Pros and cons of a smart car

My husband and I are very interesting in buying a smart car. We have had a long streak of bad luck with our current car ('02 Ford Focus) and are tired of paying to have it fixed every few months. I would be interested to hear some feedback on the pros and cons of owning one of these cars to help us make a decision. We take several 3-4 hour trips to visit family yearly. He has to drive about 15 miles to work 3 to 4 days a week. Has anyone had any problems with their cars in circumstances like these? Does it seem to run smooth after long trips? Anything else you can add would be appreciated. Thanks a lot!

Tags: cons, engine, pros, trips

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Permalink Reply by Charles H.Sharrard on August 1, 2009 at 12:33am

Kristen,
My wife has a Passion Cabriolet. We absolutely love it. For two people and an eighty pound dog (Maggie can sit totally upright in the storage area) it is near perfect. The one negative is lack of cruise control. I just read in Nuts and Bolts that it can be added, I'm going to check that out. You have to love a car that makes people smile. For the trully interested I keep info sheets on specs and safety to hand out., This is not a car for the shy and withdrawn. You will get questions every time you go out. I have never had a negative reaction, people seem to love it,, especially the very old and very young. When we took delivery our first stop was Sam's Club where we stocked up on large bulky items, that's the definition of an optimist, someone who buys a Smart and shops at Sams. It is a blast to drive. We took a 600 mile trip in it and it was reasonably comfortable.It was nice to keep driving past the gas pumps, we filled up once.. The NC Smart Club took a 3 lap tour of Lowes Motorspeedway. Took the turns high and fast, It was fun. In September NC Smart has a rally/cruise through the Tail of the Dragon, a course with 311 twisty turns through western NC, We're looking forward to that. Test drive it, you'll fall in love.
Charlie and Sue..Sharrard

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Permalink Reply by Brabus007 on August 1, 2009 at 8:19am

~ Miles of Smiles ~

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Permalink Reply by Mike on August 2, 2009 at 1:10am

pros...seats are very comfy, more room then you think inside, AC in my smart is awesome, great MPG on the highway. What I love most about my car is the looks and the comments I get. Just yesterday at a red light a guy crossing the street asked me "what is this?" as he pointed to my car, I said "it's called a Smartcar" then he asked if it's suppose to be on a field, I said "what do you mean?" he said "you know, like a golf cart" I cracked-up and told him "no, it's an actual real car"
Cons...the break peddle is too close to the gas peddle, sometimes I hit the paddle shifters when doing hand over hand steering, for long trips there is no cruise control, and most people dont know a Smart car does NOT come with a spare tire(or donut).

But in reality, when is the last time you had to change a flat tire? 99 out of 100 times it's a slow leak that you take to the station to get plugged.
I never needed any repair service yet, but heard the dealer is very good if it should ever happen.

Overall I'd have to say, so far I am very happy with it, it does put a smile on peoples faces when they see it.

I hope this helps you.

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Permalink Reply by GasHog on August 19, 2009 at 7:28pm

I have had my smart since Feb 08. Now in month 18 of ownership and on a 1-10 of what I expected, it's still a 10. On a 1-10 of what I got, its still a 10. On a 1-10 of owner satisfaction, yup still a 10.

I have no complaints about this car. It delivers large all the way as far as I'm concerned. The battery is showing signs that it won't make the winter, ok so that's my big complaint.

It commutes daily approximately 20 miles and on that basis it's great. Would I drive this an hour and a half each way on the freeway in rush hour every day? Probably not. Would I drive it occasionally like that - absolpositutely.

It doesn't like high cross winds, but then again neither does our Denali. It doesn't like potholes AT ALL due to the small wheel size. Is that a con? Sure, why not.

Is it a Mercedes "lite" - all the way. If you expect big things from your little car then you are starting off with the wrong approach in my humble opinion. If you enter into smart ownership with no expectations and enjoy the amenities and surprises, then it will reward you every day.

My two cents after 18 months of daily driving. I was rear ended once. $1k in damage - dealer fixed it in about 10 days. I love my dealer too: smartCenter Warwick, RI. All female staff - what's not to like?