you off againsee barys quote he was waiting for it :nutter:
Doesn't mean it's nice :nutter:
Personally a Smart wouldn't have been my choice but there's no need to go and call someone elses choice "hideous"
C'est la vie anyhoo......
General The 500 is going now...
- Thread starter Nuova500
- Start date
Currently reading:
General The 500 is going now...
Doesn't mean it's nice :nutter:
Personally a Smart wouldn't have been my choice but there's no need to go and call someone elses choice "hideous"
C'est la vie anyhoo......
All these posts just confirm to me that a great many people choose cars for purely emotional/fashion reasons, and then put them aside on another whim. I've found the comments very interesting. To answer the one about missing the auto gearbox: the 500 can be had with a Dualogic.
The Smart is OK in its way, but can only answer a very small number of transport questions, all of which are equally well, or better, answered by the 500 - at least that's how I see it. And it isn't particularly economical.
Good luck with it anyway.
The Smart is OK in its way, but can only answer a very small number of transport questions, all of which are equally well, or better, answered by the 500 - at least that's how I see it. And it isn't particularly economical.
Good luck with it anyway.
- Joined
- Apr 26, 2007
- Messages
- 13,617
- Points
- 2,161
LOL, this is a totally new model Heidi and has only 5% of the original car left in it. The box is still far from perfect but much better, it actually knows when to change gear now but is still a bit slow. The salesman showed me how to use it properly and its a world of difference.
I like naff cars, this Smart has a nice feel to it as it corners/steers and brakes like an old Fiat used to, not that well! The new engine is a Mitsubishi one, and vibrates at idle like an old 500, I was smitten but couldnt get a deal for over a week, they gave in eventually
Isnt it a Colt in drag? Mitsi CZT for me when I go petrol.
Indeed it can, but by all accounts is woefully unreliable.
Wow Barry! Not a bad choice considering its not a Fiat...TBH, I drove one in Italy and it was nice and sunny and it was a cabrio, and did I mention it was nice and sunny... I really liked the look (if the two seats are enough) but the semi-auto gear change was DIABOLICAL!!! Hope you are happy with it. My hubby disliked it with a vengance! Said (obviously): 'So, where is the other half?' Ha Ha Ha, I said. He is saying similar things for my 500... Anyway, rambling... Good luck with it!
I really liked the look (if the two seats are enough) but the semi-auto gear change was DIABOLICAL!!! Hope you are happy with it. My hubby disliked it with a vengance! Said (obviously): 'So, where is the other half?' Ha Ha Ha, I said. He is saying similar things for my 500... Anyway, rambling... Good luck with it!
thats the first time Barry been accused of keeping up with fashion since 1978 :devil:
ROTFLMAO. No need to be nasty
Only joking of course
Gempop
New member
My Mum has a 9 month old Passion Cabriolet and it is such a fabulous fun little car. No problems with it, its a solid car that can't half shift.
She loves it, I love it and considered buying one. Mind you she considered the 500 a year ago, but wanted a convertable so Smart won!
Hope you have fun with your Smart, I think they are just as great (ish!)
She loves it, I love it and considered buying one. Mind you she considered the 500 a year ago, but wanted a convertable so Smart won!
Hope you have fun with your Smart, I think they are just as great (ish!)
Gempop
New member
Oh and not to dampen your spirits - my Mum ended up waiting 9 months for her Fortwo
OP
OP
Cheers for the comments, I expected howls of derision. Its a car Ive thought about twice before... once I chose the Micra instead, then the second time I went for a used Toyota
So, third time lucky?
Ulpian, I didnt buy my 500 on a whim etc and Im no fashion victim, I bought it cos I love Fiats, however I hate cars after someones bumped them, especially twice and I did consider a Smart after my first 500 arrived damaged and faulty, but persevered with the purchase.
Ive had more than my fair share of bad luck with Fiat, what with my Pandas isuues when delivered and the first 500 to name a couple.
So far, Smart have been very helpful, they always ring back and I even got a call today thanking me for buying one... Im hearing very good things about the dealer too so hoping the experience might be a good one
I shall enjoy the challenge of gearchanging, I just floored the test drive and it was hilarious, the little Mitsi engine is very vocal which I love.
As for it fullfilling not many transport needs, well it fullfills all mine as well as being a laugh.
