Smart Roadster Coupe Brabus
Discussion
I'm looking a second car to share the daily driving with my VX, and am finding my gold a little Mundane. I've always liked these little cars, but have heard the horror stories.
The VX220 is generally acceptable everyday transportation for me, with the exception of the terrible heater, with a big enough boot to hold my bits and pieces, so don't see an issue with space in the Smart. Has anyone on here had any experience with them as a car? The one I'm looking at has 60k miles, and needs a new ECU after sitting on a driveway gathering water for the past 12 months. I'm thinking £2500 should lift it, and £1000 to get it back on the road.....Is it worth the risk?
The VX220 is generally acceptable everyday transportation for me, with the exception of the terrible heater, with a big enough boot to hold my bits and pieces, so don't see an issue with space in the Smart. Has anyone on here had any experience with them as a car? The one I'm looking at has 60k miles, and needs a new ECU after sitting on a driveway gathering water for the past 12 months. I'm thinking £2500 should lift it, and £1000 to get it back on the road.....Is it worth the risk?
I owned one for a bit.
The brakes were lousy, and the gearchange every bit as clunky as reputation suggests, but apart from that I had no problems. It handled very nicely, and was good fun to drive.
Apart from leaks, the roof mechanism is the other weak spot, of course, but my car suffered from neither. If the car you're looking at leaks, I understand it can be a tough job to cure them.
The brakes were lousy, and the gearchange every bit as clunky as reputation suggests, but apart from that I had no problems. It handled very nicely, and was good fun to drive.
Apart from leaks, the roof mechanism is the other weak spot, of course, but my car suffered from neither. If the car you're looking at leaks, I understand it can be a tough job to cure them.
There are guides on how to stop the leaks so take a look at those first. The air con pipes have a tendency to corrode so don't be surprised if it does not work. I had the receiver for the key fob die after getting the interior wet due to a roof leak behind the passenger seat.
You can work around the gearbox timing, you just need to plan a bit further ahead and they do allow multigear changes so you can hit the down shift paddle three times at the right time as you brake and it will be in gear by the time you want to accelerate. The low power means you can thrash them around a lot more than larger higher powered cars. Steering is rather high geared, but as they are quite sensitive at motorway speed so if it was lower they would be too twitchy.
Great to drive kart style with your left foot on the brake.
You can work around the gearbox timing, you just need to plan a bit further ahead and they do allow multigear changes so you can hit the down shift paddle three times at the right time as you brake and it will be in gear by the time you want to accelerate. The low power means you can thrash them around a lot more than larger higher powered cars. Steering is rather high geared, but as they are quite sensitive at motorway speed so if it was lower they would be too twitchy.
Great to drive kart style with your left foot on the brake.
ColinMacC said:
I'm looking a second car to share the daily driving with my VX, and am finding my gold a little Mundane. I've always liked these little cars, but have heard the horror stories.
The VX220 is generally acceptable everyday transportation for me, with the exception of the terrible heater, with a big enough boot to hold my bits and pieces, so don't see an issue with space in the Smart. Has anyone on here had any experience with them as a car? The one I'm looking at has 60k miles, and needs a new ECU after sitting on a driveway gathering water for the past 12 months. I'm thinking £2500 should lift it, and £1000 to get it back on the road.....Is it worth the risk?
Are you kidding? In the right hands these are faster than a TVR Tuscan, snap it up!The VX220 is generally acceptable everyday transportation for me, with the exception of the terrible heater, with a big enough boot to hold my bits and pieces, so don't see an issue with space in the Smart. Has anyone on here had any experience with them as a car? The one I'm looking at has 60k miles, and needs a new ECU after sitting on a driveway gathering water for the past 12 months. I'm thinking £2500 should lift it, and £1000 to get it back on the road.....Is it worth the risk?
Tuvra said:
Are you kidding? In the right hands these are faster than a TVR Tuscan, snap it up!
Err, ok. 
Check the SAM supply situation as when mine died a little while ago they weren't available, so ended up tracking one down on ebay.
Leaks can be sorted with a bit of time but and it sounds like the wiper motor bucket and bulkhead will need attacking with tiger seal asap to stop the sam becoming a consumable item.
