Review: 2008 Smart-for-Two
02-22-08, 03:07 PM
#47
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
please show some respect and gratitude for mmarshall who does a wonderful thing testing these cars and writing reviews. I understand your points, but please make them more tactfully and respectfully or don't say anything.If you think you can do a better review, then go do one.
02-22-08, 05:25 PM
#48
Compare that to the Yaris at every 5,000 miles. So you go in twice as often with a Yaris. The cost of the smart is more than two Yaris maintenance service of course but you are pampered (valet parking, a nice car wash, thank you letter) etc etc. Typical MB service.
Over the course of 5 years, I calculated that it would be only slightly more than a Yaris to service so yes it costs more but not by a lot.
It's cheaper (in Canada) to refuel a smart than a Yaris (assuming they travel the same distance). I used 550km of city driving using Transport Canada's city rating for both and I used $1.049/litre for regular and $1.169/litre for premium in my calculations. The smart is cheaper to refuel because of the smaller gas tank so you're gaining there. I did that calculation last month. Now regular fuel is $1.189/litre
. Who the hell knows how much premium costs 
.I have no idea how much insurance costs. Too many variables (age, driving record, car type.. will they classify is as a coupe or a hatchback?, crash ratings, theft etc)
02-22-08, 06:41 PM
#49
Lexus Champion
Hey hey... please show some respect and gratitude for mmarshall who does a wonderful thing testing these cars and writing reviews. I understand your points, but please make them more tactfully and respectfully or don't say anything.
If you think you can do a better review, then go do one.
please show some respect and gratitude for mmarshall who does a wonderful thing testing these cars and writing reviews. I understand your points, but please make them more tactfully and respectfully or don't say anything.If you think you can do a better review, then go do one.
anyway -- keep up the good work Mike!
02-23-08, 07:06 AM
#50
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
I very much respect mmarshall's reviews and have personally asked for his advise before and thanked him before; but with a niche car like this [that most here are dissing as a 'death trap', etc, etc]....I'd like to know real world MPG numbers....as I stated, I feel the new EPA MPG numbers for 2008 are now under estimated while before over estimated. So when driving the car for only 5 mins we're kind of missing out on one of the key benefits the car.
anyway -- keep up the good work Mike!
anyway -- keep up the good work Mike!
As for MPG, that's obviously not something determined during a short test drive, so maybe you were wanting mmarshall to post the factory 'specification' for this?
mmarshall doesn't provide complete specs for cars, it's more about his impressions from seeing and driving a vehicle, which is great. For info like MPG I'm sure you can look it up.Actually, I just did, took about 10 seconds.
33/41 (EPA 2008)
http://www.smartusa.com/smart-car-te...fications.aspx
05-25-08, 04:09 PM
#51
Out of Warranty
A good friend just bought one of these for his wife who commutes about 25 miles/day on freeways and surface streets. He promises to report back in a week or so, but in two days of ownership he pretty well echoes Mike's evaluation. They have a Town Car for long trips or serious hauling, but the Smart looks like it might just fit the wife's needs: single commute, no cargo. No real-world mileage yet, still working on the first tank.
Interior has excellent head and footroom - it's a bit narrow, as expected, but not critically so. My friend who is about my size - 6'4", 300 lbs+ fits fine - in fact both of us fit without much elbowing one another - although I imagine that together we SERIOUSLY over-gross the payload rating.
One thing he says you have to get used to: the crowds it draws. People even walk over to you at traffic lights to ask about it. Most popular question? How many MPG?, How much power? ("How many squirrels ya got under there?") Amazing amount of room for two passengers, but that's it. Fit and finish is surprisingly good and quality of materials excellent for a econobox.
Useless features: Tach and clock (tach is immaterial with a 75hp motor and timing acceleration requires a calendar). Nice interior could only be improved with top of the line telematics: a good sound system (available), GPS (see your local Best Buy), or a MS Sync system similar to Ford's.
Hint: the "passion" without options is the ticket. For just a tick over $13K, if you need a dedicated commuter car, it might be worth a look.
Interior has excellent head and footroom - it's a bit narrow, as expected, but not critically so. My friend who is about my size - 6'4", 300 lbs+ fits fine - in fact both of us fit without much elbowing one another - although I imagine that together we SERIOUSLY over-gross the payload rating.
One thing he says you have to get used to: the crowds it draws. People even walk over to you at traffic lights to ask about it. Most popular question? How many MPG?, How much power? ("How many squirrels ya got under there?") Amazing amount of room for two passengers, but that's it. Fit and finish is surprisingly good and quality of materials excellent for a econobox.
