Iq Vs Smart

[Zorrosmart]

As previously mentioned I am a smart owner and now considering the IQ 3 1.33 manual. Not had test drive yet but here are my initial thoughts from reading and quick viewing in showroom.

The IQ best bits for me:

Keyless entry

The dashboard design

Manual gearbox

Standard safety spec

Warranty is super

Not so good bits:

Price! And no special offers to aid buying one

The options list, very restrictive and seem expensive, why can't we have heated leather?

No diesel option avalible for uk

Glovebox

Limited alloy wheel options

[Salsadicto]

Some additionnal info that you may find interesting :

Handling and suspension in a IQ make you feel like in a bigger car whereas in a smart you never forget you are in a tiny car.

Same feeling about car's interior, the IQ is larger (not so much space for the leggs but a lot of space at the shoulder/arms level)

There is a real price gap between a smart and an IQ but if you list all the option in a smart that you already have on the basic IQ and compare with the final price of a smart... the difference isn't huge anymore.

About wheel I can tel that if you want to keep your warranty and be sure your insurance won't make you trouble (remember i'm in france legislation may be different in your country)... so IQ do not offer any possibility to change wheels and the tyre choice is limited to maybe 5 tyre max...

IQ3 :

Wheel width : 5J or 5,5J (not sure wich one but still quite thin)

Tyre size : 175/60/16

so if you want to change wheels with the same tyre size... just try to find a 5.5J/R16 alloy whell... :!Removed!:

[Salsadicto]

As far as the IQ best bits are don't forget :

Electric side mirrors (you can close them while driving if you meet a lorry in a small street)

Seats heating... quite efficient and makes you warming waiting for the motor to start heating the air conditioning...

Amazing turning, you just make a U turn very easily...

Bad points on IQ :

Not enough place for my knees...

very scratchy interior (even on the "new version")

Th qhape of the front bumper, on each side I always wonder if it will touch the car in front of me when parking... if these sides where more "round" and less "square" (sorry not found how to explain it better) it would be fine.

IQ3 : motor and gear "too long", not fitting sporty driving. (you won't have this on the automatic gearbox.

IQ3 : horrible MPG for a city car.

[atkiman]

i hadn't even thought about an IQ till some geezer overtook me in one. mine is an ex demo job IQ3 and the dealer had fitted the style pack and bluetooth.I find it a cracking little beast, if you need a bit of oomph, block change down a couple of gears at a time that makes it sit up,it'll soon spin up to the mid 80's.Fuel wise i do 50-52 mpg on mostly motrway and dual carriagway at around 65 mph. town work drops to mid 40's.

Storage space , when i looked in the glove box of my RAV i realised i just kept a load of old jumk in it, A neat little box between the seats a couple of flat stoarage boxes under the seats , sorts out my need it now stuff. The tray under the back seats i dont use, and the tools,spares etc go in the rear box under the floor.

All round can't knock it really, does what it says on the tin

[stormuk]

I personally couldnt justify the IQ3 over the IQ2, IQ2 seems to have as many gadgets and coming from a 3.0 car the 1.0 is nippy enough and good as long as you drop to 3rd for a push.

Not sure what you mean by deals its pretty easy to get money off the showroom price? drive the deal is showing about a 2k saving.

[S2Sosmart]

Hello Zorrosmart,

Sure I've met you before on the Smart forum's or even at one of the bigger meets sometime !!

Moved over to an IQ2 from my Smart CDi just over a year ago. Cannot complain at all really. Obviously my MPG went down (From 80ish to between 50-55 with my IQ now) BUT............ the ride quality is on a completely different level for a start . Having been back in a Smart since I didn't realise just how much you learn to tolerate the ride 'comfort' in a Smart. Definately not so bouncy / crashy on our 'wonderful' British roads ATM. Weekends away you suddenly appreciate the rear seats going down, buying some shopping, and suddenly realising that your not going to have to repack the car or have some bags on your lap for the journey home

Keyless entry / start has become so habitual now that I always seem to have the keys in my pocket while its raining and the family are standing around with our 'family' car :D cabin room is generally bigger feeling all round and as somebody else said it does feel like your driving a bigger car (Until you look over your shoulder or in the mirrors).

Priced up before buying and a Passion spec CDi Cabrio Smart don't leave much change either way and if you went Brabus then you've just blown any budget you may have

Wheels come down to personal choice as ever and a good bit of digging around on here will show that people's choice is no less varied than the Smart world really. A suggestion on here was look at something about 7.5 x 16 ET 38 5-114,3 if your up to speed with rim size and there's plenty of online tyre sites that will recommend a tyre size to fit. At least the wheels are 4 stud so the choices are a bit more wide as opposed to the Smart 3 stud config. Then it comes down to prefered style, size and budget.

