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I've heard lots of transmission shifting concerns for production models. Any problems, Randy?

That fact that he didn't mention it after several days of driving is a good sign.

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I don't know the Us model but it did drive a 1999 Fortwo CDI and a smart roadster once. I did only do the free test tour at a car promotion stand, but the cars felt quite good.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_Roadster
The roadster did drive like a real sports car. A pity it doesn't exists anymore.

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The shifting issue I have is the amazingly long interval between tapping the paddle and the transmission performing the shift, which is not at all smooth in either mode.

I decided to get my $99 back because after driving a smart fortwo (they sure hate capital letters, don't they?), I concluded that one gets more for one's money with something like a Fit, Yaris or Aveo. Heck, I used to have a '98 Honda Civic that 44 mpg on the highway...

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It's cool that people are getting excited about these cars. Having them on the road will get even more people excited about them.

Now can we please have the European version with uber-milage? Not that 44MPG isn't nice, but 50-60 would be better 8 ).

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I saw this car up close at the Buffalo Auto Show and I just think it's too small for safety issues. For not a whole heck of a lot more money, the Altima Hybrid with good discounts, a nice rebate and $2350 tax credit puts price in the $20K range doing some fuzzy math. Based on the prices I saw at the auto show, for $2 grand more basically I move into an Altima Hybrid, 198HP, and 35 mpg average city which is okay to me.

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Red -

I believe the European high-mpg Smart is diesel powered - and can't yet meet US emissions standards.

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Glad Randy is happy. I canceled my order after driving "my car" last month. The shift quality was awful. I have seen 2 road tests one from Road & Track and Motorweek. Both got 33mpg during the test, which is poor. My Saab 9-3 gets 32mpg. Any owners out there, what are you seeing from a mpg perspective?

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@Red

UK Gallon is also called the Imperial Gallon which is 4.545L while the US Gallon (liquid) is 3.785L. This is why there's a huge difference in mileage as you go further into the economical range of cars between the US and Europe, even with the same engine.

http://www.metric-conversions.org/volume/gallons-conversion.htm

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Ditto what others have said about the mileage. I just traded in a WRX for a Honda Fit, and the worst I get so far is 31mpg, and that's with an automatic. The Smart looks very cool, and must be great for parking (never thought that would be important, but driving the Fit sure does make it stand out) in public places and your garage, but my Fit can hold lots of stuff and still get that mileage.

However, if the car has a "cool" vibe to it, and it sells, who cares? Fewer huge vehicles sucking down gas and spitting out crap is welcome either way by me.

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In Germany i would prefer a used Volkswagen Lupo 3L over a smart. Prices are around 5000 or 6000 Euro and that car has a very good mileage (3 liter/100km ,78 mpg US, 94 mpg imperial), 4 seats and better safety ratings.

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OK, About the shifting issue. This is not a typical automatic that we are used to in the US. If you drive it like one, the shifting is sluggish. However! If, when it comes time for it to shift, let off the gas just a little and its quite smooth. In other words, you drive it like a typical standard transmission, you just don't have a clutch to push in. My dealer instructed on this at delivery and it took a little getting used to. But after a full day of driving you don't even think about it.
We have a truck (that is about to be sold) and a Honda Fit (that I love and now looks HUGE parked next to the smart) and this was just perfect for our needs. It is a bit pricey, but its cool. And no its not for everyone. Its a perfect city car, running errands and getting some groceries. Will keep you up to date how this all turns out, but as I have said before....LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!

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My 85 year old mother (whose previous motors included a Nissan/Datsun 240z) lives in a rural part of the UK and zips around the lanes and into town in her red/black Smart hardtop (gasoline, 55mpg) and loves it. So do I when I get to drive it. Neither of us has any problem at all with the 6-speed transmission. Servicing is carried out by the local Mercedes dealership. There are several Smarts in her locality. I live in west Wales and I see about 2-3 of them around here each week. Two streets away a guy has a towbar with a boat behind his.

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What are the resale values of used smarts in the UK and Germany? I'm not driving 1.5 hours to get the smart serviced (my nearest dealer). 2 year warranty! Car can be tipped over by 3 drunken guys. Hello a new college sport! Forget it... wait for the Toyota IQ it's much smarter...

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Someone tried tipping one over, the result was a broken ankle.

