Even with the jerky transmission and the brakes which get a little touchy at low speed, the Smart is remarkably easy to park. Easier still is finding spaces to park in. Well, easy until you have to deal with the local parking enforcement drones. It's not fun.
"Leave it there I'm gonna ticket it."
"Why?"
"Can't park two cars in the same spot. And it's facing the wrong way."
"How do you know that guy didn't steal my spot? It's not in the road, and it's not backwards, what's the problem? Would you ticket a motorcycle parked like this?"
"No, but that's a car. You leave it and there'll be a ticket when you get back."
Being a native of an eastern seaport town whose roads were planned and carved 100-years before the Model-T and parking is an art form as much as it is a guessing game, I was a fan of the Smart before I ever had a chance to drive one. But now, having driven one a LOT, the disappointment is overwhelming. It's not good in the city, and thanks to needlessly rigid parking jerks it's no easier to park than a Mini, Fit, Aveo or Yaris. It's sort of a let down.
But hey, it's cute, right?
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant @ 8,010 miles.
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My intense desire to punch every meter maid I see has just been intensified. There's a special spot in hell reserved for them.
Sorry, but I'd be pissed if a smart wedged itself into the end of my space...might have trouble with my backing maneuver...
....Corolla, Fortwo, Corolla, Corolla
"....Corolla, Fortwo, Corolla, Corolla"
Gawd, that's funny.
Here's a question. Would you rather drive a Corolla or the Smart? I think I would take the bus.
"Here's a question. Would you rather drive a Corolla or the Smart? I think I would take the bus."
I think the bus is both faster and get better gas mileage then the Smart.
So the only thing good with the Smart is now proved to be useless?
It's illegal anyways to park the Smart as so, isn't it? Just an advertisement gimmic.
Also, the Smart doesn't seem to have side bumpers for bumping in and out of parallel parking spots. Surely it'll get plenty of door dings if it is allowed to park this way.
I can't come up with a word harsh enough to describe my feelings toward parking officers, especially in harmless situations as this one. Doesn't look like you were too close to the other cars...nor did it look metered. What could be wrong with the way you parked?
Oh but we could let Prius drivers use the carpool lane with one newspaper reading donut eating occupant in the driver's seat. =)
Wait...I stand corrected. I see the meters. Sorry can't stand up for you here. BUT in non-metered situations, his behavior makes no logical sense.
Looks like two would make nice bookends.
We have special Smart car parking spots in the underground at work. Basically they are small corners that you couldn't get a normal sized car in so facilites painted "Smart car/ motorcycle parking only" on them.
Clever idea since no one rides motorcycles in the winter. Created a half dozen new spots at no cost.
I saw Smarts parked liked this in Europe all the time back in 2004. Of course, the first generation was a tad shorter than the new one, so it was easier. Still, may a house fall on all meter maids.
Let the smart driver park for free - hell, if more people drove smarts we'd all be in a better place in life, if only because of the congestion.
One problem with parking it sideways (besides the meter maid problem) is if the driver of either car in front or back "parks by feel" it'll put a sizeable dent in the side of the Smart, versus just a rub mark on the bumper covers.
Better place in life? I don't think so. This thing has been proven to be slow, non-practical, not fuel effecient for its size and now can't even park in style. In other words this thing is really nothing short of being worthless.
The world will be a better place if everyone drives a hybrid diesel M3/IS F/C63/RS4...
Metered or not, I gotta agree with the parking jerk. What if the Corolla leaves and someone with a Chevy Tahoe shows up looking for a spot? You just screwed that guy. I mean, I know giving breaks to people driving full-sized SUVs isn't the PC thing to do these days but I still think it's not a very civil thing to do.
"Metered or not, I gotta agree with the parking jerk. What if the Corolla leaves and someone with a Chevy Tahoe shows up looking for a spot? You just screwed that guy" I don't think I would have screwed that guy, it just would be a spot he couldn't park in because it was occupied. It's sort of like saying that the cars parked regularly are screwing 4-smart cars per space.
This is hilarious and the parking enforcement should let you go. Like someone said, the world would be a better place if we all drove cars this small. I had a feeling that it was illegal to park like this from the get-go. There's no way American meter maids would be as understanding as their European counterparts on this issue.
Why is it that LA (and America) has so many Corollas? Next time you're out on the road, pay attention to all of the Corollas out there. It will drive you nuts!
" Like someone said, the world would be a better place if we all drove cars this small. "
Have you really thought about that statement? Where are you going to put your wife and 2 baby seats and a week worth's of luggage for the family vacation in a Smart? You would need 2 Smarts to carry all this, which would end up using more fuel than 1 full size car, and costing more to purchase and operate. Where is the sense in that?
Smarts may work for some people, but not everyone.
"Where are you going to put your wife and 2 baby seats and a week worth's of luggage" I don't have, or want, any of those things. That's why I was so excited about the prospect of a smart!
"Why is it that LA (and America) has so many Corollas? Next time you're out on the road, pay attention to all of the Corollas out there. It will drive you nuts!"
I don't know how it is in California/other states, but in south Florida, I see TONS of Altimas and Prius'.
1. the Smart is too long to park like that (redesign to be too short but not short enough)
2. one spot. one motor vehicle.
3. it looks stupid
4. it gets terrible gas mileage.
5. it is not safe
6. it has the rollover rating of a large suv
7. it drives stupid
8. it is expensive
9. it is slow
10. it handles crosswinds no better than a 18 wheeler, maybe worse.
care to add?
cruiserhead
1. It stays within the line so it fits.
2. Yes but you can make smaller spots those creating more parking
3. Your opinion
4. even the gas version matchs the best cars around, what's terrible about that
5. it is quite safe, I've seen the crash tests.
6. Which is still really good these days. Besides it's a city car, who could be a bad enough driver to roll a car in the city.
7. It drives fine, better then I thought it would given all the whining.
8.Base price is the same as the cheapest econoboxes on the market, how can that be expensive?
9. It's no sports car but that's not the point. It keeps up with traffic just fine and as a city car that's what you spend your time doing... following the car in front of you.
10. It does move around a bit in the wind. Perhaps not the best car for those with a coffee in one hand and a cell phone in the other.
I agree it needs a new gear box and I want the diesel back. However the car is a good ideal. Not everyone has a family to haul around so if you just need room for 1 or 2 people and an armfull of groceries, why drive more car then you need?
When this car came to Canada 3 or 4 years ago, I knew people who liked it and people who didn't.
However I never saw any of the open hostility towards it that I heard read on this board and heard from my American counterparts at work. I keep running into Americans that seem to take this car as a personal insult. They actually get angry when they see one.
Strange.
"6. Which is still really good these days. Besides it's a city car, who could be a bad enough driver to roll a car in the city."
It would be VERY difficult to roll this car in normal driving without hitting a giant bump while mid-corner. The stability control is so aggressive that you can throw it into a corner without braking and the stab just sorts it out and slows the car down.
Now if you get hit from the side while moving I would think the rollover risk is much higher than in normal cars.
Also, love the list! This could get good.
-mike