Smart Roadster?
Discussion
Afternoon all,
I'm idly musing about a next car and the idea of a Smart roadster came up. I'd be getting one of the cheaper 80bhp ones. As much as I'd like a Brabus I have no money.
My arguments to myself go:
Is there anything I should watch out for in particular?
I'm assuming if I buy something like this I wouldn't lose loads of money in depreciation?
What alternatives might there be that would meet my requirements? (Before anyone says it, MK1 MX5 is out as I've already had one)
300bhp/ton (and others) I await your responses!
I'm idly musing about a next car and the idea of a Smart roadster came up. I'd be getting one of the cheaper 80bhp ones. As much as I'd like a Brabus I have no money.
My arguments to myself go:
- Apparently they're very economical (same as my miserable Clio - I had to bin my old 27MPG MX5 for this very reason) at least 40mpg is really important to me.
- Fun to drive (OK, not full-on hardcore sportscar fun maybe, but I've realised I don't actually care as long as it's about 80-90% as fun as the mazda/my old 911)
- Small enough to fit in my garage, which is ridiculous
- Roof comes off - Self explanatory really
- Can be auto - I do 15,000 miles a year, I don't need to heel-and-toe on my commute
- Inside looks lice a nice place to be - For the same reason as above
- Possibly flappy paddles - Woo!
Is there anything I should watch out for in particular?
I'm assuming if I buy something like this I wouldn't lose loads of money in depreciation?
What alternatives might there be that would meet my requirements? (Before anyone says it, MK1 MX5 is out as I've already had one)
300bhp/ton (and others) I await your responses!
Mk3 MR2 and MG TF should both be able to crack 40mpg on a run while being fun to drive and small. Neither have a great interior (imo), but then again I don't like the one in the Smart that much either. Not that it would be an issue for me personally, but worth bearing in mind given your requirements.
Leftfield choice, Fiat Barchetta may be worth a look if you can live with LHD.
Leftfield choice, Fiat Barchetta may be worth a look if you can live with LHD.
Lovely car, good looking and great to drive too providing you're not after loads of power. But that's not the point of the roadster, which has the same BHP/tonne as my MR2 (in Brabus guise).
I think you can solve the gearchange thing with a remap but will cost a few hundred ££. Otherwise the gear change is slow and I thought I stalled it (auto duh!) as it took so long.
The thing that prevented me from buying one though is the fact that SMART couldn't build them properly. Thus a whole raft of them have major water leaks. Sadly I couldn't find one that didn't let the water pour in (dodgy roof seals) so gave up
Sad really as it's a great car.
If you do go and see one ask if you can get a hosepipe and run it over the entire car. The SMART forums will give you an idea of where they leak but basically they can leak everywhere (yes it can be that bad).
Best of luck though
ETA: My Mk3 MR2 returns 40mpg and although more to tax is definitely the safer bet.
I think you can solve the gearchange thing with a remap but will cost a few hundred ££. Otherwise the gear change is slow and I thought I stalled it (auto duh!) as it took so long.
The thing that prevented me from buying one though is the fact that SMART couldn't build them properly. Thus a whole raft of them have major water leaks. Sadly I couldn't find one that didn't let the water pour in (dodgy roof seals) so gave up
Sad really as it's a great car.If you do go and see one ask if you can get a hosepipe and run it over the entire car. The SMART forums will give you an idea of where they leak but basically they can leak everywhere (yes it can be that bad).
Best of luck though
ETA: My Mk3 MR2 returns 40mpg and although more to tax is definitely the safer bet.
Edited by Fatman2 on Monday 7th November 13:46
Great fun, i sold my 53 reg 40k one about 6 months ago for £3k. Really good fun cheap to fill up, used to cost about £28 from empty. The standard auto is a bit slow especially on a cold morning, but if you use the flappy paddles its a lot better.
Really easy to drive and have some fun in, not a lot of storage space but it was my 3rd car so it never really mattered. Used it a few times for the weekly shop and just dumped everything on the passenger seat.
The hood can be a bit funny, if you put anything in the back and it touches a little plastic divider then the sunroof will not open and you have to flip the plastic thing down to reset everything. The side bars have some storage space in the front boot area so all pretty tidy
Really easy to drive and have some fun in, not a lot of storage space but it was my 3rd car so it never really mattered. Used it a few times for the weekly shop and just dumped everything on the passenger seat.
