An Hour with Smart Cars

 
Over the Labor Day Holiday weekend we made a late afternoon incursion into Smart Center Beverly Hills, aka, the Smart Car store.  We arrived unannounced, sort of.  I did email and message them on Facebook the day before.  So I did give them some notice that this local family that lives with autism is hoping to stop by.  I mean, they had fair warning, right?  
 


Nicholas has been crushing hard on Smart Cars the last half of summer.  Like any kid crush, it started rather innocently - a quick glance out of the corner of the eye, a slight flutter of the heart, an unexplained longing to keep looking again and again at that cute and adorable little thing you can't help admiring from afar.  It's more than a crush, really.  With his autistic sensibilities, it has become an affair of the heart.

His love is pure, true, and color blind.  He is an equal opportunity lover.  Faithful to the make but in love with every model.  He adores each and every Smart Car he sees, shouting out "I love you, Smart Car!" whenever we are driving around town and he is lucky enough to spot one.  If he's not near the Smart Car he loves, he loves the Smart Car he's near.

He asks, in the way that only an autistic kid can ask one hundred and twenty-seven times a day, "Are Smart Cars cute?  Are Smart Cars adorable?"  And when you respond, "Yes, they're cute and adorable." for the fiftieth time, he'll further with, "Are (insert color) Smart Cars cute?  Are (insert color) Smart Cars adorable?" And so on and so on.  

Just last week, his appetite for the Smart Car was noticed by the Tooth Fairy.  The autistic duo in this house do not understand the concept of money.  The Tooth Fairy could have placed a one-hundred dollar bill under his pillow and it wouldn't have gotten one-one hundredth of the excitement caused by her leaving a cute and adorable blue toy Smart Car.  The Tooth Fairy has learned to adapt and move forward, just like the adults around here.  She's a smart one, too, that Tooth Fairy.

He earned this trip to the Smart Car Store.  Motivated by his passion, he was able to string together a series of evenings were he preformed a preferred behavior.  It has been a rough end to the summer for him, with some epic moments of true ASD insanity.  Even in the hour we were to see those adorable little cars, we were having difficulties that almost prevented the trip from happening at all, promised or not.  With patience from mom and with help from his therapist, he was able to pull himself out of his tailspin and re-earn the trip once more.  I was happy he did, as it was an adventure that all four of were looking forward to having.

The folks over at Smart Center Beverly Hills were amazing.  They were really great -- very patient, and exceptionally cordial, understanding and supportive. The first thing they said when we walked into the showroom was that our children were beautiful, and that was before I divulged that we are a family living with autism.

After being asked if we were interested in another vehicle, particularly a new Smart Car, I had to fess up why we were really there, explaining to her that Nicholas was currently obsessed with all things Smart Car, and that we had promised him a visit if he demonstrated continued appropriate behavior.  The sales representative didn't bat an eye.  In fact, she turned to Nicholas and said, "You must be a very intelligent boy.  We love that you really love Smart Cars!"  He smiled and sweetly asked her, "Are Smart Cars really cute?"  I had to laugh, on the inside.

Both Jill and I were impressed with the Smart Car.  I didn't think I would care too much for them once I took an honest look at one.  I was wrong.  Not the first time.

Yes, they are cute.  And not just cute, they're sporty, stylish, and quite roomy for two average-sized adults.  All the interiors we saw were very snazzy.  They were fun to sit in and I can imagine that they must be a fun drive around town.  The mileage is great, of course.  There is even an "Electric Drive" version, entirely battery operated.  Good stereo system, too.  We should know.  The kids found that button real quick.  

I would certainly take a test drive.  If we both liked it, I could see us owning one someday.  It's unfortunate that the kiddos wouldn't be able to ride in it for a few years, as they are required to sit in boosters in the rear passenger seat and, as you can see, Smart Cars don't have a rear passenger seat.  Not all that practical for a family of four, you know?  If they come out with a Smart Car for four, maybe with fold down rear seating for kids, then we might suddenly find ourselves seriously interested.  That might be a "smart" option for them to consider, don't you think? 

I don't intend for this to read like an advertisement or review.  It's not.  I just wanted to give this dealership praise for letting us not only invade their beautiful showroom, but to publicly thank them for showing us the kindness and understanding they did.  They really did make my little boy's dream come true.  He was in heaven.  And they were happy to let him enjoy himself and did everything they could to accommodate all of us while we were there.  That kind of treatment goes a long way in our little autism family.  However; if we were in the market to lease or buy a flashy yet affordable microcar, we'd consider purchasing a Smart Car from Smart Center Beverly Hills, cuz' they rock.  Just saying... ;)

To be honest, we currently own a Kia Rondo.  And we LOVE our Rondo.  We really do.  It's a great car.  It's been perfect for us.  Still, we've been without a second car for over a year now.  And in L.A., that's almost a venal sin.  And even if they couldn't actually ride in it, I'm sure both of our little ones would be very excited if we came home with a Smart Car of our very own someday.

I mean, just see for yourself :)