SMART cars - my thoughts
Discussion
A few years ago, I read somewhere that the one car that seemed to earn its owners more points for speeding than any other was the humble SMART car... up until that point I had never driven one, and it would not be for some years later that I would get my chance.
And so it is, where I work, they have 7 SMART cars as pool cars to get you to different places in town, and I've driven them a good few times now.
Now, these are just basic models, i.e. with the least powerful petrol engine, and steel wheels etc.
Lets get the bad points out of the way first. They look REALLY silly, and are almost embarrassing to be seen in. Show it a corner with any enthusiasm and you get levels of understeer I never thought possible in a modern car. You also feel a bit vulnerable in them, I don't know how safe one of these things would be in a crash. Oh, and they are pretty slow and the gearbox aint exactly quick at changing gears.
All that being said, they are a right old hoot to drive. They have a hell of a lot of character, they make a surprisingly nice noise - sounding like a sports car, put it this way, it sounds nicer than almost any 4-pot I've ever driven, and they feel MUCH quicker than they are, they are just so willing, and they are amazingly good fun to thrash. I can now see why people get speeding points in these.
If I could afford it, based on the experience with that, I would honestly consider a SMART roadster / coupe, I reckon with the extra grunt (especially with a remap) they would feel so alive without ever really threatening the licence too much (well if you can restrain yourself around town - I was struggling!), and no doubt the longer wheelbase and lower CoG would really help with the handling, and as for the gearbox, even that is quite a fun thing to use if you can overlook its "flaws", and TBH it just makes you think more about your driving.
They definitely get a thumbs up from me!
And so it is, where I work, they have 7 SMART cars as pool cars to get you to different places in town, and I've driven them a good few times now.
Now, these are just basic models, i.e. with the least powerful petrol engine, and steel wheels etc.
Lets get the bad points out of the way first. They look REALLY silly, and are almost embarrassing to be seen in. Show it a corner with any enthusiasm and you get levels of understeer I never thought possible in a modern car. You also feel a bit vulnerable in them, I don't know how safe one of these things would be in a crash. Oh, and they are pretty slow and the gearbox aint exactly quick at changing gears.
All that being said, they are a right old hoot to drive. They have a hell of a lot of character, they make a surprisingly nice noise - sounding like a sports car, put it this way, it sounds nicer than almost any 4-pot I've ever driven, and they feel MUCH quicker than they are, they are just so willing, and they are amazingly good fun to thrash. I can now see why people get speeding points in these.
If I could afford it, based on the experience with that, I would honestly consider a SMART roadster / coupe, I reckon with the extra grunt (especially with a remap) they would feel so alive without ever really threatening the licence too much (well if you can restrain yourself around town - I was struggling!), and no doubt the longer wheelbase and lower CoG would really help with the handling, and as for the gearbox, even that is quite a fun thing to use if you can overlook its "flaws", and TBH it just makes you think more about your driving.
They definitely get a thumbs up from me!
iva cosworth said:
Re your point about crashing in one,apparently they are quite good but wouldn't want to be in a
big smash up as the car will just end up wrapped around you.;)
If a '5th Gear' from a good while back is anything to go by, the Smart is very tough.. Tough enough that your vital organs couldn't cope.big smash up as the car will just end up wrapped around you.;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2EY1fMXpdqQ
Quite the opposite I think from watching the 5th gear test. 70mph into a concrete block and the passenger cell remained intact. So you'd probably end up smeared around the inside, rather than it crumpling around you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s
Did quite fancy a roadster, but the bad press about the gearbox put me off.
Edit: D'oh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ju6t-yyoU8s
Did quite fancy a roadster, but the bad press about the gearbox put me off.
Edit: D'oh!
I drove one my father in law had as a loaner when he bumped my mother in laws A class and would agree, whilst not the last word in performance and handling I can totally see the point, around town they are great and they do open roads ok-ish, you see people hoofing a Range Rover round to get some bits from the shops looking all smug but actually big cars in a confined place are no fun. My wife just took her old Fiat 500 into town, its the Smarts older, crapper ancestor but it is superb for trips like that *
- if it doesnt break down.
redgriff500 said:
So honestly you prefer one to the MX5 ?
Can't speak for the Mk3 but the issue(s) I had with my Mk1 was that it wouldn't do more than 30mpg which was rubbish for the engine size / performance and it's boot was the size of a teaspoon.Using one as a city car didn't really work as you couldn't chuck you're toot in one when driving with a passenger.
I drove one when they first came to the UK in unofficial LHD and I thought it was a hoot too.
The steering was a nightmare tho - vague and loose around the centre meaning a short trip on the motorway was more akin to steering a boat!
Loved everything else about it tho - roomier than you'd expect (tho at 6'5" I'm cramped in the passenger side) and I'm told the steering was fixed on later models?
Reason I never bought one is that you can't really put 2 people AND 2 dogs in one and the dogs come first
The steering was a nightmare tho - vague and loose around the centre meaning a short trip on the motorway was more akin to steering a boat!