The hood can be a bit funny, if you put anything in the back and it touches a little plastic divider then the sunroof will not open and you have to flip the plastic thing down to reset everything. The side bars have some storage space in the front boot area so all pretty tidy
I've passengered in one, though not driven.
The gearbox is disastrously slow in auto mode. It's quite loud to be in and quite stiff, so not the best motorway car. I thought the interior was a bit grey and plasticky, although it seemed well screwed together.
On the other hand, it's a 3-cyl turbo mid-engined sportscar that weighs about as much as a bag of crisps, so it handles pretty well. Although the 80BHP version I went in feels quicker than it is (10.6sec to 60), because it's quite low.
The gearbox is disastrously slow in auto mode. It's quite loud to be in and quite stiff, so not the best motorway car. I thought the interior was a bit grey and plasticky, although it seemed well screwed together.
On the other hand, it's a 3-cyl turbo mid-engined sportscar that weighs about as much as a bag of crisps, so it handles pretty well. Although the 80BHP version I went in feels quicker than it is (10.6sec to 60), because it's quite low.
I had a Smart Roadster for a year recently. Wonderful little bit of kit. It was the standard 80bhp model.
It went wrong a couple of times though, gearbox/clutch actuator was one thing and cost a couple of hundred to sort out.
Huge amounts of fun on twisty country roads, it was the first car I'd had since I was in my early 20s that I'd just take out for a drive for no particular reason.
Very economical, but a little unreliable. Difficult to home service as you need to suck the oil out (no sump plug) and you have to remove the rear bumper to replace the spark plugs (makes a major service costly due to labour charges, and the engine requires much more frequent spark plug changes than normal motors - look for this in the service history and MAKE SURE it's been done at the recommended intervals).
Often look at them jealously when I see them on the road now, I really do miss mine which had to go because an increased family/double child ferrying duties ruled out a two seater as a fun car.
The gearchange, even in automatic mode, is acceptably fast, but is only smooth if you get the hang of how to predict/initiate the gearchange and balance the throttle against it. In manual mode it's a hoot - I didn't have flappies but really enjoyed using the standard gear stick sequentially.
The roof does come off, but it's a targa type set up, in which the canvas part retracts electrically, but you then have to remove the side bars from above the windows manually and stow then somewhere (there's a specific storage facility under the bonnet for this, or you just bung them behind the seats, which is what I did mostly).
Go for it - really good alternative to the MX-5.
It went wrong a couple of times though, gearbox/clutch actuator was one thing and cost a couple of hundred to sort out.
Huge amounts of fun on twisty country roads, it was the first car I'd had since I was in my early 20s that I'd just take out for a drive for no particular reason.
Very economical, but a little unreliable. Difficult to home service as you need to suck the oil out (no sump plug) and you have to remove the rear bumper to replace the spark plugs (makes a major service costly due to labour charges, and the engine requires much more frequent spark plug changes than normal motors - look for this in the service history and MAKE SURE it's been done at the recommended intervals).
Often look at them jealously when I see them on the road now, I really do miss mine which had to go because an increased family/double child ferrying duties ruled out a two seater as a fun car.
The gearchange, even in automatic mode, is acceptably fast, but is only smooth if you get the hang of how to predict/initiate the gearchange and balance the throttle against it. In manual mode it's a hoot - I didn't have flappies but really enjoyed using the standard gear stick sequentially.
The roof does come off, but it's a targa type set up, in which the canvas part retracts electrically, but you then have to remove the side bars from above the windows manually and stow then somewhere (there's a specific storage facility under the bonnet for this, or you just bung them behind the seats, which is what I did mostly).
Go for it - really good alternative to the MX-5.
crofty1984 said:
I worry about the gearbox being slow stories. But I'd see if I can cope with it on a test drive.
The gearbox will not impress you on a test drive.However, with time and a bit of practice it's not as bad as people will have you believe. Indeed, once you've learnt to drive with it, not against it, mastering gear changes gives quite a bit of pleasure.
I had the paddle shift on my old ForTwo and after the first month or so I didn't even notice the gearbox. It can be a bit jumpy on downshifts at slow speeds but as long as you have some anticipation you'll be OK.
