Driver reviews at the tours

[Fowvay 0]

Just because it can do it doesn't mean that was or is it's intended purpose.

I'd love to see the percentages of SUV drivers who actually go mudbogging. Same kind of argument...

-Iain

Yup... exactly.

[propes 0]

I borrowed a SUV because, while not mud bogging, I knew I was going somewhere very muddy with lots of ruts. I came back, SUV caked in mud (as expected), and the owner freaked: "What did you do to my car?!""Uh, used it for the purpose it was designed for?"

[Mikey 0]

I had my first contact with the Smart Car today. The tour came to Clearwater, Florida and I went for my fist drive of the car. I have reserved a Passion but I drove a passion cabriolet. For a convertible it was extremely quiet. I would rather have driven what I was purchasing but so goes life. I was shocked by the "automatic" transmission. I punched the gas and it was like I was driving a standard shift car without shifting or clutching. It was kind of cool as it actually acted like a standard. I even checked to see if my right foot was moving, as I did not depress a clutch pedal. The rep said the US model would have a "P" gear for America. He also said the feel of a standard shit would not be as noticeable on the US model.I ask the rep if this car was a 2007 model and he said no it was a 2008 European model, KM, etc.I asked about the plastic panel under the car and he said he had not heard of nor had any problem with it. (Noted on another area of posting from this site)I asked about the chance of a Cruse Control and he said they have had many requests for it but he did not see that happening. I also mentioned, comments from this forum, concerning the high cost of service on this car. He said, “Well it is a Mercedes manufactured vehicle”. I said it was not actually a Mercedes and I believe many people purchasing this car are not in the same economic class as many of the Mercedes purchasers. Nice kid but like a bobble headed doll and polite. Yes sir, yes sir. I truly love the car and am more anxious than ever now.

[MikeT 744]

Good report!What was it that got bleeped out by our goodie two shoes profanity filter? stick?

[Mikey 0]

Mike T, Actually it wasn’t vulgar. I had placed the text into MS Word as I am a terrible speller, as well as typist.It should read:

He also said the feel of a standard would not be as noticeable on the US model.

I also told all the folks I spoke to about this Forum.

[Mikey 0]

Tiny Smart car might be next big thing

A European two-seater's surprising ride and roominess belie its lilliputian appearance.

Here is a link to the local (St. Petersburg Times) newspaper article on the Smart Car in Clearwater:

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/10/25/Business...ar_might_.shtml

[rrrucke 0]

Mikey,A very nice article by a reporter/driver. Thanks for sharing!Regina

[Mikey 0]

Got photos from tour. I hope I can get them in this post. Me in the car and one walking up to tour (notice rainy day)

[gotwavs 0]

Cool, Mikey. Thanks for the pics. Well, at least you got to test it in wet road conditions.

[Gortok 0]

THE SMARTIES ARE COMING! THE SMARTIES ARE COMING!!

[Gortok 0]

The wait seemed almost intolerable. I've been waiting for years to see a real smartie close up.It finally happened. All I could think of was how bad I wanted to test out this clunky trans everyone complains about. I was delighted to find that it acted exactly how I thought it would, competently. (Remember, this ain't no Formula 1 car.) The shift controls were very intuitive, and I found that in manual mode, the auto shift, the tap on the stick, or the pull of a paddle did exactly what I expected it to do.It seemed to shift quicker and more smoothly if I actually made it shift at a higher RPM rather than at a lower. I liked it... The brakes were impressive, to say the least...Turning seemed a little stiff to me, though. I'll probably opt for the comfort package... I think I was mostly amazed by the number of people that were there...and how terribly short the actual test drive was...

[mike-in-SA 0]

I attended the road tour in San Antonio. I had the afternoon off so I got in line with everyone else. Over the afternoon, I drove each of the cars twice and asked a hundred questions. My wife joined me later and went thru the line twice.We can't wait to take delivery of ours. I was looking at buying a used one from Mexico when I found the $99 reservation program. Fell in love with Smarts years ago in Europe. I only wish I could get a Smart roadster over here.

