A titchy townie (Smart Car)

Member Name: Lady1981

Product:	Smart Car
Date:	26/07/09 (175 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Economical, can park it in a space the size of an ant's bum

Disadvantages: Rubbish handling, lack of storage

I have been driving a smart car passion for the last 2 months. I do a fair few miles, mainly around town.

When smart cars initially hit our roads, my brother and I went to point and laugh at them at the local dealer. When asked which one of us was looking to buy my brother answered "she is". "I am not!" came the reply. Uh oh, micky taking rumbled! We made a quick exit!

I have driven numerous cars over the years and have owned warm and hot hatches. I am therefore used to nimble steering and a bit of oomph when I put my foot down.

Unfortunately, the smart car isn't very nippy with around 80bhp, although it can reach 90 miles an hour which is a very scary thought and something I won't be trying! To me it feels like I am driving a barge when cornering. It's also a fair weather car and doesn't like windy days. I have been buffeted towards lorries more times that I can count already!

The smart car passion which I drive is an automatic with that fab "eco" option which switches off the engine when I come to a full stop. Initially, this was a bit weird but I soon got used to it and don't even notice it now. And it's nice to know that the car is doing it's bit for the environment. Infact, the emissions from the smart car are very low.

The car achieves around 55mpg and I tend to fill up with petrol approximately once every two weeks. Bargain! (not that I pay for the petrol, being a work car, but still).

The smart car has lots of headroom but as you would expect, hardly any storage space. The ride is firm and the engine is a bit too noisy (I usually crank up the stereo to combat this).

You can of course park the smart car head on to the kerb, not that I have yet. Small spaces can be easily utilised, although the car I drive does lack power steering.

To summarise, I would say that the smart car is economical but really not practical if you are wanting to venture outside the city limits.

Summary: A townie only