Dont buy the boggo basic 60hp version you want to get the ones with the ecu controlled turbo pressure the 80hp versions that way you can take it to a smart ownersclub meet and pay someone £30-50 and get a brabus map put on it 101hp and a hefty increase in torque to boot with none of the insurance hassles of the brabus models.
The gearchange isnt as woefully bad as you might think it just takes some time to learn how to get the most out of the car learning when to change gear to get the most out of the gearbox.
Dont buy a softop one that has been near a jetwash or you will need to get new roof seals as they tear really easily (its even in the manual not to jetwash them) and then you get water in the car which tacks a wiring loom and frys your SAM unit...£1k bill
The brabus alloys are made of cheese the dent and buckle just looking at them hard worth sticking with something like the Smart Spikeline wheels which are made of a harder alloy.
+1 vote for a cappuccino I drive one as a daily drive and get nearly 50mpg driving at 70mph a 100 mile a day round trip on the M23 M25 and A3.
on the stock engine with bolt on mods you can get nearly 100hp at the wheels for about £1k which is nuts and great fun .
spend some real money like I have fully forged to 708cc big turbo big intercooler big injectors an AEM standalone and a LSD and you can have you can have 140hp at the wheels in a car that weighs 800kg with a full tank and a 6ft5 bloke in it.
Scares the crap out of me and most other drivers I really want to get it out on a tight track to see what she can do but im expecting to upset a lot of much bigger cars thanks to being able to take 90' corners at about 70mph thanks to the tein coilovers.
looks way better than a roadster too
The gearchange isnt as woefully bad as you might think it just takes some time to learn how to get the most out of the car learning when to change gear to get the most out of the gearbox.
Dont buy a softop one that has been near a jetwash or you will need to get new roof seals as they tear really easily (its even in the manual not to jetwash them) and then you get water in the car which tacks a wiring loom and frys your SAM unit...£1k bill
The brabus alloys are made of cheese the dent and buckle just looking at them hard worth sticking with something like the Smart Spikeline wheels which are made of a harder alloy.
+1 vote for a cappuccino I drive one as a daily drive and get nearly 50mpg driving at 70mph a 100 mile a day round trip on the M23 M25 and A3.
on the stock engine with bolt on mods you can get nearly 100hp at the wheels for about £1k which is nuts and great fun .
spend some real money like I have fully forged to 708cc big turbo big intercooler big injectors an AEM standalone and a LSD and you can have you can have 140hp at the wheels in a car that weighs 800kg with a full tank and a 6ft5 bloke in it.
Scares the crap out of me and most other drivers I really want to get it out on a tight track to see what she can do but im expecting to upset a lot of much bigger cars thanks to being able to take 90' corners at about 70mph thanks to the tein coilovers.
looks way better than a roadster too
Edited by TinyCappo on Monday 7th November 14:01
kambites said:
The Suzuki Cappuccino is sort of similar and has a proper gearbox.
My sister had one for a fair few years. Fine for her - she's only 4'11", but all 5'9" of me was cramped in it when I drove it, although it was ok to be a passenger in.Great car, but they're pretty old now and they rust to buggery. Plus, the boot is acceptably large when the roof is up, it disappears when you stow the panels. She drove around in other stuff for a year and then promptly bought a daihatsu coupen, which was a brilliant little car, and one I could squeeze into.
I had a Brabus one for three years from new and loved it, to concur with some of the posts above:-
1: I should have bought the 80HP and had it chipped, 100HP+ for (at the time) about £250 and saved the (again at the time) £3000 more the Brabus cost.
2: Flappy paddle a must and once learnt the gear change is fine, loved it so much I never used it in auto mode.
3: It never missed a beat in 15,000 miles.
4: The noise on a full chat gear change from second to third was amazing.
5: You can get more into it than you think.
1: I should have bought the 80HP and had it chipped, 100HP+ for (at the time) about £250 and saved the (again at the time) £3000 more the Brabus cost.
2: Flappy paddle a must and once learnt the gear change is fine, loved it so much I never used it in auto mode.
3: It never missed a beat in 15,000 miles.
4: The noise on a full chat gear change from second to third was amazing.
