SMART car alternative for elderly parents
Discussion
My parents are elderly 70's and 80's and currently have a SMART car which they like. For them its easy to get in and out of due to the height of the seats and the large door opening. It is also automatic and that is a requirement too. There's is a 55 reg and I want to get them something a little newer so budget around 6K. They don't do many miles and basically its for going round the shops and running errands. They have a FFRR for bigger trips and family excursions, so don't need a half way house. Requirement is for a small reliable automatic car that is easy to get in and out of.
I have racked my brains and can't thing of anything else. Your views appreciated.
I have racked my brains and can't thing of anything else. Your views appreciated.
Definitely the newer shape Smart (451).
It's a little bigger, more comfortable and has a much more reliable Mitsubishi engine (1.0 litre petrol) or you can go for diesel for better fuel consumption. Unlikely if they are doing low mileage.
Keep away from the MHD version as belts break and cook the engine within seconds. You then have a choice of 1.0 turbo 84bhp or normally aspirated at 71bhp.
For your budget you should look at some of the later special editions; the GB-10 is lovely. Some special editions will have full leather, heated seats and flappy paddles.
Couple of websites for you to have a look at to give you more info.
http://www.smartmaniacs.co.uk/forums/
http://www.smartz.co.uk/forum.php
Fuel economy not as good as the 450 petrol but still should get around 50mpg in normal driving.
It's a little bigger, more comfortable and has a much more reliable Mitsubishi engine (1.0 litre petrol) or you can go for diesel for better fuel consumption. Unlikely if they are doing low mileage.
Keep away from the MHD version as belts break and cook the engine within seconds. You then have a choice of 1.0 turbo 84bhp or normally aspirated at 71bhp.
For your budget you should look at some of the later special editions; the GB-10 is lovely. Some special editions will have full leather, heated seats and flappy paddles.
Couple of websites for you to have a look at to give you more info.
http://www.smartmaniacs.co.uk/forums/
http://www.smartz.co.uk/forum.php
Fuel economy not as good as the 450 petrol but still should get around 50mpg in normal driving.
Omaruk said:
Thanks for the responses, yes very few if any alternatives, looks like it is Smart then. Reason newer is that its coming up to nearly 10 years old and I can get them the newer shape which looks a little more comfortable and plusher. I'll check out the IQ.
That's very nice of you, but have you checked with them that they actually want to change their car? And if so, shouldn't they be making the final decision? They may want to try a Jazz, for example.
folos said:
haha they are quite pricey though. I have one of the bigger brethen 
Denis O said:
Definitely the newer shape Smart (451).
It's a little bigger, more comfortable and has a much more reliable Mitsubishi engine (1.0 litre petrol) or you can go for diesel for better fuel consumption. Unlikely if they are doing low mileage.
Keep away from the MHD version as belts break and cook the engine within seconds. You then have a choice of 1.0 turbo 84bhp or normally aspirated at 71bhp.
For your budget you should look at some of the later special editions; the GB-10 is lovely. Some special editions will have full leather, heated seats and flappy paddles.
Couple of websites for you to have a look at to give you more info.
http://www.smartmaniacs.co.uk/forums/
http://www.smartz.co.uk/forum.php
Fuel economy not as good as the 450 petrol but still should get around 50mpg in normal driving.
thank you for the advice, one question all the 1.0L models are MHD? Which petrol variant do I go for?It's a little bigger, more comfortable and has a much more reliable Mitsubishi engine (1.0 litre petrol) or you can go for diesel for better fuel consumption. Unlikely if they are doing low mileage.
Keep away from the MHD version as belts break and cook the engine within seconds. You then have a choice of 1.0 turbo 84bhp or normally aspirated at 71bhp.
For your budget you should look at some of the later special editions; the GB-10 is lovely. Some special editions will have full leather, heated seats and flappy paddles.
Couple of websites for you to have a look at to give you more info.
http://www.smartmaniacs.co.uk/forums/
http://www.smartz.co.uk/forum.php
Fuel economy not as good as the 450 petrol but still should get around 50mpg in normal driving.
Edited by Omaruk on Monday 25th August 13:06
Omaruk said:
folos said:
haha they are quite pricey though. I have one of the bigger brethen 
Omaruk said:
thank you for the advice, one question all the 1.0L models are MHD? Which petrol variant do I go for?
Avoid the mhd as they're having problems with the belt drive stop-start system (which your elderly parents possibly wouldn't want to bother with). Edited by Omaruk on Monday 25th August 13:06
The petrols aren't all mhd, and some of them are turbos which drive quite nicely. I don't think the mpg suffers to bad for being a turbo but I don't know for sure.
nct001 said:
Totally second this. We have one and it's brilliant. It really is a Smart car with 2 extra seats - rear engine RWD. Or why not consider the i-Miev electric version if they don't do many miles? One of the best things about the i-Car is the ride comfort for such a small car.I read the Autocar review where it said something along the lines that you wouldn't want to travel more than 90 miles in it. Well it's not for the motorway for sure but we regularly take it to the coast 60-70 miles (120-140 miles return trip) along A/B roads and it runs at 60mph no problem. The engine is busy at all speeds and the turbo gives it a real slug of torque for real world traffic situations.
In most cases (4 up and coastal) it's our preferred car of choice over 4-5 other cars in the family.
Omaruk said:
Denis O said:
Definitely the newer shape Smart (451).
It's a little bigger, more comfortable and has a much more reliable Mitsubishi engine (1.0 litre petrol) or you can go for diesel for better fuel consumption. Unlikely if they are doing low mileage.
Keep away from the MHD version as belts break and cook the engine within seconds. You then have a choice of 1.0 turbo 84bhp or normally aspirated at 71bhp.
For your budget you should look at some of the later special editions; the GB-10 is lovely. Some special editions will have full leather, heated seats and flappy paddles.
Couple of websites for you to have a look at to give you more info.
http://www.smartmaniacs.co.uk/forums/
http://www.smartz.co.uk/forum.php
Fuel economy not as good as the 450 petrol but still should get around 50mpg in normal driving.
thank you for the advice, one question all the 1.0L models are MHD? Which petrol variant do I go for?It's a little bigger, more comfortable and has a much more reliable Mitsubishi engine (1.0 litre petrol) or you can go for diesel for better fuel consumption. Unlikely if they are doing low mileage.
Keep away from the MHD version as belts break and cook the engine within seconds. You then have a choice of 1.0 turbo 84bhp or normally aspirated at 71bhp.
For your budget you should look at some of the later special editions; the GB-10 is lovely. Some special editions will have full leather, heated seats and flappy paddles.
Couple of websites for you to have a look at to give you more info.
http://www.smartmaniacs.co.uk/forums/
http://www.smartz.co.uk/forum.php
Fuel economy not as good as the 450 petrol but still should get around 50mpg in normal driving.
Edited by Omaruk on Monday 25th August 13:06
I would probably go for the petrol turbo but the non turbo is perfectly adequate. I drove a non turbo to Greece earlier this year. Some of the alpine roads were a bit of a struggle up hill but then it was fully loaded and 2 up.
The other option, which is as rare as rocking horse poo, is power steering and I would have had that on mine if I could have found it. It's well worth while at parking speeds. Tyres can also make a big difference to slow speed activity. I put Yokos on mine and they make the steering lighter but power steering makes life much easier.
As for all the other suggestions they are all huge in comparison to a Smart. If that's what your parents want then fine but if they like the size of the Smart then stick with it.
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