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Yes, an Aveo, Fit, etc are perhaps cheaper for what you get.. as is a Pontiac G6 Convertible compared to a BMW 3-series convertible.. or a Sante Fe is a lot less money than an ML350. Point being that people buy what they WANT especially if they can justify it. The smart is pretty easy to justify if you want to.

Most smart owners will concede that the mpg really ought to be higher for such a small car.. I've got one on order and definitely, I'm in that camp. BUT the virtue of a highly recyclable car, without the environmental downside of a giant battery (as in hybrids) to deal with, paired with the opportunity to park in about 7 parking spots on my block (San Francisco) in which currently only wheelbarrows and motorcycles fit will literally change my life from wasting time to parking in seconds.

I had a '92 Civic VX that got about 55mpg. It was AMAZING. But Honda Fit hasn't really moved the game on either. The Fit less mpg now, still doesn't have some features the smart has (heated seats, sunroof, rain sensing wipers, leather upholstery). When small cars besides the MINI and the smart grow up and have good available luxuries, the smart will be come less marketable. Especially if we get the Toyota iQ.

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Calguy, you are comparing a two seat no luggage car to 4 seaters and luggage... I think the two extra people more than make up for heated seats.

The fact its mileage SUCKS amazes me. Get a Prius and really save the environment. You can take four people in it with better mileage. All cars are recyclable and batteries can be dealt with.

The Smarts were so long coming to American because they did badly in Europe. Considering that Euro's didn't even like them and their popularity even in Canada was great I can't fathom why people seem so enthused about them.

As for the transmission, blaming bad programming on the driver not knowing how to use it... well sorry, but paddle shifted transmissions are computer controlled and it sounds like they skimped

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My smart is due late this month, and I have not yet been able to talk myself out of buying it.
The transmission was my biggest concern after driving the Euro models in the smart road show, but I drove a US model at my local dealer just over a week ago.

The shift paddles are the problem. With paddles, I expect instantaneous shifts. Shifts like that are beyond the powers of this transmission.

I found that if I used the floor shifter in manual mode, shift timing was much closer to what I expected. I also tried playing with the gas pedal for shifts, and that helped. I suspect it will take me many weeks to really learn the most effective way to ask the transmission to do anything, but it's no longer a showstopper for me.

It's just a shame that they wouldn't give us a conventional manual transmission. I'm sure I could shift faster than this computer if i were in a hurry.

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10 years old. This car is 10 years old and only now has Daimler decided to bring it to the US. When Zap tried to purchase and import the Smart fourtwo Daimler wouldn't lift a finger to help, wouldn't sell the cars to Zap and tried to throw up as many roadblocks as possible to keep Zap from selling the cars here. Daimler even thought about importing the Smart here a few years ago then decided that Americans wouldn't purchase them. Seriously?

I test-drove one of them and although I have "lusted" after this car since I originally saw it in Germany back in 1998, I wasn't very happy once I got behind the wheel. Randy is right though, you can't drive it like a traditional automatic, and once you get over that (I never did), I assume it becomes like second nature. They are also a very safe car basically being one big crash cell. So why are we just now getting it?

I have since shifted my own thinking towards just going electric or hybrid, but I still have an affinity for the Smart car... to bad it took so long to get there. Congrats Randy.

http://zapworld.com/smart-car-lawsuit-february-2008
http://zapworld.com/who-bought-first-smart-car-us

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Let's see now- smart world wide sales down even with big sales incentives and a freshening of styling and a bigger Mitsubishi motor. 4 star crash rating when 5 stars is the norm-rear wheel drive when front wheel drive best. Wait till Randy battles a cross wind or drives on a road rougher than an Oklahoma Interstate. Does anybody think that Mercedes is an expert in small cars ? 2,442- 75 MPG smart diesels sold in Canada last year with a $2,000 rebate. This year you can't even get a diesel in Canada. "smart" is the past-the Toyota IQ is the future.

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I have yet to figure out why there is soooo much animosity towards this car. DrSmart apparently has never been to Oklahoma I take it. Our winds are horrendous. Especially this time of year. And no, DrSmart, I haven't had a bit of trouble. As for interstates in Oklahoma, they are awful. Yes. And do I get bounced around all over the place? No. Its not a damn Lincoln, but I have been in SUVs that are a heck of a lot worse. Anyhow, lay off the negativity. Its more or less a niche car and not for everyone. If you don't like, don't buy it. Meanwhile I am considering reserving a second one so we don't have to fight over who drives the one we have, and crossing my fingers for the Brabus to be brought over to the US.

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