Smart Center West Covina

went in to test drive the 2016 smart proxy and ended up buying! salesman Teddy was awesome and super helpful! got a FANTASTIC deal! love love love my new smart!

This review is way of overdue!
After months of trying in vain to locally lease a smart Electric Drive I gave up and called my friend Kamaal at Penske smart West Covina.
My configuration and color combination to include Regen Paddles was not readily available so he custom ordered a 2015 ED and I took delivery over the 2014 Black Friday weekend!
Did I mention that I live in Charlotte, NORTH CAROLINA which of course meant I had to have it trucked cross-​country?
Kamaal provided service AND price that is beyond compare, Happy New Year!

We went here to look for cars today. «Look» being the key word. The sales manager, Kamaal, came out and patiently explained all the pros and cons. And then, he offered us an awesome deal! Let me say, we consider ourselves smart people who would not jump into a deal. But this one was a no-​brainer. GREAT SERVICE!!! GREAT SELECTION! If you are in the market for a smart car, and live in LA, I would not even bother going anywhere else. Kamaal’s you guy!!! Thanks, Kamaal.

I have nothing but praise Starting and mostly with Kamaal. He is extremely knowledgeable and owns several SMART’s and is very passionate about his work. My wife and I found him to be well mannered and low pressure as well.
After only 18 hours of owning the brand new 2016 SMART passion model, I got forced into a violent accident on the I-​10 freeway where I lost control, ran off the freeway, hit a tree and rolled the vehicle several times. My car did what it was designed to do and saved me, however in doing so my car lost its life :-(
I am truly impressed with this car so much so that I wanted a replacement and with the help of Kamaal and the whole Smart Center West Covina team, they gave me the same great deal I had on the first one, and they even helped communicate with my insurance company to facilitate getting the exact same brand new model and color within a mere 2 weeks!
Kamaal and his staff surrounding him has provide an excellent buying experience and have gone above and beyond for us. Thanks Kamaal !

1. When you think «Smart car West Covina», head straight for Kamaal Peterson.
2. If you want to be treated right, educated and darn happy with your Smart car purchase, Kamaal is the ONLY man for the job.
This brand manager is everything you can ask for and more. His massive amount of knowledge about Smart cars and just cars in general will leave you speechless. (He really knows his stuff!) The customer service he provides is exceptional. He’s never pushy, extremely honest and upfront and has a delightful sense of humor. This dealership is very lucky to have someone like him representing the Smart car brand. (Kamaal, if you’re reading this, can I hire you for my company? I’m serious!)
Long story short, I had planned to lease the Smart EV but ended up leaving the dealership, on my 3^rd trip there, with a very ‘special’ 2016 Smart Fortwo. Fully loaded and then some, I couldn’t be happier!!! I still can’t believe that the car in the showroom is now in my garage… feels truly surreal!
Kamaal was absolutely right when he told me many times over that I would not regret my choice. He told me «I promise you, you will really love driving this car.» And so far, I really do!
Kamaal took the time in the super cold weather, at night, to explain everything about the car and it’s features. He demonstrated how to remove the sub woofer, where the fix-​a-​flat was located, how the hood is removed, etc… and this was all before I was even approved for the lease. In my mind, I was thinking that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to show me all of it before the approval process but that surely didn’t stop Kamaal. LOL The man has a true passion for Smart cars and he just loves what he does. It shows!
Kamaal Peterson is all about going above and beyond to make your experience a pleasant and informative one. He really wants you to be happy with your Smart car.
Now, if only the rest of the sales agents at the dealership, including the MB, were anywhere comparable to Kamaal… and no, I won’t name specific names of the sales agents that ignored me or gave me a dirty look/​eye rolling.
Bottom line, if it wasn’t for Kamaal, I would have easily walked out of the dealership and headed straight for a Honda dealership and picked up a Honda CRZ!
Thanks so much Kamaal!

If your planning to purchase or lease a smart, ask for Kamaal Peterson. Kamaal made the transaction easy and was very transparent with the sale. Knowledgable and honest car sales people are hard to come by. Kamaal, keep up the good work! And smart center of west covina, you guys have an amazing asset representing you. Thanks again!