Loved everything else about it tho - roomier than you'd expect (tho at 6'5" I'm cramped in the passenger side) and I'm told the steering was fixed on later models?
Reason I never bought one is that you can't really put 2 people AND 2 dogs in one and the dogs come first
GB123 said:
Are all of them automatic?
They are 3 speed manual with over drive on each gear giving a total of 6 forward gears. They have an electronically controlled clutch, so there is no clutch pedal. They have a full 'auto' mode but it's a bit dim witted and jerky. Or you can change gear by pushing/pulling a lever. In the Roadster you can also get steering mounted paddles. I can't comment on the ForTwo but I've never found it an issue in te Roadster. It's not really any slower than the 5 speed LT-77 manual in my Triumph. You still have full control and it's fun.
300bhp/ton said:
They are 3 speed manual with over drive on each gear giving a total of 6 forward gears. They have an electronically controlled clutch, so there is no clutch pedal. They have a full 'auto' mode but it's a bit dim witted and jerky. Or you can change gear by pushing/pulling a lever. In the Roadster you can also get steering mounted paddles.
I can't comment on the ForTwo but I've never found it an issue in te Roadster. It's not really any slower than the 5 speed LT-77 manual in my Triumph. You still have full control and it's fun.
Yeah they seem good, I think it would be strange at first changing gear without a clutch pedal though. I can't comment on the ForTwo but I've never found it an issue in te Roadster. It's not really any slower than the 5 speed LT-77 manual in my Triumph. You still have full control and it's fun.
Just looked it up and the Roadster is 790 kg which makes it in the same ballpark as an Elise in terms of weight. To be honest, although I've never driven one (a Roadster) I can imagine it being more fun than an MX5 if you fancy something a bit different. You just have to accept that it is a totally different driving experience with regards to gears and the like (I didn't find the normal SMART that bad after you got used to it). With 100 bhp or so it'd presumably offer similar pace to a Mk1 1.6 MX5, but I suspect the SMART might have a better midrange; the normal SMART seems surprisingly punchy in the midrange for what it is.
The odd thing I found with the MX5 is although they are a lot of fun, they don't really feel as quick as you think they should for being so raw and exposed. I can imagine an SR feeling really quite quick with a remap?
The odd thing I found with the MX5 is although they are a lot of fun, they don't really feel as quick as you think they should for being so raw and exposed. I can imagine an SR feeling really quite quick with a remap?
I too get to drive them for work. We've got a '60' plate petrol with seemingly every option under the sun (including paddles behind the steering wheel), and an '09' diesel with steelies and not much else. Like OP says, they have tragic-verging-on-dangerous levels of understeer and the gearbox is seemingly unaware of what its job actually is...but... they are SOOOO much fun to drive. Given the choice I'd go everywhere in them.
Strangely my favourite is the diesel, it sounds like a cement mixer at idle and revs like a Scania, but it feels like it has so much torque that the gearbox never really has to do all that much, and so you just sort of chug about with a big idiot grin on your face. It also seems to run on air.
And because you sit so high, I do find myself mis-judging my speed all the time.
Strangely my favourite is the diesel, it sounds like a cement mixer at idle and revs like a Scania, but it feels like it has so much torque that the gearbox never really has to do all that much, and so you just sort of chug about with a big idiot grin on your face. It also seems to run on air.
And because you sit so high, I do find myself mis-judging my speed all the time.
I ran a 61bhp 698cc Smart for 5 years. It was utterly fit for purpose. The gearbox isn't great but once you know how to get the most out of it they really aren't that bad. Anticipation is key to making smooth (ish) progress. They can easily keep up with city traffic.
Handling was, of course, poor and the ride was choppy to say the least but running costs were minimal (loads of good indy service centres about) and as has been said, they ooze character.
If my circumstances changed (my commute went from 10 miles each way to 50 miles each way....) I'd have another without hesitation.
Handling was, of course, poor and the ride was choppy to say the least but running costs were minimal (loads of good indy service centres about) and as has been said, they ooze character.
If my circumstances changed (my commute went from 10 miles each way to 50 miles each way....) I'd have another without hesitation.
AnotherClarkey said:
Does anyone know if the wider front tyres on the Pulse make much of a difference to the handling?
I had one of the first R/H drive models and the tyres were very thin and under steer was a big problem. I now have an 08 Pulse and I can chuck around with confidence, and with the quicker gear change too I don't want to sell this one. I've had an offer for it but they can tickle. The front tyres now are (I think) 155s and the rears are 195s, it was still good in the snow too despite the extra width.i have driven one a few times, its owned by the boss, its a fun car to drive in a very odd way, it is hilarious in the snow the T/C light flashing away all the time and is the only car that i can think of that when on your own stuck in the snow on a cul-de-sac that you can push the car yourself and steer at the same time :lol:
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