A quick Smart ForTwo Brabus cab review..
Discussion
Still running it in at the moment, but pickup is nice and due to the new twin clutch, changes are pretty swift. Paddle change lets you play rather than letting the car decide if you wish. It works well and will probably add to the fun once you start chucking it around.
It's not fast, fast, but it feels quite fast. Oddly enough, it feels like you are moving more slowly than you actually are. I spent much of my first drive feeling as though I were travelling under posted speed limits, but I wasn't at all. Quite the opposite would be true if ignoring the speedo for too long. Suspension is quite stiff, but there is still mild body roll. Not tried the launch control yet.
Via remote or interior button, the roof folds back nicely in two selectable stages. To go 'full cab' mode, however, you need to remove the side bars above the windows by hand which are then stored in the boot lid.
Stereo is ok with a quick release subwoofer in the boot and JBL speakers and the touch screen system on the dash is easy to use and acts as a reverse camera if you wish. It includes all the usual sat nav, bluetooth, media and car settings. You can adjust the brightness of this main screen, (when off it acts as another clock) but there seems to be no way to adjust the smaller information screen (MPG, water temps etc etc) placed under the speedometer. Not a lover of that. At night it's like having a torch shone in your face :/ I will end up placing something over it when dark, probably.
Possibly due to larger wheels, the road / tyre noise from the rears is very audible on the majority of surfaces. Obviously they are not far from your arse, so their hum is quite pronounced.
It has those rather annoying fog lights which come on when you turn. Imho, they are both utterly useless and pointless and simply suggest to everyone passing that 1) you are the type of driver who loves to leave their fogs on all year round and 2) one of them has blown. I can't see any way to turn them off.
Small niggle - this is my first auto box where when in park, you can't see the P, R, N & D (D+ to the left for paddle shifting) etc labels on the box. Ok, so it's not much to remember, but I have found myself still looking round the stick when shifting to be sure. In truth, maybe we all look regardless, however, when you usually look down, you can usually see what you want to select! Not so in the Smart.
It seems well built. No rattles as of yet but you can tell it has been designed to be light. The Brabus Xclusive gets nice, comfy, leather seats which are quite supportive (and heated) and leather on the dash, a funky rev counter and clock pod and a few other bits of bling.
Twin pipes at the back add a little more pizazz to the experience, but she's never going to sound like a V8, obviously.
Rear storage? Bit of shopping will be ok. Any more and it's going on the passenger seat or the passengers lap. But then what do you expect?
It has a few storage areas and pull out compartments for bits and bobs. Leg room is really quite good!
More updates later. That should do for now
It's not fast, fast, but it feels quite fast. Oddly enough, it feels like you are moving more slowly than you actually are. I spent much of my first drive feeling as though I were travelling under posted speed limits, but I wasn't at all. Quite the opposite would be true if ignoring the speedo for too long. Suspension is quite stiff, but there is still mild body roll. Not tried the launch control yet.
Via remote or interior button, the roof folds back nicely in two selectable stages. To go 'full cab' mode, however, you need to remove the side bars above the windows by hand which are then stored in the boot lid.
Stereo is ok with a quick release subwoofer in the boot and JBL speakers and the touch screen system on the dash is easy to use and acts as a reverse camera if you wish. It includes all the usual sat nav, bluetooth, media and car settings. You can adjust the brightness of this main screen, (when off it acts as another clock) but there seems to be no way to adjust the smaller information screen (MPG, water temps etc etc) placed under the speedometer. Not a lover of that. At night it's like having a torch shone in your face :/ I will end up placing something over it when dark, probably.
Possibly due to larger wheels, the road / tyre noise from the rears is very audible on the majority of surfaces. Obviously they are not far from your arse, so their hum is quite pronounced.
It has those rather annoying fog lights which come on when you turn. Imho, they are both utterly useless and pointless and simply suggest to everyone passing that 1) you are the type of driver who loves to leave their fogs on all year round and 2) one of them has blown. I can't see any way to turn them off.
Small niggle - this is my first auto box where when in park, you can't see the P, R, N & D (D+ to the left for paddle shifting) etc labels on the box. Ok, so it's not much to remember, but I have found myself still looking round the stick when shifting to be sure. In truth, maybe we all look regardless, however, when you usually look down, you can usually see what you want to select! Not so in the Smart.
It seems well built. No rattles as of yet but you can tell it has been designed to be light. The Brabus Xclusive gets nice, comfy, leather seats which are quite supportive (and heated) and leather on the dash, a funky rev counter and clock pod and a few other bits of bling.
