Smarts and standing water don't mix...

[munk]

It's with a heavy heart that I can report that my short fling with my 2011 Passion Cab is over. Like the end of all relationships I have mixed feelings.

In some ways she was the perfect mistress; she didn't drink much, she didn't smoke and she did most things without grumbling too much. But, in others she was a pain. She stood me up on the side of the M3 for 4 hours in the rain when she decided to break her belt. Her parents didn't like me; putting me in a dark corner every-time I went to visit them.

But most of the time she was there for me; following me around the country like a faithful puppy. However, puppies aren't all confident on their feet, seem to be sexually attracted to water / mud / trees and have a tendency to wag their tails at the most inappropriate of moments...




Sadly a patch of standing water at 45mph and some trees spelt the end to my Smart story. Sadly the airbags failed to deploy so I'm a little more damaged than needs be. But otherwise it's nothing more than a couple of weeks bed rest can cure. However the moral of the story is; take care around standing water in your Smarts.

[Thrumbleux]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

Unlucky.
Get well soon (hope it didn't hurt too much).

[Kapt. Q]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

Sad to hear. Hope your recovery is speedy. Front airbags may not deploy if collision is not head on. Did you have seat airbags too? I'm sure someone from Smart might be interested in the failure of their saftey systems if this is the case.

Hope you get another one, Perhaps the end of a chapter not the story? New model this year...

Cheers!

[Evilution]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

1 MHD down, far too many to go.

[problemchild1976]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

aw - poor smart car!

will you be buying another??

JJ

[Mr T]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

Wow! Glad your Ok.
Bet that was a hairy ride.
Bit of T-cut & that'll be as good as new!

[J500ANT]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

Get well soon!

[Evilution]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

will you be buying another??

JJ

Don't encourage him, he's ruined the 2 he's already had

[munk]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

Thanks for your thoughts folks. I'm not looking at buying another- in honesty it was a rose tinted specs decision to purchase this car and I was thinking of chopping it in for something different before the accident. Whilst it was fun in the summer with the top down; everywhere else it was just too compromised. In 12 months it visited the dealer 4 times to be fixed, never achieved the advertised economy figures, build quality was pretty shocking and wasn't particularly pleasant to drive or ride in as a passenger. I could have lived with it if it had been reliable and cheap to run, but it was neither. Even after a 10 year break from DCUK customer services, things haven't changed with the dealers either. So it's not a resoundingly positive review from any side of the experience from me.

The nail in the coffin came when the crash happened- the traditional smart understeer was the killer and compounded by the conditions. After driving the Skoda Fabia courtesy car for a week or so, I've realised that I was living in a compromised dreamworld. When I bought my first Smart I was 19 years old, it was a lot of fun as a young man. I enjoyed it and was sad to see it go. I guess I wanted to recapture the feeling when I bought EY11GWA. But my life has changed- the smart is fine for the city or low millage drivers, but not a lot of use elsewhere. I'm afraid cars have moved on since I had my first Smart in 2002; there are many better all-rounders out there now which can give the same benefits, without the smart's pitfalls and just plain suit my needs better. All in all - it's been fun and I'm glad I've got it out of my system now- but it's time to move on.

[problemchild1976]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

the fabia is a lovely car - 1.4tsi would be a great little hot hatch

JJ

[ColSmart]

Re: Smarts and standing water don't mix...

Sad to see you leaving the Smart fold, but after that crash I do not blame you not wanting to buy another Smart.

Mind you after my dash caught fire in my Renault Fuego years ago, I never wanted to buy Renault ever again either.

As for the Fortwo, where many of us have had many years of happy motoring out of them, we are well aware of the pitfalls of stability in them, while driving in wet conditions.

For example you never go fast round a roundabout as that's just asking for it.

You take it easy with wet conditions and puddles.

You are forever scanning ahead for pothole avoidance, hoping there is not one hidden in a puddle.

And never (never) go over a cattle grid.....(it broke one of my front springs on my 450 at the time, grhh!).