Hello smart forfour drivers!
As an obviously slightly smart-brand obsessed person... I just wanted to ask the forfour owners a question:
A couple of friends of mine are planning on changing their cars at some point in the not-too-distant future. I, ofcourse, would love them to get a fortwo, roadster or forfour; but both friends say that a four seater is the only option for them, so the forfour is the only contender.
However, I have read many rather disturbing reports about the forfour in the press (and here in the forum from time to time). Is the forfour a bit leaky, with an unpleasant clutch/gearbox and unreliable generally? At the local smart dealer there are lots of offers for new and nearly new forfours and I would really appreciate some genuine advice about which model to go for. Fuel economy would be good in the diesel and I understand that the diesal engine is actually made my Mercedes rather than Mitsubishi. Is that an advantage or is the Japanese petrol less problematic. Neither of these friends are normally brand new car buyers, but the current offers are very tempting for them.
Lots of cars than can be a bit of trouble have a cult following (I have a friend who has driven only Lotus cars all his driving life and said he'd never change, despite endless garage visits and things going wrong very regularly with every vehicle he's owned (he's owned five of them since 1979).
But, neither of these people are particularly car orientated and need a reliable and fun car. One of them drives a five year old Ford Ka and the other a four year old Fiat Punto. The Fiat has been surprisingly reliable (despite a dodgy reputation) and the Ka is constantly at garages having things done. Both love the concept of the forfour (both of them marvelled at the glass roof of the passion model), but feel nervous about buying a car that is no longer made and has received a mixed press.
Any comments would be appreciated both for and against, before I start pushing my friends to do test drives, etc!
Thanks in advance!
Matthew
(driver of a fortwo passion cabrio in black/jack black called Benoit, bought new in June 2005. Still smile everytime I drive anywhere... and off to Austria next week for the massive Alpine smart meeting called Smart Times in Kaprun/Zell am See)
As an obviously slightly smart-brand obsessed person... I just wanted to ask the forfour owners a question:
A couple of friends of mine are planning on changing their cars at some point in the not-too-distant future. I, ofcourse, would love them to get a fortwo, roadster or forfour; but both friends say that a four seater is the only option for them, so the forfour is the only contender.
However, I have read many rather disturbing reports about the forfour in the press (and here in the forum from time to time). Is the forfour a bit leaky, with an unpleasant clutch/gearbox and unreliable generally? At the local smart dealer there are lots of offers for new and nearly new forfours and I would really appreciate some genuine advice about which model to go for. Fuel economy would be good in the diesel and I understand that the diesal engine is actually made my Mercedes rather than Mitsubishi. Is that an advantage or is the Japanese petrol less problematic. Neither of these friends are normally brand new car buyers, but the current offers are very tempting for them.
Lots of cars than can be a bit of trouble have a cult following (I have a friend who has driven only Lotus cars all his driving life and said he'd never change, despite endless garage visits and things going wrong very regularly with every vehicle he's owned (he's owned five of them since 1979).
But, neither of these people are particularly car orientated and need a reliable and fun car. One of them drives a five year old Ford Ka and the other a four year old Fiat Punto. The Fiat has been surprisingly reliable (despite a dodgy reputation) and the Ka is constantly at garages having things done. Both love the concept of the forfour (both of them marvelled at the glass roof of the passion model), but feel nervous about buying a car that is no longer made and has received a mixed press.
Any comments would be appreciated both for and against, before I start pushing my friends to do test drives, etc!
Thanks in advance!
Matthew
(driver of a fortwo passion cabrio in black/jack black called Benoit, bought new in June 2005. Still smile everytime I drive anywhere... and off to Austria next week for the massive Alpine smart meeting called Smart Times in Kaprun/Zell am See)
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