2008 Smart Fourtwo: Too Dumb to be Smart?
To properly celebrate Earth Day I drove a Smart Fourtwo home yesterday.
Okay, you got me. The vehicle rotation list came to me and this car was available, so I took it. That I was driving it on Earth Day didn't even occur to me until I was halfway home.
What did occur to me is that this car has even more issues than I thought after my last stint behind the wheel. At that time I knew the transmission sucked and wind tended to buffet it around, but now I've found more reasons to call the Smart dumb. 
Dumb Gauge Cluster: First of all, where's the tach?! I know we're all stupid Americans with no driving passion whatsoever. Certainly that's part of the reason why Smart doesn't even offer a manual in this car. But I can't remember the last time I drove a car without a tachometer. And don't tell me it's a cost-saving move. Even a $10,000 Kia Rio has a tach (also two more doors and a rear seat, plus it still manages 25/35 mpg). Yeah, you can get a tach if you pay $120 for the "Additional Instruments" package, but on the Rio (and Accent, and almost every other car sold in this country) a tach comes standard.
Dumb Transmission: I've already harped on this, but it deserves a revisit simply because the transmission is just that bad. The hesitation/head toss between gears is one thing, and I was prepared for it. But the grinding/lurching sensation everytime you come to a full stop and then try to move forward again had faded from memory -- probably because my drive was mostly traffic-free last time around. This time I was caught in stop-and-go conditions for 20 minutes on PCH, and they were quite painful. I can't believe this transmission made it past the early-development stage.
Dumb Seat/Armrest: The seats are actually pretty good in the Smart, at least in terms of comfort and support. They are properly contoured and covered in plush cloth (the same material covers the dash and door panels, giving the cabin an upscale look and feel). HOWEVER, there's no armrest, and like every modern short/tall car (short in terms of overall length but tall in terms of seating position and roof height), you feel a bit "propped up" in the Smart -- because you are. That's still okay, as long as you also feel well supported, and that requires an armrest. And unlike the tach, this item ain't on the options list. With the tiny space between the front seats I don't think one would fit, anyway. But if you've got a bum right shoulder (maybe, for example you've dislocated it several times in the past 15 years) this might be a very big deal to you.
After 100 additional miles in the car it's clear to me who should buy it. People who have serious parking-space issues. For everyone else, it's a dumb car.
Posted by Karl Apr 23, 2008 6:00 am
Permalink
Categories: Smart Car
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Estrka,
For the right price, yes I'd take a VW Bettle that's pink. I would be less inclined to take a black car, actually. It would take a much bigger discount to get me into a black car (impossible to keep clean in the dust of this city). In the end, I have the luxury of buying cars based on how they drive, not how they look.
I can assure you I'd let everybody know the pink car is mine too - and the deal I got! But honestly, I've driven the beetle and it's horrid - Mrk IV platform. A pink Mini at 3k less than my current car's value? Sure, I'd consider it. Would that hurt resale value later down? That'd be a worry for me. Driving it? Nah. For free, I'd take it and gladly dump my car.
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"And they also like overpaying for the amount of car they do need?"
Overpaying? In Canada it starts at $14,990 (and you get $2000 rebate from the feds).
A Fit LX starts at $17,300 and Versa is simular . The only cars cheap as a Smart is some base Kias and Daewoos.
You can run the price over $20K but that's your choice.
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I wouldn’t be caught dead driving a pink Beetle or the Smart car. Yes I do care about what people think of me, and so does everybody else. If that makes me shallow than so be it. If you gave me a free pink Beetle the next day there would be a for sale sign on it.
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Saint Louis MO United States of America |
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Cars aren't just a form of transportation -- they ARE image. What about all those SUV buyers? Are they really hauling deer carcasses or scaling the Rubicon? Or, what about Prius buyers? Are they really saving more money than they could in a Civic GX or a Kia Rio? It's all image, and it has been ever since the first custom coachbuilders differentiated themselves from Ford's Model T.
