I picked up my new Smart yesterday. While I was waiting for a friend at the railway station I took a few pictures.
It's red and made in France
- Thread starter foraloysius
- Start date
Help Support :
[No message]
[No message]
Really Neat!
The red, black and silver are a very smart color combination IMO. Did you get the gas or diesel engine? Unfortunately all Smarts here in the US are gas, and the economy really isn't much better than some larger cars - they should sell the diesel here as well.
I have to chuckle when I get caught in traffic outside of one of the local Mercedes dealers. They have two showrooms; one is for Mercedes, while the other is for the two other Daimler-Benz makes: Maybach and Smart. That showroom has two Maybachs in the middle with Smarts sprinkled around the perimeter like confetti. The Maybachs are just so pointless, while the Smarts make so much sense in a city - it seems funny to see them all in the same showroom.
The red, black and silver are a very smart color combination IMO. Did you get the gas or diesel engine? Unfortunately all Smarts here in the US are gas, and the economy really isn't much better than some larger cars - they should sell the diesel here as well.
I have to chuckle when I get caught in traffic outside of one of the local Mercedes dealers. They have two showrooms; one is for Mercedes, while the other is for the two other Daimler-Benz makes: Maybach and Smart. That showroom has two Maybachs in the middle with Smarts sprinkled around the perimeter like confetti. The Maybachs are just so pointless, while the Smarts make so much sense in a city - it seems funny to see them all in the same showroom.
I chose the gas engine. The diesel one is slower and noisier. Besides that I don't drive that much that I need a diesel. The economy of the gas engines is quite good, except for fast driving on highways. And I don't do that a lot.
BTW, I chose for read interior accents too, the combination is very good. A lot of people look at it.
BTW, I chose for read interior accents too, the combination is very good. A lot of people look at it.
toploader55
Well-known member
I Just Love Smart.
Congratulations, and I Love your New Car.
I just think they're so cool for running around and just having fun.
I would love to pick up a used one for doing the around town, back and forth to work, but they're too new that I haven't seen one for sale yet. They look like so much fun.
Congratulations, and I Love your New Car.
I just think they're so cool for running around and just having fun.
I would love to pick up a used one for doing the around town, back and forth to work, but they're too new that I haven't seen one for sale yet. They look like so much fun.
Great car Louis
Very cool! I'll bet it is fun to drive and a breeze to park.
Be sure and bring that along on your next visit!
Patrick
Very cool! I'll bet it is fun to drive and a breeze to park.
Be sure and bring that along on your next visit!
Patrick
philr
Well-known member
I have no experience with gas engines in Smarts but I hope they are more reliable than the diesel ones!
A friend of mine has a first generation (2006) Smart with a Diesel engine that he bought new and he had quite a few problems with it. The transmission had problems, oil leaks, the intercooler needed to be replaced, the turbocharger had a crack in it and now, the oil pressure light comes on, the engine has a bad knock and needs to be replaced too (the car isn't usable)! And all these were/will be expensive repairs! And there were a few more issues like the A/C system that failed many times before and after the warranty expired, water infiltrations (it has a soft top) which the dealer didn't solve. Last year, I was having a ride in it as we were going to get his other car out of storage and the car stalled on the highway entrance because of a transmission problem (there was a code saying that in the instrument panel), the electronically-controlled transmission stayed in neutral. My friend turned off the ignition to "reset" the code and the engine wouldn't even restart for a few minutes because of that but after a while, the car would just restart and go! He then told me it happened quite a few times and he was now used to it! Just after it happened, I had to drive the Smart back to his home. Nothing wrong happened while I was driving it but it made me quite nervous! I'm used to drive much older vehicles (my newest vehicle is 19 years old, oldest one is 47!) and I'm much more confident in driving them than this (then) 5 years old Smart!
A friend of mine has a first generation (2006) Smart with a Diesel engine that he bought new and he had quite a few problems with it. The transmission had problems, oil leaks, the intercooler needed to be replaced, the turbocharger had a crack in it and now, the oil pressure light comes on, the engine has a bad knock and needs to be replaced too (the car isn't usable)! And all these were/will be expensive repairs! And there were a few more issues like the A/C system that failed many times before and after the warranty expired, water infiltrations (it has a soft top) which the dealer didn't solve. Last year, I was having a ride in it as we were going to get his other car out of storage and the car stalled on the highway entrance because of a transmission problem (there was a code saying that in the instrument panel), the electronically-controlled transmission stayed in neutral. My friend turned off the ignition to "reset" the code and the engine wouldn't even restart for a few minutes because of that but after a while, the car would just restart and go! He then told me it happened quite a few times and he was now used to it! Just after it happened, I had to drive the Smart back to his home. Nothing wrong happened while I was driving it but it made me quite nervous! I'm used to drive much older vehicles (my newest vehicle is 19 years old, oldest one is 47!) and I'm much more confident in driving them than this (then) 5 years old Smart!
