Smart Roadster Coupe Brabus or Honda CR-Z

[kurokawa]

Some change at work, now I will be drivign Frome-Royal Wootton Bassett back and forth twice a week
Partner have a family car but she use it daily to work. I need something cheap to run and I do so little milage do think a diesel worth it
I am looking for something good mpg, low tax and more unique, narrow down to the smart and the honda
Both seem to have some good reviews from their owners.
I believe the Smart will be more fun to drive being so light, RWD and sitting on the floor, and Brabus seem to hold it value quite strong now
Honda slightly more practical, MT, being a coupe no need to worry about leak in rain, and Honda bomb proof reliability.

any PHer have owned them or any PHer have any thought?

Thanks

[Whataguy]

I'd say the Brabus - I spent a day driving the CRZ when my civic was being serviced and didn't like it.

The back seats in the CRZ were unusable, I found the drivers seat uncomfortable and the performance wasn't that great - neither was the MPG to make up for it!

[Macron]

MX5!

[AnhBanhBao]

I can’t say I’ve owned either, so cannot help you there, but as an admirer of both the Roadster and the CR-Z, I think it depends on how much you’re intrigued by the Brabus.

I REALLY wanted one a few years back, but was put off by the SAM issues when the electrics get wet or damp. You’d think that the CR-Z will give you fewer potential issues by far. Is it still special or different enough to justify over the Brabus though?

[ZX10R NIN]

Unless you can find a Roadster that;s had a lot of the issues taken care of then I'd buy the CRZ & add some choice mods, just take a look at HKS/Spoon etc.

Or you could buy this supercharged one:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202209129...

Lightly modded:

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202210140...

[InductionRoar]

I owned a Smart Roadster Brabus for over two years and have been a passenger in a CR-Z on multiple occasions.

Practicality is not the Smart's forte. The front boot is small and even more cramped once the roof bars are located. The rear boot is even tinier and gets very warm very quickly. Maybe if you were a low volume paper salesman the rear boot may be useful - otherwise it is pointless.

The steering is ridiculously light as the Brabus has power steering, which is completely unnecessary given the lack of weight over the front wheels. It also uses a direct replica of the Mary Rose's steering wheel to compound the issue. The monoblock wheels look lovely but are very heavy, too big and corrosion magnets. The headlights are abysmal. The gearbox software is worthy of its own thread.

It wasn't all bad though. I fitted a Janspeed exhaust and made a few other modifications to mine, which enhanced the already good parts of the driving experience massively. Overall, it was a really fun car that was very cheap to run and extremely frugal. B roads were fun due to the light weight, sporty sound and wind in the hair motoring - even driving in a 30 felt quick and eventful in the same way that a classic car is. The boost gauge was a nice touch as were the aluminium gear knob/handbrake lever. The driving position was good, particularly looking out over the headlight cowls.

Motorway journeys weren't too bad, but the lack of power did mean that overtakes required more planning than you may expect. It is perfectly nippy around town and at low speeds (surprisingly so in fact), but it really gets trounced at higher speeds.

The Honda is a very different proposition. Doesn't feel sporty at all, feels much heavier (which it is), muted but economical and very practical. Far more comfortable on a journey but not exciting in the slightest. The interior felt a bit sci-fi but typical Japanese.

In short, if you can look past the practicality, lack of steering feel and an awful gearchange then I would go for the Smart.