Page 1 of SMART car for two pure question..

About to go for one of these cars (2003 model). Just have a question for any Smart owners out there.. Is the transmission system an automatic with the manu-matic up/down stick, or do some models only come with the manu-matic up/down, ie no way to drop it into automatic mode and forget about the gear stick??

I`ve always wanted to ask a SMART owner this...

WHY ???????? :/

I`m just being nosey,but there are umpteen `proper` cars you could get for the money,so why one of them ?
I simply cannot see why anyone gets one of these,as opposed to a Fiesta/206/Clio etc.etc.

This item was edited on Monday, 15th January 2007, 12:41

It will be my second boys toy car..

I think I will repeat what bowfer said...

WHY????

The smart is not a boy`s toy... neither can it be classed as a penis extension...

I wonder what other deficiencies can I class you up on...

T¦M3CH4S3R

"I am worst at what I do the best, for this gift I feel blessed. I found it hard... it was hard to find. Oh well, Whatever! NEVERMIND"

I did read about a bloke that fitted a 1300cc Suzuki motorbike engine into one.
I can sort of the see the point in that,it`s a laugh.
I completely fail to see the point in standard ones though.
They`re not even cheap,for gowd`s sake.

OP - can I suggest that you check out the following sites:

SmartManiacs
TheSmartClub

(in particular check out the forums - prefer the maniacs site but each to their own)

I owned a 52 plate Smart City Coupe (what is now known as the fortwo) from new, but then traded it in for a 54 plate roadster coupe.

In answer to your suggestion, the transmission works thus. From the neutral posititon, knock the gearstick left. Then, when you want to change gear you simply knock the gear stick towards the dash to go up a gear, or pull it back towards the handbrake to go down a gear. To select reverse, pull the stick back across to neutral, and then pull it back towards the handbrake.

If the model you`re looking at has a button on the left-hand side of the gearstick, it means that it also has a fully automatic mode (not all fortwos have this as its an optional extra on all but the "passion" models I believe).

Its a great little motor, and if you`re buying it as a "boys toy" as you put it then you won`t regret it. there are so many ways to personalise them, whether its performance or just cosmetics.

Check out smartmaniacs and find out where your local meet is and people there should be able to give you an honest opinion of the car before buying it and tell you of any faults (check the turbo as older models had problems - think `03s are OK but don`t quote me), but everyone will tell you how much fun they are.

If you do go ahead and get one, keep the last Sunday of September free - thats when we hold the London to Brighton rally!

Do be warned though - the price of the current fortwos (known to owners as either mark VIIs or Gen 2s) may drop in the coming months as the hambach factory where they are built has just been re-tooled and the first Gen 3 versions have rolled off the line (see pic here). Mainland Europe gets them in March/April, but we have to wait `til around September, although they are supposed to be at the current prices.

This item was edited on Monday, 15th January 2007, 18:48

Thanks for the info wedge... I`ll surf the maniacs.. for all the others, my main car is a HONDA CR-V... the SMART is my boys toy :-))

Spend the money on getting a bike licence.

Then get a proper boys toy. ;)

The Jackal

---

Visit Chainsaw Films
Visit The Pacmen
Confucius say
"Man who go to bed with sex problem on mind,
Wake up with solution in hand"

The little Smart roadster/coupe/convertible thing I cans see the point of.
It`s quite a smart looking wee thing,like a mini BMW Z4 or,harking back to my youth,a Fiat X1-9. 8)
The little things that look like invalid carriages just strike me as utterly,utterly,pointless.
BTW,I drive an Audi fitted with a semi-automatics `DSG` gearbox.
I long for a proper manual again,and the DSG is supposed to be the best of it`s kind.
If that`s the best of it`s kind,I can only imagine the competition must be really,really bad.

no problems Paris. Give me a shout if you want any more info.