Basil Brush said:
Err, ok.
Check the SAM supply situation as when mine died a little while ago they weren't available, so ended up tracking one down on ebay.
Leaks can be sorted with a bit of time but and it sounds like the wiper motor bucket and bulkhead will need attacking with tiger seal asap to stop the sam becoming a consumable item.
I actually got speaking to the guy that runs the Smart Garage next door to Back on Track in Guildford when I was picking up the VX, and he reckoned the leaks could be solved to a point. He seemed to think that if it was garaged at night, a shower of rain during the day wouldn't be an issue, but is it reliable enough to use every day?Check the SAM supply situation as when mine died a little while ago they weren't available, so ended up tracking one down on ebay.
Leaks can be sorted with a bit of time but and it sounds like the wiper motor bucket and bulkhead will need attacking with tiger seal asap to stop the sam becoming a consumable item.
Tuvra said:
ColinMacC said:
I'm looking a second car to share the daily driving with my VX, and am finding my gold a little Mundane. I've always liked these little cars, but have heard the horror stories.
The VX220 is generally acceptable everyday transportation for me, with the exception of the terrible heater, with a big enough boot to hold my bits and pieces, so don't see an issue with space in the Smart. Has anyone on here had any experience with them as a car? The one I'm looking at has 60k miles, and needs a new ECU after sitting on a driveway gathering water for the past 12 months. I'm thinking £2500 should lift it, and £1000 to get it back on the road.....Is it worth the risk?
Are you kidding? In the right hands these are faster than a TVR Tuscan, snap it up!The VX220 is generally acceptable everyday transportation for me, with the exception of the terrible heater, with a big enough boot to hold my bits and pieces, so don't see an issue with space in the Smart. Has anyone on here had any experience with them as a car? The one I'm looking at has 60k miles, and needs a new ECU after sitting on a driveway gathering water for the past 12 months. I'm thinking £2500 should lift it, and £1000 to get it back on the road.....Is it worth the risk?
Was about to post the same...
ColinMacC said:
I actually got speaking to the guy that runs the Smart Garage next door to Back on Track in Guildford when I was picking up the VX, and he reckoned the leaks could be solved to a point. He seemed to think that if it was garaged at night, a shower of rain during the day wouldn't be an issue, but is it reliable enough to use every day?
Mine has been used as a daily and lived outside since I got it, currently by my sister as her only car. The sam got killed when we moved to a house with a sloping drive and left it nose up in a very heavy thunder storm. We only get a very small leak at the front OS corner of the roof if it rains very hard and I only mean an odd drip. Living with a Smart Roadster is not necessarily the horror story that far too many people make them out to be.
The gearchange. The gearbox is NOT an automatic. It is a manual gearbox, (exactly the same as any other manual box), but operated by clever electronics and mechanical parts. It is merely taking away from you the 2 operations of pushing down a clutch pedal and moving the gear lever around. When in "manual" mode - again, the electronics and mechanical parts are taking the place of you stabbing a pedal, and stirring the gear lever around. There will ALWAYS be a time gap between the gears, in exactly the same way that there is a gap when you are driving ANY other manual gearbox car.
The Roadster suffered from a lack of development on the part of Smart. They failed to address the fundamental problems of the car while developing it, and rushed it out too quickly, then suffered the horrendous warranty claims that resulted by letting Joe Public be the guinea pigs in finding out the problems. Their way of solving the problems was to halt production.
The first 10 years of producing the Smart fortwo, the forfour, and the roadster cost Mercedes/Smart a billion euros and not a single euro in profit.
The leaks CAN be sorted. Using anticipation - the gearbox CAN be a pleasure to use.
Buy one and be different. There are 3 rules that you MUST stick by:-
(1) Research
(2) Research
(3) Research
The gearchange. The gearbox is NOT an automatic. It is a manual gearbox, (exactly the same as any other manual box), but operated by clever electronics and mechanical parts. It is merely taking away from you the 2 operations of pushing down a clutch pedal and moving the gear lever around. When in "manual" mode - again, the electronics and mechanical parts are taking the place of you stabbing a pedal, and stirring the gear lever around. There will ALWAYS be a time gap between the gears, in exactly the same way that there is a gap when you are driving ANY other manual gearbox car.
