, that's just me, and there has been lots of discussion about that topic already.The transmission shifts EXACTLY the same as the old one I believe. I did some wild handling moves with the 451 and it cannot compete with the 450 on that score either I think. The 451 has a softer more Cadillac ride that will appeal to the masses and that is a good thing for most. The 450 has much more sports car like handling but a very stiff ride that many understandably can't tolerate. You have to be a real smart nut to appreciate the 450 ride.The interior on the 451 is a bit more roomy and the car feels bigger than ever to drive. I don't think the extra size is needed but again, it will likely appeal to more people which means more sales. The storage for the cabrio roof bars is much improved. I prefer the 450 interior, especially the curved dash but, the interior on the 451 does look better in person than pictures suggest. Good job there. The time had come to update the exterior styling even though many of us mourn the change in many ways. Like it or not, the new smart is a smart through and through and should be super pleasing to anyone who buys it.Things I liked better on the 451.Seat fabric.Roof bar storage on cabrio.Glass rear window on cabrio.Window switches for both windows on drivers door.Tailgate closes easier.Windshield and it's trim.Lines on sides of doors.Comfy ride.Glove box.Normal oil filter.Things I liked better on the 450.Original design.Mercedes Benz engines.6 speed instead of 5 speed.Solid feel and handling.Cooler tailights on coupe and cab.Great looking steel safety seats.Nicer wheels.Curvy dash and nicer shifter.Better looking speedometer.In the end, I would never trade my 450, either diesel or gas.

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I'm going to the Cleveland road show tomorrow errrr make that today at noon. If you want to see something funny watch this 450lb wheel chair ridden 6'5" tall man try and get his chair and himself in the lil beasty. :D

Here is the pic... :lol:

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Diesel Dave, thanks for the great info from a 450 owner.Forvay, It looks like you fit in it great. Was it comfortable, compared to any other cars you drive?

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Diesel Dave, thanks for the great info from a 450 owner.Forvay, It looks like you fit in it great. Was it comfortable, compared to any other cars you drive?

The only issue I had was that the shifter kept getting knocked out of drive by my big fat knee but that won't be an issue with the North Americanized shifter.Compared to my New Beetle it has a tiny bit more head room but substantially less shoulder and hip room but not enough to stop me from driving it. Compared to our Passat wagon... it has more about 4 more inches of useable head room and feels about the same on my hips due to the Passat's center console.So.... the conclusion is. :smitten: I am really looking forward to taking delivery of my 451 Passion coupe. :)

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Sweet. Thanks Forvay.I am really excited to get mine as well. Can't wait.

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I am also impressed that Fowvay was fitting in there so well. I'm a big guy too, so that has been a concern :doh: , but not anymore since I am 6'1" and about half the weight of Fowvay. Maybe, like I saw on one video review, the 451 Smart it is a wee bit like Doctor Who's Tardis. It's bigger on the inside.Thanks Fowvay for the demo and the pic. :doublethumb:

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Tomorrrow is the big day at the VIP pre- roadshow being held at Checkerflag Auto Dealer. Insiders can test drive & then Sat and Sunday at a shopping center a few blocks away. Last Sat. we went to dinner with friends and when they both sat in SCHMART they went home and both put down a deposit.

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When I got to Checkered flag the wait was about 45 minutes...maybe 25 people in front of me but when I finished my drive the wait was 5-10 minutes so I drove the cab once and the coupe twice. I also drank two smoothies and two bottles of water while waiting so I was hoping I wouldn't have to get out of line to hit the porta potty.......I told the assistant I was writing a review for the Clubsmartcar comparing it to my 450 and I would like to drive on the aggressive side...she said go ahead........so I did!!!!!The 451 is a great car to drive in my opinion...I have been lucky to drive the diesels, the gasser 450 for a year and now the 451 both cabrio and coupe. The suspension is not as stiff as my car and the assistant was telling me they dialed it in to reduce understeer...it was very cushy but not overcushy..... I really like the new car..the tranny is nice.....I thought it was great to have the paddles and the stick as a standard feature.....the interiors are clean and fresh in their styling although I plan on keeping my SCHMART...the bigger engine was nice...did not see too much difference in the smoothness...maybe the MB is a little smoother, but the extra horsepowerer was noticeable with a little more torque. The lack of a turbo was noticeable only when i was looking for thaat rapid spooling I have become accustomed to in my gasser between 4000-5500 rpm. Bev is going back with me tomorrow to drive it and we will have her review.......all in all a thumbs up for Smart. They will sell all they can ship over the first year for sure....... P.S. Regina,,,..the red is orange.

