RE: Smart Roadster: Tell Me I'm Wrong
Discussion
You are wrong!
Hideous gearbox, roadster has significant wind noise on the M-way making the stereo worthless, it doesnt deserve mention in the same sentence as an Elise.
Steering is dire - what did they bench mark against - a milk float>?
My cousin owns one. Great for commuting in town for him, but has broken down more times than any other car I've heard of, and it screams hairdresser.
Utterly gutless, and his has a flat spot somewhere around 70mph.
Petrol and a match FOC for anyone unlucky enough to have one.
Hideous gearbox, roadster has significant wind noise on the M-way making the stereo worthless, it doesnt deserve mention in the same sentence as an Elise.
Steering is dire - what did they bench mark against - a milk float>?
My cousin owns one. Great for commuting in town for him, but has broken down more times than any other car I've heard of, and it screams hairdresser.
Utterly gutless, and his has a flat spot somewhere around 70mph.
Petrol and a match FOC for anyone unlucky enough to have one.
Ghastly looking, horrid, needlessly complex gearbox arrangement. The Grinnall Scorpion is the polar opposite for a similar price. Stonkingly fast, massive brakes, slick sequential box, rocking beam suspension, massive fun. If in the slightest doubt, drive one! http://www.grinnallcars.com/scorpion-IV-sports-car...
jamespink said:
Ghastly looking, horrid, needlessly complex gearbox arrangement. The Grinnall Scorpion is the polar opposite for a similar price. Stonkingly fast, massive brakes, slick sequential box, rocking beam suspension, massive fun. If in the slightest doubt, drive one! http://www.grinnallcars.com/scorpion-IV-sports-car...
All weather capability? Luggage space?Miura Anjin said:
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
For three reasons:
Suzuki Cappuccino.
Honda Beat.
Mazda AZ-1.
All achieved what the Smart tried to do earlier, better and for less money.
The Smart's driving dynamics are not just bad. They're dangerous.
Add the Daihatsu Copen to that list too!For three reasons:
Suzuki Cappuccino.
Honda Beat.
Mazda AZ-1.
All achieved what the Smart tried to do earlier, better and for less money.
The Smart's driving dynamics are not just bad. They're dangerous.
Although the Mazda is by far my favourite - look at it:
Miura Anjin said:
Wrong, wrong, wrong.
For three reasons:
Suzuki Cappuccino.
Honda Beat.
Mazda AZ-1.
All achieved what the Smart tried to do earlier, better and for less money.
The Smart's driving dynamics are not just bad. They're dangerous.
This.For three reasons:
Suzuki Cappuccino.
Honda Beat.
Mazda AZ-1.
All achieved what the Smart tried to do earlier, better and for less money.
The Smart's driving dynamics are not just bad. They're dangerous.
Having had a Cappuccino I gave one of these a try and was really shocked at how poor it was by comparison. I know it's popular to slate the gearbox but it really is completely out of keeping in a small lightweight sportscar, it kills the fun.
[quote=HereBeMonsters]
Add the Daihatsu Copen to that list too!
Sorry, but no.
The Copen is a FWD Mira with too much weight added in order to make up for the lack of roof. Has the driving dynamics of a Micra CC. The up coming Honda S660 appears to be the real deal however.
Today, given the abomination that is the 6-speed Elise 1.6, the Seven 160 is the only way to go.
Add the Daihatsu Copen to that list too!
Sorry, but no.
The Copen is a FWD Mira with too much weight added in order to make up for the lack of roof. Has the driving dynamics of a Micra CC. The up coming Honda S660 appears to be the real deal however.
Today, given the abomination that is the 6-speed Elise 1.6, the Seven 160 is the only way to go.
I restored a Brabus RCR for a mate of mine and drove it down to the Smart meet in Poole and to get the tyres fitted to the 2 new wheels.
After spending several weeks restoring it, spending time with it, driving it I have to say as a car I loved it, however.
Sam unit failed, needed a service and a new sump as the sump had rotten out on it, trailered to Mercedes
£1400 (iirc) to get it start and drive
Drove it back in traffic and it did get warm but didn't over heat
Parts prices, needed a new sill as it had got lost on the M4 £180
Needed 2 new wheels because the Brabus Monoblocks were square, it took 4 weeks to get them in and they were eye watering £1500 for the 2
The leaks, my god did it leak I removed 5 litres of water from inside the car, but they are easily fixed with a few hours work, unless it is the Tridion bars on the roof seals, they aren't cheap.