I hope in 3 years time a new baby Fiat will be around for me
So, third time lucky?
Ulpian, I didnt buy my 500 on a whim etc and Im no fashion victim, I bought it cos I love Fiats, however I hate cars after someones bumped them, especially twice and I did consider a Smart after my first 500 arrived damaged and faulty, but persevered with the purchase.
Ive had more than my fair share of bad luck with Fiat, what with my Pandas isuues when delivered and the first 500 to name a couple.
So far, Smart have been very helpful, they always ring back and I even got a call today thanking me for buying one... Im hearing very good things about the dealer too so hoping the experience might be a good one
I shall enjoy the challenge of gearchanging, I just floored the test drive and it was hilarious, the little Mitsi engine is very vocal which I love.
As for it fullfilling not many transport needs, well it fullfills all mine as well as being a laugh.
I hope in 3 years time a new baby Fiat will be around for me
Good luck then. I hope Fiat one day wakes up to the fact that its dealer culture is crap; but if they see themselves as Walmart/Asda:yuck: that'll never happen. Idiots...
So what would you do to improve the 'dealer culture'?
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2007
- Messages
- 1,017
- Points
- 159
My Fiat dealer was great when I placed the order, cant really rate the dealer until something gone wrong, so wait until the smart has issue (hope it will never happen.) Then we know how good they really are!?
Gempop
New member
I don't have a bad word to say against my dealership.
They were friendly, informative, took their time with me (I was being an indecisive woman over which alloys to chose!), and they kept me up to date on an almost daily basis up to collecting my car.
My Mum has had two cars from the same dealership and cannot fault them.
The only fault I do have is that they gave her a bouquet of flowers when she picked her Seicento up, I never got that when I picked my 500 up
They were friendly, informative, took their time with me (I was being an indecisive woman over which alloys to chose!), and they kept me up to date on an almost daily basis up to collecting my car.
My Mum has had two cars from the same dealership and cannot fault them.
The only fault I do have is that they gave her a bouquet of flowers when she picked her Seicento up, I never got that when I picked my 500 up
Sorry guys/girls shouldn't be hijacking Barrys thread with dealership issues, but happy to talk about it in garages section
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2007
- Messages
- 1,017
- Points
- 159
I don't have a bad word to say against my dealership.
They were friendly, informative, took their time with me (I was being an indecisive woman over which alloys to chose!), and they kept me up to date on an almost daily basis up to collecting my car.
My Mum has had two cars from the same dealership and cannot fault them.
The only fault I do have is that they gave her a bouquet of flowers when she picked her Seicento up, I never got that when I picked my 500 up
I didnt get any flowers either!! I'm a boy :devil:
Did got some car clean stuffs from them though!!!
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2007
- Messages
- 1,017
- Points
- 159
Sorry guys/girls shouldn't be hijacking Barrys thread with dealership issues, but happy to talk about it in garages section
oooops~~~:worship:
To be honest, the dealer experiences from Fiat can be improved dramatically with a little common sense and taking the customer perspective.
From a customer perspective (this is the only one I have to give), communication, customer empathy, product knowledge and the dark art of customer service is all that is needed and is one of the keys to success.
Lexus and Skoda win JD power awards which you may or may not agree with from your own personal experiences, however they communicate with the customer as appropriate, set realistic expectations i.e call you when they promise - even if it is just an update, show empathy for the problems and work WITH the customer to resolve these issues and ensuring the customer is not inconvencieced/reluctant/uncomforatble to enter the dealership when things go wrong.
Some Fiat dealerships do this and even build on the customer relationship well after the purchase (Harwoods in the Isle of Wright is constantly praised because of this and rightly so!).
However these good ones are in a minority sadly and most do not communicate enough, fail to set expectations or fall short of them all together, demonstrate little interest in the customer and the issues they have, and moreover quite happy to ignore existing/new customers, fob them off with poor product knowledge or denial an issue/requirement exists.
Customer and people in general are not fools, we all expect cars to go wrong once in a while, but it is the after sales experience which makes the car ownership a good one rather than a bad one.
Fiat are not the only ones either, I have been to a few Renault dealers in the past and their intolerance to any customer who is not buying a car beggars belief.
Just my 2p's worth since the question was raised.