[smart142 605]

Saturday, December 1, 2007

2008 Smart Fortwo Test Drive

http://www.popularmechanics.com/blogs/auto...ws/4232419.html

November 19, 2007

2008 Smart Fortwo Test Drive: A Slow but Solid American Start

Smart already has the kind of hipster, enviro-concious image other car companies spend millions to cultivate. These small-on-the-outside, large-on-the-inside rides, designed by Daimler (Mercedes-Benz), have been a hit in Europe for almost 10 years and will start rolling onto United States streets in January. The Smart Fortwo (as in for two passengers) will create a new, sub “B” car class in the U.S. market. It’s a vehicle specifically designed to comfortably and efficiently transport its occupants through the worst areas of urban congestion. The micro-size dimensions make it over 2 ft. shorter than a Mini Cooper. And at just over 5 ft. across, the Fortwo sits as wide as it does tall. You can park this Smart widthwise across a conventional parking space. So, yes, it’s quite petite. We recently got a chance to take the Fortwo on a two-day spin around California’s Bay Area, from Silicon Valley to San Francisco. Here’s what we learned.

The first thing you notice about this car is exactly what you thought would be the Smart’s biggest drawback: its size. It’s actually big inside, with two fullsize adults driving comfortably for hours. Fortwo was designed with a minimalist mentality—no center console here, just a cup holder and gearshift dividing the driver and passenger seat. The entire dashboard design has an open, airy feeling thanks to that big bubble of a windshield. And there’s loads of legroom so you quickly forget that the rearend of the car’s frame is a mere 2 ft. behind you. It’s odd, but on the highway the Smart seems somewhat larger than its two closest competitors—the Mini Cooper and Honda Fit. And that’s probably because it towers over the Mini by 5 in.

Okay, that’s the good news. The bad news is that the relatively (and we mean relatively) tall design makes for an awkward and sometimes wobbly feel at higher freeway speeds. This probably isn’t the first car you’d choose for a trip across the country.

Speaking of speed, the 1800-pound Fortwo really doesn’t have a lot of it. Power comes solely from a rear-mounted, 70-hp 1.0-liter three-cylinder mated to a five-speed automatic that drives the rear wheels. Punch the throttle and hold it wide open for a while and the Smart will reach 90 mph—eventually. The trip from 0-60 mph takes an estimated 12.8 seconds. That, folks, is slow. Then again, in metropolitan areas, when does the speed limit ever exceed 55 or 60 mph? This is, after all, a basic commuter car. Once underway, we could easily thrust the little tyke into the 70-80 mph range. And the transmission’s auto-manual shifting ability makes it kind of fun—especially with the paddle shifters. But the shifts aren’t exactly butter-smooth in automatic mode. Unfortunately, like most cars, the fuel consumption is directly related to the pressure exerted by the right foot. And since the Smart revs relatively high at freeway speeds, economy appears to plummet in proportion to speed more quickly than on some small cars. But drive, ahem, smart, and you’ll get 40 mpg in the city and 45 on the highway. Although this car wasn’t built to challenge Porsche 911s or Corvettes, it’s a solid, economical ride.

From the beginning, Smart, as a company, has been environmentally conscious. During production, the entire bodywork is powder-coated rather than painted, which not only uses 40 percent less energy but also has zero solvent emissions and water consumption. Plus, Smart collects the powder overspray, because 98 percent of it is reusable.

Since the original was built for the European market and didn’t meet U.S. safety standards, Smart redesigned the Fortwo and achieved a four-star crash rating from NHTSA. The little automaker that could also opened up a bigger trunk for the U.S. model that fits a set of golf clubs. And for winter sports, the passenger seat folds flat, leaving enough room for a pair of skis. Plus, with an electronic stability program, traction control and anti-lock brakes, the Fortwo makes a descent foul-weather friend.

The Smart Fortwo will be offered in three models: Pure ($11,590), Passion Coupe ($13,590) and Passion Cabriolet ($16,590). And, of course, one of our favorite standard features is the aux input jack for external audio players (aka iPods). Hey, we need our tunes, man. The convertible is fun, especially once we learned the top could be lowered (or raised) at any speed. Sadly, even though the three-model fleet will hit dealerships in January, wait for a Smart car is looking like six months to a year—ouch. But it’s worth the wait when you consider constantly rising gas prices and overpopulated urban sprawls; the efficient Fortwo simply makes a lot of sense. —Brittany Marquis