Smart Fortwo

snakeweasel

Well one thing is that 02 Insights go for a bit more than that,

But you still have a 6 year old car with a ton of miles on it. Not the best way to go.

dstrom

smart USA claims that they are building and delivering ForTwos in the order that customers made their $99 deposits. I made my deposit on May 9, 2007, configured it (added accessories) on March 14, 2008, and my current "Delivery Date Estimator" shows "3/21/2008 to 6/19/2008". How does that compare to others, both those who've received their cars and those still waiting? Thanks.

[Deleted User]

I don't recall when I put down my $99 deposit, but it was somewhat before you did. I think the real difference is that I configured mine on the web site last fall. When they started selling them in January, I got a call that mine was in. I ended up turning it down and getting my deposit back (my needs had changed in the interim).

A significant percentage of all ordered cars are not being purchased by the person who put down the deposit. Someone else purchased the one I ordered, but I do not know if there is a waiting list for these, or if you can just go in and make an offer on a turned down unit.

subienewbie2

Those dates are about the same as mine. I have canceled mine.

After 3 test drives my brain overcame the cool factor and realized that the tranny totally sucks and the lack luster mpg - my Beetle TDI does better, it
handles better and has more space while still being small and cool.

Also I would not think twice about taking the VW on a cross country trip.

There were many things I liked - but as it would be my only car, it just was enough and as I said the transmission was downright spooky. When a car has very few ponies - it needs a responsive tranny. Not only does it not have one, they reduced from 6 to 5 the number of gears from the previous model. Smart needs more gears not less.

I'll try again when they have a TDI diesel or hybrid.

[Deleted User]

The transmission did not bother me at all. It is what it is. You get used to it and forget it.

Your concerns and caution are more important if the smart is to be your only ride. In that case, it may be too small, depending on how you use your transportation and what other options you have where you live.

The VW is huge by comparison, but still one of the smaller cars out there. It is a well-equipped vehicle and gets good mileage. Since 1998, it has lost a lot of its "coolness" factor (the second glance stuff is about gone), and is now seen as a "chick car." But who cares? Eventually, the smart may be old hat too. Though maybe not. The Mini has not lost its cache, and it has been selling here since 2002.

bumpy

What about parts like Oil & Air Filter is it possible to service at one house?

The oil filter and drain plug are easy as pie to reach, though you may want to jack up the right side of the car and remove the right rear wheel to get a pan under the drain. The air filter is accessible through the floor behind the seats, but it is a bit of a tight fit in there.

stanwict

My reservation was made March 10th 2007. I was contacted by my dealer the first week of March ‘08 and they said it would be here by the end of March, however, no car. The online system response: 3/26/2008 to 6/24/2008. Admittedly I was late in providing a configuration and they called me and took it over the phone!

My blue and silver passion with the comfort package will probably be an orphan when it comes in.

stanwict

Allegedly my SMART is in Baltimore and will be at the dealer any day now. Coming down to decision time.

dunepearl

My most sincere advice would be to take a lengthy test drive before commiting. Make sure part of your drive is on a highway at speeds over 60mph. Then consider what you would do if you had to get somewhere and when you come out to your car it has a flat?

:lemon:

[Deleted User]

I guess we know what you would recommend.

stanwict

Always amazes me where people with flat tires will stop so they are not to damage a rim. Ironically we have the same problem you describe with our ultra safe Volvo. You don't get a spare when you order 18" wheels on a C70!

dstrom

After waiting almost 12 months (current wait 18 mos.), we picked up our smart ForTwo Passion coupe a couple days ago. With gas prices of $3.55 per gallon here it couldn't have come in at a better time. So far we're very happy with it. It's everything we expected and more.

First impressions:

- Surprisingly roomy. Very comfortable. Great seats. I'd drive it on a 500 mile trip.
- Somewhat choppy ride due to the short wheelbase, but not too choppy.
- Stable and sure-footed, even at 75 alongside 18 wheelers, but you can tell that
it weights 1800 lbs.
- Transmission and shifting is "different" and requires some getting used to and
some new skills, but once you get the hang of "paddle shifting" (my wife's
good at it), it's a lot of fun. As one person said, "It is what it is." It's NOT
an automatic, it's a manual with an automatic clutch.
- Well engineered and thought out. It's pleasantly surprising in a lot of ways.
- It DOES ATTRACT A LOT OF ATTENTION which could get old after awhile.

