would you buy a Smart car?

My wife has had 2 Smart cars - both brand new, a 2008 petrol and a 2011 diesel (both auto which is an option). Both did exactly what they said on the tin except for the gearbox, which is absolutely awful and tries to kill you at every roundabout or junction and the suspension - which manages to feel rock hard on potholes but also give loads of body roll in corners (unsurprising really in a short, tall little car).

Only ever had two problems, the first one had a brake switch failure - nothing big you think? Unfortunately it’s a twin switch that operates the lights and also tells the ECU that you have your foot on the brake. So a switch failure means you can’t start the engine (because the ECU wants to see a brake pedal signal), and if you’ve parked it in gear (as per manual) it also means you can’t select neutral (same reason)! So you can’t start it and you can’t tow it and the switch is underneath the floor pan but above the full length under tray. And that’s why I spent a cold December day under a Smart car in a foot of snow (£250 for Mercedes to recover the car and fit the £15 switch).

The second problem was more serious - randomly going into limp home mode at full speed, particularly startling in the outside lane of a dual carriageway going up a VERY steep hill with a line of slow moving lorries beside you. Apparently it was quite a common occurrence on the diesel (I think it was a loom fault?)

There’s quite a few models, a few versions of the 2 seater (now called the Fortwo) and the 4 seater (which was a rebodied Mitsubishi Colt, now a Renault Twingo) and a couple of versions of the discontinued roadster, which looks cool but has the same drivetrain and a very leaky roof (with a moisture absorbing fuse box in the footwell!)

Second hand, they’re cheap as chips in UK and if you’re only looking for a town/city driver they make a lot of sense.

I drove a smart car few years ago, its the closest thing to a kids cosy coupe i can imagine, but in the best possible sence. I almost bought a smartcoupe last year, a hoot to drive with the turbo whistle right behind your ear, if it wasnt such an event trying to wedge myself into it, and getting out of it was even worse, I would have bought it without doubt. Completly different driving experience to anything else ive driven.

The only one I had dealings with had TV screens fitted into the outside of the doors for some form of advertising, once the plastic outer skin comes of it looked quite scary how little metal there is in the framework, I guess they are safe and must have passed all the crash test stuff!!

NO

I agree NO.

I liked it a lot, had some fun during the test run but did not fall in love and don't think that I ever will.
It's possibly not my car.

I am just after a shopping trolley on wheels. It needs to be an automatic, it needs to be small,it needs to be reliable,
it can't be a project as I need it straight away.

I also had a look at a Jimny but $9000 for a 2007 model.....for a car with 100.000km on the clock. Again I liked it, but the love
was not there.

We used to have a Daihatsu Cuore and we loved it. But finding one with auto is really hard . The closest one is $2800 drive away but it's in Sydney. 1100Km away.

So, tomorrow I am looking at a Suzuki Alto. 60.000km first owner. Will see what it will bring

Yes, the Cube is available here indeed but did not think of them to be honest.
They are just big Micra's isn't it?

what he said.