Smart USA sales off to good start; will they last?
After just over two months of sales in the U.S., the Smart ForTwo is moving out of dealerships at a good clip. So far sixty-seven of the planned one hundred Smart USA dealers are in operation and the company sold 1,734 cars in February. Since the first cars were delivered in mid-January, a total of 3,437 ForTwos have be turned over to US owners. While that is a pretty good pace, the real test will be what happens over the coming months. As decidedly mixed reviews come in from media sources, owner word of mouth may prove to be the deciding factor in the success of the car in this country. For such a small car mileage numbers in the mid-30s may prove to be insufficient for American buyers. On the other hand the compact footprint may prove to be a boon to urban drivers. Only time will tell.
[Source: SmartUSA]
Daimler AG Reports 22,542 Unit Sales for U.S. Passenger Vehicles for March 2008
• Mercedes-Benz USA Records Highest First Quarter Sales
• smart fortwo Sales Continue to Increase
New York, NY – Daimler AG (NYSE: DAI) today reported total group sales (Mercedes-Benz and smart combined) of 22,542 passenger vehicles in the U.S. for March 2008. All sales figures in this release are on an
unadjusted basis unless otherwise noted.
While experiencing a marginal 3.7 percent decrease in its sales for the month of March (20,808 vs. 21,612), Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) maintained a three percent increase for the first quarter of 2008 (57,647 vs 55,985) bringing year-to-date sales to the highest level in the company's history. Highlights for the first quarter 2008 include significant increases in the Mercedes-Benz C-Class model line (up 39.6 percent) and the Mercedes-Benz M-Class model line (up 28.5 percent).
smart USA continues to deliver vehicles to excited reservation holders across the United States. Currently 67 smart centers are operational and representing smart in the U.S. American consumer response remains strong as the company still has well over 30,000 net reservations and dealership traffic remains strong.
Detailed vehicle sales information for MBUSA will be announced later today in a separate press release issued by Mercedes-Benz USA.
Daimler AG U.S. Passenger Vehicles Sales Summary Through March 2008
Month Sales % Sales CYTD %
Curr Yr Pr Yr Change Curr Yr Pr Yr Change
Mercedes-Benz USA 20,808 21,612 -3.7 57,647 55,985 3.0
smart USA 1,734 n/a* n/a* 3,476 n/a* n/a*
* smart sales in the U.S. started in mid January 2008
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
jon 9:08AM (4/10/2008)
"For such a small car mileage numbers in the mid-30s may prove to be insufficient for American buyers."
seriously. it's hard to put the smart up against, say, the honda fit and see any practical advantages. when you buy a smart, you trade space for... what? lower price? not really. better mileage? not really. easier parking? not really in this country. i think the only thing it has going for it is cuteness.
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phil easler 9:13AM (4/10/2008)
My 1999 Sentra gets a average of 34 mpg. The U.S. smart only does about 36 mpg average. The smart holds 2, my sentra holds up to 5. Give us a electric model please.
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Phil L. 9:46AM (4/10/2008)
Has anyone heard what fuel consumption typical Smart owners are seeing in real life? And not just the hypermilers - are normal drivers regularly beating the EPA estimates?
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D. See 10:10AM (4/10/2008)
I really like the idea of the Smart, and I truly hope that it succeeds here in the states. However, the other posters are correct in that there are better alternatives for the same (or a little more) money. Fit, Yaris, & Versa all offer the similar fuel economy in a more practical package. Hate to sound like an old fart here (I'm 44), but the other cars make more sense. Until Smart improves the fuel economy and fixes the horribly balky transmission, I'll admire it from the drivers seat of my new Fit.
The Smart is intended as a chic city car, and there it hits it's mark. It's a statement. I sure hope that a better statement can be made in the future by improving the aforementioned shortcomings.
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MikeW 11:13AM (4/10/2008)
The automated 5 speed transmission will be the kiss of death.
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why not the LS2LS7? 11:54AM (4/10/2008)
As MikeW mentions, if you've driven it, I assure you that the number one thing on your mind is the transmission. It's insane. You'd have to be real dedicated to parking in small spaces to put up with that thing.
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Mulad 3:11PM (4/10/2008)
The "Your MPG" feature of fueleconomy.gov says that people are averaging 38 mpg with the Smart ForTwo coupe. I'm not sure how many of those folks are hypermilers, though.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/compx2008f.jsp?year=2008&make=smart&model=fortwo%20coupe&hiddenField=Findacar
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Bill 8:29PM (4/10/2008)
Still requires premium fuel!
4-seat econoboxes that cost no more can use cheaper regular unleaded.
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rgseidl 9:39PM (4/10/2008)
There is a common misperception that just because the smart fortwo a two-seater, it's competing against Asian econoboxes and intended to be a fuel sipper. This is a small premium vehicle for a niche market of yuppies and small businesses who care mostly about finding parking quickly. Otherwise, it's all about the funky looks, but that novelty will wear thin soon enough. As for the gear box - best to put it in manual mode and learn to use the paddle shifters.
The diesel version is quite frugal but it doesn't meet US emissions regs. A true BEV might well prove relatively popular in the US, even at a high price tag. However, Daimler has spent so much time digging the smart brand out of its financial hole that it's focusing on Li-ion batteries for the Merc S Class hybrid first.
Smart's UK sales force did cobble together a pure EV version based on a Zebra battery but it's unlikely it will ever go on sale to the general public. The folks back at Daimler HQ in Germany want to standardize on Li-ion packs cooled by A/C refrigerant.