It's a second car, not a first or only. We're glad we got it and recommend it to others.

gostrider

How do you add engine oil is it easy to get to?I noticed the filter under the back of the car easy to get to.I wpoul like to get a maintenance manual for one.I test drove one people were breaking there necks to turn and look.
Thanks Randy

Kirstie_H

A reporter would like to talk with recent buyers of the Honda Fit, Ford Focus, the Smart car and other subcompacts. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com with your daytime contact information and a few words about your experience no later than Tuesday, April 29, 2008.
Thanks,
Jeannine Fallon
Corporate Communications
Edmunds Inc.

stanwict

Got the call Friday afternoon my reserved SMART is on the lot. I still don't know if I'm going to take it or orphan it.

babaluis

I placed my order in June 2007 and it arrived at the dealer about a week ago. I bought it with the intention of reselling it fast but now my wife loves it and we may end up keeping it. Funky transmission but you get used to it fast. Driving it in manual mode using the paddle shifters seems to work best. Auto mode is good for low speed cruising around town. Surpisingly roomy inside and very comfy seats. Decent stereo, excellent power roof system.

About the wait; while we were picking ours up another couple wandered in and bought a coupe right off of the lot. Apparently there are a lot of cancellations so if you want one now and aren't fussy about color, style or options visit your local dealer and you might find one.

stanwict

My SMART is officially an orphan looking to be adopted by a good owner. It was a very hard decision but it doesn’t fit my needs at this time. I'm still a fan and maybe someday I’ll be back! GO SMART!!!

engineer al

OK, Haven't been here for awhile, but here we are in May '08 and almost at the 2 year anniversary of my purchasing a brand new '06 diesel 450 here in Canuckland. First off, it is a second vehicle, I also bought a brand new '06 Dodge Ram 3500 with the 5.9 Cummins, but it sits in the driveway mostly, I use the little car almost exclusively. On the small island I live on, we enjoy the highest fuel prices in all of Canada, last time I looked the other day, regular gas was over $1.50 a liter, diesel was even higher. I tend to fuel the big truck off island and save at least 25 to 30 cents a liter, still costs the best part of a $200 dollar bill to fill an empty tank.

With the little smart, I can still fill it up locally for about $20, and its good for between 300 and 400 kilometers depending on the Mario Andretti factor when you are behind the wheel. It is the perfect car for gettin' the groceries, picking someone (or dropping off) at one of the ferry terminals, or just driving around. As our island is very tourist oriented, congestion is an issue on the weekends, especially in the summer, the Smart is as easy to find parking for as a motorcycle, but hauls way more stuff. Getting 6 bags of groceries in the back is easy. When I was renovating my house, yo wouldn't believe the amount of crap I was able to jam into the little car at the hardware store, that sunroof sure comes in handy! Once a month, I load it up with all of the recycling and take it to the depot, now thats green!

So far I haven't had any significant issues with it at all. It is very reliable. The biggest beef I have with it is that in wintertime, the defroster performance on the windshield is poor, but one of those anti-fog sponges solved that issue for under $5. I agree with the comments about the road noise, it is a little loud, but turning up the stereo fixes that. Suspension travel is a little short, you just have to take it easy on rough roads, and speedbumps etc, no problem. As some others have pointed out, the shifting is easy once you get used to it. My wife drives in auto mode, but I don't like the shift points, the engine runs way too fast. I drive in manual, use the trans to gear down on hills, saves the brakes. As far as the performance, yes it is a little slow off the line, but once you get it going, it'll go 120 kmh easily. I love the looks on peoples faces when I pass them on the highway with a "roller skate". I think it performs just fine considering just what it is displacement-wise. I have owned motorcycles with similar sized engines, and thought that they were also underpowered, but I was a teenager then, now the economical aspect is way more important, and a sluggish start is to be expected in an economy car, a non-issue in my view.