5: You can get more into it than you think.
alfa pint said:
kambites said:
The Suzuki Cappuccino is sort of similar and has a proper gearbox.
My sister had one for a fair few years. Fine for her - she's only 4'11", but all 5'9" of me was cramped in it when I drove it, although it was ok to be a passenger in.Great car, but they're pretty old now and they rust to buggery. Plus, the boot is acceptably large when the roof is up, it disappears when you stow the panels. She drove around in other stuff for a year and then promptly bought a daihatsu coupen, which was a brilliant little car, and one I could squeeze into.
Hi 
First up, feel free to PM if you want additional info.
The Brabus models are nice, but they weigh more and I personally prefer the cleaner look of the 80's. It's really down to how many optional extra's you want, the Brabus models where loaded, hence the extra weight. They do make more power, but are only marginally quicker IMO due to their power to weight ratio not being hugely better.
Both can be remapped though.
They run on superunleaded, so bear this in mind. I run mine exclusively on V-Power or Tesco 99.
Yes they are economical the highest I've clocked out of mine is 67mpg, but that was trying running at 56mph on dual carriageways.
If you drive more normally say 65mph they'll still do 60-62mpg on a run. I frequently see this as I often do 180-190 mile round trips in a day.
Push the speeds up past 70mph and due to the short gearing you'll be turning high rpms and mpg will start and drop off quick quickly. Maybe as low as 48mpg if you run at 80mph+ (non UK use of course).
Round town they should still be kicking around 45-55mpg mark. The lowest I've seen while hooning is 38mpg and that was really really trying.
I think you'll be amazed as they are very much an uncompromised sports car. I've driven a fair number of sporting cars over the years, both modernish and classic and it's every bit as good as any of them.
The steering is very direct (although lacking a bit of feel at low speed compared to an Elise), no body roll, huge amounts of grip and a nimbleness you wouldn't believe. They make an MX-5 feel bloated and clumsy.
One think they aren't is fast in a straight line. But oddly they feel a lot faster than they really are, so it doesn't matter. Also their in gear 20-80mph performance is far better than their 0-60mph stats would suggest. This is mostly due to the fact you can't launch them by dumping the clutch as you can in a manual.
For £200 you can also get a remap which vastly improves their overtaking ability and gives them a real beefy mid range and enough grunt to upset most normal traffic.
In the bends is where they rule. I've been lucky enough to have driven and/or passengered in a number of fastish cars from an F1 Spyder F355 to a 200SX Turbo. And I kid you not, that on twisty tight C grade roads it's as quick as anything else I've driven.
You can carry an amazing amount of speed into the corners and brake very late. The turbo motor will then give you good power out of the corners too without drama. The size makes it very chuckable on such roads.
Boot space is actually ok. The front boot will take a couple of squishy bags and the rear boot looks shallow, but you can get far more in it that you'd think.
The cabin is quite roomy too once you are in. Plenty of head and leg room. Although I admit I'm not a tall person.
Interior stowage space it pretty rubbish though.
Seats are very comfy and I'm happy to jump in it and drive 200 miles.
It's actually an amazing design of roof. I can't understand why more cars don't use something similar.
Most notchback (Roadsters) have the fabric roof. Many Roadster Coupes (with the canopy) have removable rigid panels. I believe the hard panels are more noisy and leak more as a rule.
The fabric roof is a button press away and it folds up under the rear window. Very very easy and quick and you can raise/lower is on the move. It doesn't affect the boot space either when down.
If you want you can manually remove the roof bars for a fuller open air experience, these stow in the front boot.
The are a 3 speed manual with over drive on each forward gear for a total of 6.
But have an automated electronic controlled clutch. In auto mode it does work, although is a little jerky and dimwitted. I find the only times I really use auto mode are in walking pace traffic on dual carriage ways and if you are on wide sweeping A roads and just cruising.
If you are "on it", out for a hoon or encountering lots of round abouts and T junctions then forget the auto mode. But it does have a use and offers an additional dynamic ability to the car.
They are quite funky inside and have a nice layout. Some of the plastic is maybe a little cheap looking, but then it was only a £14k car when new. Personally I think the interior is more interesting than the interior of rivals like an MR2 MKIII, MX-5 or MGTF.
These do and will always divide opinion. Personally I think they are great! 
