I don't understand the pricing.

Being so small, it should by all means cost less. Smaller engines cost less than big engines, smaller wheels cost less than big wheels, two seats cost less than four seats... I don't get how it got so expensive. Furthermore, its obviously too small to be an only vehicle, and again thats kinda pricey once you add on a stereo and air-conditioner for a second car.

Just not sure why I'd get one if I can get a Cooper or Yaris that are plenty compact for the same or less respectively (base Yaris is like $11K out the door... and even though its tiny it can fit four or some stuff in a pinch if you fold the back seat).

This car is already going to have a limited appeal. Having different options increases the price of the car, its why fleet sales get discounts. IMO they should have picked three colors (black, silver, red), gave it basic options (just power windows, AC, and basic stereo), nice wheels, and sold it for $12K or less. Per vehicle profit may not be as high, but then they can sell more, and perhaps the primary second vehicle can be an expensive hybrid Smart sedan or wagon if they've got a loyal fanbase.

If we think back on some hugely popular small classics, they were actually quite inexpensive at the time... like the original mini and bug. Cheap, small, cute, reliable.

 

AHAHA! 12K!

buy one, get one free, right?

 

I don't understand the pricing.

Being so small, it should by all means cost less. Smaller engines cost less than big engines, smaller wheels cost less than big wheels, two seats cost less than four seats... I don't get how it got so expensive. Furthermore, its obviously too small to be an only vehicle, and again thats kinda pricey once you add on a stereo and air-conditioner for a second car.

Just not sure why I'd get one if I can get a Cooper or Yaris that are plenty compact for the same or less respectively (base Yaris is like $11K out the door... and even though its tiny it can fit four or some stuff in a pinch if you fold the back seat).

This car is already going to have a limited appeal. Having different options increases the price of the car, its why fleet sales get discounts. IMO they should have picked three colors (black, silver, red), gave it basic options (just power windows, AC, and basic stereo), nice wheels, and sold it for $12K or less. Per vehicle profit may not be as high, but then they can sell more, and perhaps the primary second vehicle can be an expensive hybrid Smart sedan or wagon if they've got a loyal fanbase.

If we think back on some hugely popular small classics, they were actually quite inexpensive at the time... like the original mini and bug. Cheap, small, cute, reliable.

to make a car THAT small not fall apart in a crash or not tip over in emergency maneuvers (it originally did) took a LOT of engineering, and ultimately made the car way too expensive ...

besides - it is a Mercedes - what did we expect

now you have HARD choice - get a $12k car with no AC and Stereo and seats only 2 and still get scrappy mileage, or buy any other B-car, seat 5, get better mileage and way more features.. and from brands that have way better rep for reliability.


hmm ... hard choice.

 

^^I agree with igor2.Plus this is strictly built as a city car for places like Manhattan, N.Y.C.,etc. which is why the vehicle is so compact for easy parking plus all of the additional safety features that are built in to it.The prices set seems fair to me.Are there better choices out there? Sure but not as compact as the Smart ForTwo.

 

I don't understand the pricing.

Being so small, it should by all means cost less. Smaller engines cost less than big engines, smaller wheels cost less than big wheels, two seats cost less than four seats... I don't get how it got so expensive. Furthermore, its obviously too small to be an only vehicle, and again thats kinda pricey once you add on a stereo and air-conditioner for a second car.

Just not sure why I'd get one if I can get a Cooper or Yaris that are plenty compact for the same or less respectively (base Yaris is like $11K out the door... and even though its tiny it can fit four or some stuff in a pinch if you fold the back seat).

This car is already going to have a limited appeal. Having different options increases the price of the car, its why fleet sales get discounts. IMO they should have picked three colors (black, silver, red), gave it basic options (just power windows, AC, and basic stereo), nice wheels, and sold it for $12K or less. Per vehicle profit may not be as high, but then they can sell more, and perhaps the primary second vehicle can be an expensive hybrid Smart sedan or wagon if they've got a loyal fanbase.

If we think back on some hugely popular small classics, they were actually quite inexpensive at the time... like the original mini and bug. Cheap, small, cute, reliable.

