Welcome! Alan's Smart Page

I'm EXTREMELY happy with my new armrest from Armrest Kingdom. At $109.99, it is one of the better-priced options, and it matches the Smart's upholstery well. (Not perfect... the smart has contrasting stitching.



I first saw these at the dealership in Knoxville when I stopped to buy the CD holder while on vacation there. I think they wanted $149 or even $179, so I didn't go for it then. Problem was, I found myself wanting an armrest every time I'd get stuck in traffic, so I began to do… Continue

I've read recent MSN.com blogs and other postings "trashing" Smart cars with a certain degree of amusement. As a long-time Apple Macintosh user (early 1985... about a year after the original Mac was introduced), I am used to having my decisions questioned, attacked, and even mocked by others. But through it all, I enjoyed the benefits of working on the Mac platform and learned to ignore the comments of those who hadn't even used one before forming their opinion. (Or the comments of those who,… Continue

It's hard to believe that it took until the middle of May for Chicagoland to have a day warm enough to really enjoy the Cabriolet with the top down and the side rails stored. I've driven with the top down a number of times recently, but always had to had the heater blasting to stay warm (commuting early a.m. and late in the evening). But today was INCREDIBLE! Sunglasses on, windows down, and stereo blasting (is it considered blasting if it's opera?)... I didn't even mind the… Continue

My wife and I were driving home from dinner late last night—sitting at a stop light just as innocent as can be. I glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw a car approaching very quickly. I move up a little closer to the car in front of me thinking I'd give them more room to come to a stop. When I looked back in the mirror, I could see the top of the driver's head just above the steering wheel just as she slammed into the back of our car without so much as hitting the brakes.



It turns… Continue

Like a few others posting on this site, I’ve allowed Chicago winter weather to temporarily interrupt the enjoyment of my Smart. pulled mine into the garage about ten days ago, with twelve inches of snow on the ground and near zero temperatures, and didn’t even attempt to drive it. Little of that interruption was due to concerns about how the Smart handles snow or inclement weather. I find it handles as well as anything on the road—not as much traction as a AWD SUV, but less weight and thus… Continue