It really isn't as slow as internet folk lore makes out. But the key to it, is to not fight against it and work with it.
The box also works far better on a country B road blast at full throttle than it does in town.
e.g.
You go round a tight bend, and floor it in 3rd, red line approaches, pump the gear lever forward - count 1 and chances are before you say 2 it'll have upshifted. You can either keep your foot planted, or for a more gentle approach slightly modulate it as though you would with a normal manual.
As soon as the red line approaches again, bang the lever and next gear. It really is no slower than changing in something like an MGB or TR7 4 speeder (or a Defender ).
Downshifting is the art of not forgetting to down shift, so when you approach a corner pull back on the lever, there is a momentary pause and it'll then down shift. The actual shift action is as quick as you'd do with a manual box, but there is maybe a 1/2 to 3/4 second gap from when you pull the lever. Maybe slightly less. But as I said, work with it and it works well. What this means is you need to think about the gear you want and downshift accordingly. I think too many people get in these and want it to be telepathic, where they actually drive past their shifting point on the road and then want it to react instantly because they are trying to downshift mid corner.
It does take a bit of time, so a 5 min test drive in a town simply won't do it. But get it out on some country lanes and spend 40-45 mins behind the wheel and it starts to make sense. It's almost a whole new driving experience and one that requires learning and mastering. Even a year and half later and I'm still learning new tricks with it.
Oh yeah, as for the paddles, not all have them. They all have the gear lever and paddles were an extra option. That said they can (at a price) be fitted to any Roadster.
BTW - mine lives outside as I don't have a garage.
SAM units, this is worth doing some reading on. Essentially its a cross between an ECU and fuse box and water ingress knackers them. I wouldn't let scare stories put you off, but should you need a new one, budget on £600.
Sure the Elise is faster and more mini supercar looking and is certainly more hardcore. But I don't think it actually does the sports car think any better.
The Roadster is smaller (narrower) and more nimble. Easier to park, easier to get in and out of, has more luggage space and is better on fuel.
The Elise is a better sports, but the Roadster is so much more livable. It's as comfy and easy to use as many 3 door hatchbacks, yet still offers 100% RWD sports car thrills.
The 3 pot motor makes a nice pur and it's really just a smile inducing car to drive. You simply can't help but enjoy it.
As for alternatives....
well I'm not sure.
For more money I like the look of the Pontiac Solstice. But I don't actually think it'd be better.
The VX220 Turbo appeal for it's power and low weight. But again is just less daily usable.
GTM Libra. I do really like these, but kit car origins might not be for some.
As I said, PM me if you want.
You might have seen these before, but to expand on what I've said above.
All this:
Does fit:
The car was fantastic touring in Yorkshire earlier this year, even on little backroads.
Out on a hoon with some fellow PH'ers, where I think the little 80hp coupe held it's own out on the country lanes.
Touring in Wales was just as affective as it was in Yorkshire.
First up, feel free to PM if you want additional info.
The Brabus models are nice, but they weigh more and I personally prefer the cleaner look of the 80's. It's really down to how many optional extra's you want, the Brabus models where loaded, hence the extra weight. They do make more power, but are only marginally quicker IMO due to their power to weight ratio not being hugely better.
Both can be remapped though.
crofty1984 said:
- Apparently they're very economical (same as my miserable Clio - I had to bin my old 27MPG MX5 for this very reason) at least 40mpg is really important to me.
Yes they are economical the highest I've clocked out of mine is 67mpg, but that was trying running at 56mph on dual carriageways.
If you drive more normally say 65mph they'll still do 60-62mpg on a run. I frequently see this as I often do 180-190 mile round trips in a day.
Push the speeds up past 70mph and due to the short gearing you'll be turning high rpms and mpg will start and drop off quick quickly. Maybe as low as 48mpg if you run at 80mph+ (non UK use of course).
Round town they should still be kicking around 45-55mpg mark. The lowest I've seen while hooning is 38mpg and that was really really trying.
crofty1984 said:
- Fun to drive (OK, not full-on hardcore sportscar fun maybe, but I've realised I don't actually care as long as it's about 80-90% as fun as the mazda/my old 911)
The steering is very direct (although lacking a bit of feel at low speed compared to an Elise), no body roll, huge amounts of grip and a nimbleness you wouldn't believe. They make an MX-5 feel bloated and clumsy.