I waited for nearly 9 years for Smart to announce official diesel imports so I dont suppose that Toyota will be any more forthcoming in releasing one over here either :ffs:

I enjoyed my Smart. I really did. But now I've moved on I really don't regret it

Si (S2Sosmart) ;)

[RedNotDead]

Hello Zorro - I'm the chap that bought those multi-coloured panels off you years ago! Small world eh?

Like S2SoSmart I ditched Smart No.5 for an IQ and have not regretted it one bit. The IQ is leagues ahead of the smart in every area, especially the CVT box which I have. I haven't had any problems with the 'scratchy' interior plastics like some, after 2 years and some hard daily use the interior still looks like new although it is regularly protected with 303 aerospace spray.

The Toyota dealers are ace - smart could learn a lot from them. Servicing is cheap and quick.

Get yourself a test drive and let us know what you think

Guy

[lil.smartie]

Dan, They are a HOOT! 1.33 6 speed 98bhp on 16" really good fun, maybe go wider wheels but as Si says ride is good with the 16" & you don't need to go to 17" crashy Smart ride to get decent handling with these (although a drop would look good....)

Got a white 10 plate if you are interested....

And err Toyota, as rubbish as Smart dealers IMO!

Kate

[marcandsebe]

Some additionnal info that you may find interesting :

Handling and suspension in a IQ make you feel like in a bigger car whereas in a smart you never forget you are in a tiny car.

Same feeling about car's interior, the IQ is larger (not so much space for the leggs but a lot of space at the shoulder/arms level)

There is a real price gap between a smart and an IQ but if you list all the option in a smart that you already have on the basic IQ and compare with the final price of a smart... the difference isn't huge anymore.

About wheel I can tel that if you want to keep your warranty and be sure your insurance won't make you trouble (remember i'm in france legislation may be different in your country)... so IQ do not offer any possibility to change wheels and the tyre choice is limited to maybe 5 tyre max...

IQ3 :

Wheel width : 5J or 5,5J (not sure wich one but still quite thin)

Tyre size : 175/60/16

so if you want to change wheels with the same tyre size... just try to find a 5.5J/R16 alloy whell... :!Removed!:

If you put bigger wheels and fatter tyres, the fuel consumption will be less.

[PaulWorthing]

I want a specced up Smart my other half wants an IQ (I wish I could love the inside of an Aygo as much as I love the exterior). oh what to do . . . .

[marcandsebe]

Get the iQ. I have the iQ3 auto & love it. Driven a Smart and hate the gearbox.

[Blue Kingfisher]

Hi!

I've just ordered an IQ after nearly 12 years of Smart ownership (3 different ones).

Whilst being a bit anxious about the change to a slightly bigger car I'm looking forward to a (hopefully) smoother drive and the excellent 5 year warranty!

I've ordered an island blue one with custom blue leather seats - I'm going to miss my Smart car's heated leather ones so this was my only added extra :D

I'll let you know what I think about a comparison between the two when I've driven the IQ for a while.

[marcandsebe]

As previously mentioned I am a smart owner and now considering the IQ 3 1.33 manual. Not had test drive yet but here are my initial thoughts from reading and quick viewing in showroom.

The IQ best bits for me:

Keyless entry

The dashboard design

Manual gearbox

Standard safety spec

Warranty is super

Not so good bits:

Price! And no special offers to aid buying one

The options list, very restrictive and seem expensive, why can't we have heated leather?

No diesel option avalible for uk

Glovebox

Limited alloy wheel options

We travelled from London to York for Easter weekend with 2 adults and a 9 year old boy, plus 3 luggage bags. Try that in a Smart. That's in an iQ3 Auto with leather, navigation and 47 MPG. I could have gone up in my Nissan Navara, but where's the fun. plus that does about 28 MPG. For me, the iQ is a great little car.

http://www.toyotaown...lbum&album=1333

[vox]

Hello Zorrosmart,

Sure I've met you before on the Smart forum's or even at one of the bigger meets sometime !!