Regarding parking space: I have to agree with everyone. When I was driving a 99 Concorde I thought a lot of parking spaces were tight, especially in parking garages. Then I got an 07 Civic and now I never have parking problems! Anything smaller than that is not *necessary* -- at least for parking. But if smaller is more economical for someone that's their choice.
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"Yes I do care about what people think of me, and so does everybody else. If that makes me shallow than so be it. "
Reading stuff like that, I wonder how do you react when you're stuck driving a really bad rental car, like an HHR or a Malibu? Do you hide when cars come near? Wear big Paris Hilton sunglasses?
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“Do you hide when cars come near?”
Only when the car is trying to run me over.
“Wear big Paris Hilton sunglasses?”
Sunglasses and a baseball cap if that rental agency ever hands me the keys to a pink beetle or a Smart Car.
You are definitely a better man than me if you can go out and buy a pink beetle for yourself. You might not have a problem waving to friends while your driving around town in something like an old vw hippie van, but I do.
They don’t call that thing attached to the sun visor a vanity mirror for no reason.
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United States of America, loud'n'proud! |
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In the first place, Malibus and HHRs aren't bad rental cars. They're reliable, relatively bland vehicles (well, the last Malibu anyway, the HHR is arguably even attractive looking). They're also a heck've a lot more appealing to drive and be seen in than one of these tiny overpriced, underperforming (economy and powerwise) deathtraps on wheels. (argue all you want about that safety cage, and I'll stand by my opinion that NO crush space in the car means YOU take the force in a collision with larger vehicles, which is just about everyone ELSE on the roads other than YOU)
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"They're also a heck've a lot more appealing to drive and be seen in than one of these tiny overpriced, underperforming (economy and powerwise) deathtraps on wheels"
Image wise, I would much rather drive a Smart over an old Malibu. The Smart doesn't meet my everyday needs, but if I was looking for a second car to hop around town in, I would certainly consider it. I personally enjoy the Smart's image better than other small cars - Rio, Accent, etc. I don't think the average person out there hates the Smart as much as the average person in here.
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Firstwagon, here the Fit is about the same as the mid-range Smart (ie, the one with A/C and a radio, I pity the poor soul who commutes in an Atlanta summer without either). The Fit, to me, is markedly superior on every point. If you like the Smart, fine. It just strikes me as too heavily compromised for what it delivers.
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Has anyone driven the new Malibu with the 4 cylinder, and 6 speed transmission yet?
I’m thinking about trading in my Impala and getting that combo now that it’s out. I’ve been waiting to hear some feedback on how well that tranny works before I buy it. I don’t want to buy it if the tranny software is going to fight me over mileage like it does on some of GM’s other 6 speeds.
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The problem with the wide range of arguments against cars like the Smart is they all miss the point. You either really enjoy piloting an extremely small vehicle like that around or you don't.
If you do, then that feeling can trump everything else, much like motorcycles can appear extremely irrational to non-motorcyclists.
I tried the older diesel Smart and thought it was a hoot, like driving a go-cart around. If I could afford one I'd get one tomorrow.
I think Smart will sell lots of them in the US (Canadian sales have been strong for years now). Hopefully it will bust open the market for minicars in NA, and Toyota brings in the iQ.
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United States of America, loud'n'proud! |
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I think I'd enjoy driving a small vehicle. But the safety factor would need to be higher than the Smart really provides (pucker factor otherwise more than offsets fun-to-drive quotient, because I'm NOT having fun when I'm busy avoiding being killed). Going forward with fun to drive, the transmission needs to be smooth, engine needs at least decent (9.5 sec 0-60 in a small car sounds fine), and handling / resistance to feeling like a leaf in a hurricane when hit by crosswinds needs to be decent. I loved driving the 94 Geo Tracker 2wd soft-top we had most of the time, but in freeway merges or windy situations, I dispised it just as much as I otherwise enjoyed it.
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opfreak
- Apr 25, 2008 12:22 pm
(#43 Total: 50)
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chevy let us know when you drive it. I didn't know the 4banger 6 spd was out yet.