One think they aren't is fast in a straight line. But oddly they feel a lot faster than they really are, so it doesn't matter. Also their in gear 20-80mph performance is far better than their 0-60mph stats would suggest. This is mostly due to the fact you can't launch them by dumping the clutch as you can in a manual.
For £200 you can also get a remap which vastly improves their overtaking ability and gives them a real beefy mid range and enough grunt to upset most normal traffic.
In the bends is where they rule. I've been lucky enough to have driven and/or passengered in a number of fastish cars from an F1 Spyder F355 to a 200SX Turbo. And I kid you not, that on twisty tight C grade roads it's as quick as anything else I've driven.
You can carry an amazing amount of speed into the corners and brake very late. The turbo motor will then give you good power out of the corners too without drama. The size makes it very chuckable on such roads.
crofty1984 said:
* Small enough to fit in my garage, which is ridiculous
Yep, length wise they are tiny. Although you do need to open the doors all the way to get in and out with ease. This is only really to extract your foot from the narrow opening by the door hinge.Boot space is actually ok. The front boot will take a couple of squishy bags and the rear boot looks shallow, but you can get far more in it that you'd think.
The cabin is quite roomy too once you are in. Plenty of head and leg room. Although I admit I'm not a tall person.
Interior stowage space it pretty rubbish though.
Seats are very comfy and I'm happy to jump in it and drive 200 miles.
crofty1984 said:
- Roof comes off - Self explanatory really
Most notchback (Roadsters) have the fabric roof. Many Roadster Coupes (with the canopy) have removable rigid panels. I believe the hard panels are more noisy and leak more as a rule.
The fabric roof is a button press away and it folds up under the rear window. Very very easy and quick and you can raise/lower is on the move. It doesn't affect the boot space either when down.
If you want you can manually remove the roof bars for a fuller open air experience, these stow in the front boot.
crofty1984 said:
- Can be auto - I do 15,000 miles a year, I don't need to heel-and-toe on my commute
But have an automated electronic controlled clutch. In auto mode it does work, although is a little jerky and dimwitted. I find the only times I really use auto mode are in walking pace traffic on dual carriage ways and if you are on wide sweeping A roads and just cruising.
If you are "on it", out for a hoon or encountering lots of round abouts and T junctions then forget the auto mode. But it does have a use and offers an additional dynamic ability to the car.
crofty1984 said:
- Inside looks lice a nice place to be - For the same reason as above
crofty1984 said:
- Possibly flappy paddles - Woo!
It really isn't as slow as internet folk lore makes out. But the key to it, is to not fight against it and work with it.
The box also works far better on a country B road blast at full throttle than it does in town.
e.g.
You go round a tight bend, and floor it in 3rd, red line approaches, pump the gear lever forward - count 1 and chances are before you say 2 it'll have upshifted. You can either keep your foot planted, or for a more gentle approach slightly modulate it as though you would with a normal manual.
As soon as the red line approaches again, bang the lever and next gear. It really is no slower than changing in something like an MGB or TR7 4 speeder (or a Defender
).Downshifting is the art of not forgetting to down shift, so when you approach a corner pull back on the lever, there is a momentary pause and it'll then down shift. The actual shift action is as quick as you'd do with a manual box, but there is maybe a 1/2 to 3/4 second gap from when you pull the lever. Maybe slightly less. But as I said, work with it and it works well. What this means is you need to think about the gear you want and downshift accordingly. I think too many people get in these and want it to be telepathic, where they actually drive past their shifting point on the road and then want it to react instantly because they are trying to downshift mid corner.
It does take a bit of time, so a 5 min test drive in a town simply won't do it. But get it out on some country lanes and spend 40-45 mins behind the wheel and it starts to make sense. It's almost a whole new driving experience and one that requires learning and mastering. Even a year and half later and I'm still learning new tricks with it.
Oh yeah, as for the paddles, not all have them. They all have the gear lever and paddles were an extra option. That said they can (at a price) be fitted to any Roadster.
crofty1984 said:
Is there anything I should watch out for in particular?
They are prone to leaks. All can be addressed, but it's worth noting.BTW - mine lives outside as I don't have a garage.