Duccy, you missed the whole point. Buying a SMART is like buying a Mac, get it now?

 

That is far too expensive.

 

besides - it is a Mercedes - what did we expect

Will it be sold at the Merc dealerships? I'd rather have an A-class than a Smart, but we'll take what we can get.

 

what a POS for that much money....

 

it is going to be sold by a singal dealer network.

It is NOT going to be sold nationwide so most of you people dont have to worry about seeing it.

It main market is probabally going to be new england where traffic is very dense, gas is pretty expensive, and parking SUCKS. This is meant to be like mini and be a bit of a "premium" small car, not as cheap a car as possable because it is small. If you want cheap get a yaris. If you want a trendy nice small car you get a "passion" smart. I dont know till we see fit and finish, but it does hae things like leather wrapped stearing wheels etc... so i think they did not go after making the car as cheap as possible. The LAST thing we need is another cheap small car. It would be nice to see some higher end small cars like mini.

 

Considering Zap had people lined up by the thousands to buy a smart at $20k, they should have no problem selling them for $12-14k. The car has a lot of personality and will be very trendy once its released.

 

^ nah i think the public will perceive this car as a POS

 

^ nah i think the public will perceive this car as a POS

Just like with the Focus, but they still managed to sell a few million of those.

 

The "Pure" entry-level model will start at $12,000. A better-equipped "Passion" model at $14,000 will add a stereo system and other convenience features. The convertible is only available in "Passion" guise, for $17,000.

That makes me officially a "No, thanks."

Considering Zap had people lined up by the thousands to buy a smart at $20k, they should have no problem selling them for $12-14k. The car has a lot of personality and will be very trendy once its released.

Bingo. It's going to replace the Mini as the fashion accessory of choice.

 

Duccy, you missed the whole point. Buying a SMART is like buying a Mac, get it now?

*e-hugs*

 

I thought the for-two was ok until the $$ was announced. Now... I aint interested.

 

I put down a $99 refundable (with interested) deposit...I think that there will be plenty of people in the bay area (especially sf) that will be trying to get there hands on one of these...I don't see myself being the owner of this for more than a few hours...

But in general, I don't see the reason for all the hate...it is a niche vehicle and it fills a niche very well...great around town, teanie-tiny car with solid 40+mpg...and fairly cheap too...safer than most other small cars also!

 

^ nah i think the public will perceive this car as a POS

Yeah people said that about the MINI, yup those damned POS's, nobody bought them.

You have to remember that SMARTS aren't exactly KIA's.... well better yet Daweoo's, KIA's are actually become pretty decent. SMART's for their size are very decent quality, just like MINI's.

A $12k commuter car that can easily pull 40mpg may be alot more interesting to people than a $22k+ Toyo Prius that may do just above that number in real world conditions. Sure, you may be able to do that in a Yaris too. But the SMART will more than likely be more stylish and better equiped, the driving dynamics will be alot different also.

To alot of people its a lifestyle thing.

 

I put down a $99 refundable (with interested) deposit...I think that there will be plenty of people in the bay area (especially sf) that will be trying to get there hands on one of these...I don't see myself being the owner of this for more than a few hours...

But in general, I don't see the reason for all the hate...it is a niche vehicle and it fills a niche very well...great around town, teanie-tiny car with solid 40+mpg...and fairly cheap too...safer than most other small cars also!

Good Idea.....

But at the same time there is the chance you end up with PS3 syndrome, if they don't get it right and there's a backlash shortly after release you'll be stuck with a car and little to no profit to be made.

 

Just not sure why I'd get one if I can get a Cooper or Yaris that are plenty compact for the same or less respectively

:lol: find a mini for 12k.

 

:lol: find a mini for 12k.

Used Coopers are probably finally getting down there, especially ones over 50k miles. But yes i understand your point about buying new.

But again, i'm thinking Duccy meant he rather spend the extra $3k and buy a Cooper.

 

:lol: find a mini for 12k.