As I am a qualified mechanic, I do my own servicing. The diesel has no drain plug for the sump, so the old engine oil gets sucked out the dipstick tube, an oil rated drill pump takes care of this in no time flat. The oil filter is a replaceable element style, about $10 at the dealer, comes with a new o-ring for the cover. The fuel filter however, is a lot more expensive, over $50 but you only need a new one every couple of years. The air filter is a pleated paper cylinder cartridge inside the airbox, haven't priced one out yet, but it shouldn't be too bad for the OEM. If you read the european Smart websites, you can see an assortment of aftermarket air filter products are widely available over there, should be showing up here soon, highly recommended for performance/mileage improvements.

There is no factory service manual currently available for this car, the only thing I could find was a "homemade" service info CD on e-bay which I bought. It has some but by no means all of the info one would require for complete service information. Mercedes is holding their cards a little too close to their chest on this one, I feel that is their game plan for recouping their investment, by making you pay obscenely high labour costs for service. I'll give an example. The clutch that everyone seems to hate. It is a standard pressure plate style flywheel cutch that is actuated by a electric screw-jack style actuator. To adjust the clutch actuator is a 2 step process. Step one is to just slack the mounting bolts off, slide the actuator housing towards the bell housing, then release it, it will push itself back out slightly a couple of millimeters, then you tighten the bolts back up - easy right? Well, not exactly, the second step requires special software on a laptop hooked up to the OBD port to tell the ECU (Engine Control Unit) where the new clutch engagement and release points are. If you do step one without step two, you will fry that clutch in very short order. The software is called "Win-Star" and is very expensive to buy. The Smart dealership will (up here) charge you $150 an hour (1 hour minimum) for this simple 5 - 10 minute procedure. One of my goals is to hack my Smart, and develop a standalone application that we all can use to overcome this issue. The rubber seal on this actuator unit is poorly designed, and it is an entry point for water to get in and cause the actuator to stiffen up and fail. There is some information already online on how to fix this in such a way to prevent this from becoming a problem by improving the integrity of the rubber boot. Another weak spot is the outer door handles, mine will stick "out" occasionally, preventing the door from closing properly, I just haven't gotten around to taking them apart yet, and re-greasing them with silicone grease.

The key is a little too large for a key ring, but they are like that on almost all new vehicles these days, so I just carry it seperately in my pocket, no problem. As is the case with all these immobilizer systems, if the battery in the key fob goes dead, then you are stuck. I have a new spare in the locking drawer under the drivers seat, you can always open the back with the key to get in, change the battery with the help of a coin, and away you go!

My other half called me from town a couple weeks back, she was in the parking lot at the supermarket with a flat. I had picked up a nail last year with the same tire, put a plug in it myself, and all was well until now. When I got there to bail her out, I noted that the sidewall was torn. As it was getting dark, and I was too cheap to pay for a tow, I thought I would try the repair kit. The car comes with a bottle of instant patch, as well as an air compressor and other tools under the passenger side carpet in the footwell. First, I moved the car so the tear was at the 6 oclock position, removed the valve stem guts with the tool provided, poured the liquid from the bottle into the tire, and screwed the valve stem back together. I hooked up the compressor, noted the liquid coming out the tear, but lo and behold, it stopped, and the tire held air! Drove the car home without incident. I had to buy a new tire, and when I went to change it,

engineer al

I found that my sweetie had driven quite a ways on a flat, as the entire inside of the tire was full of shredded rubber from the sidewalls. As I have the mags instead of steel rims, they withstood this abuse with no damage (thank god) and the new one went on like a dream.

The whole snow thing? Well, we don't get snow here like we used to, and the few times we do get enough to cause issues, well thats one of the reasons I bought the Dodge. I did however try the little car out in the snow just for kicks. I didn't find it to be any better or worse than any other small car in a similar situation, but I have years of experience in driving in this type of snow, and had no problems. With a set of Blizzaks mounted on the rims, it would likely be unstoppable. The only thing you would have to watch out for would be not to high center your self on too much snow. Anything up to 4 or 5 inches would be manageable though.

Overall, I am really glad I bought this car, I love driving it, and other than the servicing issues, which I intend to solve, I am happy with my investment. I would have not bought the car if it wasn't for the diesel though.

dstrom

Thanks "engineer al" for sharing your ownership experience with us. I'm a new (two-week) owner but already share your love of the vehicle. As a car buff and an owner who lives 1 1/2 hours from my closest dealer, I plan to do my own servicing. I'm very disappointed that smart doesn't make a Service Manual available to customers. EVERY other manufacturer does! I understand that there may be some servicing info available online or in Europe. If anyone has info about this I would appreciate hearing about it. And, let's all protest to smart about the lack of Service Manual availability.

