Honest Opinions Please...

[lil.smartie]

You see my BINI wasn't great! Paul's size 11's were too big to drive it & the interior was dark. It was a heavy car & I just didn't 'get it' like I do the 453s. No soul or character... it was bought because it was purple & I needed a 3 seater whilst the iQ was being debated over being written off or not!

[evilution]

thats honest. Cheers.

This household has had pretty much nothing apart from smarts and minis.
I love smarts and for what I do, I'm thankful that they aren't particularly reliable however, the mini is a far nicer car and I nearly weep when I have to buy the newest smart generation just to carry on doing what I do.
Mini have said they are making the 2 seat Mini Rocketman at some point so that'll kill smart off.

[cougar7609]

I have to agree with others on here, I love my 450, Im indifferent about my 451 but the 453 does nothing for me. Ive been in to mercedes in both Angers and Saumur and while waiting for parts for the sprinter looked around them and while they are in some ways better thought out than the old ones. I just dont like the look of the new fortwo. The new forfour isnt bad but its alot of money for what is a badly designed car in comparison with other options.

The car has been out for sale here since last year and I havent seen a single one outside of the garages and they have had the same cars on display since they came out. So it kind of confirms my thoughts of how the car would be accepted in my area of France. No one wants to pay 15000 euros on a car that looks like a 4000 euro putt putt car which has a max speed of 45kph and hugely detested by pretty much everyone you can look at one here : http://www.aixam.co.uk/en/vision.

I even wrote to Daimler in an email about the looks of the new car which considering they had replied to me several times on previous occasions I would have at least expected a reply.... but no. It seems Smart isnt listening. Personally I think the Aixam looks better than the Smart! And thats just one of that type of putt putt car thats available here. Some others look better than the Aixam. But saying that I wouldnt buy one... I like to reach my destination sometime the same day not a week later!

It is however funny when youre doing the speed limit and someone is itching to get past me in a 50kph zone as it goes into a 90kph zone and then you see them edging out thinking they can get past in no time and then as I reach the zone limit and put my foot down and leave their crappy peugeot 207 behind in the dust. lol and thats because they think all the smarts are putt putt cars!

So as far as I can see Smart not only made an ugly car they made it more expensive and less desirable, if they have indeed made the new ones underpowered then thats another nail in their coffin. I always buy my new cars with cash and never take finance, so for some people the small amount of difference in monthly payments might not seem alot but when its a couple of grand in real terms it makes them look very expensive and there are better designed and cheaper cars that will do the same thing as the smart and more.

So if you must have a smart and you like to work on cars then the 450 is the most fun you can buy. The 451 is boring and I dont get the same feeling as I do with the 450 while Im driving it, but still some will say its a great car, this is just my opinion.

[TomBoyNI]

I wish there was a thank you button on this forum as I have got what seems like some genuinely honest reviews. So thanks for them all so far!

[adrimo]

I have nothing to add except buy the car you want, i can't offer any advice as I don't own the new 453 car. Take it for another test drive and see how you like it this time, maybe try for half a day if they can do that then you can compare to the mini better.

All this talk of French cars and engines is nonsense I have gone from german to French and had no regrets.

[colin2x2]

@Cougar7609...You say the Smart is a high price, but they have always been a high price (well here in ripoff UK they are), but there are ways around that.

I for instance have owned three Smarts, a 450, a 451 which I have at present and a Roadster, but never new, so I get a massive amount off when buying a two or three year old secondhand one just due to depreciation.

If you want a cheaper new 453 then there is the 'Standard equipment' model with a 60 HP engine and steel wheels, which is £3000 cheaper than the Passion, I believe this model is also coming to the UK soon, though it would fit into your 'putt putt' catagory, as it will be a slow car, compaired to the 71 and 90 turbo.

Going by the comments in this thread below, no-one seems to think the low powered version is any good, even though it is cheaper.....http://www.smartz.co.uk/showthread.p...tattung-Fortwo

[evilution]

@Cougar7609...You say the Smart is a high price, but they have always been a high price

When the 450 was available over here in LHD before the official conversion, the few smart centres that were about were selling the cars for £5999 for the lowest spec.
By the time we got the RHD version, it was a minimum of £7500.

[pinger]

When the 450 was available over here in LHD before the official conversion, the few smart centres that were about were selling the cars for £5999 for the lowest spec.
By the time we got the RHD version, it was a minimum of £7500.

£6k was what I paid for a 4000 mile, 6 months old (45kW) Pure in 2005. From the MB/smart dealer who had it as a courtesy car (it is a 'one owner' 450 - pretty rare). The Pures were always better value for money if you could forgo some toys - the main safety kit was still present, and they weren't stingy with the power output as they are with the new European 'Pure'. Mine was a steal - best £6k I've ever spent.

[Mr T]

I paid £6000 in 2003 for a 14 month old "Passion" with 6000 miles on it, (Milton Keynes Smart company car) which we still have.

[evilution]

We are talking new car prices.