(Photo by Dan Edmunds. Or me. Can't remember. I know he sized it and that it was for the suspension walkaround.)
You won't have the 2008 Smart Fortwo Passion to kick around anymore.
That's right. It's done. Over. Gone. Sold. And as of today, all wrapped up. But, we can't let it go without a final farewell in the form of Parting Shots. By now you all know the drill; this is everyone's (both Edmunds Editors and your) last official chance to get a word in edgewise on an outgoing Long Term Road Test car.
Follow the jump for our official farewell --and don't forget to leave your own -- to the 2008 Smart Fortwo Passion Coupe...
"On the way through traffic to the last home game for the Dodgers a year ago, the high pitched engine and the robo-rocking chair ride proved to be too much. John and I couldn't stand to be in the car anymore so we pulled over at the nearest bar and watched the game on TV. The Dodgers won, but my night was ruined because I had to get back into the thing after the game and drive home." Scott Jacobs, Senior Photographer
"Our Smart attracted more vile hate than any other long-term car I can remember. So I'm certainly in the minority when I say that I liked driving the Fortwo. It required mental effort to drive properly, and that made it fun. But that doesn't mean that it was a good car." Brent Romans, Senior Editor
"I cried when it left. Such raw performance, such tactile handling, such polished character, such beautiful noises coming from just behind my shoulder. Styling that could melt a cheese sandwich from across the room. Oh wait, you didn't say R8? The Smart??? Oh crap, I hated that thing. Good riddance." James Riswick, Automotive Editor
"With its lurching, nausea-inducing automatic transmission, this was initially quite a hateful little piece of work. But ah, what a difference paddle shifters make - I eventually discovered that manual shifts fostered a smoother ride, and a smoother ride meant I could stop whining about feeling brutally jostled and instead soak up the little car's charms.
And what exactly are those charms, you ask? I'll get back to you on that." Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor
"Give me the Hayabusa swap ( http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=05c_1222299007 ) or Monster Smart mods (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDU5BU_qSJU) and I'm sold." Josh Sadlier, Associate Editor
"Not many 21st century cars can do almost everything worse than the competition, so I guess in that regard the Smart was a very special (and ironically named) automobile." Karl Brauer
"Well, it's no Toyota Yaris. But then again, isn't that a good thing?" Michael Jordan, Executive Editor
"We should have flat-blacked it." Donna DeRosa, Managing Editor
"I liked it. Good steering, well shaped seats, plenty of room and it rode well. I even learned to live with its odd transmission. I'm a fan." Scott Oldham (yes, Scott Oldham!) Inside line Editor-in-Chief.
"It's all about throttle control and preparedness. Forget the paddles. If you've got a good foot, the smart is a pretty fun toy. If it was $8,000 new, I'd buy one." Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant and compiler of Parting Shots.
7driver says:
10:31 PM, 09/ 3/09
(from a picture caption alongside the wrap-up):
"Every driver on earth is conditioned to hanging brake pedals. Why did they mount this one to the floor?" — Mike Schmidt
Hello? Air-cooled VW? Air-cooled Porsche?
7driver says:
10:35 PM, 09/ 3/09
...and karts too.
bimmerjay says:
10:40 PM, 09/ 3/09
mmm... cheese sandwich...
cruiserhead1 says:
01:02 AM, 09/ 4/09
You are about three good pumps of that hydraulic jack away from making me happy.
Like any pest you find, you don't send it back, you kill it so it won't appear again.
adavis2493 says:
03:47 AM, 09/ 4/09
Too bad it's selling at Glendale Kia for $15,995 with a clean Carfax.
ahightower says:
05:13 AM, 09/ 4/09
If only it had a back seat, a deisel engine, and got 40 mpg... it would be the Jetta TDI. Which is what every person who buys this POS should buy instead. (I know it's more expensive, but I also know they can afford it, because I never see these things outside of very nice neighborhoods. They're toys for rich wives who think they're cute.)
subaru123 says:
05:25 AM, 09/ 4/09
Hey Inside Line, adavis2493 found your car. Here's a link. At first I thought it wasn't it because the Kia site said it was a Pure trim level, but the licence plates are the same.
http://www.glendalekia.com/VehicleDetails/492152913
subaru123 says:
05:26 AM, 09/ 4/09
Thank goodness it's gone. Now there's room to add a Subaru to the LT fleet!!!!!!!!!!!!
lowmilelude says:
06:19 AM, 09/ 4/09
So is LTRTB going to write this whole thing off as experimentation? You know, like that one time in college?
fuhteng says:
06:44 AM, 09/ 4/09
I think the punks in Hamsterdam have the right idea. Smart tipping! What a miserable car. Are you guys going to get a Yaris to replace it?
hybris says:
07:26 AM, 09/ 4/09
I think its right to say a few one liners now.
Even the Smart can't disobey the laws of physics.
or
Sometimes physics push back.
Either way go riddance to the beetle wanna be now lets get another pickup or maybe a Taurus SHO in LT fleet.
redliner says:
07:42 AM, 09/ 4/09
Smart fortow: Its simply jacked up.
bodyblue says:
08:14 AM, 09/ 4/09
A LTR for this incredible pile of excrement and still not one on the Focus. If I did not love this blog and site so much I would boycott it !! LOL COME ON GUYS!
altimadude00 says:
08:24 AM, 09/ 4/09
18K miles? Was this the least driven car in your fleet ever? Then again, I wouldn't drive it much either.
compliance says:
08:33 AM, 09/ 4/09
If it's at the Kia dealership maybe they traded it for a Soul.
bodyblue says:
11:08 AM, 09/ 4/09
@hybris
Good idea! A SHO or even Fusion Sport or (gulp) Hybrid. You are down to one Ford now and its time is getting short. How about a Lincoln MKT Ecoboost? Just no more BMWs!
lvranger says:
11:44 AM, 09/ 4/09
I bet Carmax sent it to auction instead of putting it on their lot and then the Kia dealer bought it.
greenpony says:
12:41 PM, 09/ 4/09
So the smart gets a quick wrap-up, and the Focus fades into oblivion. Come on, which car did you really like better?
wobbly_ears says:
10:06 PM, 09/ 4/09
"I liked it. Good steering, well shaped seats, plenty of room and it rode well. I even learned to live with itts odd transmission. I'm a fan." Scott Oldham (yes, Scott Oldham!) Inside line Editor-in-Chief.
Okay, is Scott the official troll on IL LT blogs?? Where's the sarcasm filter?
If he really meant it, I lost all respect for him.
wobbly_ears says:
10:16 PM, 09/ 4/09
I'm confused. The Glendale Kia provided Carfax report doesn't mention any accidents. But we know for certain that this car was involved in one. Didn't Edmund's insurance company report it to Carfax?
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2008/05/2008-smart-fortwo-the-la-welcome.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2008/05/2008-smart-fortwo-damage-repair-part-1.html
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2008/05/2008-smart-fortwo-passion-repair-part-iii-the-waiting-game.html
epbrown says:
02:48 AM, 09/ 6/09
Well, at least it's finally over and the kicking can stop. :) I was really hoping that eventually you guys would get it, though.