TP's smart fortwo blog

[Sufferin' Prius Envy]

Doesn't the manufacturer recommend PREMIUM FUEL for the Smart fortwo?

How "smart" is that?
smart fortwo pure, passion, and passion cabriolet

[ShellyT]

Like many cars that recommend premium, the Smart doesn't require it, and can burn regular just fine.

[jayman]

Originally Posted by Sufferin' Prius Envy

Doesn't the manufacturer recommend PREMIUM FUEL for the Smart fortwo?

I guess it depends on how the powertrain management system "trains" itself and how it takes advantage of different octane fuels

For example, my FJ "recommends" Premium, but states regular is ok too. I've tried a few different grades over several tanks each, and appear to have the best luck with Mohawk/Husky Premium 94.

The Premium 94 is an ethanol blend made in Canada, selling price is quite fair compared to non-ethanol grades sold here. Difference in fuel economy with my FJ is around +2.5 MPG running the 94, and it feels far peppier too. Apparently it will advance the timing quite a bit

Again, some vehicles like the FJ have powertrain management to take advantage of different octane fuels. I never run anything but regular unleaded in the Prius, and for the vast majority of vehicles, regular is best

[Jack66]

Thanks for the safety rundown, TP. It sounds like you made a great choice. Has anyone figured out how to fit a family of five in a Smart yet?

[Tideland Prius]

Originally Posted by Sufferin' Prius Envy

Doesn't the manufacturer recommend PREMIUM FUEL for the Smart fortwo?

How "smart" is that?
smart fortwo pure, passion, and passion cabriolet

How smart? It's cheaper to refuel than a Yaris so it doesn't bother me to put in 91.

Originally Posted by Jack66

Thanks for the safety rundown, TP. It sounds like you made a great choice. Has anyone figured out how to fit a family of five in a Smart yet?

Np. Sure, just move the front seats forward a bit. Have people sit on the cargo area and have their legs go behind the front seats and the toes under the front seats. lol.


Update: So, I'll be honest. It hasn't been the most reliable vehicle in our fleet. There were a few factory defects, one of which is crippling . Will have the car towed tomorrow (I have an appointment tomorrow to have something else fixed cause the part arriveed and now I have another problem for them to look at ... ugh)

[Tideland Prius]

Well the car was fixed under an hour. Great service (The car was cleaned inside and out). Had a courtesy car given when they had to keep it overnight. Wasn't the cleanest courtesy car if I'm honest.

[Jack66]

How long does it take to clean inside and out? You could probably clean everything four times in the same amount of time it takes to clean your Prius.

[Tideland Prius]

not very long. Sometimes, I'm just looking for things on the car to clean cause I'm done quite quickly. Waxing is also quite fast too which is a good thing cause the car is black.

[miscrms]

Got to test drive a smart while I was sitting around at carmax waiting for them to appraise our Land Rover (so we can buy another Prius). I honestly liked it a lot better than I thought I would. It had the panoramic roof, which helped it feel a lot bigger inside. The pickup was surprisingly good, though as others have noted the auto/manual shift pause and lurch is pretty substantial. It was much smoother though when using the paddle shifters. Felt surprisingly stable and solid cornering and on the freeway. All in all seems like a great car for a solo or duo commuter. just wish the mileage was a little better. Also thought CarMax was pushing it a bit asking $17,998, even at only 6k miles.

CarMax Car Detail

Rob

[Tideland Prius]

US$18k is quite a bit. Doesn't it start at $13.5k for the passion coupé? It has no leather so it doesn't have the comfort package. It has the radio 10 option though (CD Changer) but i'm not sure if you need to get the smart sound system with that (2 tweeters + sub). The only other options I can see are the pods, alarm and the fogs, as well as the metallic paint. US$18k gets you a brand new fully loaded cabrio (with leather, heated seats, auto headlights, rain-sensing wipers etc etc)