TP's smart fortwo blog

Yeah, I guess the climb to Pennask Summit is longer, especially from the lake. I used to think Vancouver had hills, but not after cycling that.
It sounds like the little Smartie does alright on the hills, but I'd still be nervous trying to maintain 110 in those typically gusty winds of the plateau.

 

You had mentioned the Okanagan connector earlier. Pennask Summit is the high point on that road between Merritt and Peachland.

Given the choice, I'd take the Prius, too, even though I rarely use cruise control. Hopefully you can just trade cars when the time comes for a road trip.

 

Eastbound on Portage, you had to turn off on to Broadway. Especially past Great West Life at Osborne, it gets bumpy. So is St Mary's south of the Norwood Bridge. St Annes is no fun either. But once you get on to Fermor, it's ok. The new surface at the Floodway is very nice.

You should have gone down Wellington by going south on Maryland, left at Wellington, and taken Stradbrook all the way to St Mary's. Bouncy-bouncy

For harsh bumps, it's hard to beat Dugald between Lagimodiere and Plessis

How did it make you feel to find out later about the guy who went bonkers, chopped the head off that unfortunate passenger, and started nibbling on him? Too bad the RCMP didn't have a convenient excuse to cap him right there on the side of the road

Now the Canadian taxpayer will generously keep this nut in a smile-in ward for the rest of his life. Didn't take long for the various mental nutjob organizations to defend this kook: poor fellow, he's a "victim" in this, the stigma of the Mentally Ill, etc etc

I have no problem with the Mentally Ill, and really encourage them to seek proper help and medication. I have a HUGE problem with them snapping and going monkeys*** on us

 

Not to take this thread in yet another direction, but yes, mental health is a big issue. Locking people up and keeping them heavily sedated wasn't very successful, but turning them loose to wander the streets in search of 'medication' isn't working so well, either.

 

Made me think of Soylent Green. You too??

Anyhooser, back to topic: how is that Smart working out for you??

 

I've been seeing a lot of Smarts in the NO VA and DC area. I even saw a covertible that I didn't know existed. They seem like a good choice for many. My main concern would be safety. An earlier post had a link to a damaged Smart. The car rolled but I didn't see any front-deployed airbags -- maybe what looked to be a side airbag in one picture. Also, any crumple zones for the car would seem to include the passenger and driver seats. How can the Smart absorb damage and not transfer much of it to the people inside?

I have a lot of respect for you, TP, and I can't imagine you purchasing the Smart without some information that reassured you about the car's safety. Just curious what that information was.

P.S. Do you have something like a Condo Association with covenants covering bad guests and the people that hosted them? If so, do the hosts realize their guests might be bringing them trouble?

Enjoy your Smart and good luck against the night pranks.

Jack

 

Doesn't the manufacturer recommend PREMIUM FUEL for the Smart fortwo?

How "smart" is that?
smart fortwo pure, passion, and passion cabriolet

 

Like many cars that recommend premium, the Smart doesn't require it, and can burn regular just fine.

 

I guess it depends on how the powertrain management system "trains" itself and how it takes advantage of different octane fuels

For example, my FJ "recommends" Premium, but states regular is ok too. I've tried a few different grades over several tanks each, and appear to have the best luck with Mohawk/Husky Premium 94.

The Premium 94 is an ethanol blend made in Canada, selling price is quite fair compared to non-ethanol grades sold here. Difference in fuel economy with my FJ is around +2.5 MPG running the 94, and it feels far peppier too. Apparently it will advance the timing quite a bit

Again, some vehicles like the FJ have powertrain management to take advantage of different octane fuels. I never run anything but regular unleaded in the Prius, and for the vast majority of vehicles, regular is best

 

Thanks for the safety rundown, TP. It sounds like you made a great choice. Has anyone figured out how to fit a family of five in a Smart yet?

 

How long does it take to clean inside and out? You could probably clean everything four times in the same amount of time it takes to clean your Prius.

 

Got to test drive a smart while I was sitting around at carmax waiting for them to appraise our Land Rover (so we can buy another Prius). I honestly liked it a lot better than I thought I would. It had the panoramic roof, which helped it feel a lot bigger inside. The pickup was surprisingly good, though as others have noted the auto/manual shift pause and lurch is pretty substantial. It was much smoother though when using the paddle shifters. Felt surprisingly stable and solid cornering and on the freeway. All in all seems like a great car for a solo or duo commuter. just wish the mileage was a little better. Also thought CarMax was pushing it a bit asking $17,998, even at only 6k miles.

CarMax Car Detail

Rob