XK-R

Blimey taken the base 80bhp out for a test spin and WOW! I'm impressed. Though looks a bit plain.

Looking at a Brabus edition one as few more horsies! And I prefer the looks. Though after speaking to Paul (Fulham71) I am tempted with his one. But it's yellow....... And I like the Brabus styling. Can I add it to this?

Help!!

Fabioso

I think help summed it up nicely.......

Are you sure about this ? every review I've read of the Smart Roadster they all moaned about dodgy auto boxes and poor build.....

I dont dislike the shape of the car but I am not sure I could own one really I'm not..........I haven't every driven one though.....what in particular made u really like it alot ?

I'm not trying to diss your choice perhaps give u a differing view from someone who isn't particularly biased either way

matlow

I test drove one of these when i was last looking, wanted something that could give you the smile without the points on your licence.

i thought it handled extremely well, had that feeling of speed even though you werent going that quick (something to do with your cheeks being seemingly 2 inches off the ground). The auto box IS a complete pain in the **** although i had it for a few hours and a bit of patience and technique sorts it out to a degree. What surprised me was the engine note, sounded very meaty for such a small engine.

went for a cupra R in the end because the smart: its seriously expensive for what it is, illusion of speed was taken away when i tried to overtake, build quality issues and the fact i think i would have gotten bored of it quickly.

As always its personal choice and what your to use it for.

RichB

I have been a passenger in a Brabus roadster a couple of times now, it sounds quite mean from inside the cabin.
The driver didn't moan about the paddles at all, you get a gear stick too.
The gear changes were not blisteringly quick but they were not that bad.
It changes up automatically for you which I'm not so sure about...
It doesn't change down the box as nicely as a 360.
I like the fact you can open the roof on the move.
He has had to have some warranty work on it, the seals rond the doors I think.
The ride is very firm though.
Cost £20 to fill it up, we did about 200 miles and I'm sure there was about 2/3 of tank left.....
Just had a basic service and it cost £220 which seems rather steep.

Chimple

I have had one of these (a non-brabus roadster coupe) for 6 months now, out of an 18 month lease. I will most likely be handing it back soon. My advice is, if you actually enjoy driving, run a mile!

The good bits first : The fuel economy is good (I averaged 43 to 47 mpg, usually around 45mpg. It was almost 60mpg on the motorway) and you can cram in a surprising amount of shopping (a heaped trolley full, if your passenger doesn't mind a few bags on their knees!). I don't have any serious issues with the build quality, the bad bits on mine were bubbling hinges on the roof, a sticker on one of the heater controls was peeling off (strangely, it seems to have stuck itself on now!) and it squeaks a little (probably because the roof panels can be taken off!).

Now for the bad bit....the gearbox! I knew what it was like before I bought mine, I'd read the reviews and had a test drive. I thought I'd get used to it....and in a way you do. You learn to ignore the slow, inappropriate gear changes. It will annoy you and occasionally, its downright bloody dangerous.

My pet hate with the car is pulling out of junctions/onto roundabouts; either the junction is clear or you HAVE to stop. If you ease off the power when approaching the junction, spot a gap and then decide to accelerate to make it....well, the bus is going to mash you.

The time it takes to change gear, engage the clutch, apply the power....on roundabouts I will quite often coast onto them (when its clear, obviously!!), pass through both lanes, start to turn the wheel to go around.....and then the power kicks in and the car lurches forward. Its quite a scary feeling the first time it happens, as you slowly drift onto the roundabout, unpowered, accelerator to the floor, as the lorry gets bigger and bigger....

If you enjoy driving, avoid this car. It just does NOT work as a roadster. If you want to get from A to B with good fuel economy and enjoy the quirky looks, feel free to pay through the nose for one. If you want a cheapish car with reasonable fuel economy, drive at license friendly speeds and thoroughly enjoy yourself....buy an MX5!

In fact, if you seriously want the former, you may as well pay 3-5k on an original smart car and save yourself some money!

Although if you really want one, I have a nice blue one you can have for 9k...

tath

my 205GTI didn't keep with Zondas either - which i was not happy about i can tell you.

NotoriousREV

Fit a Hayabusa engine and it'll be a hoot

Fulham71

Did u get one in the end mate ?

afroking

Just to add to this:

A friend of mine has one for 9 months on his fathers lease, its the Brabus turbo model, and I must say, its a really nice car to look at, bit cramped on the inside for me, but my mates same size (bit skinnier) and he says after a few adjustements he's nice n comfy in it.

The engine sounds amazing for one so small and the handling, and speed all really impressed me!! But for 101bhp in a car the weight of my fingernail will always bring a smile.

One thing for me tho that Im not taken to is the fact that the autobox takes ~2seconds to change, and that aint no lie. Plus when you're in semi-manual it changes for you when it wants to.

A major plus point however is the petrol.

We went to fill the car up and putting Optimax in from just about empty, it clicked at £24.98, impressive I thought.

Still tho for £17k+ I'd sooner have a new import scooby or a civic type r or sumthing...

Hope this helped.

Adam

Fulham71

People who complain about the box really havent taken the time to get used to it !
With paddle shift & the right technique it isnt bad at all & there are modifications out there to improve it still further !

afroking

Ive not actually driven the car, just been a passenger, and the driver isnt the best in the world (self proclaimed rubbish driver). Very nervy. So he's prob not best example to base the car on anyway. Top guy tho!