I have known Kamaal Peterson, the Brand Manager for about 5 years. He is probably the most knowledgeable Brand Manager in the US and knows a lot about the car as well as the latest financing and leasing options. He personally owns several smart cars, one of which has over 210k miles on it.
I am a co-​organizer for the So Cal Smarties, which is the largest and most active smart car owner’s group in the US. Kamaal has been a staunch supporter of our group as well as a sponsor. My advice to our members who are looking to acquire another smart car, is to contact Kamaal. He has also accommodated out of town and out of state customers and will make arrangements for delivery of their vehicle.
Service and sales has always been exceptional at Penske-​smart, West Covina. I think that you will find them to be honest and forthright and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.

Kamal is the best salesperson I have ever met! I have owned many luxury cars. I’m disabled and purchased via phone. My husband and I drove to Oxnard we live in Simi told them we werecoming in to buy a smart wanted tomake sure they had the car, I’m disabled starting to drive after 4years tured in my BMW as it sat in garage 6months. his car would be usedto just get around town I wasntexpectig much. i test drove ready to buy! One problemthey didn’t have a car that day to sell me. went home called other dealers. Kamal not only found a car RED my first choice gave me a better price did transaction over phone & he drove it to my home no need to go in. Really helped me out! He spent a hour going over the featursI was just happy to have a car but now so impressed very safe and well built! He went over ad above! That was in 2013 my lease is up in a year I will get another. I don’t even miss my BMW. Great back support roomy for groceries etc,!When I first got it there was a small scratch I noticed. Kamal ordered door panel and personally drove back to Simi to install I had no was to get it to west Covina. i called the owner Penske to complement him I was surprised with a return phone call. It wasnt like I bought a Mercedes, they treat customers very well!!! fast forward to my 10K oil change again I couldn’t make it out there for my free first one that was promised. Kamal told me take it local we will reimburse you! I needed synthetic oil its truly like a Mercedes. I was promptly sent a 91 dollar money card Kamal paid for and sent on his own. Wow what a guy. If you are shopping for a small car with a good prive tag you would be dumb not to call Kamal at Penske smart west Covina!!! Thank you Kamal & Mr.Penske.
Sincerley,
Kimberly Cortrite
P. S. my lease payment is less then most cell phone bills! Being on disability it really helps:-)

I spent 10 minutes in the parking lot and not one person came out to introduce the cars. Good-​bye!

Excellent overall experience. With the lowest cost of ownership, leasing the Electric Smart is perfect for my commute and lifestyle. What’s better is when the down payment is offset entirely by a clean vehicle rebate. Kamaal and Clarence were very knowledgeable and bent over backwards to answer all my questions and make the leasing process enjoyable. Very happy!

Just leased my second Smart fortwo electric convertible from here after a total loss accident (it’s a safe car… I walked away). My previous experience leasing a Smart was less than 6 months ago, but from another local MB dealership, so that experience is fresh in my mind.
Needless to say, since I’m writing a Unilocal review, the experience with Kamaal Peterson, their brand manager, and the Penske finance guy, Ted, was way, way better than the other dealership.
Here’s what I didn’t get from the previous dealer, and why I’ll be coming here again:
— Kamaal knows his cars, owns multiple Smart cars, and orders them with the best options (including some that aren’t even advertised to the U.S.). He could answer even the most obscure questions I had.
— No pressure, shady sales tactics, or «yeah I usually sell Mercedes and now I have to sell you this Smart» attitude.
— Kamaal set me up with the Smart electric drive smartphone app. I was always wondering about this and the other dealer just didn’t mention or set this up for me. It’s great, so I previously wasn’t getting what I was paying for.
— And they helped me with the somewhat painful California electric vehicle rebate paperwork.
tl;dr definitely worth driving out to West Covina and past other dealerships to get The Right Stuff.