The gearbox, Jesus wept it scared the life out of me, just finished the car, put £1500 worth of wheels on it, new paint...pulled up to roundabout and plenty of time turned into "Seriously pick a f
king gear there is a fking truck coming.....no seriously there is a truck coming"
After all that the keys lost sync and had to get new keys and trailered back to Mercedes.
Now that all said, it is the first car I have driven in a long time on a country road where I thought, screw this the roof is coming off and I am waiting for traffic to clear, yes the front end does wander a bit, and it is a bit crashy due to lack of weight etc, but it put a big grin on my face and I loved it, if they offered a manual I would have one, great little cars and they look fantastic
The one I did
After spending several weeks restoring it, spending time with it, driving it I have to say as a car I loved it, however.
Sam unit failed, needed a service and a new sump as the sump had rotten out on it, trailered to Mercedes
£1400 (iirc) to get it start and drive
Drove it back in traffic and it did get warm but didn't over heat
Parts prices, needed a new sill as it had got lost on the M4 £180
Needed 2 new wheels because the Brabus Monoblocks were square, it took 4 weeks to get them in and they were eye watering £1500 for the 2
The leaks, my god did it leak I removed 5 litres of water from inside the car, but they are easily fixed with a few hours work, unless it is the Tridion bars on the roof seals, they aren't cheap.
The gearbox, Jesus wept it scared the life out of me, just finished the car, put £1500 worth of wheels on it, new paint...pulled up to roundabout and plenty of time turned into "Seriously pick a f
king gear there is a fking truck coming.....no seriously there is a truck coming"After all that the keys lost sync and had to get new keys and trailered back to Mercedes.
Now that all said, it is the first car I have driven in a long time on a country road where I thought, screw this the roof is coming off and I am waiting for traffic to clear, yes the front end does wander a bit, and it is a bit crashy due to lack of weight etc, but it put a big grin on my face and I loved it, if they offered a manual I would have one, great little cars and they look fantastic
The one I did
Well, I like mine. It doesn't leak, it's never broken down, it's passed every MoT with no advisories, it's cheap to insure and run. I had it remapped ages ago, which has gone some way to resolving the gearbox problem - although it's easy to adjust your driving technique so that you can use the gearbox effectively.
In short - I couldn't care less if other people don't like it. It's not their car, so they don't have to like it. The important thing is that I like my little car. It's a fun toy and I wouldn't part with it.
In short - I couldn't care less if other people don't like it. It's not their car, so they don't have to like it. The important thing is that I like my little car. It's a fun toy and I wouldn't part with it.
I love mine :- )
Will have had it 4 years in Feb. It's my daily driver for circa 80 miles a day. It lives 24/7 outside. On the way to work this morning it ticked over the 100,000 mark. And when I filled it up yesterday it worked out at 53.4mpg.
If there is a better more livable every day sports car I don't know of it.
And I love the gearbox, it's one of the best features of the car along with the noise the 3 pot makes. Handles well and always puts a smile on your face and has pretty good luggage space.
It's a crap town car though and the gearbox doesn't not work well in town traffic. It's at home hammering down B roads and back lanes.
Will have had it 4 years in Feb. It's my daily driver for circa 80 miles a day. It lives 24/7 outside. On the way to work this morning it ticked over the 100,000 mark. And when I filled it up yesterday it worked out at 53.4mpg.
If there is a better more livable every day sports car I don't know of it.
And I love the gearbox, it's one of the best features of the car along with the noise the 3 pot makes. Handles well and always puts a smile on your face and has pretty good luggage space.
It's a crap town car though and the gearbox doesn't not work well in town traffic. It's at home hammering down B roads and back lanes.
Looks like Bruce Willis, goes like Aunt Phyllis. If you get my drift. Not that my Aunt Phyllis is a goer, in case she is reading....
Guy near my old home used to have a Suzuki TnActy van with a Suzukasaki engine in.
Remember he bought one of these (water damaged- not by flood water or driving through a river, but as it was the automotive quivalent of a stagnant garden pond), and transferred the motor from van to Smart.
Jeez, when he pulled out onto the main road and let it rip, that thing moved. Not as funny as when the engine was in that little tin van though....
My summary?