SAM units, this is worth doing some reading on. Essentially its a cross between an ECU and fuse box and water ingress knackers them. I wouldn't let scare stories put you off, but should you need a new one, budget on £600.
crofty1984 said:
I'm assuming if I buy something like this I wouldn't lose loads of money in depreciation?
They seem fairly resilient at the moment and I suspect as time goes on they will be viewed as a classic. They are pretty unique, funky and not built in huge numbers. Plus there's a massive owners and enthusiast community building up around them.crofty1984 said:
What alternatives might there be that would meet my requirements? (Before anyone says it, MK1 MX5 is out as I've already had one)
I'll be honest with you. I wanted an Elise but couldn't afford one. Now though I don't think I'd actually have one.Sure the Elise is faster and more mini supercar looking and is certainly more hardcore. But I don't think it actually does the sports car think any better.
The Roadster is smaller (narrower) and more nimble. Easier to park, easier to get in and out of, has more luggage space and is better on fuel.
The Elise is a better sports, but the Roadster is so much more livable. It's as comfy and easy to use as many 3 door hatchbacks, yet still offers 100% RWD sports car thrills.
The 3 pot motor makes a nice pur and it's really just a smile inducing car to drive. You simply can't help but enjoy it.
As for alternatives....
well I'm not sure.
For more money I like the look of the Pontiac Solstice. But I don't actually think it'd be better.
The VX220 Turbo appeal for it's power and low weight. But again is just less daily usable.
GTM Libra. I do really like these, but kit car origins might not be for some.
crofty1984 said:
300bhp/ton (and others) I await your responses!
Anytime. As I said, PM me if you want.You might have seen these before, but to expand on what I've said above.
All this:
Does fit:
The car was fantastic touring in Yorkshire earlier this year, even on little backroads.
Out on a hoon with some fellow PH'ers, where I think the little 80hp coupe held it's own out on the country lanes.
Touring in Wales was just as affective as it was in Yorkshire.
Codswallop said:
Mk3 MR2 and MG TF should both be able to crack 40mpg on a run while being fun to drive and small. Neither have a great interior (imo), but then again I don't like the one in the Smart that much either. Not that it would be an issue for me personally, but worth bearing in mind given your requirements.
Leftfield choice, Fiat Barchetta may be worth a look if you can live with LHD.
I'm a big MGF fan as I've owned 2, my brother has also owned 1.Leftfield choice, Fiat Barchetta may be worth a look if you can live with LHD.
40mpg is not easy from them. Best I ever clocked from a 1.8i MGF was 43mpg, I'd have getting an easy 62mpg in a Roadster if driven the same.
The F's where great, but IMO the Roadster is a better, more nimble more grin inducing sports cars. Albeit a VVC F/TF is the quicker in a straight line.
Volvo360 said:
Difficult to home service as you need to suck the oil out (no sump plug)
I think this is the same for quite a few newish cars.That said you can buy a replacement sump with a plug if you want or get an oil extraction pump. It's a lot less mess and hassle than a sump plug.
That said, a minor service isn't much. An indy near me will do an A service for about £99.00
Volvo360 said:
and you have to remove the rear bumper to replace the spark plugs (makes a major service costly due to labour charges
This shouldn't be too common to do. And you can cut a hole behind the number plate and use it as an access port for your hand. No need to remove rear body.A full highest level C service at my local indy is only £255 or so. They even offer a discount if you let them cut this hole. Which you can't see with the number plate in place.
Volvo360 said:
and the engine requires much more frequent spark plug changes than normal motors - look for this in the service history and MAKE SURE it's been done at the recommended intervals).
Service is 6000 miles. But that's not spark plugs at everyone. There are 3 different service levels; A, B and C.Volvo360 said:
The gearchange, even in automatic mode, is acceptably fast, but is only smooth if you get the hang of how to predict/initiate the gearchange and balance the throttle against it. In manual mode it's a hoot - I didn't have flappies but really enjoyed using the standard gear stick sequentially.
+1
+1
jains15 said:
It's an interesting concept, build some rubbishness into a sequential gearshift meaning it needs as much driver input as a manual, and thus making it more interesting to drive. Instead of MASH THROTTLE - PULL PADDLE - REPEAT...
Yes but that would then be a race track or a rally special stage 
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