Kamaal is, as everybody says, amazing. He is very knowledgeable, respectful, funny and not to mention, an excellent salesman. He helped me make the easy breezy choice of getting a Smart fortwo electric drive. If you are in dire need of a car, see Kamaal Peterson! If not, see him anyway, because chances are you’ll end up in a vehicle regardless! :)

Oops, I did it again, I bought another electric car…
Simply put, IF you’re going to buy or lease a Smart, then you’ve got to see Kamaal Peterson. He is rare in the car sales business: an individual that knows all there is to know about his product. How many times have you, the reader, gone to talk to a salesperson and found that you’re more prepared or knowledgeable than they? Not always their fault, as they must know many models, but in the case of Kamaal, he really does know his product.
During the 3+ months that Kamaal and I negotiated, I leased a Fiat 500e. My wife has taken to driving that car however, so I found myself still wanting for the 2013 Cabriolet Penske had on their lot as of August. Black Friday Specials roll around and there it is– still available and at a better price, but not quite what I would pay. A few more conversations with Kamaal and ultimately his knowledge of the product I knew I had to have the convertible. As Christmas neared I said to my wife– take back my gifts honey, just get me a Giant Bow!
With a straight face she said– C’mon– it’s a Smart car, don’t you think a regular bow will fit?
Alas– I’m enjoying it.

Great experience so far! Love my smart car. Smart, reliable, and gas-​efficient. Great for a single person commuter car. I’ve been to Vegas twice in mine. Might have to trade it in after this baby comes though.

Purchasing my smart fortwo electric drive through Kamaal Peterson at Penske Mercedes was a convenient and pleasant experience. I have a very full life, pride myself on being a knowledgeable consumer, BUT I am extremely indecisive. I had gone to Penske because I read other positive reviews and was comparison shopping between other electric cars. Ultimately, I made my leasing decision based on the charm of the Smart fortwo electric drive, Penske, and Kamaal.
I choose to lease Smart fortwo car over the Fiat E500 and Nissan Leaf because it is the best value for someone like me. The advantages are: best lease agreement (~$ 70 less than any competitor); best sales package; and best battery assurance plan. I got every upgrade possible without having to struggle. Ultimately, the disadvantages (2 seater, shorter range don’t bother me) because I’m a 2^nd career student who needs a (cute) car, and would benefit from short leash to just get to and fro school, work, home, and local haunts.
Kamaal & the Penske staff were nothing short of wonderful. Kamaal is accommodating, gave me space and didn’t waste my time. On top of that, compared to other salespeople selling electric cars and smart cars, I found him THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE salesman and I value people who know what’s up. He leases an electric drive too, which encouraged me because his enthusiasm for the car is honest.
It is clear to me that Penke Mercedes values their customers with the amount of personal attention and time that was spent with me. Even the President of Penske Mercedes Joe Mehanna came to greet me the 2^nd time that I came in. If you’ve ever considered driving a smart car or electric car, I highly recommend you go with Penske. Pretty sure you won’t be sorry and you’ll be joining the rest of us cute electric smart car drivers!

Leasing the Smart Car here is one of my smartest choices. I never thought of leasing a car before, but Kamaal explained thoroughly and helped me cleared up all my concerns. Kamaal is awesome, he almost has a magic wand and just grant you wishes**. Lol.

