yes, but Calicogal, you now own a MINI, whay did you change?

I'll bet your reasons were exactly the ones we all have been discussing, more utility, more performance, more fun to drive, very good economy and so on....

 

I guess the smart car is afer then a car I had in 1959. It was a Fiat 500 2 cylinder little car that I really loved. I traded it in on a English Ford Anglia in 1960. I din't think that Fiat was any larger then a Smart.

I think i'm going to go test drive a Smart car. I may even take it to to 70mph

Thank you for the great review.

My Fiat 500

 

The main reason was that I was used to driving sports cars and I got weary of the lack of OOMMMMPHHHH when merging and the inability to beat anyone out of a stop light. Now if you dont care about those things, it wouldnt bother you. Maybe my driving habits are a bit too agressive for 3 cylinders and 71HP
(I also was sick of being gawked at.)

I really really liked the economy of it, tho!! Plus she was super cute. Of course my MINI is CUTE TOO!!
Haaa-- I had to laugh the other day in a parking lot, as I was getting in my MINI, some lady said to me "I love your car!! Its so CUTE!!" Wow I had a flashback to my smart-owning days hee hee hee

 

I loved having MINIs but frankly, for me the handling benefits really only revealed themselves when driving spiritedly, which I did...........for awhile. Ever-present city traffic, school zones, pedestrians and hard-working law enforcement officers eventually had me questioning the need for my MINI-enthusiast driving style. In the end, the MINI offered more car than I needed or even wanted. It stopped being fun, and for me if a car is not fun when driving the speed limit, it's simply not good enough. I began to focus on other driving dynamics and styling and that process upped the attraction of other makes. I suggest only that the other Smart-sized vehicles coming soon will have much to offer, and that there are entirely other formulas for engaged, fun motoring out there that MINI/BMW is not focussed on at present, but may perhaps be on the drawing board.

MINIs are amazing cars overall. That their benefits (and those seen in the classic Mini) are picked up here and there in other makes is a testament to the Mini as a car, as a type of driving experience, and as a motoring philosophy.

 

The Mini S is supercharged? If you want a sleeper, the smart is not your car. If you want a back seat, the fortwo is not your car. If you want the Union Jack on the roof, the smart is not your car. If you want to get looked at every time you drive and if you want people to gather around and ask about your car, the milage, the cost, the manufacturer, the smiles per mile in the smart cannot be beaten. that said, please buy the mini S. That way one of us will get their smart sooner.

 

I still fail to see a single "smart" thing about a Smart car.

 

I think the best use for a Smart car is to make it electric and use it for city driving. It was not long ago that the local Smart dealer was trying to unload 2009s.

 

Alphamotoring has both a Brabus Smart Car and his JCW Mini. He gets more looks and attention from the smart. Idk if its a good kinda of attention though. haha

 

I thought seperating the radiator, compressor, liguids part of the car to the fore, and the engine parts to the aft was pretty clever/smart...a good idea for such a small package. The aerodynamic thought they put into the car was pretty clever....also the plastic body panels with color throughout. See, there was something smart about the Smart car. My concern is that they whacked it out by making odd equipment changes just for the U.S. market.

 

Hmmm, and the Smart is rated 36 MPG city. My Honda Civic gets 30 MPG City consistently and carries 5 comfortably AND uses regular gas not premium which is required in the Smart cars sold in the US. So isn't a 5 passenger car that gets 30 mpg on regular a LOT more practical than a two passenger car that requires premium ???

 

I put a 120K on a Samuri and that truck rocked. I had a brick for cruise control in CA. 90 was about the max, down hill, with the wind. But never had more than a targa top on it in the summer and always made it back home from the mountains. Done the Rubicon as i live right near it. That was a rig that had a soul and was always fun. I did spin it out at 70 MPH once in San Jose CA. Guy blew a light and swerved to miss him. I thought about trying to straighten her out but figured I would only end up flipping it on its side. I instead turned with it just spinning it out pretty safely actually. Hind sight I am not sure how I saved it happened so fast. Samuri where at every oil change you loss half your suspension when they fill your tires to 32 PSI. 20LBs and 10 off road was perfect. I traded my Samuri in with 120,000 miles and it was still on its orginal tires. Yes they were bald but it never rains in Cal. in the summer.

 

I too drove a smart before getting my MCS. The smart was actually quite roomy for two people (my partner is 6'4" and had plenty of room), very solidly built, and had no problem driving 80+ on the highway. The car was very quiet, and if I shifted manually, tit would accelerate and keep up in traffic quite well.

I traded for several reasons - first, I saw the Top Gear episode that showed just how poorly the car handled (tremendous understeer), and became increasingly uncomfortable with its potential lack of safety. Second, it was losing value at a horrible rate, and there were several posts on the smart car of america website that smart dealers weren't accepting the cars as trade ins. Most importantly, my parents needed increasing medical care, and transporting walkers, canes, etc. was becoming unreasonable.

I will say, the smart garnered a huge amount of attention. A friend was actually uncomfortable riding in the car because of all the attention - at every stoplight, drive-thru, and gas station I was essentially on stage.

 

I admire the theory behind the Smart if not the actual execution, especially here in the States. I will say, over the years my eyes have become more and more accustomed to micro cars being out on the roads. Since this becoming my new "normal", I look forward to seeing MINI's MIN-i city car, BMW's Megacity, and even Toyota's iQ and similar. In the end, I have to credit the Smart for pushing the envelope on what a micro car can be.

 

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