Moved over to an IQ2 from my Smart CDi just over a year ago. Cannot complain at all really. Obviously my MPG went down (From 80ish to between 50-55 with my IQ now) BUT............ the ride quality is on a completely different level for a start . Having been back in a Smart since I didn't realise just how much you learn to tolerate the ride 'comfort' in a Smart. Definately not so bouncy / crashy on our 'wonderful' British roads ATM. Weekends away you suddenly appreciate the rear seats going down, buying some shopping, and suddenly realising that your not going to have to repack the car or have some bags on your lap for the journey home

Keyless entry / start has become so habitual now that I always seem to have the keys in my pocket while its raining and the family are standing around with our 'family' car cabin room is generally bigger feeling all round and as somebody else said it does feel like your driving a bigger car (Until you look over your shoulder or in the mirrors).

Priced up before buying and a Passion spec CDi Cabrio Smart don't leave much change either way and if you went Brabus then you've just blown any budget you may have

Wheels come down to personal choice as ever and a good bit of digging around on here will show that people's choice is no less varied than the Smart world really. A suggestion on here was look at something about 7.5 x 16 ET 38 5-114,3 if your up to speed with rim size and there's plenty of online tyre sites that will recommend a tyre size to fit. At least the wheels are 4 stud so the choices are a bit more wide as opposed to the Smart 3 stud config. Then it comes down to prefered style, size and budget.

I waited for nearly 9 years for Smart to announce official diesel imports so I dont suppose that Toyota will be any more forthcoming in releasing one over here either

I enjoyed my Smart. I really did. But now I've moved on I really don't regret it

Si (S2Sosmart)

Hello Si, Vox here, I hope all is well. I to have changed to a Toyota IQ, I don't regret it either although I enjoyed my smart as well, but at 13 years old it was becoming obsolete. My IQ3 is a much better small car. Smart mucked up big time, the wife and I were going to buy a new one each, but they only had what was left over in stock. all stuff we didn't want and no new diesel. The new ones are based on renault engines and gearboxes! No thanks.

I think wider wheels would help. I've found a place that do a nice rim and 185 tyres on a 16 inch rim with Toyo T1r's. I am tempted at just under £700 all in. Hope to see you sometime, maybe at a meet somewhere. All the best, (Voxsmart.) :)

[sweet-dentist]

I have both (as you all know)... Love the iQ very much over the Smart..

But when we go to a theatre in the neighborhood, we always take the Smart...

There is always (really always) a parking place.

Smart is a very bumpy ride and we touch each other at our shoulders.

AND the really terrible gearbox / changing gear.... aarrggghhhh....

When we go on a longer trip / like hospital some 150 kilometers away...we always take the iQ.... CVT means no changing gear and the drive is quick and smooth... Like a grown up car.

And the turning circle...it's turning on the spot... really the shortest turn-circle there is on this planet... LOL....

We are thinking about selling the Smart but it (from 2001) will get no money....

So we are keeping it.... at least mileage is good and the monthly roadtax is low... :-)

This year in Holland the road tax for the iQ has to be paid... from 2010 until the end of 2013 is was free of roadtax... bt the government changed that overnight.. (damn)... but still it's a very low cost every month (light weight and not a diesel)... The cost is all about the weight of the car and the type of fuel.

My wife is thinking about turning her "oil-tanker" (Toyota Verso) in for an other car.. Not an iQ.. cause due to pullinghook regulations it probably will have to be an other brand of small car..

For her I am thinking about a Mitsubishi Colt...

Ah well we will see... :-D

[bobkneale]

RE IQ V Smart, no competition in my view, smart is more like a "go kart" than a car

If you like go karts that's fine,

[vox]

My Smart was just like a go cart, it had Brabus suspension
lowered Eibach springs and a custom remap, plus loads of special goodies for performance
and reasonable economy. yup it did shift a bit, but yowww, if you missed a
speed hump, or a pot hole;.........well let's just say my back is recovering.
loads of painful fun, but then again I'm not a masochist!

The IQ goes well enough and compared, it's like driving a roller. :)

[FROSTYBALLS]

For her I am thinking about a Mitsubishi Colt...

I've used a Mitsubishi Colt 3 door on occasion. Legroom in the back is very limited, and with a tall'ish driver absolutely hopeless. The 5 door has a longer wheelbase and is far better.

Been replaced in most markets by the Mirage/Space Star.

[vox]

Did you know a Smart 4/4 is based on a Mitsi colt. Only the bodywork is different and a few other bits and bobs. Not a bad car in either guise apart from the horrendous torque steer in the Brabus version. If you can find one and so desire, there's a diesel version, not a bad engine, but it needs the usual mod, the EGR valve removing and blanking off.