27th Aug 2010, 05:55
To the comment made on the 17th July 2010.
I'm also considering buying a new smart on finance. It seems to be the only option I have, although I do need to do some research. For example if you're on finance, are you covered for all of these faults that have been mentioned?
The salesman at the dealership told me about the issues with the engines of the models over 3 years old, and has 'assured' me that this has been rectified in the new models.
So I think with smart, the best option (albeit expensive) is to buy new.
Nat.
9th Sep 2010, 15:08
My Smart car is 2 years old. Have had problems with the gear box, and now the driver's door won't open from the inside. Had to borrow a car when it was snowy, because the Smart was unsafe. Will not be buying another when mine gets to 3 years old.
30th Dec 2011, 13:41
I bought a Smart Car in 2008, and the car is horrible. The engine is aluminum and can't stand the heat. At 24,000 miles the valves gave out, which has proven to be a general problem with Smart Cars. After a $5,000 new engine, I'm fed up with the car. Mercedes is switching the engine to steel in 2012. Great news. But what about the owners stuck with the old aluminum blocks?
The transmission is spotty and sometimes refuses to move into gear. My convertible top button broke early on. I can still make it work by jiggling it... but still.
I would never buy another Smart Car unless they refund my money on the new engine and replaced the aluminum with steel... and put in a better transmission. And it only gets 38mpg.!!! Blah...
31st Dec 2011, 16:29
A far, far better alternative to the Smart golf cart is the new Fiat 500. It at least looks like a car and can seat 4 (if two of them are small dogs). It is much safer, and amazingly it costs less. I checked out the Smart car, and decided I'd rather ride a bicycle.
8th Oct 2012, 08:15
Well you didn't look too close. My friend squashed a Civic with her smart. The smart had the plastic panels broken and was repaired... The Civic was a write off. Give me a German car over a Japanese car any day of the week, designed to be safe and last a lot longer than any of the cars you mentioned.
People, please stop making comments about a car you have not really researched, or where you don't even understand the concept of crumple zones...
The smart is the best, and in my opinion the car of the future!!
8th Oct 2012, 11:43
If the Smart is the best car of the future, the future is looking mighty bleak. You couldn't give me a dozen of them free.
26th Oct 2012, 23:17
I have a 2008 with the suggested maintenance schedule. At 55k miles the piston rings are bad. MB says they cannot rebuild, but it needs a new engine for $12,000!
This is the worst possible investment and worst possible Eco solution. My 1 ton dually diesel Ford has a better Eco footprint than this piece of crap.
MB/smart has the best advertising campaign for other auto manufacturers. Sell a crap car with a crap warranty, and don't give a crap about their customers.
20th Jul 2010, 13:04
I looked at Smart. Very poor warranty, not safe AT ALL (contrary to ad hype) because even a Civic will squash it like a bug, and OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive to boot. I'd opt for a safer, more reliable and MUCH larger Ford or GM with a decent warranty (which you will never need anyway, as they are very reliable). You can get a basic Ford Fusion (one of the highest rated cars in the world) and have enough money left over to buy gas for 5 years. My Fusion was $3000 cheaper than a Smart and gets 34mpg highway consistently. It can also handle collisions with cars larger than a watermelon without disintegrating.