1st tant - 45.51 mpg; 2nd tank - 44.69 mpg. GREAT!

[Deleted User]

Your experience and taking the time to share it is so much more valuable than all of us who say, "I wouldn't buy a smart because....blah, blah, blah." It's obviously a great little conveyance that fills a niche.

jhelmick

I purchased a Smart Car in Edmonton -- I have a business there -- and my wife fell in love with the "cute car" so I brought it to Oregon for her to drive. This creates a bit of a servicing problem. Any idea whether the USA gasoline Smart Car dealers will service the Canadian diesel Smart Cars? Also, any ideas about the hassles to register a Canadian Smart Car in USA?

dunepearl

USA smart centers are not equipped to service the Canadian cdi. Registering one is a regulatory challenge. Less than a handful have been registered here to my knowledge. I know of a couple that were registered by "accident" in Florida, but I would think that the PNW will be very tough. Compared with the current 451 model, your 450 cdi "toy" is a much better value since it REALLY gets great mileage and will last a long time.

haaseh

My smart is due soon and I am wanting to find out about the extended warranty. Who issues it, smart or a thrid party? What does it cover? What is the cost? My dealer did not want to talk about all of this, merely saying we will discuss that when the car arrives! No good, I want to know now in order to decide if I want to take delivery or not. My car will be the Cabriolet without the leather package.

Thanks,

haaseh

dunepearl

be realy smart and forget about it for now. It's not a very good contract and costs you $100 EVERY time you bring the car in. You may not even decide to keep the smart beyond the two years. Why throw money away?
:lemon:

PF_Flyer

Smart For You?

[Deleted User]

Funny. People get all concerned about the lack of safety in this car, and insist that it should never be driven on a freeway. Yet, for the driver, it is safer than an Aveo, an Accent and other much larger cars.

The truly crazy thing is no one is screaming the same way about fools riding motorcycles or even scooters, even though there is no safety there at all. Don't buy one if you don't want one, but please stop trying to foist irrational fear on everyone else. It is a safe ride for city driving, and certainly no worse in a crash than a Harley on the interstate.

dmp20393

So the smart car does well in crash tests. Great, but remember against vehicles of like size and weight. Also remember E = MC2. Since there is nothing smaller, or lighter, pray that your accident involves another smart car.

Smart car - maybe. Dumb buyer - for certain.

PF_Flyer

My Versa got great crash test ratings as well. But I'm likely in trouble in a real world crash in it as well.

"All things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always better," said IIHS institute president Adrian Lund in an statement.

So this isn't about irrational fear, it's about reality. The curb weight of the Versa is almost 150% of the curb weight of the smart.

I look at the safety ratings within a class of vehicle a lot like those EPA numbers. Your real world safety may vary.

[Deleted User]

See...what did I say? The physics arguments come out, the smart gets bashed and everyone ignores that everything is relative.

How is a Tahoe going to do against the ever present, very numerous semis hauling crap everywhere? Am I supposed to drive a big rig in order to be safer? Should motorcycles be outlawed? Should we not drive on two lane highways? Should all cars be forced to be in the same size and class for safety reasons?

People in smaller cars may actually drive safer, due to their awareness of physics. (Those that don't may be subject to Darwin's law as well.) The smart has terrific engineering for safety. No one is claiming it overcomes physics, just that it does a better job at crunch control than one might normally expect.

dmathews3

I look at it this way, Maybe 99.9% of the cars on the road are bigger than the smart so the smart may have a better chance of coming out on the losing end of the crash but then again, I was thinking of replacing my Goldwing with a Smart but due to the long wait I bought a Chevy HHR and really like it. Granted it don't get the mileage of the Smart going by EPA ratings but it is safer than my bike was so I'm ahead of the game plus there are all kinds of owners clubs and events for the HHR that I'm sure will come along also for the Smart.

dstrom

All this talk about safety and the smart prompts me to offer a couple of thoughts for your consideration:

Question: What is the best kind of accident?

Answer: The one you never have.

