- #419 of 491
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Re: We have one.. [dunepearl]
by dstrom
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Mar 01, 2009 (5:29 am)
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Replying to: dunepearl (Mar 01, 2009 5:09 am)
With its wheels out at the corners of the car, its standard Electronic Stability Control (ESC), its "negative camber" wheel alignment, "stiff" suspension, excellent tires, etc., I think you'll find that the smart is as stable on the highway (and as safe) as any other compact car. Based on my experience (11 months and 10,500 miles) I found that when I first got my smart (first 4 to 6 weeks) I was nervous and apprehensive and expected my smart to be all over the road and blown around by the least crosswind, This cause me to oversteer, overcorrect, overreact, and see problems that just weren't there. Once I finally relaxed and just drove the car like I did my others I found it to be as stable as any and less susceptible to crosswinds than my Honda Ridgeline pickup truck. In other words, my initial "stability problem" was me and my perception, not a problem with the vehicle.
If you take a test drive looking for a "stability problem," you'll probably find one. If you talk with most everyone who's driven a smart for more than 2,500 miles/3 months, you'll probable find there's "no problem."
Enjoy
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- #420 of 491
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Re: We have one.. [dunepearl]
by dennismau
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Mar 01, 2009 (7:28 am)
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Replying to: dunepearl (Mar 01, 2009 5:09 am)
That is baloney! You obviously don't know how to drive! I have had my Smart Car for a year know and I have put 10K miles on it driving at high speeds on the highway everyday going to work. I regulary get it up to 80 and 90 mph and it is rock solid stable. In fact it is surprising how stabile it is for as small as it is.It also has a big advantage moving through traffic because of it's small size. You can find holes in traffic and cut through them like you can with a motorcycle(I ride a motorcycle also). It makes me giggle every time I pass a BMW or some high power sports car. I have a long hill on the highway coming home and most of the time I pass all the big heavy SUV's with my little light (1800#) 70 hp Smart car because it has a power to weight advantage. Also, I have not had one problem with it and even with the regular factory tires, ASB, traction control, and ABS brakes it does quite good in the snow here in Denver,CO.The heater and defroster also performed fine in the minus 20 degree weather we had. I regulary get 43-45 MPG going back and forth to work also which is part highway and part city driving. It is the best commuter car and one of the best cars I have ever had! I change my own oil and it has not cost me a penny so far in extra expenses. It also does not get nicks or dents on it because of the plastic body and the fact that it is narrow and cars don't door ding it when parked.I wash my car every week and let me tell you I really appreciate how easy it is to wash! Smaller is better alot of times!
Dennis
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- #421 of 491
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Re: We have one.. [dunepearl]
by stout7735
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Mar 01, 2009 (2:20 pm)
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Replying to: dunepearl (Mar 01, 2009 5:09 am)
The Smart short wheelbase makes it more sensitive to steering input,especially if you are used to driving very long wheelbase vehicles...If you don't want to be "all over the road" , I suggest you cut back on drinking booze when you drive... 
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- #422 of 491
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Re: Why SmartCar over Toyota Corolla? [swtnlovabl]
by jack137
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Mar 18, 2009 (10:49 am)
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Replying to: swtnlovabl (Sep 02, 2008 7:18 pm)
Hi, Dean;
How did you manage to get a Euro Smart, register it, insure it and get it serviced in the USA? I've had no luck at all trying to get the Euro Smart TDI, even though it's sold in Canada!, never mind obtaining the car you got.
I'm puzzled at the Mitsu-equipped Smart's lousy mileage. The Metro got 45-50 mpg with the same engine more than 15 years ago! I pretty much lost interest in the Smart when they put the Mitsubishi in the US version and announced that low 40 mpg. Also, they STILL don't import the 800cc Diesel to America!? WHY NOT?
I've always wondered why German car companies have such bad marketing techniques. Asking so many willing American customers to wait 10 years just to get what was once a decent car (but no longer is) is truly insane. The first tiny Toyota turbo-diesel that comes to these shores gets my money.
Your reply would be appreciated.
Herb
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- #423 of 491
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Re: 40MPG [snakeweasel]
by jack137
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Mar 18, 2009 (11:03 am)
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Replying to: snakeweasel (Mar 03, 2007 9:12 pm)
You may have a point there about Renault mileage. I owned a 1970 R-16 five-door hatchback that weighed in at less than 2,200 lbs. It averaged 28-33 mpg until after I installed a toilet-paper oil filter; then it jumped to 34-39 mpg. I believe this type of filter is still being sold.
