Who likes SMART cars?

Eppie

D'ya like SMART cars?
I didn't, until I recently went to Rome, and the things are everywhere. So they started to grow on me, through association with the Italians, who made them look so stylish.
Would they look thick on Irish roads?

the website's deadly too.

Seth Brundle

I don't like the 'sedan' version (very picky about my cars) but I saw the coupe yesterday in dublin and I must say I love it.
www.thesmart.co.uk

rymus

saw one only yesterday in Douglas. Best thing about them is that theyre damn easy to overtake

Also saw a humvee.. but thats another story altogether

kayos

Originally posted by rymus
saw one only yesterday in Douglas. Best thing about them is that theyre damn easy to overtake

Hmmm you haven't seen the specs on the Barbus coupe (or was it roadster) so ... but then again with only 10 in the world and a price tag of over 300K sterling I dont think you will ever have to worry about seeing one on Irish roads

TUTS

I was over in Hamburg a while back, the place is flooded with em( & Beemers). They look grand when there is loads of them around. (dont look so out of place) They're very strong aswell....saw a Smart v's Golf. Golf was left in bits the Smart only had a small bit of damage to the front. Good for the city, large towns but i dont know if id do a tour of Ireland in one...:p

Eppie

What general impression do you think they give - of the driver, I mean?

Sleipnir

Originally posted by Eppie
What general impression do you think they give - of the driver, I mean?

Bit of a greeny do-gooder!
Handy little things around town I'd say but being 6' 5" it wouldn't really be an option for me.

MadsL

Getting mine on Saturday!

Cheap insurance, cheap to run, Cheapish road tax, Cheap to fix...

...and it's a Merc!!

What's not to like!

Eppie

jeal-ous.

Borzoi

Test driving on Saturday, I'll let you know.

MadsL, where did you get yours?

MadsL

Belfast - as the Dublin dealerships 'couldn't' do a deal on price. The Smarts seem to be overpriced by about 1000 euro compared to the North.

Ba$tard

They are a great idea!

Was in Rome last week, the place was littered with them!

They even had SMART car only parking in one street. Was class.
The idea of modifying them with different panels is a great idea.
Nippy little beggers too.

J.

ToxicPaddy

Saw the coupe the other day in Dublin, was in Black and silver.. absolutely fab looking car to be honest and probably dirt cheap to insure and maintain..

However, all in its still a car and no matter how big or small it is, it will still be stuck in traffic like every other car on the road, give me one of those ugly noisey little mopeds that sound like a chainsaw on a toaster anyday if it saves time getting through this traffic nightmare thats Dublin..

Tox

eth0_

Seen a lot more of them in Belfast...but most of them were promotional cars
I don't like the look of them, they aren't fast enough, they're too small and I just wouldn't feel safe in one.

BUT the coupe is different
ME WANTIE!

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by ToxicPaddy
Saw the coupe the other day in Dublin, was in Black and silver.. absolutely fab looking car to be honest and probably dirt cheap to insure and maintain..
Tox

I read a letter somewhere recently (Irish Times?) saying how someone went to get an insurance quote on one and was told that they are considered, by the money grabbing cartels, to be 'performance cars' and therefore come with a hefty insurance weight.
Fu**ers!

rymus

whats the insurance like on that beast? I'd be kinda half interested in possibly thinking of maybe getting one in the not too distant future if I wasnt going to end up paying about 4 grand insurance on one.

deecom

Have heard great things about them, like the new roadster, and according to a bloke in Mary Macs on Sunday, there great to drive, he was in the process of ordering one. Mind you from Belfast, same as MadsL.
I want one quite badly!

byte

Originally posted by MadsL
Getting mine on Saturday!

Cheap insurance, cheap to run, Cheapish road tax, Cheap to fix...

...and it's a Merc!!