Same or less respectively, meant the Mini for the same and the Yaris for less respectively. A car this small with not even so much as a radio or A/C or power windows or anything is not "premium" and therefore you could get "more" car with the Yaris if looking for a subcompact fuel efficient vehicle. The "premium" version is about the same price as a Mini, at $17K, except again the Mini is an overall better car with a wider range of capabilities and still plenty compact IMHO (and again, still get 40mpg). Honestly, the Mini is a little on the expensive side as well, so even more case in point. OK, so the Smart is 2 feet shorter than a Mini, but still.

I'm not really dogging the car, just the price. Its several grand too high IMO. A decent one should be no more than $12K out the door, not STARTING at $12K for a stripper.

 

there are a bunch of those cruising around baltimore, there is a place here that already has them, but at a much higher price. http://www.prestige-motors.com/inventory.html?&make=Smart


LAZ

 

The pricing is less than what I thought it would be.

Still kind of steap for such a small car.

Toyota's Aygo may be a more affordable "mini" car choice.

 

It is easy to write this car off because it is far from American culture. The proof is simply in the number of replies here saying how stupid it is. The reality is that a lot of people are going to buy this car, and it is priced very well for what you get, or lack there of. It was designed by Swatch (watchmaker, for those of you that live in a hole) for the aesthetics and functionality, and DCX for the engineering. It is a very SAFE car, and very functional.

The American thinking is to associate size with price. Throw that out the window, because that is not the rest of the way the world works. The functionality, engineering, and safety are what you are paying for. That and it's made in France, so a good 1500-2000 dollars of that is from the French socialist model, I promise.

When I was in Switzerland last summer there were Smart cars literally everywhere you looked. They were worse than Honda Civics or Toyota Carolla's. Every place you could jam a smart 4-2, there it was. As long as the product is reliable and doesn't have many problems, it should be a hit.

The SUV and Pickup will never die, but smaller cars will become more prevalent in the USA. If I ever have to work in an inner city or dense urban area like I used to, the Smart is on my list for sure. The size is perfect as my Focus was honestly too big a lot of the time to park.

Lastly, something really cool. There was a smart dealership in Switzerland outside of Zurich. It was a tall vertical glass building, saw it a bunch of times.

 

Considering Zap had people lined up by the thousands to buy a smart at $20k, they should have no problem selling them for $12-14k. The car has a lot of personality and will be very trendy once its released.

right and i ALLREADY see them on the roads here, and on dealer lots through zap. When they go mainstreem for $12-14k they will sell well. The are not going after Kia pricing, they are going after the mini type people.

That makes me officially a "No, thanks."

will it even be sold in florida anyway? I thought they said they do NOT plan on selling it everywhere, just in dense urbin markets (read new england, and parts of california)

A $12k commuter car that can easily pull 40mpg may be alot more interesting to people than a $22k+ Toyo Prius that may do just above that number in real world conditions. Sure, you may be able to do that in a Yaris too. But the SMART will more than likely be more stylish and better equiped, the driving dynamics will be alot different also.

To alot of people its a lifestyle thing.

I dont know about these being commuter cars. isnt the top speed like 85mph? And how is the acceloration on them? I think they will sell better for people that want an around town car.

Same or less respectively, meant the Mini for the same and the Yaris for less respectively. A car this small with not even so much as a radio or A/C or power windows or anything is not "premium" and therefore you could get "more" car with the Yaris if looking for a subcompact fuel efficient vehicle. The "premium" version is about the same price as a Mini, at $17K...
I'm not really dogging the car, just the price. Its several grand too high IMO. A decent one should be no more than $12K out the door, not STARTING at $12K for a stripper.

where are you going to get a premium mini new for $17k the cheapest mini i ever see is like $16k on a lot new, and they only have one like that. All the other ones are loaded up and MUCH more than that. More like $25k. :dunno:

also the yaris does not come standard with an automated tranney, stability control, several airbags, and better quality fit and finish. So yes you lack some features, but you have others. I am sure the extra safety stuff is adding at least $1,000 to the cost of the car, and they are doing this to get the crash ratings as high as possable for a car that in the US will automatically be preceaved as "unsafe"

Also, isnt this going to be the cheapest RWD can sold in the US?

