Used 2011 smart fortwo Hatchback Consumer Reviews
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Smart???Not
ErnieB, 05/15/2019
updated 11/15/2019
2011 smart fortwo passion coupe 2dr Hatchback (1.0L 3cyl 5AM)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Wanted a commuter car. Reviewed 2011 Smart for Two Passion costs and performance stats, test drove and bought a new one for $15460. Car was comfortable, gave good service, and ran fine for eight years but only attained 48072 miles when, during mandatory CA smog test in May 2019, it failed indicating a miss in one the three cylinders. Took it to a local Mercedes repair shop ( not an authorized dealer ) because the nearest authorized dealer is 60 miles distant required a lot of coordination to get there and back. The local repair shop tested all cylinders and found #2 to very weak and recommended replacing the complete engine at a significantly high cost. Then talked with the service rep at the authorized Smart for Two dealer in Santa Barbara, CA to discuss problems and costs to repair. They informed me that they are no longer in the Smart Car business and basically suggested I donate the car to charity. Next I called Daimler Vehicle Innovations (Smart) and pleaded for help. Result was " Sorry, although you are under 50000 miles the 4 year warranty is past. Now I have a vehicle that is running on two and a quarter cylinders, definitely shows signs of cylinder misfire and needs costly repair. Purchase price, maintenance and repairs over eight years = about $3200 a year cost. It wasn't a smart purchase, unfortunately. UPDATE 11/15/2019: Final costs for repair would have been over $11,000. Sold it to "We Buy Cars" out of LA, CA for $1,000 and they did a nice job on the pick up and paperwork. Searched for new car and bought a 2019 Honda FIT for under $20,000, which has more room, excellent, ergonomics, better all around features and road ability. Santa Maria, CA, Honda dealer attention to detail and service is very good and the new Fit has performed flawlessly for the last six months.
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Another Daimler product
iota78, 02/10/2011
2011 smart fortwo passion coupe 2dr Hatchback (1.0L 3cyl 5AM)
95 of 134 people found this review helpful
The only reason I checked the smart car out was the fact that it is made/engineered by Daimler. I have had many Mercedes. still have a 1972 450SL and my current one is a 2009 R350 (yea, the spaceship) For a 75 HP engine it has what i would expect or more with regard to acceleration. The transmission shifting is a little different at first but then reminds you you didn't buy a race car but one that gets you where you want to go with some nice euro style creature comforts. I am 6'4" 270 pounds and easily got into the seat without any trouble due to the large doors. leg room is ample and the large windows are good to eliminate any chance of feeling claustrophobic.
2011 - Love my Smart - sad to see them go.
CLWest, 01/26/2020
2011 smart fortwo passion coupe 2dr Hatchback (1.0L 3cyl 5AM)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Needed commuter car as I have 34 mile one-way commute - Having seen these in Germany in '06 was glad to see them come to US in '08 - waited couple years before purchase. Purchased new from Tulsa dealer for 'cuteness' factor & MPGs; Did purchase extended warranty because it was a 'benz. Ran great until 24K miles- took it in to OKC Mercedes/Smart and needed new engine (2nd cylinder out - seems to be a known issue) - had to fight to get them to honor warranty - but finally they did (had a salesman actually tell me they 'hated' the smart but had to sell them for the 'offset' credit). No issues with new engine. Drove without a flaw until '17 (6yrs) needed new coil. Drove great until shifting issue (Nov '18) - took to Euro shop said was master cylinder (which controls shifting) $1K repair; Is in shop now (Jan 20) for busted motor mount, master cylinder & bent arm (? $2K). I am also discovering ways to 'reset' the computer to adjust shifting issues - wondering about first mechanic now .... Currently have 114K miles - has been a bit costlier to drive (repairs) but my '95 F150 never met a gas station it didn't love so have enjoyed this Smart! $20/week fuel and this Smart is a fun car to drive! While I hope to get a couple more years out of it, I will be selling it (maybe) because I now have 2 grands and - most importantly - when I do need a repair I have to haul it a minimum of 60 miles to the nearest mechanic that works on Euro cars (hassle factor). If I were in a city with local repairs available, or was younger and could work on it myself, I would drive this into the ground. Other than listed repairs, just basic maintenance. I have enjoyed my Smart - it has worked well for the reason I purchased it!! Its interesting but I am also looking at a Honda Fit as a replacement (see ErnieB's post) :-)
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Surprisingly fun!
wallen2, 12/11/2011
2011 smart fortwo pure coupe 2dr Hatchback (1.0L 3cyl 5AM)
5 of 16 people found this review helpful
I don't own one of these, but I use Car2Go in Austin, which is a car sharing company that uses only Smart cars. I was so surprised how fun this thing is to drive, even out of the city and on the highway. For only 75hp, this thing really goes quickly. Great interior space as well. But Edmonds cons are spot on. That transmission is pretty harsh, and that break pedal is hard to get used to at first. It feels like it's not going to stop.