I never realised until now that Mercedes Benz is owned by Daimler-Chrysler! Learn something new everyday! :horned:

MadsL

Not just me says it's a merc...
Mercedes Car Group is Mercedes, Maybach and Smart


Wouldn't have minded this special editionmodel

eth0_

Originally posted by kbannon
...they are considered, by the money grabbing cartels, to be 'performance cars' and therefore come with a hefty insurance weight.
Fu**ers!

How the **** are they 'performance cars'? All the smart cars, even the sporty coupe, are under 1 litre!

I had been considering getting that sporty one til I saw the price...£13000!

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by eth0_
How the **** are they 'performance cars'? All the smart cars, even the sporty coupe, are under 1 litre!

I didn't say they were performance cars - I said that our insurance industry considers them to be. Without wanting to start a new discussion on insurance companies (we all know what they are like), why do they refuse to follow the ratings used by the industry in the UK?

MadsL

They are 'performance' cars 0-60 in 10 secs from a 698cc engine is a hell of a performance - and that's before you remap it!

ToxicPaddy

Originally posted by kbannon
....why do they refuse to follow the ratings used by the industry in the UK?

Because they are money grabbing scum...

simple as that..

The reason they class it as a performance car is because its a coupe.. if it had a 50cc engine but was a coupe they would class it as a performance car and probably be charging the same as a BMW or Merc Coupe..

typical f*ckwits.. :rolleyes:

Gmodified

The same rule applies to Honda Beat and Suzuki cappuccino.
In regards to Smart it's a lot's money for this kind of car.

You should get it free when you buy a real Merc.

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by Gmodified
You should get it free when you buy a real Merc.

You could store it in the Merc's boot

Gmodified

it's like having shopping trolley with body kit and alloys. Silver finish comes as standard

Where you put the coin???:D

the evil belly

Originally posted by rymus
Also saw a humvee.. but thats another story altogether

if it was a big black one then it lives in ballincollig. as for smart cars i'd go for the roadster myself

MadsL

Gmodified, maybe you just don't like the fact that I can change the body panels any time I want instead of the....

I would be looking for 250 to just spray wing and bumper

....kind of money you would be charging. Welcome to the future.

MadsL

Interestingly Quinn-direct *refused* to quote me on the
city-coupe (not the roadster coupe now) on the basis that "we don't"...I asked what that meant and why they were refusing and they told me "no convertibles, soft-tops, T-bars, kit cars, etc" When i pointed out that it was none of the above, but a standard production car, with an NCAP rating of 3* and a 698cc engine and asked why again. Then they said "well we just don't like them." I fell around laughing and said "good luck with your business" - I'll ring Merc and tell them the good news, they'll be delighted.

...I hear next year Quinn-direct they are going to stop quoting on Red cars, as yous are far too aggressive...

Shower of morons.

NeRb666

They're pretty cool looking, but they're over-priced and they'll probably be gay icons in a couple of years.

MadsL

they'll probably be gay icons in a couple of years.

...phew.. Gay Icons i can live with, uncool is a different story!:p

Capt'n Midnight

RE: Mercedes Benz is owned by Daimler-Chrysler
Yeah that's what Chrysler thought for a while too
And Renault own that quintessentially American truck company MACK

ToxicPaddy

Originally posted by rymus
Also saw a humvee.. but thats another story altogether

Saw a stretch Hummer in Montreal last year...

coolest thing ive ever seen.. was about 35 feet long...

F*ckin Class

Gmodified

MadsL
........maybe you just don't like the fact that I can change the body panels any time I want instead

Welcome to the future

[/QUOTE

Future? Unfortunately you will be screwed with insurance service cost and other big things that will come whit this little car.



Don't get me wrong as I like the car but the cool factor of this baby merc would not justify the price for me.

MadsL

err...Smart car...combined cycle 60mpg = 60*0.22 = 13.2 miles a litre = about 6c a mile.

Say 7000 mile a year @ 6c a mile = 420 euro on juice,
plus insurance @ 520 euro, road tax @ 140 euro.