When considering the safety of a vehicle it is appropriate to consider both the “Active” (help you avoid an accident) AND “Passive” (protect you in the event of an accident) safety features of a vehicle. As we all know by now, the smart has all the “Passive” safety features - front & side/head air bags, seat belt pretensionsers & belt force limiters, “Tridion” safety cell, etc. – and top IIHS Safety Ratings. But, more importantly in my opinion, it has a full compliment of the “Active” ones as well – ABS, Traction Control, Brake Assist, Acceleration Skid Control, Cornering Brake Control, and ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (esp). Experts agree that esp is the most significant safety feature to come along since seat belts. It’s standard equipment on all smarts and is not even available one most other small cars (e.g. Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent, and most others). Personally, I wouldn’t consider buying a vehicle today that didn’t have electronic stability control. Note: esp will be required on all cars within a few years

In the event of an accident, it’s also important to consider the effects of weight, design, and the effects of kinetic energy. At just over 1,800 pounds and with it’s Tridion safety cell, the smart may very well bounce off the front of that 18 wheeler rather than crushing as many 5,000+ pound vehicles with less structural integrity might do. And with it’s size, responsiveness, and “Active” safety features, my smart will probably enable me to avoid the accident in the first place.

So, for safety, give me a smart.

stanwict

Once a gallon of gas in the US hits $10 there will be a whole lot less large vehicles on the road.

unclefudd

Is anyone driving the smart, yet? If so are you sticking to the premium gas as "recommended"?
I am really curious as it seems this would negate any savings or most for the difference in cost of the gas.
Also I find it funny that a car with "high compression" of 10 to 1 is too high for regular. But would like to hear from owners who have tried one or the other.
If I have to use prem. Its' a deal breaker for me.
Thanks all.
UncleFudd

snakeweasel

I am really curious as it seems this would negate any savings or most for the difference in cost of the gas.

Most likely not, the Smart is rated at 33 city and 41 highway with regular going at $4.14 and premium only 20 cents more at $4.35 that means a car using regular would have to get 31.4 city and 39 highway to equal the fuel cost per mile of the Smart. As far as I know all non hybrids fall short of that so the premise that the additional cost of premium eats up any savings due to MPG is false.

As gas prices increase car using regular will have to get even better mileage.

unclefudd

Thanks but the question remains; Is anyone using regular in their smart?

the reason I ask is because it is only a 10 to one compression. This should not be a reason to have to use premium. I guess the test is to put some in and drive it. If it is not detonating it is OK. But by then its' too late as it implies that you have already bought it in order to perform the tests I described. :confuse:

Anyone!!

Thanks

UF

dstrom

Yes, you can use regular gas in a smart (and most other cars), The smart engine is equipped with a knock sensor that detects predetonation and adjusts the engine's settings (timing, mixture, etc) until the "knock" is eliminated. There is a price to using regular in the form of reduced performance and fuel economy but I have yet to find anyone, including automotive engineers (I've asked many over the years), who can tell me about any other reason not to use regular. But nobody will say it's OK (?). From personal experience, I used regular in my knock sensor equipped premium fuel 94 BMW 318i for 55,000 miles and my son still uses it in the same car today (87,000 + mi) and expereienced no problems of any kind.

As I'm getting 46-51 mpg on my smart (LOVE IT!) and premium is only 10-14 cents per gallon higher here, I use premium in my smart. 50-75 cents more per tank is not enough to cause me to switch to regular.

Enjoy!

murphy4

does the SMART car make sense on the 101 Highway in California?

Feedback appreciated.

scwmcan

I Think that is something you will have to try for yourself. My test drive showed that the smart was fine for me on highway driving, but for you it may not be, also it may depend on the highway itself, I would say that yes the car is fine on the highway, but you may or may not find it acceptable for you, and only a test drive on the highway will let you know one way or the other.
Scott

unclefudd

Thank you dstrom;

I appreciate confirmation of what I beleived to begin with.

I have been a mechanic all of my life, although a licensed aircraft mechanic, I have built several high compression car and motorcycle engines to run fast and powerful. Now with gas cost it is imperative I get something with mileage in mind. But I was a little disconcerted to hear the sales person say that I must use premium. I asked him and he said it is a 1 liter 77 HP engine driving 1800 pounds. So it is difficult to imagine premium being the only fuel that will power it successfully.
I did not try to explain, but most people know that internal combustion engines will TELL you if they are running on poor or inadequate fuel. They knock or ping etc right away. However one would already have purchased to auto in order to test and decide whether it will run or not using regular.

