Considering a smart roadster brabus...some questions
Discussion
I am considering a smart roadster brabus for a second car to do minimal miles in. My research shows the roof can leak but mine would be storied in a garage and I believe the leaking can be rectified by re-sealing the areas that are leaking.
I am aware the gear box is sluggish but that's not an issue.
I am 6foot 2 and that doesn't seem to be an issue either.
Its economical which is no bad thing.
My questions are:
- Do Mercedes still service theses?
- Are there any independents/specialists in Essex?
- Remap alone seems to add 90HP which would be welcome but can anyone recommend a company?
- They seem to be pretty reliable by all accounts.
- Is servicing expensive?
- Any major things I need to be concerned about/consider?
It looks like I could pick up a fairly low mileage example for 6k ish.
Stu
I am aware the gear box is sluggish but that's not an issue.
I am 6foot 2 and that doesn't seem to be an issue either.
Its economical which is no bad thing.
My questions are:
- Do Mercedes still service theses?
- Are there any independents/specialists in Essex?
- Remap alone seems to add 90HP which would be welcome but can anyone recommend a company?
- They seem to be pretty reliable by all accounts.
- Is servicing expensive?
- Any major things I need to be concerned about/consider?
It looks like I could pick up a fairly low mileage example for 6k ish.
Stu
Merc will service them, but they were a waste of space back when the cars were new, so I would look for a decent independent, of which there'll be one reasonably local to you, I'm sure. Failing that, there used to be a couple of decent guys who travelled.
A remap alone won't add 90bhp. They're only 101bhp as standard.
I did 50-odd thousand in one in all weathers and it never missed a beat. Bear in mind they'll be a lot older now, though.
Servicing was (from memory) every 7k, minor/major/minor/extra major. Not expensive and easy to do yourself.
Some owners love them and will tell you they're dynamically amazing, but truthfully they're more about character than the driving experience. I replaced mine with an MX-5, which was better in pretty much every way.
Another edit. They do eat air conditioning pipes as standard and also the Brabus wheels are prone to corrosion.
A remap alone won't add 90bhp. They're only 101bhp as standard.
I did 50-odd thousand in one in all weathers and it never missed a beat. Bear in mind they'll be a lot older now, though.
Servicing was (from memory) every 7k, minor/major/minor/extra major. Not expensive and easy to do yourself.
Some owners love them and will tell you they're dynamically amazing, but truthfully they're more about character than the driving experience. I replaced mine with an MX-5, which was better in pretty much every way.
Edited by Baldchap on Monday 4th November 15:09
Another edit. They do eat air conditioning pipes as standard and also the Brabus wheels are prone to corrosion.
Edited by Baldchap on Monday 4th November 15:10
Baldchap said:
Merc will service them, but they were a waste of space back when the cars were new, so I would look for a decent independent, of which there'll be one reasonably local to you, I'm sure. Failing that, there used to be a couple of decent guys who travelled.
A remap alone won't add 90bhp. They're only 101bhp as standard.
I did 50-odd thousand in one in all weathers and it never missed a beat. Bear in mind they'll be a lot older now, though.
Servicing was (from memory) every 7k, minor/major/minor/extra major. Not expensive and easy to do yourself.
Some owners love them and will tell you they're dynamically amazing, but truthfully they're more about character than the driving experience. I replaced mine with an MX-5, which was better in pretty much every way.
Another edit. They do eat air conditioning pipes as standard and also the Brabus wheels are prone to corrosion.
Thank you for the reply. So probably not worth mapping then. I dont I tend on doing long journeys and certainly not much if any motorway miles. Ah yes I did read about the air con pipes and buyer wheels. I am trying to find an Indy in Essex before I make a final decision on one. It will hopefully be a 12-18 month car before I move it on. A remap alone won't add 90bhp. They're only 101bhp as standard.
I did 50-odd thousand in one in all weathers and it never missed a beat. Bear in mind they'll be a lot older now, though.
Servicing was (from memory) every 7k, minor/major/minor/extra major. Not expensive and easy to do yourself.
Some owners love them and will tell you they're dynamically amazing, but truthfully they're more about character than the driving experience. I replaced mine with an MX-5, which was better in pretty much every way.
Edited by Baldchap on Monday 4th November 15:09
Another edit. They do eat air conditioning pipes as standard and also the Brabus wheels are prone to corrosion.
Edited by Baldchap on Monday 4th November 15:10
We've owned a standard Roadster Coupe since new and overall it's been pretty reliable; however it's a quirky little car and sometimes has little maladies that generally sort themselves - for example every now and again the power steering drops out, and returns a few days later. Ours has done around 110,000 miles at the moment.
Things to watch for include failing clutch actuators (basically a solenoid that opens and closes the clutch), starter motor (we've had two), and obviously wet electronics if you have a leaky one (we don't).
If the fabric roof is original it's probably showing signs of wear (detached bars being common); we replaced ours a couple of years ago (Merc want a grand for a new one, we sourced a specialist company to make one for half the price).