The Roadster suffered from a lack of development on the part of Smart. They failed to address the fundamental problems of the car while developing it, and rushed it out too quickly, then suffered the horrendous warranty claims that resulted by letting Joe Public be the guinea pigs in finding out the problems. Their way of solving the problems was to halt production.
The first 10 years of producing the Smart fortwo, the forfour, and the roadster cost Mercedes/Smart a billion euros and not a single euro in profit.
The leaks CAN be sorted. Using anticipation - the gearbox CAN be a pleasure to use.
Buy one and be different. There are 3 rules that you MUST stick by:-
(1) Research
(2) Research
(3) Research
I’ve had one since June but only as a weekend car and its garaged so leaks aren’t really an issue for me. I did get caught in torrential rain a few weeks ago but it only let in a few drips behind the driver’s seat but I think mine had been sorted under warranty. The wiper tray can also be sealed to prevent water entering the sam.
I had an old fourtwo years ago so had some idea of what to expect from the gearbox but the roadster is miles ahead especially with the flappy paddles and a remap to about 120bhp. I was apprehensive about the 220 mile trip home after picking mine up but was amazed at how stable it was. They will easily cruise above the speed limit all day long although can be a bit noisy but no worse than any other small 2 seater. Good amount of room inside with the coupe version, probably more than my Eunos.
They are not as fragile as some would have you believe. The reputation for knackered engines at 60k stems from the earlier 600cc engine, the 700cc is much more robust. If serviced properly they are capable of big mileages without issue and there are plenty of specialist garages out there that know their way round them including sam unit repair and replacement.
They look and sound great and handle well with phenomenal grip. Maybe not quite as good as a Eunos but it’s a different experience and will put the same smile on your face. The steering can also be sharpened up with the addition of a V6 steering wheel although this is a very expensive mod. The only thing I really worry about is the monoblock alloys which are prone to damage. I continuously scan the road ahead for potholes etc.
There’s loads of sites out there with advice, evilution, the roadster.net and a very active roadster owners club on facebook. Is this one worth the risk? If it has some other service history behind it and a good Mot record I’d say yes.
I had an old fourtwo years ago so had some idea of what to expect from the gearbox but the roadster is miles ahead especially with the flappy paddles and a remap to about 120bhp. I was apprehensive about the 220 mile trip home after picking mine up but was amazed at how stable it was. They will easily cruise above the speed limit all day long although can be a bit noisy but no worse than any other small 2 seater. Good amount of room inside with the coupe version, probably more than my Eunos.
They are not as fragile as some would have you believe. The reputation for knackered engines at 60k stems from the earlier 600cc engine, the 700cc is much more robust. If serviced properly they are capable of big mileages without issue and there are plenty of specialist garages out there that know their way round them including sam unit repair and replacement.
They look and sound great and handle well with phenomenal grip. Maybe not quite as good as a Eunos but it’s a different experience and will put the same smile on your face. The steering can also be sharpened up with the addition of a V6 steering wheel although this is a very expensive mod. The only thing I really worry about is the monoblock alloys which are prone to damage. I continuously scan the road ahead for potholes etc.
There’s loads of sites out there with advice, evilution, the roadster.net and a very active roadster owners club on facebook. Is this one worth the risk? If it has some other service history behind it and a good Mot record I’d say yes.
Edited by kuro on Thursday 12th October 15:47
kuro said:
I’ve had one since June but only as a weekend car and its garaged so leaks aren’t really an issue for me. I did get caught in torrential rain a few weeks ago but it only let in a few drips behind the driver’s seat but I think mine had been sorted under warranty. The wiper tray can also be sealed to prevent water entering the sam.
I had an old fourtwo years ago so had some idea of what to expect from the gearbox but the roadster is miles ahead especially with the flappy paddles and a remap to about 120bhp. I was apprehensive about the 220 mile trip home after picking mine up but was amazed at how stable it was. They will easily cruise above the speed limit all day long although can be a bit noisy but no worse than any other small 2 seater. Good amount of room inside with the coupe version, probably more than my Eunos.