Dracoro

Didn't you read Chimple's post above?

Fulham71

Yes I did read it but does that mean he is right ????

Dracoro

So you're saying he HASN'T taken the time (6 months) to 'get used to it'?

As for mods, well I want a car to work out the box. Will the mods affect the warranty? Will they cost? All adds up to raise the cost and hassle of owning the car which to many isn't viable.

Fulham71

Paddle shift makes a huge sifference some people wont even bother with it even if they have it ! Has he ?

I think you will find that most people who post on this board have modified their cars ! Does that make every Subaru a bad car ? Of course not we just want things to be better ! For 99% of people who use their smart car around town which is where they will be used most of the time by most owners the auto box is fine ! BUT some people will push the cars further & to get maximum enjoyment you need to get used to the paddle shift !

This is something most motoring magazines will not do ! as the y only have the car for hours ! EVO magazine is an exception, they ran one as a year test & loved it so it cant be that bad can it !

Do you have any input to make in this conversation or are you just here to stir up trouble ????

Dracoro

Oh, to stir up trouble, definitely

Some will like it, some won't. All I see from this thread is 1 that likes it and 1 that hates it.

Reffro

Something else to bear in mind, the Roadster has been a complete flop. So much so that Mercedes have pulled the plug on them, its built to the end of the year and that's it. They are rumoured to lose something like £1-2k on everyone built.

Fulham71

Think you will find that the roadster is being withdrawn because early examples were prone to water leaks ! The cost of sorting the older ones out was losing them money !

They are actually selling more now than they ever have !

John STI 8

I tested one a couple of years ago, did some road work and some handing track stuff too. Thought it was great fun, though seriously overpriced.

Good thing is that they depreciate like crazy, so I might buy one in the future and do the z-cars bike engine upgrade.

J

salsa-king

hmmmmmm very good



Phil

wall

Short review: rented one for a couple of days in Rome to get around and look at a few sites out of town ... would never rent one again, let alone buy one. Hopeless gearbox (yes I also used the paddles), lack of power (standard car obviously), average handling (IMO), plasticky to the max inside and out, somewhat uncomfortable (and I've had an Elise before), slow, ... and apparently also quite expensive to buy for what it is.

Good things: having the roof off in sunny Rome amongst the beautiful sights, and didn't have to stop at a petrol station despite driving a lot the whole weekend.

Wall

salsa-king

was it a Roadster or a forTwo?

wall

Originally Posted by salsa-king:

... comparing it to what other car... C2 is pants..

No, I didn't mention a C2, I found the 'box amongst the worse of all the cars I've driven recently: just my opinion.

... but there only 600/700cc what are you wanting?

It's meant to be "sporty" isn't it, and light? I expected to be able to have more accelleration than scooters and vans

... and nothing handles like a scoob does it? lol ...

Where did I mention a scoob? I just thought that for something so low, light, and meant to "handle like a go kart" it handled rather disappointingly (IMO), with dull steering, crashing suspension, and overall not very confidence inspiring nor fun (again, IMO).

... plasticky to the max inside and out, Doh... its a Smart!!!!

Yes it's a Smart but for what it costs I would expect MUCH better than such hard brittle crappy feeling plastics everywhere. We are talking BAD plastics (IMO).

... somewhat uncomfortable (and I've had an Elise before) ... buy/hire a Roller next time.

LOL, trust me my modified Elise 111s was uncomfortable, but at least it gave 100% thrills. The smart (IMO) was only a little more comfortable and practical (and of course with none of the thrills). But isn't it meant to be used all day zipping around town?? Terrible place to sit in traffic IMO

... but so cheap to run!!

Ok it might be cheap to run but IMO it's a sensless car and terrible value (very expensive for what you get), and does not achieve any point (it's not a sports car, it's not a city car, it's not a fun cheap car, it's ... ?).

By the way, all of the above is just my opinion and is based on just two days with one, so I could be wrong or you might simply not agree, I have no problem with that and nor should you: people do have different opinions you know

Wall

subevo

nearly bought one myself until i went on a smart run to perth and heard about the horror stories of leaks from the roof and a dealer repair manual was accidentally left in the boot of someones car showing 42 pages of known leaks .one poor guy couldnt put his seatbelt on because it was soaking wet every time it rained.the cars use a system of internal guttering which dosent work well. also the water leaked in through the wing mirrors and blew up the stereo speakers etc.

Fulham71

Water leak problems are all sorted now
New cars come with all the fixes in place & the older ones have the seals etc replaced under warranty !

Chimple

It's not a matter of being right or wrong, its just an opinion.

I must admit, I haven't tried the paddle change. If that speeds up the gear change, or you can get the gearbox chipped to improve the speed, then that would make the car better to drive.

As standard, its a slow gear change which you can and will get used to, but there will be times when its incredibly annoying!

I stand by my opinion, the smart may be a good city car, but if you want a roadster, buy an MX5!!

Edit : Mine doesn't leak (54 plate), with the exception of a few drops from the top of the door seal, if its been raining heavily, and only for a few seconds after closing the door. In fact, I think it was only twice.