Useless features: Tach and clock (tach is immaterial with a 75hp motor and timing acceleration requires a calendar). Nice interior could only be improved with top of the line telematics: a good sound system (available), GPS (see your local Best Buy), or a MS Sync system similar to Ford's.
Hint: the "passion" without options is the ticket. For just a tick over $13K, if you need a dedicated commuter car, it might be worth a look.
05-26-08, 06:43 PM
#53
A good friend just bought one of these for his wife who commutes about 25 miles/day on freeways and surface streets. He promises to report back in a week or so, but in two days of ownership he pretty well echoes Mike's evaluation. They have a Town Car for long trips or serious hauling, but the Smart looks like it might just fit the wife's needs: single commute, no cargo. No real-world mileage yet, still working on the first tank.
Interior has excellent head and footroom - it's a bit narrow, as expected, but not critically so. My friend who is about my size - 6'4", 300 lbs+ fits fine - in fact both of us fit without much elbowing one another - although I imagine that together we SERIOUSLY over-gross the payload rating.
One thing he says you have to get used to: the crowds it draws. People even walk over to you at traffic lights to ask about it. Most popular question? How many MPG?, How much power? ("How many squirrels ya got under there?") Amazing amount of room for two passengers, but that's it. Fit and finish is surprisingly good and quality of materials excellent for a econobox.
Useless features: Tach and clock (tach is immaterial with a 75hp motor and timing acceleration requires a calendar). Nice interior could only be improved with top of the line telematics: a good sound system (available), GPS (see your local Best Buy), or a MS Sync system similar to Ford's.
Hint: the "passion" without options is the ticket. For just a tick over $13K, if you need a dedicated commuter car, it might be worth a look.
Interior has excellent head and footroom - it's a bit narrow, as expected, but not critically so. My friend who is about my size - 6'4", 300 lbs+ fits fine - in fact both of us fit without much elbowing one another - although I imagine that together we SERIOUSLY over-gross the payload rating.
One thing he says you have to get used to: the crowds it draws. People even walk over to you at traffic lights to ask about it. Most popular question? How many MPG?, How much power? ("How many squirrels ya got under there?") Amazing amount of room for two passengers, but that's it. Fit and finish is surprisingly good and quality of materials excellent for a econobox.
Useless features: Tach and clock (tach is immaterial with a 75hp motor and timing acceleration requires a calendar). Nice interior could only be improved with top of the line telematics: a good sound system (available), GPS (see your local Best Buy), or a MS Sync system similar to Ford's.
Hint: the "passion" without options is the ticket. For just a tick over $13K, if you need a dedicated commuter car, it might be worth a look.
05-26-08, 08:42 PM
#55
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Don't forget, guys....this little puppy takes premium gas. That alone cuts into some of its nice high gas mileage and cheap operating costs. And the warranty is only 2/24.
05-26-08, 09:15 PM
#56
My warranty is 4/80,000km lol. the same as any other Mercedes. I have heard about your 2/24 and it's rather disappointing to be honest.
05-26-08, 09:22 PM
#57
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
In Canada, premium is 12¢ more per litre. It's cheaper to refuel than a Yaris if they cover the same city distance (550km). 5.74 is already better than the Yaris. Of course ideally, I'd rather have my Prius or a TCH.
My warranty is 4/80,000km lol. the same as any other Mercedes. I have heard about your 2/24 and it's rather disappointing to be honest.
My warranty is 4/80,000km lol. the same as any other Mercedes. I have heard about your 2/24 and it's rather disappointing to be honest.
05-26-08, 09:28 PM
#58
You're most likely correct but you guys do benefit from a lower price (even if we add options to bring it up to Canadian spec)
07-10-09, 02:52 PM
#59
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I don't understand why we are getting gasoline Smart cars here now instead of the diesel ones we had before. Now they use the same amount of fuel as a Camry hybrid basically...they both get 33 in the city and the smart is a bit better on highway (there is a 2 mpg difference combined).
At least the Camry is a car, the Smart is just a shell with seats and wheels. Not to mention the Prius...which blows it out of the water in terms of everything.
At least the Camry is a car, the Smart is just a shell with seats and wheels. Not to mention the Prius...which blows it out of the water in terms of everything.
07-11-09, 07:32 AM
#60
Out of Warranty
Just about the time I got comfortable on a short trip with my friend in his smart, he told me to turn around and look behind me. I must have jumped a foot because he roared with laughter as I discovered the back window was about a foot from the end of my nose. Now I've had a couple of old Chevy pickups from the '50's where you didn't sit much closer to that back window. I wonder if they will offer blinds and a gun rack for the smart? Gonna have to be a carbine or a pistol if it's gonna fit.