I just test drove a smart car
It was awesome. I’m a little sad about the lack of stick shift, but the paddle shift was kinda cool. I dunno. I feel like test drives are never enough time to get a feel for a car.
Comments
you’re a dork.
i was at a red light yesterday on the way home from work and one was by me. I wanted to get out and try to flip it but I had the baby with me.
I was next to one at a light a few weeks ago. The guy driving it was either 8 feet tall, or they are even smaller than they look. I’ve also seen them on the turnpike, which suggests their owners aren’t living up to the cars name.
so i started looking at why anyone would want to drive, let alone own one of these things. I thought they would get some crazy mpg and that would make up for the fact that youre driving a golf cart. Turns out it only gets 33/41 mpg.
the Fit and Yaris are 29/36 and you can take them on the highway. you can even go food shopping with them. i’m pretty sure the smart car would only be good congested cities. i think you’d be disappointed with your purchase john
another reason it isn’t too smart….. it requires premium unleaded gasoline (min 91 octane)
PREMIUM????
whoah, really? I didn’t realize that.
Anyway, I took it on the highway on my test drive and it handled fine. And they’re all over the highways in Europe. One of the main reasons I wanted to test drive it was to see just how much pep a three cylinder engine could possible have. I was surprised that it actually had a decent amount. Of course, this is considering the fact that I am currently driving a base model 2001 kia rio, so just about anything would feel peppy to me.
As for why… I just really like small cars. Always have. My first car was an 86 dodge colt hatchback. Then a hyundai elantra hatchback. I like being little and maneuverable and being able to find a spot easily when I drive into the city. Gosia has the 2006(?) Civic 4 door and even that feels way to big to me. So my first inclination was towards the smallest car on the market. I have a feeling the Fit and the Yaris are going to feel huge and clunky.
Also, being able to get a convertible for $16g is really appealing.
Also, most of the anecdotes I’m hearing online are seem to average at about 37-39 mpg.
I was going to ask about the “pep”.
My car is up there with the Yaris and Fit for gas mileage too. Is the SmartCar completely dependent on gas? Or is it a hybrid?
i’ve been thinking about getting one and parking it in my apartment. i’m fairly confident it will fit in the elevator.
It’s dependent completely on gas. As much as I would like a hybrid, the fact that they only come with automatic transmissions is a real bummer for me. If there was a massive difference in gas mileage (like the supposed 90mpg prius that’s supposed to hit in a few years), it’d be something I’d deal with. But for a 5-10mpg difference in gas mileage, I don’t feel as bad for opting for a less efficient gas engine with a clutch.
Manual transmissions are 5,000x more fun.
Also, I should note that I’m a good 3 months to a year or so away from buying a new car, so I’m certainly not sold on or in love with anything in particular. I appreciate the info/opinions.
I tend to be rather impulsive and overenthusiastic, so it’s hard to be sober about any of these new cars, especially considering what I’m currently driving (I don’t even have power steering).
Also, one major plus about the smart car is that I can switch between driving it like a manual with the wheel paddles and an automatic. Not that I would ever drive it like an automatic, but it’d be nice that Gos could actually drive it home from a party or something.
Do you guys know of any other cars like this?
Also, that was one thing I definitely didn’t like about the smart car… the shifter paddles moved with the wheel. I move my hands around the wheel while I drive, so I would frequently lose where the shifter paddles where.
most cars with paddle shifting are both auto and manual
Yeah, but what other cars have paddle shifting? And do you know if it’s standard for the paddles to move with the wheel?
Kev made this and sent it to me:
The Mitsubishi Lancer has paddles. I think some Pontiacs may have them? Ferraris do, but they might not get the gas mileage you want.
Also, you want small, convertible, peppy, and, if you like the smart car, no cargo space.
Why not just buy a motorcycle? It seats the same number of people, you could get saddlebags that would probably carry just as much, and you wouldn’t look like the biggest tool in the world.
Not to mention, the only thing cooler than driving a manual car, is going motorcycle!
Smart Car got towed just down the street from my office today. He “made up” a new parking spot (that only a Smart Car could fit in…).
Police were not amused.
I test drove a Honda Fit this weekend and loved it a great deal more than the smart car. Still, I wish it was a little less long. I mean, all the cargo area is nice, but it’s a bit nuts. I can’t imagine ever needing that much unless we’re moving or something.
I wish there was something in between the fit and the smart, in terms of size.
Sure there is! But I got it on the East Coast and Matt has it on the West Coast, so you’ll have to move to the Bible Belt in order to buy it and not be made fun of!
what?
Actually, the Yaris may be it, I just can’t find anyone who has a manual in stock for me to test drive.
Yaris, yeah? That’s all that’s left if Sammy buys the Fit before you!
is Paris drunk?
Why not ask Paris?
Hutch, you could go Scion xD.
I think he might be, yes.
Again with the 3rd person talk!
I don’t like the Scion. Feels bulky.
drive a mini cooper, they have a convertible version. they also have a supercharged type S, 170 hp.
Yeah, but they’re also at least $5-8k more than anything I’d be looking at and have much worse gas-mileage, especially for the supercharged version.
i thought you were looking for a car you’d enjoy driving not just something to get from A to B
what do you think Paris is drunk on?
What did you think of the Nissan Versa, Hutch? Do any research?
L’Kevin said:i thought you were looking for a car you’d enjoy driving not just something to get from A to B
A little from column A, a little from column B. My four main requirements are:
- Stick shift
- crazy small
- decent pickup
- great gas mileage
I think price is your number 1 requirement
Paris said:What did you think of the Nissan Versa, Hutch? Do any research?
Was just checking it out last night. Seems kinda sedan-y, but I wanna see one in person.
Well, let’s make a point of remembering the next time I see you. My Nissan Versa will probably be with me.
L’Kevin said:I think price is your number 1 requirement
Yeah, that too. Too much over $16k and it’d better be the perfect fucking car. But other than that, I’m lenient.
I have a Lancer with the paddle shifters and they do not rotate with the steering wheel. I have to admit though, they are pretty much a waste of time.
On a somewhat related note, my car has been in the shop for the last 6 weeks being repaired because of an accident I was in. 6 WEEKS. The body shop insists that it is taking so long because the parts had to be ordered from Japan. I did some research, and if I had thought about this sooner, I would definitely not have bought a brand new car.
The sagging economy and high oil prices are obviously affecting everything and everyone. Auto dealers are being hit quite hard, as expected, and they’ve seen their cash flows reduced to such an extent that they’ve been forced to cut back on parts inventory. I just spoke to my insurance claims adjuster and he said that it is not uncommon for an ’08 model year vehicle to take 4-6 months to be repaired due to the difficulty of obtaining parts, especially from overseas.
Moral of the story:
1. Buy a used car
2. Buy an American car
3. Don’t get into an accident
why don’t you try out my car? the aveo.
it’s great on mileage. about 33 mpgs.
it’s very small. it’s definitely between the smart car and the honda fit. easy.
i’m unsure about the manual. it’s definitely offered but i’m not sure how much pep it has to it, as you put it before.
and it’s affordable! i got my 2007 for $11,000.
it’s four door and a very decent sized hatch!
Because it’s a used american car. Jay makes good points, just not good enough to convince me to buy a used american car. Maybe used japanese. Maybe new american. Definitely not used american. That’s just crazy.
i’m not saying buy MY car. i’m saying a new chevy aveo. i need mine. dummy.
I dunno, it gets some pretty lousy ratings:
http://www.edmunds.com/new/2009/chevrolet/aveo/101018233/ratings_jdpower.html