Total running costs for the year = 1080 + an A service at 180. Total for the year well less than 1,500 notes.

Now my last car was a 1.6 Focus. 42 mpg = 7.96 miles a litre = 10 cents a mile = 700 euro on juice, 372 road tax, insurance @ 1400
10,000mile Service @ 165 euro service.
Total cost for the year = 2,673 euro

Difference of 1137 euro.

Think I might just book a nice holiday next year then! God I feel violated I'm being SO screwed paying an extra 20 euro for my servicing. Hang on, I'm bored with the colour, I'll have a respray - oh, don't need one - 250 quid for the panels, ah well, only 760 euro left in the holiday fund.

Gmodified

happy driving anyway

MadsL

Who likes Smarts? - Nicky Lauda for one...

Three-time Formula One champion Nicky Lauda has launched a car business that will rent cars for one euro (around $1) a day.

"Laudamotion," will rent 50 advertising-plastered Smart cars, the small urban-oriented vehicles made by DaimlerChrysler, in Austria.

Individual customers renting the cars will have to drive at least 30km a day in Vienna to get the cut-price deal.

Drivers doing fewer than 30 km will be charged one euro for each km they didn't cover.

Lauda said on Wednesday he hoped to reach sales of 750,000 euros ($877,000) in the first year of operation.

Gmodified

They are good for this ok. Why to buy one if you can rent one for 1E

ColinM

Not me. I hate "cutesy" cars.

Madsl, I admire your Tesco fighting skillz, but your taste in cars revolts me. Christ, the Hyundai Coupe seems to exude style and class compared to this. You must have one massive langer, because this is about as far away from a car being a penis-extension as you could get!

Gmodified

...phew.. Gay Icons i can live with

I knew there was something strange about this dude.#
Do they sell pink panels for SMART cars?

MadsL

as far away from a car being a penis-extension as you could get!

By that logic then ColinM you'd require a Hummer to make you feel comfortable.

Talk to any Smart owner and they will tell you that these things are 2.5m of sheer fun, and the best cars they have EVER driven. I bought mine because as a family we didn't need 2 cars - 1.5 cars suited us better...I thought I'd just save on fuel economy. tax etc...but driving this in heavy traffic is just a pleasure, and I'm perversely actually enjoying driving in Dublin again...(never thought I'd say that.

GModified if there is something you'd like to get off your chest than you can come out with it if you like - this forum might helphttp://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?forumid=255

ColinM

Originally posted by MadsL
By that logic then ColinM you'd require a Hummer to make you feel comfortable.

I drive an 18-wheeler articulated lorry.

MadsL

The prosecution rests, m'lud.

ColinM

Heh, sorry about the delay in replying - it took me ages to come up with a rebuttal!

Anyway, I was just watching one of Jeremy Clarkson's latest videos which is basically a collection of the best bits from this year's Top Gear.

In one segment, Clarkson did a piece about how great his new Mercedes SL55 AMG was and afterwards, back in the studio, Richard Hammond pointed out to him that a UK website for gays and gay lifestyle had a top ten list of the "gayest cars", where the SL55 ranked in 4th place!

Guess what was the number one gayest car? Of course - it was the Smart!

The homophobic counsel for the defense (with the tiny wang) rests, m'lud!

http://www.outuk.com/content/features/car/index.html

The top 10 gayest cars:
1. Smart
2. Jeep Wrangler
3. Pink Rolls-Royce
4. Mercedes SL55 AMG
5. New Mini
6. BMW Z8
7. Porsche convertible
8. Classic Chevy
9. New Skoda
10.New Beetle

sceptre

The pink rolls was third? Third? and not a Yaris or Matiz in sight?

I'd buy a Smart if I was doing pretty much nothing but city driving - say if I lived in London (actually, then I'd use the tube and rent a car when I needed it but you get my point)

Let's kill the wang measurement subthread - the bits about the car have been interesting reading