They are not as fragile as some would have you believe. The reputation for knackered engines at 60k stems from the earlier 600cc engine, the 700cc is much more robust. If serviced properly they are capable of big mileages without issue and there are plenty of specialist garages out there that know their way round them including sam unit repair and replacement.
They look and sound great and handle well with phenomenal grip. Maybe not quite as good as a Eunos but it’s a different experience and will put the same smile on your face. The steering can also be sharpened up with the addition of a V6 steering wheel although this is a very expensive mod. The only thing I really worry about is the monoblock alloys which are prone to damage. I continuously scan the road ahead for potholes etc.
There’s loads of sites out there with advice, evilution, the roadster.net and a very active roadster owners club on facebook. Is this one worth the risk? If it has some other service history behind it and a good Mot record I’d say yes.
Thanks for the help guys......I'm going to go have a look over the weekend, once I get a years test and service the golf, I'll get it sold, and try living with a vx and Smart as my 2 car garage!I had an old fourtwo years ago so had some idea of what to expect from the gearbox but the roadster is miles ahead especially with the flappy paddles and a remap to about 120bhp. I was apprehensive about the 220 mile trip home after picking mine up but was amazed at how stable it was. They will easily cruise above the speed limit all day long although can be a bit noisy but no worse than any other small 2 seater. Good amount of room inside with the coupe version, probably more than my Eunos.
They are not as fragile as some would have you believe. The reputation for knackered engines at 60k stems from the earlier 600cc engine, the 700cc is much more robust. If serviced properly they are capable of big mileages without issue and there are plenty of specialist garages out there that know their way round them including sam unit repair and replacement.
They look and sound great and handle well with phenomenal grip. Maybe not quite as good as a Eunos but it’s a different experience and will put the same smile on your face. The steering can also be sharpened up with the addition of a V6 steering wheel although this is a very expensive mod. The only thing I really worry about is the monoblock alloys which are prone to damage. I continuously scan the road ahead for potholes etc.
There’s loads of sites out there with advice, evilution, the roadster.net and a very active roadster owners club on facebook. Is this one worth the risk? If it has some other service history behind it and a good Mot record I’d say yes.
Edited by kuro on Thursday 12th October 15:47
I've had a standard Roadster for a year and a half and it's superb. It only had 23k on it and is an 05 plate.
The previous owner very wisely sealed the bulkhead so no leaks for there however the roof does leak but only a small amount. the only time I've ever had to 'bail out' was when the wife very cleverly left the window down overnight and there was very heavy rain!
Despite the 80BHP from the 700c the car is great fun to drive and the grip is amazing. All this while giving over 50mpg nearly all the time.
Definitely worth waiting to find a nice one and when the seller tells you it has never leaked try not to be rude. :-)
The previous owner very wisely sealed the bulkhead so no leaks for there however the roof does leak but only a small amount. the only time I've ever had to 'bail out' was when the wife very cleverly left the window down overnight and there was very heavy rain!
Despite the 80BHP from the 700c the car is great fun to drive and the grip is amazing. All this while giving over 50mpg nearly all the time.
Definitely worth waiting to find a nice one and when the seller tells you it has never leaked try not to be rude. :-)
I've had two, and wrote a Carpool article a few years ago: https://www.pistonheads.com/regulars/ph-carpool/ph...
Both of mine were dailys, I was doing 20k miles a year in the second one and it lived outside full time until had enough cash to run two cars. Currently have an S1 Elise as a second car but still miss my re-mapped Roadster.
Good advice in the posts above, and if you get a coupe they are surprisingly practical. You can fit a full-size Samsonite suitcase under the hatch and also have the front boot and some space behind the seats.
Both of mine were dailys, I was doing 20k miles a year in the second one and it lived outside full time until had enough cash to run two cars. Currently have an S1 Elise as a second car but still miss my re-mapped Roadster.
Good advice in the posts above, and if you get a coupe they are surprisingly practical. You can fit a full-size Samsonite suitcase under the hatch and also have the front boot and some space behind the seats.
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