Smart vs IQ vs mini vs 500 for a city commuter with point and shoot ability.
I know in the autocross realm the mini would be the winner hands down but let's just say it follows the table below
purchase price 30% operating costs (spares and fuel consumption included) 30% ability to get into tight spots 20% autocross ability (remember how each will be categoried) 10% uniqueness 10%
Go.
Never having driven any of them I vote 500 only if Abarth.
Be careful though vs. threads are a little bit bated around in these parts.
Smart is out. Needs premium gas, the ride made me a tad motion sick, and the tranny is a joke. I have a couple friends with Minis, and their experiences convinced me to not get one. Another friend has a 500 and adores it. Zero problems. I don't know anything about the iQ.
nicksta43 wrote: Never having driven any of them I vote 500 only if Abarth. Be careful though vs. threads are a little bit bated around in these parts.
I know, I am who the poopshovel said his notorious comment about.
I didn't create them but I am the one that caused the back lash.
Read my sig, that is my position on it these days.
Lol, I remember.
I believe wearymicrobe or one of the other rich guy's on here absolutely bated his IQ fwiw .
nicksta43 wrote: Lol, I remember. I believe wearymicrobe or one of the other rich guy's on here absolutely bated his IQ fwiw .
DO NOT GET A IQ Unless it is completely 100% a city car.
As a city car it is almost impossible to beat. But if you need do go faster then 55mph or if you value fun above say easy to clean carpets then find something else, anything else.
A small 250cc motorcycle, Walk, a razor scooter, a dog sled team.
In some ways a Miata is actually a better city car if it needs to be used on the freeway at any point or if you value fun.
MINIs are a pain in the ass to maintain but a lot of fun to drive. I really enjoy driving the 500 as well but the interior quality makes me nervous about how it would hold up. I have heard nothing good about the iQ at all and the Smart's transmission sucks.
2008 Clubman bought new. Dealer handled maintenance for the first 3 years (included in purchase price). And since then it's been a piece of cake - fluid changes and a cabin filter. Couldn't be easier. Just passed 5 year anniversary. Absolutely nothing but fluids and fuel. And a lot of fun to drive. 30-32 mpg in town; 39-45 mpg on the highway w/manual tranny. And with the seat down, we can haul just about anything we've needed to haul.
Haven't we debated this movie before?
You forgot Ford Fiesta. The new ST one is going to be a SCREAMER. I say hold out. I own a MINI. I love driving it, but with 115k on the clock, I am beginning to hate the vehicle. It's a BMW, expect BMW maitenance.
I didn't know the Smart required premium fuel... wouldn't the Abarth and the Cooper S also?
Fiesta got ruled out on size and the mini about did. Plus I am not a fan of the fiesta. I wish I could figure out what it is, but I just don't like them.
I love the platform of the IQ but the cvt seems horrible from everyones account.
I like the way the smart runs and I get the transmission. Get over the auto side of it and treat it like a self shifting manual (or how it feels to ride passenger with a really lazy shifter) and they are tolerable.
mini seems costly to run and the fiat feels cheap.
Maybe miata is the answer....again. 
mad_machine wrote: I didn't know the Smart required premium fuel... wouldn't the Abarth and the Cooper S also?
Yes, the Cooper S drinks the expensiver stuff.
Last month, I traded my '03 MCS for an '04 WRX. I am much happier now. The MCS was a love/hate relationship: loved to drive it in anger, hated it any other time. It was a punishing ride on anything but fresh pavement. Expansion joints, frost cracks, etc. were jarring. Sure, it could turn and stop on a dime, but if you drove over that dime, you'd feel it.
In reply to RealMiniDriver:
so you'r no longer the RealMiniDriver so your the RealScoobieDriver now?
In reply to Flight Service:
I still have my '60 Mini (avatar picture). The BMW is an imposter. 
I only know one person who owns any of those. And he loves his abarth.
I am not worried about the premium fuel. It all goes into the equation.
Flight Service wrote:nicksta43 wrote: Never having driven any of them I vote 500 only if Abarth. Be careful though vs. threads are a little bit bated around in these parts.I know, I am who the poopshovel said his notorious comment about. I didn't create them but I am the one that caused the back lash. Read my sig, that is my position on it these days.
Notorious comment? Damn dude, my bad. I have no memory of this place. If I ever was mad, your commanding presence in the Good God Almighty thread has absolved you of all sins.
...Unless you're the guy with the smart car who said he was cancelling his subscription because I made him cry. They are berkeleying turds and I want to t-bone them every time I see one.
That said, I keep seeing $100/mo leases on them.
I haven't driven the 500 or the IQ, but if you gave me a wad of cash and said "pick one," I'd go for the mini with ZERO hesitation.
In reply to poopshovel:
Happy to refresh your memory. Check out #6
I love the way the mini drives, but I am worried about cost. The $100 lease may be the way to go on the smart but I would prefere 4 doors, but I am finding used 500s around here now.
The IQ just looks like, on paper a great solution, but the lackluster CVT is worrisome.
Flight Service wrote: In reply to poopshovel: Happy to refresh your memory. Check out #6 I love the way the mini drives, but I am worried about cost. The $100 lease may be the way to go on the smart but I would prefere 4 doors, but I am finding used 500s around here now. The IQ just looks like, on paper a great solution, but the lackluster CVT is worrisome.
Oh wow. Yeah, that was when there were like 30 different "Vs." threads on the first page. That E36 M3 was stupid and annoying. Bagging on smart cars is awesome. What a worthless turd.
Mini is the answer 
If they gave me a smart, I would give it back. I'd rather drive a '67 King Midget. (Go look that up, kiddies!)
Looks like a Mini Moke.
That may be the answer!
Had an 05 cooper S. never any major problems but what did break was expensive. Premium gas and only so-so mileage especially in town. If you go mini, go 2007+
Of those cars, I'd go Mini. I had a Cooper S for a while. Honestly, one of the reasons I got rid of it was growing fear over it's reliability. To be fair, I never had an issue with it, but I read too many forum posts and it started to worry me. That said, from everything I've heard, the non-S models are much more reliable. They have the same suspension and interior, so besides the lack of power they're very similar. The Mini is a blast to drive, fits in tight spots, and can carry lots with the back seat folded down.
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