Smarties
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negotiating a smart diesel
- Thread starter Sp!ke
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- buy an e55 diesel negotiating smart
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Sp!ke
Administrator
From reading the forums, I'd expect to get as low as 38mpg on my commute in one of those.
There is no such thing as an economical petrol car.
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Sp!ke
Administrator
The 1.2 TDI Fabia Greenline is just under £14k OTR
However you look at it, it is more expensive than a Smart.
The new Kia Rio diesel is £11k OTR (list) and gives 88.3 mpg on the combined cycle ...
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Sp!ke
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Yes, that was the first car I tried.
Its not a bad car actually but with the 11k model you get absolutely nothing and by the time you've added aircon and lost the keep fit windows you're looking at 13.5k and a PCP of £185 per month as well as any chance of hitting 88.3mpg. I have a real struggle justifying driving one of these as it didnt seem to have any redeeming features other than the claimed MPG. It isnt a bad car but it just didnt have any character whatsoever.
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Deleted member 37751
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Just to clarify, are you looking to buy around the £10k mark or lease around the £150p/m mark?
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Sp!ke
Administrator
Either really. Less is more though.
The smart lease goes from £99 for a petrol pulse to my quote of £126 for the passion CDI.
The smart lease goes from £99 for a petrol pulse to my quote of £126 for the passion CDI.
Too late now but you could have ordered one with aircon etc. for £11.9k in October ("Early Buyer Reward")!
New Rio Price Options | Kia Motors UK
Yes I have to admit, no one has ever complained about our W202 loaners... we have five of them.
Although some do pull faces when they first see them.
I had a W202 C200 as a courtesy car this year and it was fine.
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Sp!ke
Administrator
I imagine you can rent a Smart for £100/week. Try before you buy
At worst it will have cost you the difference between the rental and the fuel saved
I have already test driven the Petrol and diesel variants twice so I think I know what I am getting albeit not having driven one above 60mph.
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OP
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Sp!ke
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The problem is that until the early buyers start driving them, no-one knows what the real world fuel consumption will be like. It weighs nearly 500kg more than the smart so I suspect the mpg figures will be very optimistic.
nick mercedes
MB Enthusiast
Here's an economical (65mpg+) car for less money than you were going to part with on the deposit for your hire car (sorry PCP).
2004 VAUXHALL CORSA 1.3 CDTI DESIGN TURBO DIESEL 5 DOOR 12 MONTHS MOT HPI CLEAR! | eBay
No monthly payments, if it gets wrecked on the commute no expensive end of lease/rental bodywork worries.
Problem solved.
Smarties
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The deal you’ve been offered on the Black with Red trim car sounds pretty fair to me. As for all the Smart dissenters on here, we have owned Smarts for over 11 years now...as a MAIN car! It’s a well-engineered, very capable motor, with tons of character and more smiles per miles than anything else on the road. We use it more often than not, even though we have a choice of a V8 SL, straight six 190E and V4 E240, it does everything we ask of it and more.
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Sp!ke
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I agree that this may well be the correct route to go if one is seeking the cheepest possible path.
That said, how much longer is a 100,000 mile old Corsa got left in it before it starts requiring expensive attention? That car could well prove to be an expensive mistake. I'd take a chance on something like a 190 that I'd enjoy working on but I dont think I could even be bothered to do an oil change on an old corsa. I've owned a couple of Vauxhalls in the past and I swore never to buy one again. Horrible things.
nick mercedes
MB Enthusiast
Diesel Vauxhalls go for ever, how many Smart cars ever last long enough to see 100k?
Now a new Smart will be under warrenty, but you're stuck with it for 3 years, you'll never actually own it (unless you part with the balloon) and every scratch and stone chip is an issue when you come to give it back.
If you buy a small diesel powered car from a mainstream manufacturer, you'll get near enough the same MPG as a Smart, have no worries about it getting scratched, servicing is virtually free, parts - even from main dealers are cheap, and if you grow to hate it or get another job nearer home you won't be lumbered with it.
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Sp!ke
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I know, I really cant argue with your logic and have argued this very same point in the past from your perspective.
I guess I'm just thinking that this is about the same as I spend a month on mobile phones so really not such a big issue considering it gives me peace of mind and a very economical commuting car that is a bit of fun.
I've tried the bangernomics route so will try the PCP route this time - if it proves to be tiresome, I can always let the wife use it and take her Volvo.
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The one option you really should consider is power steering on a Smart!
