Smart Roadster - Better than expected or is it just Marmite?
Discussion
These days we seem to be plagued by disappointment, so discovering the Smart Roadster was way better than I expected was very refreshing.
Reviews in the press (including PH) of an abysmal gearbox that ruined the car made me think twice about adding it to my list of cars to acquire, luckily curiosity prevailed.
Putting in the research to ensure you get a good example of any car is a priority in my opinion, there is enough info out there on most models to help you avoid having to fork out for costly repairs from the outset.
Having found a few worth viewing it was on to the test drive which was one of the best I have had this side of a TVR. Low CoG, gokart handling without being crashy over bumps and overall much quicker than the published figures suggest. With the all important Paddleshift option the gearbox didn't seem to be a problem, in fact it was a really great feature. Sold!
Overall Positives: -
Great looking
Eager Performance
Great Handling
Loads of cabin space
Superb roof mechanism
Paddleshift Fun
Rear wheel drive
Easily remapped
Low running costs
Smiles on every trip
Quite Rare
Overall Negatives: -
Specialist Servicing
Prone to leaks
Need to adapt driving style
City car association
AutoExpress awarded the Smart 'Roadster of the Year 2003' ahead of the new Boxster and Z4. Despite whinging about the gearbox, Top Gear put the Roadster in the Sub Zero section of the Cool Wall and JC praised the car further in his Shootout DVD.
It is little wonder that Lewis Hamilton, Adrian Sutil and McLaren designer Gordon Murray loved theirs.
I'm glad I let my curiosity get the better of me.
Reviews in the press (including PH) of an abysmal gearbox that ruined the car made me think twice about adding it to my list of cars to acquire, luckily curiosity prevailed.
Putting in the research to ensure you get a good example of any car is a priority in my opinion, there is enough info out there on most models to help you avoid having to fork out for costly repairs from the outset.
Having found a few worth viewing it was on to the test drive which was one of the best I have had this side of a TVR. Low CoG, gokart handling without being crashy over bumps and overall much quicker than the published figures suggest. With the all important Paddleshift option the gearbox didn't seem to be a problem, in fact it was a really great feature. Sold!
Overall Positives: -
Great looking
Eager Performance
Great Handling
Loads of cabin space
Superb roof mechanism
Paddleshift Fun
Rear wheel drive
Easily remapped
Low running costs
Smiles on every trip
Quite Rare
Overall Negatives: -
Specialist Servicing
Prone to leaks
Need to adapt driving style
City car association
AutoExpress awarded the Smart 'Roadster of the Year 2003' ahead of the new Boxster and Z4. Despite whinging about the gearbox, Top Gear put the Roadster in the Sub Zero section of the Cool Wall and JC praised the car further in his Shootout DVD.
It is little wonder that Lewis Hamilton, Adrian Sutil and McLaren designer Gordon Murray loved theirs.
I'm glad I let my curiosity get the better of me.
Quite agree. I thought mine was a great car.
Yes the gearbox was slow, but you get used to it.
And the lack of power stops you being a lazy driver. You have to forward plan and use good observation to maintian progress. Rather than just 'booting it'.
I managed to get the leaks sorted. There was a redesign of the seals and they should have been replaced under warranty.
Yes the gearbox was slow, but you get used to it.
And the lack of power stops you being a lazy driver. You have to forward plan and use good observation to maintian progress. Rather than just 'booting it'.
I managed to get the leaks sorted. There was a redesign of the seals and they should have been replaced under warranty.
The guy I bought it from had all the seals replaced for £600. Better his money than mine.I love mine. Yes, the gearbox is slow but you can just adjust your driving to compensate. It's excellent fun to drive, it handles like a kart and it's not stupidly fast so you can have fun while staying within the speed limit for the most part. 
Its strength lies in its handling, not in its straight-line acceleration.
Servicing costs aren't that bad if you go to a good indie - no point taking it to Mercedes, that's expensive and an indie with a good reputation will do the job just as well, or better. They don't all leak (well, mine doesn't!), and when bits break you can usually just replace them. Parts can be expensive though. Mercedes again!
Oh, and they can be modded quite well, too. When I bought mine, I had various things done to it - TIK pipe, remap, Stealth exhaust - that kind of thing. Rang the insurance to tell them and they added all the info to my policy but didn't charge me any extra.
Its strength lies in its handling, not in its straight-line acceleration.Servicing costs aren't that bad if you go to a good indie - no point taking it to Mercedes, that's expensive and an indie with a good reputation will do the job just as well, or better. They don't all leak (well, mine doesn't!), and when bits break you can usually just replace them. Parts can be expensive though. Mercedes again!
Oh, and they can be modded quite well, too. When I bought mine, I had various things done to it - TIK pipe, remap, Stealth exhaust - that kind of thing. Rang the insurance to tell them and they added all the info to my policy but didn't charge me any extra.
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