We dont drive it much any more.But for a beater it will do the job. Thier are a lot better cars available out thier.

Prius and Civic hybrids do better mpg, but cost TWICE as much. I get much better mpg than EPA estimate, but I am a very easy driver, too. Manual specifies premium 91 octane gas. Owner since Feb. '08. Very satisfied, and would do it again. Needs a 6th highway gear for lower rpm at higher speeds (3300 rpm @ 70 mph), or higher rear gear. Automatic transmission takes a little getting used to. Needs cruise control. A cross between driving a go-cart and a full-size automobile. Requires a little more attention driving than full-size auto. Was designed for urban driving, but does okay on the highway. Strong cross winds push it around a little bit, but maybe same true for all small cars. Has only 12 cu. ft. of storage space, but enough for me. Firm ride. Engine in back by axle, rear wheel drive. Very safe considering small size. Lots of options available from base car. Fun car, draws attention and questions. Waiting list 8 to 12 months. Model 2009, $400 increase. Smart car built by and brand owned by Mercedes. Won't give mine up. (www.smartusa.com)

I've had my Cabriolet for about 7 months now, just crossed 11K miles. Waited a year to get it. But so far its been well worth it. Overall its an excellent car, exceeded my expectations. It has a learning curve to appreciate its simplicity. Performance improves during the first 10K miles (suspension smoothes out, you learn how to paddle shift). It was my first time with a vehicle that has an automatic transmission that wasn't meant to be used. By that, I mean that once you get climatized to the paddle shifters and shift points you will not stop at "D" again. I know it's there but I don't know why you would drive it there.
Performance is impressive for a vehicle with 71 HP and a weight of 1800 lbs. 40+ average mpg are normal with this car. I did get 38 mpg once, but it was in the 90s, 100s degrees and I had the A\C on instead of the top open. Smooth starts, smooth stops and Heads- up driving are the keys to squeezing extra mpg out of this car.
Its very road worthy, my wife and I flew to Seattle, WA. from Spokane WA. Approximately 300 miles, the dealership is in Tukwila, WA. We drove it back to Spokane in March. Big city driving, in traffic with lots of bigger vehicles, at rush hour. Crossing Snoqualimine Pass with snow and ice on the road with lots of big vehicles. Crossing the central plains of Washington at 70 mph returning to Spokane in eastern Washington. After about 15 minutes behind the wheel I didn't have a worry about driving such a "small" vehicle. I even watched to see how my wife reacted to our little trip. I didn't see anything that looked like fear. If for nothing else, the experience was an unexpected pleasure. It's sure footed, nicely balanced and easy to handle. Since then I drive approximately 70 miles round trip between Spokane WA and Coeur d' Alene ID every day. I enjoy every mile I commute.
I'm not trying to paint SMART as the perfect vehicle for everyone. Performance and beauty is in the hands of the driver. That why drivers have so many brand choices. I invested my money in Smart and I haven't been disappointed with the value I bought.
May you all be as lucky.
DM

While we have a 2008, we really love it. My husband puts 50,000 miles on a car a year for his job and this is easy to zip in and out. As for the diseal VW, I think that milage is great, but at least the price of gasoline is less than diseal. While not for everyone, this car is great for us. Everyone needs to find what works for them. If you don't like the car, don't buy one.

I am very lucky to get the 2nd 2008 in Dallas. While the transmission is not great, when you push it - it works well. I think the bad reviews of the transmission come from driving too slow.

Over all I love the car. It was worth the year wait. I drive all the time for work so I traded in my clunky SUV for something more practical.

I noticed a lot of people bad mouth this car and say "buy this", or "buy that" instead.

Those same people fail to mention the price differences that they're "oh so smart" recommendation would mean to your bottom line and they also don't mention the difference between production facilities of the different manufacturers. The list is very long of practical and serious differences between this car and anything else that can compete on certain elements... i.e. gas mileage, etc.

Instead, research how they are producing these cars and how enviro-friendly they have made their facilities. Look at how they reclaim lost heat during the injection mold process to heat other areas of their plant. Instead of the easy and cheap way of all the other plants - just let all that heat loose into the environment with no facility net-effect. How about the decision to use Powder coating (40% more efficient) instead of traditional painting methods to reduce solvent use and emissions.

Again the list is very long...

Sure, if you want better gas mileage, go buy a 1.9 Diesel Jetta and you'll see better gas mileage. But you'll also be paying 3 times as much money for the car (are you really going to get your money back in fuel savings? Absolutely not!)

Use your brain and do a little research. These 'drive-by' reviews that don't take their time or thoughts cycles are a waste of everyone's time...

I expect this little thing to give as good a milage as a Harly, but does not. My Prius gives 50+ miles and twice the room. But, what the heck. At half the cost of a Prius, the Smart is good even at 75% fuel efficiency.

The tranny takes some getting used to, but once you do it is no big deal. I change back and forth from manual to auto as needed. Plenty of power. Biggest problem is people in other cars that try to carry on conversations about the car at 40 MPH!
Get used to answering questions like is it electric, can it go on the freeway etc.

Auto Tranny is garbage...the old Plymouth 'Push Button' A/T's of the 70's & 80's were smoother. Seems a unit this small should be able to push the mid to hi '40 MPG' range on freeway... actually seems to struggle more on open road than in town.

Fun in town, but feel all units should come in "safety Orange or Yellow" for others to spot better. Had to engage in evasive manuveres constantly. (SF, Calif; Boston, Mass; Las Vegas, NV; LA, Ca.)