By the way, When I traded this car for an R-5 in 1976, the fellow who bought my R-16 (with 137,00 on the clock) as spare parts for HIS 1970 R-16 got back to me and said that the engine was so good, that he'd made his car the spare-parts donor instead. Apparently, toilet paper oil-filters do an engine a lot of long-term good in addition to greatly improving gas mileage.
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- #424 of 491
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Re: Road Tour is starting! [templeton3]
by jack137
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Mar 18, 2009 (11:04 am)
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Replying to: templeton3 (May 21, 2007 11:40 am)
Do you own a motorcycle?
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- #425 of 491
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Re: We have one.. [dunepearl]
by jack137
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Mar 18, 2009 (11:16 am)
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Replying to: dunepearl (Mar 01, 2009 5:09 am)
Good idea to check the Smart for sensitivity to crosswinds before you buy. If you live in the Tampa Bay area, just drive north on I-75 from Fletcher. When you pass Bruce B. Downs, there's a stretch of flat land right about where there is a set of large glass office buildings. Every time I drive my full-size Chevy van past those buildings, there's a "whuff" of wind from the west that literally can put you a half-lane to the right unless you're expecting it. Microclimate? That van even has a really hefty rear sway bar on it. So, to anyone in this area who needs a stretch of side-wind test road to check a Smart, I nominate I-75 northbound a few miles north of Bruce B. Downs.
Herb
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- #426 of 491
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Re: We have one.. [jack137]
by dunepearl
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Mar 18, 2009 (11:38 am)
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Replying to: jack137 (Mar 18, 2009 11:16 am)
If you do take this wind test, take a Xanax before you do. LOL
All it took was a couple of trips on I95 to get me to sell my Smart (made a couple of bucks) and get a pre-owned Jetta TDI 2006 with all the bells and whistles for what I paid for the Smart. I have four doors, huge trunk, all the power options you can think of, and get a solid 38 mpg around town and 44 to 45 on the road. Best move I ever made.
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- #427 of 491
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Re: We have one.. [dennismau]
by jack137
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Mar 18, 2009 (11:47 am)
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Replying to: dennismau (Mar 01, 2009 7:28 am)
Over the years, I have heard all the B.S. about how "unsafe" small cars are. I say it's BS because I have always driven small cars for their positive qualities like good handling, good mileage, low purchase price and overall practicality.
For example, on Pearl Harbor Day in 1971, I got rear-ended in my Renault 16 by a drunk driving a huge Buick. His car ended up being 3 feet shorter, mine got pushed in just 16" and was cheaply repaired. The drunk hit the steering wheel so hard, he bent it over at a 90-degree angle and lost all his front teeth. I ended up having a sore neck for a week. The seat and head-restraint did their jobs.
So, just keep buying all those over-priced pick-up trucks gussied up with cushy interiors and way too powerful engines for the suspensions to handle (I think it's unfair that Firetone tire had to pay a heavy price for poor SUV suspension design). Finally, insurance statistics reveal a very different picture than Marketing copy about SUV "safety" does: Rollover accidents with SUV's are far more common than with other vehicle types, and it's rollovers that produce the most fatalities. It that surprising? Think how high up an SUV's center of gravity is! Give me a small car with a low center of gravity any time, thank you!
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- #428 of 491
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Re: We have one.. [dunepearl]
by jack137
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Mar 18, 2009 (12:04 pm)
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Replying to: dunepearl (Mar 18, 2009 11:38 am)
While I whole-heartedly agree with your choice of the Jetta TDI over the Smart, you paid a hefty mark-up for the VW diesel Jetta. My wife and I always rented Golf TDI's while traveling in Europe. These weigh 200 lbs. less than Jettas and get 43 mpg on the Autobahn while running all day at 160kph. The hatchback is perfect for four suitcases and many bulky gifts and is far easier to get into basement hotel garages (very narrow, twisty ramps) than the Jetta. Naturally, no Golf TDI's are being exported to the USA! Same problem with the Smart TDI. Strange, considering that over 50% of all new-car purchases in Europe are Trubo-Diesels.
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