My ex-wife married a guy called David, my kids used to call him Gay David (and sing it, as per Bo Selector "Craaaaig David", and yep, he drove one. They deserved each other.......
Guy near my old home used to have a Suzuki TnActy van with a Suzukasaki engine in.
Remember he bought one of these (water damaged- not by flood water or driving through a river, but as it was the automotive quivalent of a stagnant garden pond), and transferred the motor from van to Smart.
Jeez, when he pulled out onto the main road and let it rip, that thing moved. Not as funny as when the engine was in that little tin van though....
My summary?
My ex-wife married a guy called David, my kids used to call him Gay David (and sing it, as per Bo Selector "Craaaaig David", and yep, he drove one. They deserved each other.......
Great cars. Technically flawed, but the car I owned for the longest (5 and a bit years and 40k from 3 months old) and the one I miss the most.
I don't think it is fair to compare it to the Elise or even the MX-5 - it really isn't a great proposition for going fast, the handling can perhaps be best described as "involving" (managed to reverse off a few roundabouts over the years)- but it is a fun way of getting about.
For most of its time with me it was cheap to run - high mpg, low tyre wear, low break wear, cheap tax.
Think of it as a fun, quirky alternative to the generic small hatch, not a cut price Elise rival.
I don't think it is fair to compare it to the Elise or even the MX-5 - it really isn't a great proposition for going fast, the handling can perhaps be best described as "involving" (managed to reverse off a few roundabouts over the years)- but it is a fun way of getting about.
For most of its time with me it was cheap to run - high mpg, low tyre wear, low break wear, cheap tax.
Think of it as a fun, quirky alternative to the generic small hatch, not a cut price Elise rival.
nagsheadwarrior said:
Took one in px a couple of years back and borrowed it for a week.
I wanted to like it, the stylings not my bag but I can see the attraction and I loved the little size but decent interior space for a 6fter.
But,Im sorry, that gearbox just ruins it completely,it wont do what you want it to do and combine it with the peaks of power of a turbo engine and its just chaos.
I dont like small turbo'd engines but with a manual box it would be ok, with that ste semi auto its just game over before you begin.
Went well for such a tiny motor though.
if the gearbox wouldn't do what you were asking then you were liking asking the impossible and wouldn't have been able to do the same action with a normal manual. I wanted to like it, the stylings not my bag but I can see the attraction and I loved the little size but decent interior space for a 6fter.
But,Im sorry, that gearbox just ruins it completely,it wont do what you want it to do and combine it with the peaks of power of a turbo engine and its just chaos.
I dont like small turbo'd engines but with a manual box it would be ok, with that s
te semi auto its just game over before you begin.Went well for such a tiny motor though.
The gearbox is brutal though. If you the driver gets it wrong it won't forgive. But 99 times out of 100 it is pure driver error and not the fault of the gearbox. Not that people like to accept or admit this.
Saw a Brabus Coupe pulling onto the M4 yesterday and was reminded what a smart(!) little thing it was. My sister had one from new in black which looked ace and I thought it was great fun when I drove it.
It did leak though. This wouldn't have been so much of an issue if the HVAC hadn't been so woefully underpowered. Not such an effective tool when you can't see out of it.
It did leak though. This wouldn't have been so much of an issue if the HVAC hadn't been so woefully underpowered. Not such an effective tool when you can't see out of it.
threespires said:
Chronic understeer and the awful gearbox ruined it for me. Now they're older, expensive engine woes add to the reasons to avoid. Shame, I wanted to like them as they look great to these eyes.
There was either something wrong with it, or your driving if you claim chronic under steer. The back end can be quite lively but very predictable. The thing they got wrong with this car, and the reason it didn't sell, was because it was the same as the regular Smart Pulse. Same engine, steering, suspension, gearbox, brakes etc. They gave it a sporty body and left the rest as it was.
What it needed was increased power, improved gearbox, stiffer suspension, quicker steering rack etc. It was clearly done with as little expenditure as possible in the hope it would sell like hot cakes, as the regular Smart had before.
Unfortunately anyone who drove one, even for a few minutes could tell there was nothing special about it. That was the problem.
What it needed was increased power, improved gearbox, stiffer suspension, quicker steering rack etc. It was clearly done with as little expenditure as possible in the hope it would sell like hot cakes, as the regular Smart had before.
Unfortunately anyone who drove one, even for a few minutes could tell there was nothing special about it. That was the problem.
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