[KTypeR84]

went for a test drive today and spoke to the sales man..plastic here and
there BUT, kancils and kelisas don`t come close to the quality of
it..everything was solid and well put together...driving seats are comfy
and the view from the car feels like driving a kancil...one word of warnign
though, seats CANNOT be reclined, but it was good enuf for me as the
driving position is just nice, steering feel is there unlike EPS on certain
newer models (City) and the car is underpowered when you take off (you need
to throttle it more than a usual car to get the car moving and when it
moves, it really moves!! the power was amazing once u half throttle it!!)
heard comments from another girl that said her kelisa was more powerful as
it moves away upon acceleration, the problem is, you need to get use to
driving it even though it`s an auto. When you engage the gear, the car
simply won`t `creep` forward, u will have to accelerate a bit more, den the
car will move away itself (upon observation, it was only when you first
drive off after engaging the gear
the car will just stay there instead of creeping) after that, ur car will
roll backwards if u are on a slope, so there. Seems like the creep is
missing!! Next is the gear change can be a bit rough, as in like u drive a
manual and you let go ur clutch pedal too quickly, i still can`t get it why
it only happens intermittently but braking power is just nice. Car is
sluggish upon take off, but after a short while, when u get into the turbo
zone (2k-4k usable rpm) your car will be tearing down the road like
nobody`s business. Went over potholes and rough areas, ride is more or less
like a kancil minus the rattling and lose fittings. The version i drove was
the cabriolet and i must say that engine sound is not at all loud for city
use even when the engine is just behind you, not sure bout high speeds
though, but for a cabriolet (with the roof closed up and it`s just some
sort of fabric) sound proofing is quite good...say, around japanese car
levels for sound intrusion? Car is stable when cornering but a bit on the
high side..i felt the car is actually in a piece when i corner, unlike
other small cars which felt that it will flip upon cornering..so, that`s a
bout it..car is well put together and solid and fun to drive..manual mode
was a hassle, i couldn`t get the gearing right despite the arrows keep
showing up and down on which gear i`m to shift to so owners may actually
wanna ignore that mode for city driving..the honda`s 7 speed mode is much
easier to use..lol..that`s a bout it

[KTypeR84]

Oh yeah, service intervals are 15,000km unlike oriental or japanese makes
which is 5k once...seems quite hardy for such an engine..even perodua's
need servicing earlier...but the price for servicing is another
matter..definitely is a rich man's toy for their kids..not practical if
you have a big family or want to use it as a primary form of
transportation. Nevertheless, it's a good buy considering the level of
equipment given..why not if u have e extra cash ?

[440ci]

If you're interested Ryoga buy one now because the price seems very
reasonable and is certainly a lot less than the manufacturers had been
hoping for. If it's successful they're sure to increase it. Check out the
prices in Europe, you will notice it is not a cheap car.

Be VERY careful and make sure you see the car you will have BEFORE you
commit. Be certain it shows no evidence of long term storage.

Although pricey they are great cars and will stand a lot of abuse and
hard driving. The only thing that would put me off of letting my wife
have one is crash safety. Although they are really well built and put
certain local cars to shame with their safety features you have to
remember the occupants of bigger heavier cars generally come off best in
an accident

[Ryoga]

KTypeR84, wow, good test drive report. I'm still waiting for the "Passion"
to arrive before doing any test drive. Will give mine when I have the
chance after I have driven one.

440ci, if I had my way, the purchase would have been last week .
Unfortunately I still need to find out abt the maintenance and spare parts
as these seem to be the only reason holding me back now.

Also, hear ya abt those accident stats. Dats one of the reason why I am so
impressed with the Smart, check out all the following in such a small car:

- Tridion Safety Cell - protecting it's content (driver & passenger) like
the hard shell of a nut.

- Wheel as a buffer. The compactness of the car is an added advantage
since a side impact will almost certainly hit the wheel due to the ultra-
short wheelbase. (more explanation available with the brochure)

- both copue and cabrios comes with crash boxes buitl with crash absorbing
elements both front and back

- sandwich type contruction enables raised seating position for better
view an safer positon in the even of a side impact

- Roll-over bar and body reinforcements
- crash sensor (?) Have to ask the dealer apa ni
- Safety steering columns
- Safety seats with integral seat belts and belt guides
- Seat belts with belt tensioner and belt-force limiter
- Breakdown kit with compressor
- ABS, anti-traction, etc

Walau ... all this in one small car.
-

[KTypeR84]

No prob ryoga..i enjoyed it very much..my dad decided to get one in the
end..lol...he's using it to run around as the fuel consumption is so low.
Yeah, better get one now, hopefully it doesn't go CKD like the rest of the
mercs, den quality is bound to drop..for 80k plus for a CBU model, really
feel that it's okay le..not too bad..we paid 80k for the honda's and
toyota's and the quality is not as good as the japanese imported
units..even its evident in mercs, uncle's cbu 230e 6 yrs liao still so damn
quiet, whereas frenz mercs dunno 240 or 210...aso e class..2 yrs
nia..rattle rattle...Cheers !!

[440ci]

Ryoga that all sounds impressive but much of it is standard/compulsory
equipment on many cars and has been for more than 30 years in some cases.
It's mainly advertising blurb and should be regarded as such.

It IS very well built from a safety point of view BUT that doesn't change
the fact that typically its occupants will not fare as well as those in a
larger heavier vehicle. That wouldn't worry me driving one in the UK but
my wife in Malaysia is a very different story.

[Ryoga]

440ci, ur probably right. Depends on fate too wor.

Anyway, if I do buy her, I will definitely consider her an expensive toy
car . Of course driving habits have to change too

[Ryoga]

OK, got a call again from the Dealer. Will be test driving the car this
Sat.

They also just completed their product training. Was told that there are
only 2 difference btn the Pulse and the Passion, that being the colour of
the tridion cell cage and Passion has different rims. But for such simple
difference, why so big disparity in price (Pulse at 83K while Passion is
at 87K).

Will find out more on Saturday.

Note of interest: All Smart fortwo will cum with a kind of "tyre inflater"
to temporary hold off punctures until you can drive to a tyre shop (they
dun have spares wor)

[zybisko14]

err... is the roadster out yet? how much does it cost? i don't want extra
passengers except for my girl... hmmm. threesome maybe? hahaha

[Ryoga]

zybisko14, I was told that the Roadster is only coming next year
(dependant on fortwo sales performance), and it's over RM100K wor.