Entered CNET Catalog: 07/12/2007
SKU: 100888153
Manufacturer: smart USA
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2
User Rating: 
9/10
Loads of fun!
Pros: Since i live in Chicago,this car is a dream to park....anywhere!
Cons: Don't even bother using the rear-view mirror,take it off and install your GPS.
I took delivery(17 month wait) during a snow storm and the drive back from the dealer was just fine. Worked great in the snow, and never got stuck in the unplowed alley.
I was concerned about the mileage at first, 25 mpg until broken in. Now at 1000 miles I'm getting 44 mpg.
Fun to drive and everyone on the street smiles....love this car!!
User Rating: 
7/10
Excellent second car for town driving
Pros: Highly maneuverable, adorably cute way to go green, great gas mileage; Passion model has an amazingly vivid panoramic view, curiously roomy--I kid you not
Cons: Lurchy transmission, stiff ride, long waiting list time, feels unsteady in rougher conditions, rear view visibility is somewhat limited
This car is better for shorter trips in better weather, making it a good second car but not one intended as a primary vehicle. Indeed, with a two year wait time, it's more a thing for people who want one more car than a flat-out replacement for the big guzzler that seats the whole family. Although it features electronic stability control, I've found driving it to be unweildy when I passed over a stretch of torn-up road under construction, and it felt a bit susceptible to wind drag on the freeway--though better suited for highway driving than I expected. I have yet to try driving it in the rain, but in a heavy downpour, I'd rather be in a larger car. On a bright, sunny day going a few miles around town, running basic errands, though, this car aces.
For a small car, it's amazingly roomy, giving up rear seats completely but sacrificing very little in front--indeed, it trumps larger cars and even some small SUVs. Its rear hatchback has fair room; I wouldn't use it for hauling furniture, but it's got enough room for groceries.
Don't expect high performance sportiness from its 3 cylinder engine. It's transmission is automatic in the sense that you don't have to shift gears, but its lurchy stop-and-go acceleration makes you feel each gear shift. It has a manual mode with paddle shifters, in case you like driving that way yourself.
Cabin tech would not impress the die-hard techies, and no navigation system is available, but it's surprising how many options are available for this apparently economy car. The Passion model comes standard with a panoramic sunroof that trumps those of our Lexus. It has available heated seats and a 6 CD changer that supports mp3 playback, as well as an auxiliary input jack.
It helps that smart is a subsidiary of Mercedes. Indeed, the dealership where we got ours was wedged between Mercedes and Porsche, with other luxury brands surrounding this tiny dealership. They don't offer the same complementary loaner car, pick-up and deliver maintainance, or other luxury amenities as their Mercedes counterpart, and the warranty is only for two years or 24,000 miles--though upgrades are available. But, the car's maintainance requirements are pretty phenomenal--a year or 10,000 miles between recommended services. And, unlike their luxury counterparts, Consumer Reports predicts, based on its European counterpart, good to excellent reliability.
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