Penske dumping smart

Just got the email. Penske is "transitioning" smart back to Mercedes.

And the love affair continues to falter!

vwcorvette wrote: Just got the email. Penske is "transitioning" smart back to Mercedes. And the love affair continues to falter!

Mercedes recently brought Smart back into the corporate fold in europe and this was just the next logical step.

They needed Smart under their corporate umbrella to meet their CAFE scores.

Article with quote from MB USA CEO so I dont sound like Im just talking out my butt ;)

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20110214/CARNEWS/110219925

Sounds like the same reason we(the US) got the w123 300cd, Mercedes had to meet CAFE standards. They basically just put a diesel engine into the 300ce and called it.

Those things never did make much sense in the US - they seem to be designed to conserve not gas but parking space. Something designed to meet a real need in Europe, but it doesn't make as much sense in the US, where a better car for resource conserving would be a longer, lower car that trades footprint for aerodynamics.

Gotta say, the ladyfriend loves her's. Has a little over 50,000 miles on it. Had it since april 08. Replaced the tires, changed the oil, K&N filter, that's it. Been very reliable, the gas mileage sucks for the size. Low 40's in summer, however with the winter gas we've been lucky to break 35 mpg. She is not a car person at all, but when she saw the DaVinci code, she liked the car. I recalled seeing them over in Europe, and when she found out that they would be sold here, she put her reservation in and ordered one. I wish she would have bought a used one, as the resale is horrible, but she is happy.

I don't mind driving the car at all, it is almost as fun as a festiva to drive at 10/10ths everywhere you go. Thing is a beast in the snow even with all seasons. A little more power would be great, especially some down low, but with that said, it can mostly get out of it's own way, passing is reasonable, and the handling is predictable.

Hopefully MB can breathe some life into the brand, I saw the sales figures and they are pretty depressing. Of course it isn't a mass market 50K a year mover, but 15K or so would be good.

Smart failed me when this was not part of the US offering.

They canned that one in Europe after only a few years, too. I always thought they were neat cars...

In reply to jrw1621:

Now that I would actually drive. Especially if it stuck with the smart's MR drivetrain.

It's like the juvenile offspring of a CRX and RX-8.

The Smart Roadsters were one of the few redeeming factors in Knight and Day, cool cars in a crappy movie.

I've lived with mine for 3 years and 90,000 miles now and have absolutely no complaints with it. Averaging 43mpg and I rock it 140miles a day on my commute. If I were to buy another new car it would still be high on my list.
I know it doesnt make sense to alot of people but for the commuter crowd if you really look at how little you need more than 2 seats it's a great option.

Those Roadsters are still colossally expensive over here. They are really cool though.

I just noticed the 3 lug wheels. I have not seen those since '80's or earler Subarus. That pretty much kills any reasonably priced aftermarket or replacement for rims but those are pretty nice the way they are.

I sat in a Roadster at the Detroit Auto Show before the US release. I knew then I had to have one if the reasonable price they were showing came true! Sure enough, pulled from the product line-up before launch.

I think the roadster would have sold better than the standard Smart

jrw1621 wrote: I just noticed the 3 lug wheels. I have not seen those since '80's or earler Subarus. That pretty much kills any reasonably priced aftermarket or replacement for rims but those are pretty nice the way they are. I sat in a Roadster at the Detroit Auto Show before the US release. I knew then I had to have one if the reasonable price they were showing came true! Sure enough, pulled from the product line-up before launch.

There's a pretty decent aftermarket for the wheels actually ranging from affodable to insanely expensive. Alot of folks also like to go with adapters to MB wheels.

jrw1621 wrote: I just noticed the 3 lug wheels. I have not seen those since '80's or earler Subarus.

Didn't the Renault LeCar have 3-lug wheels? Now there's a car with a huge aftermarket!

We're at 50k on ours. 40-50mpg depending on how it's driven (lower with me on the throttle!). Love affair for me started to go when the brake light switch problem reared it's head during the extended cold snap. Being 3 hours from the closest dealer doesn't help either.

I will say this. I DO love driving it. As fun as a 77 Rabbit if you ask me. Only wish you could disable the traction/stability control at times to have some fun. Especially in the snow.

Anyone know if standard MB dealers will be allowed to or actually offering service on them?

And I too wish I could get the roadster. Clarkson even liked it!

mad_machine wrote: I think the roadster would have sold better than the standard Smart

This might be true for the US, but not in Europe. The Roadster was a massive sales flop.