Smart & Pulse

I bought my 2001 Mk4 Smart Pulse City Coupe in Jan 2004 & have had it for 18 months now, plenty of time to discover the plus & minus points, so I figured it must be time to tell the world to go out and buy one. For a start it makes financial sense - the depreciation on these things is virtually non-existent. I paid GBP3500 for mine from a Smart main dealer and 18 months later its worth approx GBP3500. Thats a loss of nothing. How many cars does that happen with? In fact, the same dealer is currently offering the same age model fitted with less equipment & higher miles for GBP4000. So you could say I've made GBP500 on the price if you were being a ...

I've seen these buzzing around the city and they look fun, so I decided on a test drive - or two. First of all, I don't have a problem with the design - in fact a car like this needs to stand out and not just try to be a small version of the 'big boys'. There's plenty of room for the 2 passengers too - more than in the front of a Mondeo, so no problem there. Oh, and it's well put together. It may not carry the 3-pointed star, but it's a baby Merc. Secondly, I don't have a problem with the engine size, the original mini was 850 cc and the Hillman Imp 875 cc, so a turbo-charged 600cc in a plastic-bodied 2-seater ...

What an excellent invention the Smart really is. Up until now there has not really been too much choice when it comes to alternative means of transport. You either had a petrol guzzler or a scooter. But now we have a third choice in the Smart. The Smart is certainly not what we expect in a car, and should probably not be viewed upon as a car in the traditional sense. It should probably be seen more as a scooter with a roof. If you drive a lot of miles or plan to go on long trips then stay away from these guys. But on the other hand, if you only take your car to work, to the shops etc. then this is the choice for you. Cheap to buy, cheap to run and ...