There are two independents in Cambridgeshire, depending where in Essex you are - Cambridge Smart Cars, and Fudgesmart; but our local garage is pretty good with ours (as his son owns one as well).
Servicing can be a little expensive as it's a 7000 mile service interval, plus most jobs are awkward as everything is jammed in (a spark plug change requires rear panels to be removed).
Things to watch for include failing clutch actuators (basically a solenoid that opens and closes the clutch), starter motor (we've had two), and obviously wet electronics if you have a leaky one (we don't).
If the fabric roof is original it's probably showing signs of wear (detached bars being common); we replaced ours a couple of years ago (Merc want a grand for a new one, we sourced a specialist company to make one for half the price).
There are two independents in Cambridgeshire, depending where in Essex you are - Cambridge Smart Cars, and Fudgesmart; but our local garage is pretty good with ours (as his son owns one as well).
Servicing can be a little expensive as it's a 7000 mile service interval, plus most jobs are awkward as everything is jammed in (a spark plug change requires rear panels to be removed).
Edited by westmoorfarm on Monday 4th November 16:04
westmoorfarm said:
We've owned a standard Roadster Coupe since new and overall it's been pretty reliable; however it's a quirky little car and sometimes has little maladies that generally sort themselves - for example every now and again the power steering drops out, and returns a few days later. Ours has done around 110,000 miles at the moment.
Things to watch for include failing clutch actuators (basically a solenoid that opens and closes the clutch), starter motor (we've had two), and obviously wet electronics if you have a leaky one (we don't).
If the fabric roof is original it's probably showing signs of wear (detached bars being common); we replaced ours a couple of years ago (Merc want a grand for a new one, we sourced a specialist company to make one for half the price).
There are two independents in Cambridgeshire, depending where in Essex you are - Cambridge Smart Cars, and Fudgesmart; but our local garage is pretty good with ours (as his son owns one as well).
Servicing can be a little expensive as it's a 7000 mile service interval, plus most jobs are awkward as everything is jammed in (a spark plug change requires rear panels to be removed).
Thank you. Both are less than 1:30 from me. From what I have read here and generally they seem pretty reliable. Things to watch for include failing clutch actuators (basically a solenoid that opens and closes the clutch), starter motor (we've had two), and obviously wet electronics if you have a leaky one (we don't).
If the fabric roof is original it's probably showing signs of wear (detached bars being common); we replaced ours a couple of years ago (Merc want a grand for a new one, we sourced a specialist company to make one for half the price).
There are two independents in Cambridgeshire, depending where in Essex you are - Cambridge Smart Cars, and Fudgesmart; but our local garage is pretty good with ours (as his son owns one as well).
Servicing can be a little expensive as it's a 7000 mile service interval, plus most jobs are awkward as everything is jammed in (a spark plug change requires rear panels to be removed).
Edited by westmoorfarm on Monday 4th November 16:04
Is a remap worth it?
Bit of an update. I found a car owned by a chap on a roadster FB group. The car had covered 76k miles at time of collection, had full service history and for a 14 year old car was in very good nick. I drove 500 miles (round drip) to collect it and overall i am very happy with it.
You NEED to read Evilution and Roadster.net to ensure you don't buy a pup. There are many things to be aware of from leaks, to the SAM unit being sealed to a cable near the fuel cap that if the clip breaks and it rubs on the panel it will set the car on fire etc
I have already done the following:
- Replaced the original head unit so it feels more modern and i have bluetooth connectivity.
- Put on longer paddles allowing for better hand positioning on the steering wheel.
- Done a few fixes to stop the leak around the base of the wing mirrors.
- Replaced the speakers as the ones in the car were woeful.
Next ill get the car detailed and the sub-frame wire brushed, pained and the car under sealed.
Tee good:
- It is a lot more spacious inside than it looks.
- With the front and rear boot it is also more practical than you would expect.
- Personally i am a big fan of the looks and always have been.
- Once moving it is actually quite nippy.
- It has more mod cons than i as expecting (air con, Auto lights, auto wipers, heated seats, hill start assist, arm rest, cruise control, launch control etc)
- My daughter (6 years old) loves it.
- It is peanuts to insure, tax and MPG is really good.
- Materials are pretty naff and cheap.
Bad points:
- It is VERY slow to get off the line.
- The gear box is slow but with paddles it makes it manageable so you just get used to it.
- It's an old car so things will fail (so far the water pump, alternator and thermostat have needed replacing).
- You do ideally need a specialist near by as it makes a difference. They will know about the pitfalls of of the car and as such it will save you money and time as opposed to using a garage that don't know the cars well.
- Handling is better than i expected but mine is lowered. It sticks to the road better than i imagined it would.
Overall i am a little hooked if i am honest. Its a hoot to drive and hits my car criteria for the moment. Like with any car, do your research, know what you are buying and have fun!