The US idea of quality depends on a spec sheet, not fit and finish for the most part (althought that view is changing) BMW and mercedies and all the other euro companies offer more "stripped" versions of there cars in EU. Hell look at the focus in the EU. What is considered "standard" and "optional is very different. EU people rather not have power windows, but have a high quality dash board that does not squeek after 1 year from cheap quality. The US rather have AC and an automatic, and a dashboard that looks like ass, and is about to fall off the car after a year. Different prioritys, thus money is spent of differnet things.

It is easy to write this car off because it is far from American culture. The proof is simply in the number of replies here saying how stupid it is. The reality is that a lot of people are going to buy this car, and it is priced very well for what you get, or lack there of. It was designed by Swatch (watchmaker, for those of you that live in a hole) for the aesthetics and functionality, and DCX for the engineering. It is a very SAFE car, and very functional.

The American thinking is to associate size with price. Throw that out the window, because that is not the rest of the way the world works. The functionality, engineering, and safety are what you are paying for. That and it's made in France, so a good 1500-2000 dollars of that is from the French socialist model, I promise.

When I was in Switzerland last summer there were Smart cars literally everywhere you looked. They were worse than Honda Civics or Toyota Carolla's. Every place you could jam a smart 4-2, there it was. As long as the product is reliable and doesn't have many problems, it should be a hit.

The SUV and Pickup will never die, but smaller cars will become more prevalent in the USA. If I ever have to work in an inner city or dense urban area like I used to, the Smart is on my list for sure. The size is perfect as my Focus was honestly too big a lot of the time to park.

Lastly, something really cool. There was a smart dealership in Switzerland outside of Zurich. It was a tall vertical glass building, saw it a bunch of times.

exactally! Where i live there is a lack of nice small cars. Car prefrences lean VERY strongally towards EU tasts here. roads are small and parking is scarse. I beleave for CARS C segmant cars are much more common than D segmant cars. Also there are MANY time i have trouble fitting a FOCUS in a parking spot here. The lots and parking gurages are mostally built to accomidate a c segmant car MAX. TO park i usually have to let all my passengers out first, and then park the opposet direction of the next car in a parking space (passenger side of my car, to passenger side of the next car) to leave enough room to get out of my car, and i still need to be very careful getting out of my car to not slam into the next cars door. (and it is HILARIOUS when an SUV pulls into these lots marked "compact cars only" and they drive around trying to fit in a spot. The only way they have a chance is if by some miracle 2 spots upen up side by side to park.

hell just today i drove my GF to the local convenance store and I had trouble finding a parking space big enough to fit my car, I had to let her out first, and then back into a space and just wait in the car. I watched a carolla drive around for a few minutes trying to find a space to fit in, (and there WAS open spaces, just too small for them to fit!)

honestlaly parking is one of the reasons i much rather take my motorcycle than a car, it is MUCH easier to find parking. With my car it can take me 15 minutes to park everywhere i go, and there have been times I just gave up trying to park and did not go where i was planning to because of parking. Even if i DO find parking it can be as much as 15 blocks away from where i wanted to go.

(i cant find exact numbers, but the closes thing i can find it theft ratings. In most stated the most stolen cars are things like the accord, camry, and F150, In CT is is the same brand cars, but one size smaller Civic, Corolla, Raninger. I am assuming since those cars are more common, they are more stolen.)

It is quite strange to me how there is really ONLY C segmant cars, or D segmant cars. Those are the only 2 sizes of car that sell in volume. Its funny how SO many people with different life styles, famlies, and needs all buy the same size cars. When ever a new small car showes up here it is sold out for MONTHS after it is first released....

just TRY and go to a local dealer and buy a scion xA, xB, Yaris, Fit, Versa. The cars are usually presold, and if they DO get one that is not presold, they are usually gone within a few days.

Hell even the mini dealer has most of the cars on the lot with a "sold" sticker on them.

also the dealership looks cool as hell! I wonder if they will build one like that here. (most new dealers that are built now are multi story buildings since land is so $$$ and there is a lack of large open lots.