I have no doubt it mat cause a little difference in performance but it should run just fine.
Now as my wife points out, it is only a 7 gal tank and only .20 cents difference in the two fuels so why bother and or take the chance.
merely to proove a point I suppose.
I ordered mine today and have no doubt the wife will run premium.

But thank you to all who participated.

UncleFudd

plekto

Still, 87 Octane does have a bit more power per gallon than 91. Given the reasonable compression ratio that it has, it should do just fine.

irisheyes44

Is it possible to go to a smart dealership and buy one off the lot or do you have to pre-order?

bumpy

Both. If you have a particular configuration (model, colors, options) you want, then the reservation system is the best way to get that, but you will be waiting until sometime in early 2010 to get that exact car. You can also get on a dealer's waiting list, and if a reserved car arrives but isn't purchased for some reason they will go down the waiting list until they find a buyer. That's how I got mine a year before my reservation car will show up. That depends on an individual dealer's policy, though. Some may just put the car up to whoever walks in the door and wants it.

dennismau

I have had a new 2008 Smart for Two for two months now.I am getting 40 to 45 MPG going back and forth to work which is part highway and part city driving. On the highway I am getting 45 to 50 MPG. If you drive the car moderately in automatic mode you will get better mileage than the EPA numbers suggest. I believe they drove the car hard in the manual mode to get those low numbers. I honestly have not seen any mileage lower than 40 MPG so don't let the EPA gas mileage numbers scare you away from this car. It is one fantastic little car.

[Deleted User]

You can use regular gas in any car calling for premium, as long as it is not a supercharged engine (turbocharged usually ok). However, why bother? It is only a few cents more and a very small proportion of what gas costs now. And you will get slightly less mpg on regular, which will negate any savings. Oh, and the 2008 EPA ratings are too low, unless you are an inveterate speeder.

unclefudd

Why indeed:

My thought and the expenses we have as a result of buying a new car to improve mileage is to save. Why do all of this to give back or lose mileage at expense of more expensive gas than is necessary.
I want all that I can get or why bother.
Nowhuttameen? If I have no choice or if it is going to cause problems with the car in the long run or if by using the regular I lose mileage, then by all means I must use premium.
Time will tell and so far there are not enough of them in use here in the states to know for certain whether it will really be an issue.

if none of the bad things actually happen, I will as I said take full advantage of every cent that I can save.

UF

[Deleted User]

And to do that, you will use premium. It is only a few cents more per gallon, and if it gives you two or more miles per gallon more, you are money ahead using premium rather than regular. Regardless, use of regular will not harm your car at all.

Here in the midwest, a lot of gas has 10% ethanol. Bad for mileage. But premium often doesn't add ethanol. Mid-grade is usually always an ethanol mix. Sometimes as a result, you see mid-grade at the same price as regular (or at one station near me where regular has no ethanol added, a lower price). False economy. Avoid the ethanol stuff for the highest mileage.

murphy4

thank you. I will try the closest dealer adn see if I can get a "real" test drive. My commute isn't going to get shorter and I don't think gas is going to drop back donw to reality.

We need more euro people movers in US!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mmm1

I am awaiting my Smart Passion which the dealer tells me I will get in about 1 1/2 to 2 months (I'm on orphan list). Today I asked a salesman if the oil drain plug is on the right side of the crankcase and he said "I don't know, I've never seen it on the lift". No initiative whatsoever, no attempt to ask another salesperson about this. Incredible! Anyway, can someone please tell me exactly where the oil drain plug is and where the filler tube is. While at the dealership I briefly thumbed through the owners manual and believe I saw something about being able to order a maintenance manual. Has anyone done this, and if so, how much is it and is it comprehensive enough to spend money on. With only a two year warranty I suspect that I will want to do as much of my own maintenance as possible. Anybody paid for an oil change at the dealership? I'd be curious as to how much they ripped you off. Thanks much.

mmm1

Has anyone tried to put a golf bag with golf clubs in it in the back of a Smart Passion? How about a golf bag with just irons and no woods? Is there room for the woods anywhere else in the car without putting the passenger seat down? Hope to take delivery in the next two months and am hoping clubs will fit.