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 ...  Read the complete review

I bought my Smart Car Pulse (2000) in 2001 and kept it until 2008. During this time it cost me barely anything in parts (one link rod replaced (possibly due to me hitting a kerb?), 6 spark plugs, one headlight bulb, one brake light bulb) all general wear and tear items. I took it to Mercedes to be serviced once, but a Service cost me £350 approx (just for s Service and the standard oil and filters and plugs changed) so I was only able to afford to take it to standard motor places for subsequent services. Fuel economy is magnificent- a full tank would hold approx 17 litres and would cost me approx £16 (fuel prices permitting). One tank got me all ...  Read the complete review

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 ...  Read the complete review

Working for a car leasing firm I find it increasingly hard to get excited about new cars on the market, however, having just been given a couple of smart cars to whizz about in I think that I've finally found that buzz that I haven't had since driving my first car(a Mini). Okay so thay look a little strange, but no stranger than a Renault Avantime or the new Beetle! Anyway that just adds to the character. For those of you that are unaware exactly what a smart car is or what it looks like imagine a picture of a car that you would have drawn at nursery school. Its a liittle blob with a wheel in each corner and only two seats. It has a little "safety ...  Read the complete review

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 ...  Read the complete review