Well, it's here. The much anticipated (by me) US release has finally come. A dealership in Kirkland has a rather prolific inventory, so Sheri and I went to test-drive one last week. Can I tell you something? It was sweet. I mean, wicked sweet. These are fun cars to drive.
This little guy was a 2005 Smart Fortwo Passion with about 10 miles on it and a three cylinder, six speed transmission, meaning great acceleration, but little overall speed (about 80 mph). The driver can also opt for manual or automatic transmission - something I really enjoyed on paper, but found troublesome on the road. I love a stick shift, but this one was tricky. The 45 to 50 miles per gallon wouldn't have hurt either, what with ever-rising gas prices.
So, why don't I own one? Unfortunately, this car has a big pile of shortcomings. First of all, it costs about $26,000, which wouldn't be that bad if I wasn't soon starting school or if the dealership offered financing. It turns out I'd have to ask for a loan from my bank (which I was told by the salesman probably wouldn't be approved for this car), or go through some online lender (which sounded sketchy). Then, I'm told insurance companies won't insure Smart Cars because they're too new and don't yet have a Blue Book value. Add to that a tiny engine that can only be serviced in Kirkland and has an oil change that would set me back about $100 and we are through. Could it be any more difficult to own one? I know, huh?
They sure are awesome though.
