has anybody driven the smart car in europe? i'm finding a good deal on it from dollar rental car in florence, $262 vs. 312 for a peugeot 205...thought it would be fun to drive one. however, wanted to know your thoughts about it.
Oh, also, small detail, will be travelling with my wife and 2 carry-ons, will it fit 2 carry-ons?
thanks

Go for the Peugeot. You will feel more comfortable in it. A friend of mine said of his Smart that if he drove over a coin he could tell you if it was heads or tails! (His is a company Smart used for visiting clients around Amsterdam.)
If you are only hiring it for a couple of days, you may get away with it, but my advice is still go for comfort.

Is it a Smart for_two or a Smart for_four ?
If it's a for_two, it's tiny : if you are short 2 small bags will fit, else it's eiter the bags or your wife.
Still a small question about the Peugeot : did they really mention a 205 ? this model was discontinued 10 years ago, replaced by the 206 and now the 207).

Wish you could get a Pug 205 these days - the GTi was a class hot hatch

Would have thought for Florence that a Smart car would be ideal

i agree...but it depends on where/how much you are driving. the smart is clearly a city car (i hope you are not hiring a car to drive around florence!). it is underpowered and uncomfortable (as stated) on the motorway. you may have a problem with 2 hard, wheel style carry-ons. 2 soft bags are not problem in the smart.

the main selling point is the ease of getting around and parking in a city. they are not for the motorway (although they are fine for short hops on the motorway). if you want more of an all-round car for touring tuscany (for example), definitely go for the peugeot.

I've driven a Smart Car while eating tuna fish and petting my puppy dog.

There is no storage space in a Smart.

Hi

I tried it a few years back and at the time I was not very impressed with the gear system. It was semi-automatic and not a very good solution in my opinion. But maybe it is just a matter of getting used to

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

The latest model is a bit better

http://www.whatcar.co.uk/car-review/...oupe-new/2705/

Hey everybody. Thanks for the many replies. First, NO, I'm not driving it around Florence. I'm going on a tour around Tuscany, and after hearing complaints about parking I thought this would be a good solution. However, many of you told me that's for the city and not for "long" journeys. I'm tall, 6.1', so I guess I will go with the peugeot. As far as 205, 206 or 207 I don't know, but will check, thanks for the hint. Also, I found out that it was cheaper because it did not have theft insurance....Thanks Again.