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Just got back from my Street Smart Event and it was held at my company's Lexus Dealership in White Plains, NY. I work for Mercedes-Benz and our Street Smart Event is on August 16th in Edison, NJ.
I was the first to take it out, and from the looks of everything inside, it was pretty easy to understand how everything works in the car. We only had European versions (speedo was in kilometers, and the shifter was a bit different) to test drive, but its pretty much the same.
As ffejalink stated above, there was plenty of room inside. Visibility was good, and I agree that the interior had a cheap feel to it. The brakes were a bit funny, taking a some effort to get some stopping action, but once pressed a bit, it stopped quite fast. I like the hill start assist. The brakes hold for 1.7 seconds on a incline so you don't roll backwards or forwards. I was suprised about how much pep it had. Granted it only weighs 1,600 pounds, that Mitsubishi engine (being produced by Mercedes-Benz now) is sufficient for around town cruising. I have not yet taken it on the highway or interstate, but I got up to around 50 mph and it seemed very stable and comfortable.
I could not tell you how many looks and finger pointing there was once I took them out.
Overall, I'm impress... but there are a few things that could be changed or added. For instances, there is no tilt or telescoping steering wheel (maybe available for US models) and there is no height adjustment either. So the height position of the seat and the steering wheel is set in stone. Also, there were no power side mirrors. Again, I am hoping that the US model will have them. I had to reach over my passenger to adjust the passenger side mirror.
There is a kit available for around $800 and you choose the color kit you want so you can change the color of your SmartCar.
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