So I got to Paris this afternoon and rented a SMART car from ole Avis. Dunno, maybe it is the weirdness of it all but so far...I HATE IT. It sounds like a sewing machine, the gearbox is a sort of trip tronic that shifts worse than an old AMC automatic needing a rebuild. Starting it is a major pain as (I think) you have to have your seat belt on, the hand brake on, your foot on the brake pedal AND the gear lever either in Neutral or reverse....or perhaps reverse and then neutral.
LOTS of individual space though....warning...if there are two of you, you better travel with two carry ons MAX! A guy at work told me they are selling a hot one now, with 85 HP and fat tires......if it has the same gearbox....they can keep it.

 

The lil sucker is growing on me. I still am batting like 50% on the starting the beast but.....the tranny behaves like me...you give it crap it gives you crap. You talk nice, it talks nice.....it is definetely weird though.....it will sense your level of throttle and shift itself according to throttle position NOT revs..... you can also shift it yourself.
so i stopped at the dealership and eyeballed the full line. Base model 61HP, weird box. Up from that a 70HP job, fat tires, same body. Up from that the sport coupe job...85 HP two seater longer body with more storage, same gearbox.

Top o' the line is a four door job, with the 90 HP motor and a 5 speed. More like a real car though.....the Sport coupe COULD be in Madam Treasurer's future..... we will have to price a MINI One AND a MINI D before deciding......

 

PRO,


Do I see a Smart Roadster in your future?

What will become of Pocket Rocket when you are installed in Frogland? Are there cinder blocks in his future?

p.s. While in the land between Belgium and Spain, check out the Renault Spyder from the late 1990s. No windscreen but a cowl mounted spoiler that moves the airflow up and over your head. Dat be kool, at least when the sun is shining and the temperature is above 18 degrees Celsius.

 

The problem with the Roadster is that a) it is like 20,000 Euros, it has the same Automatic gear box though more HP. I think what could be in my future is the Brabus model of the car which is thde basic job but with 80HP.

After four days BTW...my view has radically changed (nothing like an little enlightment)...I love this machine. Truly a city car you can park it practically anywhere (good in Paris, around Etoile), it MOVES, and if you are not moving house, it has more than acceptable room. I can just visualize a permanent victory with Mme. Treasurer's travelling bag size "sorry dear, it won't fit in the ole Smart".
As for the future....well, we have made an offer for a house on an island on the Seine...about 40kms west of Paris (I work in La Defense which is west anyways), ole PKT RKT is coming, so is the 190 SL and I plopped down a deposit of a BMW RT1200 bike yesterday......

 

Thanks for the review! I love watching your transformation from dislike to like!

 

I first saw the Smart on a trip to Mexico... a would-be-dealer-guy had 4 of them parked under the portico of his house in town. I did sit in one or two of them, but did not get to drive it, we just didn't have time. I think they are extremely cool, and I would love to have one! (I really dig the innovative and unusual, especially if it's fun :smile

I think they're bringing the SUV version (ForFour) to the states though it figures!