Smart Cars

[ol' dirty]

I need some help, we are looking to get rid of the Corolla in favour of a Smart Four/Two- we don't really need a car that big, as she only uses it to drive to work.

I really don't know too much about them apart from the fact they look like a bit of fun & should return good mpg figures.

What are they like to live with, with regards to reliability, parts, tuning, running costs inc. fuel consumtion.

Thanks in advance...

[clonmult]

My sisters just got an Aygo, reckons its good for 65mpg, Air con, and probably has considerably more luggage space than a Smart 4/2. Possibly more reliable as well?

[agentsmith]

smarts can be tuned easily enough as they are forced induction of course. IIRC theres a place "Smart centre" around nottingham which are good for this. The semi-auto is better in the later models i heard, but I can attest it's pretty annoying in the older ones.

no experience of the Aygo myself...

[PPPPPP]

ol' dirty said:

I need some help, we are looking to get rid of the Corolla in favour of a Smart Four/Two- we don't really need a car that big, as she only uses it to drive to work.

I really don't know too much about them apart from the fact they look like a bit of fun & should return good mpg figures.

What are they like to live with, with regards to reliability, parts, tuning, running costs inc. fuel consumtion.

Thanks in advance...

I suggest you look on this forum. Fuel consumption is an issue for it is not as good as is claimed

http://www.thesmartclub.com/board/forumdisplay.php...

[BCA]

Which smart car? Orignal (450) or new Mitsubishi (451)

Both have thier issues, but are huge fun and pretty tuneable... if its just as a runaround with no real purpose other than to be cheap/save on fuel - get something else.

[Luca1973]

Would you get a Smart when you can get a Panda 100hp for the same cash?

[mcflurry]

The mpg and roadtax are ok, but servicing costs and lack of dealer support would make the Aygo a better choice (IMO)

[chris_w666]

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/545912.htm

Smart RS?

[Saul Goode]

Just been up to Scotland for the weekend, got 55mpg out of my Smart Roadster for the journey.

[ol' dirty]

It's kind of a bit of both, I am fed up of driving around in a boring hatchback- when we don't need the rear seats & is costing a fortune in petrol to run.

We're getting 30-32mpg from a 1.6 (on runs- not town driving), which ain't briliant.

I have no idea what type it is, i'm hoping for a 2003> convertible

[richyb]

Isn't there a smart with a Hayabusa engine in it?

[chazzer]

Well I am on my third Smart at the moment and have always dealt with wellsmart(www.wellsmart.co.uk) they are a nice bunch who really know their onions and if you are looking at buying a smart its worth a call speak to paul or kate as they are both very clued up on the pro's and con's they also have no problems with test drives if you want to see what its all about

[mcflurry]

chazzer said:

its worth a call speak to paul or kate as they are both very clued up on the pro's and con's

... as Kate had one of the UK's first smart cars about a decade ago

[Fallen Angel]

Dooshbag said:

The Smart Roadster is one of the most entertaining cars I have ever driven. Smarts-r-us in Nottingham are a nice company too, plenty of aftermarket bits, and they do know their stuff.

..

I would definitely agree with that. Smarts R Us were brilliant, put my Roadster in one day, picked it up the next after having £3K of tuning done... my little veritable racing roller skate was now a 130 bhp for something that weighed, hmmm... well nothing really...

I even got to see the Sherrif of Nottingham whilst there in all his glory

Cannot recommend SRU more highly

Edited by Fallen Angel on Tuesday 10th June 16:40

[PJR]

Luca1973 said:

Would you get a Smart when you can get a Panda 100hp for the same cash?

For starters, one is a design icon now, and the other is a bland uninspiring box on wheels?


I have a love & hate relationship with my ForTwo. Its great at some things, and diabolical at other things..
Refinement: Can be compared only with falling down a flight of concrete stairs, backwards. Same goes for handling. Interior: I have described this before as being like a tribute to Fisher Price, and I still stand by that. On the plus side, its a great classic design already, easy to drive and park, and if you like quirky cars then its certainly one to consider. Rear wheel drive, rear engined, 6 speed semi auto box and turbo charged. Few, if any small cars have a spec like that.
Mine has AC, heated leather seats, cruise control etc. £35 a year to tax. And is now tuned to nearly double its original power output (110bhp), so it scampers about quite well now. And so far, has still been completely reliable too (touch wood). It never does less than 42mpg, and right now is averaging 55+mpg.
Apart from lack of refinement (partly my fault for tuning it), naff handling and odd-ball looks (which I like), I can't really fault it. And while the cost of motoring continues to rocket upwards, I'll gladly hold onto mine for a while yet

P,

[t0ny99]

How are you planning to use the car. The Smart is 100% fit-for-purpose if your sole purpose is to use it as a city car (as intended). If you agree that it is also 'individual', and value this rather than another anonymous euro-box, then this is a bonus.

Objectively there are, of course, better cars for the money.

As long as you accept that there are comprimises to be made, you'll love a Smart. True, gearbox cannot be hurried but you learn to live with it (left foot braking and blipping through the changes becomes enormously satisfying too, as a means of smoothing downshifts). At motorway speeds (particularly in crosswinds) they are 'exciting' rather than relaxing but, again, look at their original remit. That said, they will cruise at 80+.

Around town they are huge fun: spotting gaps and maintaining momentum. Elevated driving position (even more so on later RHD cars) is a great benefit. A full week's shopping will fit in the boot, anything larger and the passenger seat collapses forward and even has a cup holder in the seat back.

You can only decide if you can live with one by trying one - 3rd party opinions tend to be polar opposites...I guess they are Marmite cars!

[PJR]

brickwall said:

Didn't Top Gear rate the fortwo as the scariest handling car on sale today?

I think I remember them testing it, along with some other small cars? If i remember rightly, they tested a standard model with the super skinny tyres. Some models have chunkier wheels & tyres, so those do handle significantly better than Top Gears example. But still, its not a car for pressing on through the corners by any means.
Oversteer in one of these cars is pant fillingly alarming. The super short wheelbase means that if it happens, it happens extremely quickly, so unless you have the skills and reactions of a Jedi you just won't catch the back end. Having the weight of the engine at the back also worsens things in this respect, because unless you have the skills and reactions of a Ninja cross bred with Michael Schumacher, again, you won't catch it. So backwards through the hedge you go. But for the most part, these cars tend to understeer a lot anyway. If you don't prat about in them too much, then its all good safe & cheap motoring fun.

P,

[JonRB]

richyb said:

Isn't there a smart with a Hayabusa engine in it?

Not sure, but I fully intend for there to be one day.

[BCA]

Upgrade the wheels/tyres/disable the G-limiter and it handles just fine... grip is dreadful on the standard items though. It was an absolute hoot at the nurburgring and according to my mate; it was out cornering his focus 1.6 Zetec with ease in dire conditions, in the dry the low weight allows for quite silly levels of grip.

• My car runs roadster wheels/tyres, far far superior to the standard jobbies.

Edited by BCA on Tuesday 10th June 18:14

[phylet]

Fiat 500 please.