No Smarts in Ireland?

MuffinsDa · 07-09-2017 05:43PM #1

I was looking at downsizing and it looks like there is good value to be had in Smart forfours in the UK. However, I am surprised to see that they are not offered in Ireland anymore? How did that happen, isn't there enough of a market for smart cars in Ireland, or has my googling abilities diminished?
So if one was to import one from the UK, would MB dealers here provide servicing etc or will you be totally on your own?

Tommyboy40 · 07-09-2017 06:26PM

There are many reasons for the lack of Smarts over here. A Smart for Two is more expensive to insure than a yaris! They are expensive new but enormous fun to drive. any Mercedes dealer will service one but you're better off with a specialist unless it's a new car

bazz26 · 07-09-2017 07:43PM

They were never cheap here and quirky which made demand very low, just not viable to continue selling them here. Would have been a good opportunity for Mercedes to position the brand like BMW does with MINI.

road_high · 08-09-2017 12:13AM

Never took off here. City cars are a tiny proportion of Irish new car sales, for the same or less money you could buy something with 4/5 seats, the brand is virtually unknown and seen as a bit of a joke (the Mercedes link too distant).
They are popular in big European cities like Paris and Rome

Wildcard7 · 08-09-2017 10:26AM

MuffinsDa wrote: »

I was looking at downsizing and it looks like there is good value to be had in Smart forfours in the UK.

Have you driven one?

I don't know about the two seaters, but the Forfour is one of the worst cars I've ever driven.

TheShow · 08-09-2017 10:18PM

From memory they were way overpriced. For the same money you could of get a real car.

road_high · 09-09-2017 04:43PM

The previous model was a rebadged Mitsubishi Colt which was quite a good car but when converted to Smart, way overpriced again.
Current model is a Renault Twingo which was never that popular here either, sticking a Smart badge on and charging more won't do wonders either.

ba_barabus · 09-09-2017 06:19PM

OP could of course just by the Twingo version.

AMKC · 09-09-2017 09:03PM

As Ba above said the Twingo is there too. Its the better looking car if you ask me and they both use the same chassis and engines. Just different designs.

You just need to find a Renault dealer that sells them. My local one does not have any at the moment but maybe thats just because small cars don,t sell at this time of year or something.

ba_barabus · 09-09-2017 09:06PM

AMKC wrote: »

As Ba above said the Twingo is there too. Its the better looking car if you ask me and they both use the same chassis and engines. Just different designs.

You just need to find a Renault dealer that sells them. My local one does not have any at the moment but maybe thats just because small cars don,t sell at this time of year or something.

They never sold too well so dealers tend not to have them sitting around. The Twingo is definitely the nicer of the 2 cars but the big issue is that a Clio does it all better.

SmartinMartin · 09-09-2017 10:37PM

The latest one is very economical though;

https://youtu.be/vUKolh8Q9hA

weadick · 09-09-2017 10:50PM

Des Goldens in Cork seems to be a Smart specialist, always loads of them parked around the place.

AMKC · 10-09-2017 01:44PM

ba_barabus wrote: »

They never sold too well so dealers tend not to have them sitting around. The Twingo is definitely the nicer of the 2 cars but the big issue is that a Clio does it all better.

Awe thats a pity. Maybe if the dealers had some brochures on them and reduced the price a little they might sell more.

road_high · 10-09-2017 02:51PM

ba_barabus wrote: »

They never sold too well so dealers tend not to have them sitting around. The Twingo is definitely the nicer of the 2 cars but the big issue is that a Clio does it all better.

The Clio is a better bet and bigger/safer. And lots of good offers on them. Unless you really want something smaller the Twingo makes little sense.

No Smarts in Ireland?

Comments