Thanks guys!
I had a Smart before, model 2001. I had it more than 5 years and it never let me down. I had the Volkswagen just over 2 years and I had to call for assistance twice because I wasn't able to drive further.
Hopefully this Smart is as reliable as the first one I had. Here's a picture of that one.
I had a Smart before, model 2001. I had it more than 5 years and it never let me down. I had the Volkswagen just over 2 years and I had to call for assistance twice because I wasn't able to drive further.
Hopefully this Smart is as reliable as the first one I had. Here's a picture of that one.
I don't know what the story is with the Smart here Oz
They made an appearance and then they disappeared again. There is the odd one ever so often. They don't look very safe in traffic amongst the trucks, vans and SUVs either. On the other hand the Prius is making a comeback and very soon GM will start marketing the Volt over here, which is very nice car. The Volt is expected to retail for sixty thousand and it looks more substantial than the Prius.
Now, there is a car that beats them all in style and character hands down it's the one for me.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
They made an appearance and then they disappeared again. There is the odd one ever so often. They don't look very safe in traffic amongst the trucks, vans and SUVs either. On the other hand the Prius is making a comeback and very soon GM will start marketing the Volt over here, which is very nice car. The Volt is expected to retail for sixty thousand and it looks more substantial than the Prius.
Now, there is a car that beats them all in style and character hands down it's the one for me.
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
I'm surprised, doesn't seem all that long ago that you traded off your old one for the VW. We don't see too many of them here in town because the nearest dealer is 60 mi away, same with the Mini. I have seen a couple of the new Fiat 500's tooling around lately.
It was over two years ago that I traded my first Smart for the Volkswagen. The Volkswagen was rather cheap so I thought I got a bargain. Not! I soon wished I hadn't sold the Smart. So there I am, back with Smart.
I know that BMW Isetta from when I was a kid. Very cute cars, but talk about safety...!
I know that BMW Isetta from when I was a kid. Very cute cars, but talk about safety...!
aldspinboy
Well-known member
Hey Loius very Smart lol.
We have a thing here called Philly Share a new concept in car rental.
They use these and other car's so you see them in colors more of the red ones.
Very Nice I hope you enjoy it.
Darren k
We have a thing here called Philly Share a new concept in car rental.
They use these and other car's so you see them in colors more of the red ones.
Very Nice I hope you enjoy it.
Darren k
whirlcool
Well-known member
And didn't Subaru make a clone of the BMW Isetta at one time in the late 60's?
A friend of mine had a Smart, he loved it. I drove it to see what it was like and I'll admit, it nearly made me seasick. The controls really didn't appeal to me at all. This friend of mine liked his because the brake pedal felt like the air brakes on the buses he drove.
Personally, IMHO, I think they're very overpriced here. I think a Smart should start out somewhere around the $10k mark and go up to $20k for fully loaded with everything.
The old saying goes, "To each their own"
Personally, IMHO, I think they're very overpriced here. I think a Smart should start out somewhere around the $10k mark and go up to $20k for fully loaded with everything.
The old saying goes, "To each their own"
Very nice, Louis! I like the red, too. I see a surprising number of these here on the roads, very zippy and quick getting around in them and the room inside it ample when we've seen them at auto shows. Congrats on the new car!!
firedome
Well-known member
Makes a lot of sense
for cities. For US highways at least, hmmm, lots of semis out there. But perfect if you live in Manhattan.
for cities. For US highways at least, hmmm, lots of semis out there. But perfect if you live in Manhattan.
firedome
Well-known member
sorry to hijack but
Love that green '76 Buick, Phil!! ... how about a thread w/ pics on that one??
We had a '76 Olds 98 we loved... like em BIG!
Love that green '76 Buick, Phil!! ... how about a thread w/ pics on that one??
We had a '76 Olds 98 we loved... like em BIG!