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I went to the "reserved users" Road Show on 24 Aug 2007 and it was being held in a large empty lot across the road from a Checkered Flag Dealership. Upon parking I ran into SCHMART and he tells me his impression of the 451 smart. I get my wristband and proceed to the smart trailer and take a quick walkthru and head to the line. The line is short and SCHMART tells me that he had waited much longer than I did which was about 10-15 minutes. A smart representative walked up to the line and asked if anyone needed anything to drink and I asked for some bottled water. While I was waiting another smart representative was directing drivers to the smart cars as they came around stopping in front of the tent protecting us from the sun when it came from behind the clouds was talking and answering questions from each driver and even when he was asked the same question over and over again by different drivers he was polite and answered each one.

When it was my turn to drive I was presented with a black on black passion and my inital impressions were when I got in the car it was roomy and plenty of space. The 451 model was the European version so it still has the KMH speedometer and the odd gearshift that will be different in the North American version but that's ok. The air conditioner was running well and it was quite cool compared to the temperature outside which was running around 90F. We take off in automatic mode and at first it felt slightly sluggish but I'm used to an automatic transmission and in retrospect it was normal for a car that is a manumatic transmission so everything is ok... I take the short road trip and am impressed with the handling and feel. The car doesn't feel stiff over bumps in the road that you might expect with a small car. The RED smart was NOT the red that I expected it's more of an orangish-red and I asked the smart rep if that was the red to be expected to be produced for the North american market and he said "yes". I was disappointed but that's ok. the pictures of the "RED" smart I have taken with my camera DO NOT show the car in the same "RED" that it really is.

I went and toured the smart trailer where it was air conditioned inside for a bit of respite and they had information on the walls and some pc's there where people could browse the smart website and place their $99 deposit if they wanted to and there also was a tv there and you could watch some clips of the smart. I retured to the drivers line to take another drive in a cabrio and it was a blue on tan which was an ok combination. I noticed a few stains in the drivers seat, what they were from I didn't ask but for light colored interiors you may want to get some good scotchguard protectant for spills and such. This car drove much like the first one. I didn't notice much air coming from the open top but our driving route didn't allow for any speeds that I really wanted to go.

Things I noticed and made me think "Why did they do it like that or Hmmmmm...?" They had a display model there and I had taken several pictures of all around the car. I noticed around the trunk area some exposed wiring that wasn't protected as well as I would want wiring to be protected and then I noticed the fuel requirement of min 91 octane and for a car that you are wanting to expouse as fuel sipper and welll it may be but 87 octane would go along way to acceptance of the general consumer than 91. Personally I didn't care for the plastiky 6 cd changer. It seemed too close to your feet and could get dirty inside easily.

I have placed all the pictures of this road tour and video on my server for you to download because most are over the maximum size allowed by this forum. Some notable pictues are IMG_0241.jpg showing exposed wiring, notable videos are MVI_0255.avi showing a SCHMART review, MVI_00275.avi & 0276 showing a cabrio top retracting and closing respectivley. I may go back for some more pictures and videos tomorrow and Sunday so come back to see if there is anything "NEW " to see. You can find these at ftp://smart:@a.servegame.com in the folder called G:PubSmartRoad Tour Va Bch VA Aug 24 2007 in the pictures and video subfolders. addition there are a few notable highlights such as the following picture:

Overall I give this smart car :doublethumb:

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remember these are european spec smarts I believe the octane ratings are different. i think its 89 octane....I run 87 in SCHMART as prescribed by G&K

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remember these are european spec smarts I believe the octane ratings are different. i think its 89 octane....I run 87 in SHMART as prescribed by G&K

Excerpt from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating"In most countries (including all of Europe and Australia) the "headline" octane that would be shown on the pump is the RON, but in the United States, Canada and some other countries the headline number is the average of the RON and the MON, sometimes called the Anti-Knock Index (AKI), Road Octane Number (RdON), Pump Octane Number (PON), or (R+M)/2. Because of the 8 to 10 point difference noted above, this means that the octane in the United States will be about 4 to 5 points lower than the same fuel elsewhere: 87 octane fuel, the "regular" gasoline in the US and Canada, would be 91-92 in Europe. However most European pumps deliver 95 (RON) as "regular", equivalent to 90-91 US (R+M)/2, and even deliver 98 (RON) or 100 (RON)."So therefore the above picture can be misinterpeted. I do believe that we could run on 87 octane. I will just have to wait and see.

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We're buying a Mercedes-Benz B-Class (B 200) (not sold in USA) and the non-turbo says on the filler flap that it should have 95 RON (call it 90 or 91 US), but that it can take 91 RON (call it 86/87 US) in a pinch, though the owner's manual says that you should not drive the car hard on low octane fuel. The compression ratio is 11:1! So running it on Mid Grade (89 US Octane) may be OK, without cramping the driving style.The B 200 Turbo says it needs 98 RON but can take 95 RON. So it can _just_ cope with our premium fuel....though some gas stations in BC have 93/94 US Octane.

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That is a really beautiful car you ordered....someone around her at the beach has one..I couldn't see if the plates were from Canada but being such a large military area we see cars come in under a temporary plate. It really stood out with its styling.

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