Twin pipes at the back add a little more pizazz to the experience, but she's never going to sound like a V8, obviously.
Rear storage? Bit of shopping will be ok. Any more and it's going on the passenger seat or the passengers lap. But then what do you expect?
It has a few storage areas and pull out compartments for bits and bobs. Leg room is really quite good!
More updates later. That should do for now
Nice. Is this a real Brabus with the 109hp motor. Or is it one of the two Brabus trim levels with the 90hp motor?
As for the tyre noise. I think they all suffer it. I think it’s a harmonic effect of the wheel arch cavity or something. That amplifies the sound.
Mines not a Brabus. But a Prime Sport. You are correct it’s not fast. But it actually goes quite well for what it is and is a lot more fun than it probably should be. Which was the deciding point when I was looking at new cars.
The 3 pot makes a nice sound too IMO. Mines a manual.
As for the tyre noise. I think they all suffer it. I think it’s a harmonic effect of the wheel arch cavity or something. That amplifies the sound.
Mines not a Brabus. But a Prime Sport. You are correct it’s not fast. But it actually goes quite well for what it is and is a lot more fun than it probably should be. Which was the deciding point when I was looking at new cars.
The 3 pot makes a nice sound too IMO. Mines a manual.
109 BHP Brabus Xclusive.
Certainly doesn't feel like a small car when you drive it!
I also found out how to dim the centre display by the speedo, so no more torch in face moments
Nice colour scheme you have there. I just played safe, as you can tell.
Mind you, as with almost any MX5 nose cone, the plastic parts on the Smart never look quite the same colour as the metal bits with a single colour choice.
Certainly doesn't feel like a small car when you drive it!
I also found out how to dim the centre display by the speedo, so no more torch in face moments
Nice colour scheme you have there. I just played safe, as you can tell.
Mind you, as with almost any MX5 nose cone, the plastic parts on the Smart never look quite the same colour as the metal bits with a single colour choice.
Digby said:
109 BHP Brabus Xclusive.
Certainly doesn't feel like a small car when you drive it!
I also found out how to dim the centre display by the speedo, so no more torch in face moments
Nice colour scheme you have there. I just played safe, as you can tell.
Mind you, as with almost any MX5 nose cone, the plastic parts on the Smart never look quite the same colour as the metal bits with a single colour choice.
Very nice. The Brabus was more money than I wanted to spend. And it annoyed me that only Renault offer the manual box with the 109hp engine. At least for the U.K. market. Suspect some BS arrangement between the companies. The Renault despite being the 4 door works out quite a bit cheaper too. So I opted for the Prime Sport instead. Certainly doesn't feel like a small car when you drive it!
I also found out how to dim the centre display by the speedo, so no more torch in face moments
Nice colour scheme you have there. I just played safe, as you can tell.
Mind you, as with almost any MX5 nose cone, the plastic parts on the Smart never look quite the same colour as the metal bits with a single colour choice.
I agree they feel a lot bigger somehow when driving. I think it’s the width of the interior. They don’t feel all that small. And the interior is more akin to bigger cars than compact hatches.
Yet chuck them through some corners and you suddenly realise just how small and nimble they actually are
Shame about the black/black colour match. Although I’m not really the sort to be conservative on my choices. Really pleased with the colour combo on mine.
300bhp/ton said:
Nice. Is this a real Brabus with the 109hp motor. Or is it one of the two Brabus trim levels with the 90hp motor?
As for the tyre noise. I think they all suffer it. I think it’s a harmonic effect of the wheel arch cavity or something. That amplifies the sound.
Mines not a Brabus. But a Prime Sport. You are correct it’s not fast. But it actually goes quite well for what it is and is a lot more fun than it probably should be. Which was the deciding point when I was looking at new cars.
The 3 pot makes a nice sound too IMO. Mines a manual.
I picked up my Smart ForFour brabus exclusive yesterday and after driving around for a while suddenly noticed the booming/resonance/humming coming from the rear. It's their from 20 mph to 60mph and initially I thought it was a wheel bearing issue but looks like they all have it ? As for the tyre noise. I think they all suffer it. I think it’s a harmonic effect of the wheel arch cavity or something. That amplifies the sound.
Mines not a Brabus. But a Prime Sport. You are correct it’s not fast. But it actually goes quite well for what it is and is a lot more fun than it probably should be. Which was the deciding point when I was looking at new cars.
The 3 pot makes a nice sound too IMO. Mines a manual.
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