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Karl's comments about the Smart Fortwo car wasn't completely accurate. I just got one and I was wondering why he was complaining so much about "the grinding/lurching " of the transmission in stop-and-go conditions. If you put the transmission in the shift manually mode, there is no problem.
I learned about this detail in...THE OWNER'S MANUAL!, that Karl said didn't come with the car.
Listen; If you are a die hard muscle car fan-you just love Mustang GT's or Corvettes, you probably wouldn't be caught dead in a Smart Car.
On the other hand, if you want to keep that Corvette, Mustang or whatever is your prize, for special occations, you can save a lot of money driving a Smart Car for the back & forth stuff. Girls like 'em too.
I always assumed I would get another Vette some day. They are so fun to drive & nothin' looks like a Vette, but gas is off the hook now. So I keep my cool car at home for weekends & drive the Smart Car to & from work. It don't lay rubber, but it's sure easy on the pocket.
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L.A. CA United States of America |
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The grinding/lurching doesn't go away by shifting the car manually. This has to do with the clutch engagement when the car goes from a complete stop to moving (which happens constantly in stop-and-go traffic). The clutch engagement isn't smooth but GRINDING/LURCHING and no setting changes that. Shifting it manually just means it won't shift gears until you tell it to, it has no affect on the basic design/function of the clutch at low speeds (also no effect on the sloppy/slow shifting between gears). Basically, you can control when the bad shifts happen rather than have the bad shifts happen automatically. Not really a "fix" for this car's train-wreck transmission (or goofy ergonomics, or premium fuel requirement, or wind buffeting, or lack of cargo/people space).
It's not about the car being as "cool" or "fast" as a muscle/performance car, it's about it being a non-sensical excercise in supposedly saving gas and/or being a great city car, when it isn't particularly good at either of those duties (at least compared to other choices out there) while forcing drivers to pay too a high a price (not just monetary) in the process.
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opfreak
- Apr 27, 2008 8:12 pm
(#46 Total: 50)
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from reading the reviews. the only people that stand the transmisson are the people that spent the 15k or so on this car, and now make excuses for it.
I'be even read that you can try to make smooth shifts, by 'easing' off the gas, if you can figure out when it might shift... but even thats hit or miss.
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ead1
- Apr 28, 2008 1:00 pm
(#47 Total: 50)
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The magic of this car is that it is an econobox w/o feeling (or looking in my eyes) like an econobox. I may have preferred a Mini, but my wife likes this one better. The transmission does suck, but the paddle shifters in manual mode actually make driving this car relatively fun. I actually like driving this car more than my gas-hogging XJR b/c 1) I feel like I am closer to doing something about problems I might otherwise just gripe about; 2) People (both drivers and peds) seem nicer to me (waving me through, etc.) when I drive it (my experience is that people speed up when they see a black XJR trying to change lanes in front of them). Admittedly owning this car for a short time, so far, so good
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mnorm1
- Apr 28, 2008 2:36 pm
(#48 Total: 50)
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"The magic of this car is that it is an econobox w/o feeling (or looking in my eyes) like an econobox."
Uhh...ok it doesn't look like an econobox, but it does look like an econo oval. For me, the problem isn't the looks. The problem is, as other here have stated, the cost for what you get and what it does. At $10k, it might be a grand slam. Above $12k it's, Swing And a Miss.
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"The magic of this car is that it is an econobox w/o feeling (or looking in my eyes) like an econobox."
Exactly, it's a right brain purchase, like a motorcycle or a mini. People who want the cheapest/most room for the dollar will buy an Aveo or Accent. But if you want something different and fun to drive, a Smart is a good thing to try out. I see it as a combination of a motorcycle and a car.
That said, I was skeptical until I actually drove one. Remember looking over to the salesman when I was piloting it in traffic and saying 'this feels like a real car!'. Some are going to like it, some are not (like Karl), but it's illuminating that the negative comments are overwhelmingly from people who have never driven the car, while the positives are from those who have.
Which is why Schembri and company spent their advertising money on getting butts in seats, and it has paid off handsomely for them.
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"2) People (both drivers and peds) seem nicer to me (waving me through, etc.) "
That is called sympathy.
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