Are Smart Cars Cheap To Repair

shuffles03

Looking to get a nice cheap to run car. I've 2 questions. What are Smart cars like for motorway driving i.e. a return journey daily from Delgany to Blanchardstown? Generally, are Smart cars cheap or expensive to repair?

biko

You mean the standard model now, not convertible or upgraded?


Looking at repair costs in America they seem to be on par with other brands but tbh it's down to availability of parts. Labour seems to be about average.
http://clubsmartcar.com/index.php?showtopic=18123

Finding older threads on boards about them
www.google.ie/search?q="smart+car"+repair+site%3Aboards.ie

Check out youtube for reviews like
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnsfUGK9GKo
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnXqyBsO2bo

cjt156

shuffles03 wrote: »

What are Smart cars like for motorway driving i.e. a return journey daily from Delgany to Blanchardstown?

Hellish. You'd have tinnitus (sp?) and vibration white finger if you managed to make the trip without getting blown out of your lane by a HGV. Great fun as a city car, that's the only place it belongs.
Roadster on the other hand is great fun.

Get a 1.25 Fiesta if you want cheap/fun small car motoring.

Zcott

No fun on long journeys. Expensive enough to repair because they're a Mercedes brand. Good fun in the city as said, though. And surprisingly roomy.

shuffles03

Cheers for the replies. Smart is out of the question so. Are there any good/cheap Japanese hybrids out there?

Max Power1

Smart money is elsewhere if it is for motorway driving

...


see what I did there :P

Zcott

shuffles03 wrote: »

Cheers for the replies. Smart is out of the question so. Are there any good/cheap Japanese hybrids out there?

Have a look at the Toyota IQ, or if you wipe your arse with €50 notes, the Aston Martin Cygnet.

shuffles03

shuffles03

Here's a mad question...

Nissan Leaf:
It goes up to 175KM in distance. My daily work round trip is less than 100KM: Delgany>Blanch and back again.

i live in an apt complex with free car park spaces. In theory, if one was to purchase a car like this, would the ESB install a charge point in the apt car park. There's literally dozens of free spaces each night, way more than the occupants.

Del2005

shuffles03 wrote: »

Here's a mad question...

Nissan Leaf:
It goes up to 175KM in distance. My daily work round trip is less than 100KM: Delgany>Blanch and back again.

i live in an apt complex with free car park spaces. In theory, if one was to purchase a car like this, would the ESB install a charge point in the apt car park. There's literally dozens of free spaces each night, way more than the occupants.

At motorway speeds I doubt you'll get the range that they are quoting.

It's nothing to do with ESB. It's down to the management company. If you're an owner you can contact your management agent and ask if they will allow it, I can't see why not as it give the complex a "green" tick, or if you'd need an EGM/AGM to get it voted on. If you're renting you need to get your landlord to do the above.

Ronnie Beck

Del2005 wrote: »

At motorway speeds I doubt you'll get the range that they are quoting.

Would your range not increase on a motorway?

Ronnie Beck

Ronnie Beck wrote: »

Would your range not increase on a motorway?

at higher speeds these things go through power much more quicky afaik. not sure what the optimum speed is but it's not 120kph or even 100kph. for the leaf it says that optimum speed is 38mph here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Leaf#Range

at 55mph it's range is 110km.

8 hours to charge fully on home charger.

Ronnie Beck

The OP would need to charge it in work to be sure of making it by the looks of that.

a worst case scenario of 76 kilometres (47 mi)

laois hibby

I drove one from Belfast to Dublin recently and it was a lot of fun. it cruised at around 80 mph no problem and I reckon it used up about 7 litres of petrol. I found it handled like a go cart and was very stable on a motorway.

Eric Cartman

commuting from delgany to dublin is not a fun idea in a leaf or a smartcar.

realistically a civic hybrid is probably your best bet here , although if your pinching pennies on fuel this hard and dont seem to care about what you drive , the bus(es) is probably a good option.