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mike 10:34PM (4/10/2008)
I'd say the smart is about a car that's yes small, but, one you don't have to fall into. Though a better engine would be nice. And an EV would be perfect.
Secondly, it's not quite so funky looking as the Fit.
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why not the LS2LS7? 4:01AM (4/11/2008)
Uh, rgseidl. Drive it.
It isn't that the transmission is slushy or doesn't make use of the power in the engine, it's that the tranny is insane.
It takes over a second to shift, whether it does so automatically or if you use the paddle shifts to do it. The car, which resists rolling sideways even in sharp turns, suddenly tilts forward on the suspension noticeably as the engine power cuts out, the tranny takes a deep breath and finds a new gear, then the engine power comes back on and the engine tilts back on the suspension again.
It's completely bizarre. I've never been in a car with a more screwed up transmission. And there's nothing you can do to correct or work around the problem.
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Chris 7:45AM (4/11/2008)
I love how when their balloon is popped the "smart fans" try to float a new one, parking. Sorry, but unless cities adopt their laws for it is no easier to park one of these over any other small car.
See, a parking space is a parking space. Owners of such spaces, be they government or private property, don't generally makes spaces available in narrow size categories, usually there are two sizes, regular and small car. So the small car is covered. So to take advantage of a SMART car they will need a new category?
Don't think so.
The cars are not a smart investment. You can get more car for less and have lower costs of ownership to top it off. These are a marketing driven vehicle, not a fact driven one. Hell its the GW of cars.
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john riley 8:39AM (4/11/2008)
This car is a statement car. It doesn't necessarily say the same thing as a Prius, but it is a statement in a similar way. When these turned up in Toronto, they appeared in a lot of driveways next to luxury vehicles, so they weren't being bought by people who where looking for an economy car.
Most people don't buy cars on "facts". If they did, they would never have started buying trucks (recently fading in popularity) in the first place. All cars make a statement, some more strongly than others. This is 180 degrees from a blinged out Escalade.
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Bman 8:43AM (4/11/2008)
I think the most overlooked factor regarding this car is the 'fun to drive' factor. Which, in all honesty cannot be experienced unless you go and test drive a Smart for yourself. For being 'car-folks' hanging out at AutoBlog I would have thought most of you had some fun in a go-cart once or twice. I drove a Yaris and a Fit, they are so smoothed over that they miss the target completely. No Fun! This is exactly the reason why people move 'up market' for something a little bigger for few more buks. The 'Power to Weight' ratio determines much of the cars fun to drive equation and many of the compacts (or what there is to pick from) have gained plenty of fat over the last 20 years. Honda Fit: EPA Fuel Economy - miles per gallon city / highway / observed = 27 / 33 / 30. Via theautochannel.com. More importantly and less even discussed is the fact that the car is now here and ready to evolve. The dealer network is set-up, the tiny cars are coming into the US legally! The possibilities for other powerplants, fuel types, drivetrains will help keep the car fresh for the coming years. Congrats to Penske for taking this FUN to drive car to the next level in the USA!
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Whopper 9:39AM (4/11/2008)
Bman, you found this ill-conceived transmission equipped roller skate fun to drive? Buy a used Miata and sacrifice a few mpg and have some fun in a real car. Or buy a motorcycle and get better mileage and have some REAL FUN. The "Smart" is the worst excuse for a car since the Edsel.
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Bman 9:50AM (4/11/2008)
Ask yourself how the VW beetle gained huge popularity and sales with only 36HP, then 40HP, and up to a whopping 53HP. The concept of rear the engine was strange and most other cars had much more space and power as well.
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Throwback 10:03AM (4/11/2008)
Bman, it's not the rear engine that is the problem. I have driven 3 of the new fortwos. I even put down my $99 and drove "my" car before canceling the order. I have driven cars for over 30 years and this is one of the worst transmission I have ever driven. I grew up in NYC and believe me any car that shifts this slowly is a liability in city traffic where the ability to hit holes in traffic quickly is paramount. Shifting manually helps but the shifts are simply too slow. This car needs either a dual clutch set-up or a cvt. Mitsubishi recognizes this that is why their "I" has a conventional 4 spd auto.
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Bman 11:44AM (4/11/2008)
You're missing the point entirely. The transmission can and will eventually change. The car is here to stay, people are dying for something different and most that are commuting don't use the extra space. I never gave kudos to the transmission choice, but realize the concept is good and the Smart is fun. Now if that were your only car then yes something bigger may be more suitable. As far as 'this is all you need from A to B' to the office and back with a light footprint- Smart is great choice.
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MikeW 12:50PM (4/11/2008)
'Still requires premium fuel!'
No it requires European mid-grade, 95RON.
Good thing that 10% ethanol raise the AKI of mid-grade from 89 to 91, oh wait they didn't.
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why not the LS2LS7? 1:18PM (4/11/2008)
The car isn't awful to drive, but it's not fun either. I agree the small size seems like it would make it fun, but the car plows badly in any aggressive turn, and the transmission removes absolutely ALL joy. It's not like it robs the engine power, what little power the engine has is well utilized and makes the car quite responsive up to about 70mph, well, as long as it doesn't have to shift.
If they fix the transmission, it'll rise to the same level of fun as a Honda Fit perhaps. With worse usable space and mpg.
Unless you can park this car head-in in your jurisdiction (you can't in mine), I can't see what this car is for.
It'd be good if the transmission got better over time. But it isn't like the car is new. The Smart came out 10 years ago. They've had enough time to figure out how to make a car with a working transmission.
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