Stu
You NEED to read Evilution and Roadster.net to ensure you don't buy a pup. There are many things to be aware of from leaks, to the SAM unit being sealed to a cable near the fuel cap that if the clip breaks and it rubs on the panel it will set the car on fire etc
I have already done the following:
- Replaced the original head unit so it feels more modern and i have bluetooth connectivity.
- Put on longer paddles allowing for better hand positioning on the steering wheel.
- Done a few fixes to stop the leak around the base of the wing mirrors.
- Replaced the speakers as the ones in the car were woeful.
Next ill get the car detailed and the sub-frame wire brushed, pained and the car under sealed.
Tee good:
- It is a lot more spacious inside than it looks.
- With the front and rear boot it is also more practical than you would expect.
- Personally i am a big fan of the looks and always have been.
- Once moving it is actually quite nippy.
- It has more mod cons than i as expecting (air con, Auto lights, auto wipers, heated seats, hill start assist, arm rest, cruise control, launch control etc)
- My daughter (6 years old) loves it.
- It is peanuts to insure, tax and MPG is really good.
- Materials are pretty naff and cheap.
Bad points:
- It is VERY slow to get off the line.
- The gear box is slow but with paddles it makes it manageable so you just get used to it.
- It's an old car so things will fail (so far the water pump, alternator and thermostat have needed replacing).
- You do ideally need a specialist near by as it makes a difference. They will know about the pitfalls of of the car and as such it will save you money and time as opposed to using a garage that don't know the cars well.
- Handling is better than i expected but mine is lowered. It sticks to the road better than i imagined it would.
Overall i am a little hooked if i am honest. Its a hoot to drive and hits my car criteria for the moment. Like with any car, do your research, know what you are buying and have fun!
Stu
A tip to driving these.
Don’t floor it from a standstill or from walking pace. It will want to disengage the clutch, build some revs and re-enage. Try to gently roll onto the throttle. It’ll never be really quick in these situations, but will be much better and feel much better.
Likewise when changing gear. You need to initiate the gear change process at the point you’d normally start to push the clutch pedal down in a normal manual car. If you wait until the point where you would be reapplying the throttle after shifting in a manual car to then try and get the Roady to shift. It’ll be way to late and feel sluggish and slow.
They are pretty brutal and if you get the timing wrong they will not reward. But get it right and they are hugely satisfying. Also try lifting gently during gear changes. You don’t need to come all the way off the pedal and it’ll take practice. But master it and it will feel like it seamlessly changes gear.
Don’t floor it from a standstill or from walking pace. It will want to disengage the clutch, build some revs and re-enage. Try to gently roll onto the throttle. It’ll never be really quick in these situations, but will be much better and feel much better.
Likewise when changing gear. You need to initiate the gear change process at the point you’d normally start to push the clutch pedal down in a normal manual car. If you wait until the point where you would be reapplying the throttle after shifting in a manual car to then try and get the Roady to shift. It’ll be way to late and feel sluggish and slow.
They are pretty brutal and if you get the timing wrong they will not reward. But get it right and they are hugely satisfying. Also try lifting gently during gear changes. You don’t need to come all the way off the pedal and it’ll take practice. But master it and it will feel like it seamlessly changes gear.
300bhp/ton said:
A tip to driving these.
Don’t floor it from a standstill or from walking pace. It will want to disengage the clutch, build some revs and re-enage. Try to gently roll onto the throttle. It’ll never be really quick in these situations, but will be much better and feel much better.
Likewise when changing gear. You need to initiate the gear change process at the point you’d normally start to push the clutch pedal down in a normal manual car. If you wait until the point where you would be reapplying the throttle after shifting in a manual car to then try and get the Roady to shift. It’ll be way to late and feel sluggish and slow.
They are pretty brutal and if you get the timing wrong they will not reward. But get it right and they are hugely satisfying. Also try lifting gently during gear changes. You don’t need to come all the way off the pedal and it’ll take practice. But master it and it will feel like it seamlessly changes gear.
All good points and already doing them Don’t floor it from a standstill or from walking pace. It will want to disengage the clutch, build some revs and re-enage. Try to gently roll onto the throttle. It’ll never be really quick in these situations, but will be much better and feel much better.
Likewise when changing gear. You need to initiate the gear change process at the point you’d normally start to push the clutch pedal down in a normal manual car. If you wait until the point where you would be reapplying the throttle after shifting in a manual car to then try and get the Roady to shift. It’ll be way to late and feel sluggish and slow.
They are pretty brutal and if you get the timing wrong they will not reward. But get it right and they are hugely satisfying. Also try lifting gently during gear changes. You don’t need to come all the way off the pedal and it’ll take practice. But master it and it will feel like it seamlessly changes gear.
The key one is treating it like a manual car in terms of gear change. I am enjoying the car a lot more than i thought i would.
The other thing that makes a noticeable difference to the speed of gear changes is having the clutch actuator preload correctly set and the bite points calibrated. This is something that these car do benefit from as the clutch wears, even though the clutch itself is "self-adjusting".
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