Having left home at about half-past ten this morning, I drove to the Smart car showroom, which doubles up as the Mercedes-Benz showroom, on Boucher Crescent, Belfast. I arrived at eleven. They kept me waiting for ten or fifteen minutes before my car was ready: a Smart Fortwo Passion 84 bhp in metallic silver with leather seats and a Brabus pack ( sports alloys, chrome exhaust pipes etc).
The salesman suggested we drive to Lisburn, along the M1 motorway. This little car is very nippy; it reaches thirty mph swiftly; 0-60 in 10.9 seconds. I cruised along the motorway at sixty mph easily. It doesn't seem like a three cylinder engine; it's quite refined and smoother than I'd have thought. I noticed some wind noise at this speed, but it was very windy today. The little car was buffeted by the gales a touch! I found it comfortable and roomy; there were no squeaks or rattles. The ride is quite firm, like my BMW Z4. The Smart feels light, as you'd expect.
I liked it, and reckon I could live with it too. I think it would look particularly well in black with the silver tridion cell and the chrome package. Black would usually be one of the last colours I'd choose; however, it looks very well in this colour if kept clean.
If I decide to go ahead and order one I'd need to sell my present car privately, because I could get over £1,500 more privately than by trading in. And they'd give me a discount if I bought "straight" too.
I'll sleep on it...
Glad you enjoyed the test drive. Looking through the brochure, I reckon I was loaned out the Pulse (rather than the better equipped Passion you test drove) when they were trying to chisel out my spare key!
ReplyDeleteSo I hope it felt a little less echoey and less like a toy car and more solid when you drove it.
Interestingly, I found the foot brake less firm, or positive, than the Rover 75 or Z4 Alan. I had to press it harder for effect. Overall, though, I thought it was quite impressive. Somebody said the Smart is like Marmite: you either love it or loathe it! Perhaps those who hate it have never driven one?
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