*****************DEALERSHIP & STAFF REVIEW******************
I went to look at the Smart Fortwo Passion coupe today (well yesterday, I am writing this a bit after midnight) and the staff was very pleasant, super friendly and knowledgeable.
I mostly worked with Kammal and he has to be the most understanding and passionate sales person I have ever dealt with. He did not pressure me into anything, was accommodating to my changes on what I wanted in the car and EXTREMELY knowledgeable not just about the Smart Fortwo, but a myriad of autos. He did not bash competitors nor the idea at looking at other cars. He simply states the Smart case with factual knowledge to back his claim up.
He was very busy when I went in (as just a random walk in, i did not make an appointment) and even thought I told him I had all the time in the world that if he had other customers to attend to, that I could wait… but he did not make me wait… this man is a master multi-​tasker and never leaves you feeling forgotten about.
I am going to try to make the rest of this short. Some people skip over long reviews, but I want them to see this review and understand that it comes from a very honest and happy person.
So…I ended up purchasing a Smart Passion Coupe from Kammal and I really could not be happier.
Clarence was also very helpful and charming, along with the blond lady (sorry, dont know her name).
The finance lady (ugg…I am bad with names, she was a blast!) was down to earth, funny and very easy to talk to. I had a very good experience going over the paperwork with her.
I have purchased 8 new vehicles in my life and this was the best experience I have ever had.
**********************SMART FORTWO PASSION COUPE REVIEW*****************
On to the car. The first thing a lot of people notice or fixate on is the size of the car. It is important to take the car into perspective for the Smart Brands intent with the vehicle. If you have a large family, absolutely have to smoke your tires or race or expect a smoother than glass ride then really, please do not compare those kinds of cars to the Smart Fortwo.
However, if you are a person on a budget, who is tired of spending a lot of money in gas, who has issues parking on your street or downtown or whatever. If you are someone who wants a quality automobile who’s design intent is to have a small impact on our planet and you are not someone who is easily swayed by misinformed public opinion, then the smart car may be for you.
I purchased mine as a second, first car. I have a Jeep Wrangler that will now be my toy… the mileage of the Jeep is just stupid for a commuter (I will actually be making money by BUYING a car… that’s how jack up gas prices are).
Anyway. The ride is better than my Jeep by a landslide… the acceleration is very acceptable, easily good enough to merge into traffic from an on ramp and on the way home (on the 10 freeway, which is a joke… its like driving off road with how bumpy it is) I was doing 85 and had to question if my speedometer was calibrated wrong. I really did not feel like I was going that fast… for a «SLOW» car, this thing might get me into trouble because its a blast to drive!
If I had to give any advice… it would be to have Kamaal explain the transmission to you… the transmission seems to get a lot of hate, but its nothing like what I read about or what the public makes it out to be. Kammal has a deep understanding of how it works (confirmed by my own research) and in all reality, the transmission is more of a blessing than a curse… you just have to understand how it works and how you should drive it to get the best performance.
I had a great time driving home but had to get my pop to go back with me to pick up the Jeep. I had a great time heading back and then back home. The car is seriously fun to drive. I want to be outside driving as I write this.
Anyway, I really could go on all night, but the bottom line is this.
1. If you need a good mileage commuter that is inexpensive and you dont need 4 seats. I highly suggest looking into this car.
2. Don’t let the random BS you hear from some forum or you tube deter you from looking at one and test driving it.
3. The transmission is not bad like we are led to believe by the misinformed public.
4. Look at the car from the perspective in which it was designed for.
Good luck and I hope this review helped some.

Just bought a Smart car from the West Covina center. Great service, ask for Kamaal – super friendly, helpful and thorough. Plus, free hot chocolate/​coffee whaaaaat

As everyone has said, Kamaal is great. I have never leased a car before or bought a new car, so I expected to be scammed a bit or at least upsold on everything (esp being a young woman). But I came in for the $ 99/​mo deal on the 2013 Smart Fortwo Coupe and after I said that, Kamaal made it really simple and gave me just that. No extras, no tricks, no up-​selling, no pressure. He was even patient while my crazy indecisiveness couldn’t commit to a color! (Should’ve done the white… or not… I don’t know…)
I’d read about the bad treatment in BevHill so I borrowed a car and drove out to West Covina and I had to return the car to my friend by a certain time. I had to leave in the middle of our transaction and Kamaal offered to come pick me up at my house (in LA, during Rush Hour both ways AND he didn’t complain or make me feel bad)! Super awesome guy. He’s funny and personable and seems trustworthy and genuine. He also knows a ton about the Smart and really enjoys driving them. Like everyone else it sounds like, he gave me the run-​down on the car and showed me everything I needed to see/​know about it, really taking his time with me to make sure I felt secure with my purchase and new vehicle. I learned a lot about my new car while I was there and I’m excited to have left with an affordable, brand new, cute, black Smart!
Definitely recommend.

First of all, for all you Laker fans out there (including myself). The Brand Manager, Kamaal Peterson, looks like a combination of Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard! Kobe when he’s serious, but Dwight when he smiles. Definitely need to go see him even if you’re just curious!
Yesterday, I purchased the 2013 Smart Fortwo Brabus Edition! Kamaal is extremely helpful. I believe he is one of the only genuinely friendly car salesman to ever exist! After shopping around, the West Covina Smart Center offers the best deals. Kamaal was able to find me the exact (and very rare) Smart that I wanted with the precise features and options. Did I mention it’s the best price?!