Why I love the Smart Roadster Brabus and you should too! Real world ownership Review
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- Опубликовано: 8 сен 2021
- I love my Smart Roadster Brabus... And you should too!
I started my love affair with these cars over a decade ago and more recently took the plunge with another purchase - this time a Brabus.
But how much fun can a 14 year old, 101bhp car really be???
I'll leave it for you to decide! 
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I have to agree. It’s a brilliant little car. Personally I was on look to buy a 911. Ended up with a 82 hp little roadster. Who would have thought? Not me. But this car is THE most fun car for normal roads. And that’s where I drive the most. It has become the car I use the most.
Literally the exact same story here Terje
Great to hear you’ve had a similar experience 👍
I owe and drive an 82 cp Roadster Coupe. Daily with over 325 000 km on the clock. I want to buy another one for my girlfriend 😆
@@Xenstein 325k. Wth
@@lancereyesromero7811 now 367 000
@@Xenstein juust wondering. is it possible to swap an engine on these little monsters? lets say 5 cylinder volvo
Good vid. We had a black Brabus for a couple of years...Hated the gearbox, especially on the paddles, it really needed a manual. We had it remapped to 120bhp which was great! Also the roof on ours was constantly going wrong and failed completely in the end. The groovy wheels would tramline on heavily cambered roads and were very soft so would frequently buckle with even mild potholes. Underneath a brilliant car was trying to get out but it was spoiled by some bad choices by Mercedes. Definitely worth experiencing though...people would usually ask "is it a Lotus?" 🤣
Love the notes and experience chap - thank you
I really enjoy 'unusual' cars like this - very underappreciated. Keep up the good work!
Cheers dude 👍
Been waiting for this follow up vid for months. Liked it before seeing it. Thanks buddy and looking forward to the next on. Ps. Don't leave it too long 👍🏽😄
Cheers dude
Apologies for the delay - will try harder.
Just out of interest what more would you like to see on the car?
@@CarMadDadremap the car
The magic of some special cars is the sense of occasion that comes from the charisma they ooze rather than outright performance. Plenty of Alfa Romeo owners will attest to this! Great review and cool little car!
Cheers Ben 👍
V kind of you chap
You have a great channel and deserve way more subs. Keep at it!
Cheers x x x
Just watched till the end. Love that it’s a non profitable channel. I can already tell this channel is going to be one of my faves. You’re a natural, and clearly very passionate about cars.
I appreciate that!
I only have a fortwo, but for almost 10 years now, and you still can't shut me up about it once I get started!
In your review you've certainly confirmed the truth of the old saying that it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow, and I experience it myself every time I get into mine, even in town, when I'm not driving fast even by smart standards.
Thank you for the view and thoughts chappy 👌
Just came across your channel due to an old Top Gear reel. Thinking of downsizing my 330d GT and I want something economical, quite sporty looks great and is quite unique… I think I may have found the car.
You’ve got a new subscriber , was a pleasure watching this looking forward to seeing your other reviews.
Cheers dude - top man
Worked at a mercedes specialist for a while, but it's always these cars that get me excited, even over some of the top end mercs, I love everything about them
Cheers for the view and thoughts chappy 👍
Thinking about suggesting this for my son and then ‘occasionally’ borrowing it😂. Gives my M2C a rest! Cheers, Kevin. PS appreciate the effort you’re putting in with multiple camera angles, editing and appropriate use of background music - quality vlogging!
Cheers Kevin - looking to improve quality each time (learning as I go).
Hope all is well?
Bought one new in 2003, replaced it in 2006 for a new coupe. Sold it in 2009. Drove many nice cars since then (peugeot RCZ, BMW Z4, Audi TT roadster, Mini S.....) None of them where as much fun as the smart roadster. Last september I bought myself a smart roadster Brabus (11-2005)....I couldn't be more happy...I love my roadster...
Been there chap - agree entirely
Thank you for the view and comment 👍
Absolutely spot on. In today's EV constant torque times and willy waving they have one major dynamic advantage over the speed demons and that is lightweight. Its the reason my Exige S2 isn't going anywhere regardless of my daily car changing all the time. Always liked the look of the Brabus.
Cheers buddy - bet the exige is a proper hoot!
In late 2016 I was on the market for buying a car. Criteria were to be a small turbo gasoline engine(big cities are against diesel), automatic transmission, lightweight and cheap to run. The search engine gave me a bunch of Smarties like fortwos and some roadsters. I was not pleased with roadsters-notch because they are short on luggage space BUT the coupe version was in the sweet spot. Enough space in the back for luggage and other stuff plus the frunk, made this little car the perfect choice for me.
Timeliness design loved by the crowd, mid engine and rear traction is the recipe for pleasure.
I needed to learn everything about this car because the mechanic-guys are not trained for understand and service them. 😉
Couple of mods later and after solving the casual problems I'm driving this daily, made over 170 000 km around Europe(almost 4 times around Earth) and I'm still having fun. Under 5l/100km consumption, oil changed at every 10-12 000km and no other problems to be solved. 😊 Because being low on power never broke the law too much and never being in the situation of going off the track.
A very good and reliable car for me. Too bad for Smart to not having these cars in production any more 😑
Great thoughts and comment chappy - cheers
Cracking video, I love my Smart Roadster Brabus and would highly recommend anyone thinking of getting to just do it!
Very kind of you Ian
Cheers 🍻
Great video I've always loved these cars since I first laid my eyes on them ,and your correct they are brilliant in many ways , I have a bad,back so unfortunately wasn't able to purchase one so instead I bought a fortwo coupe , its a great little car but not in the same respect as a roaster brabus , but I still love it even though people laugh at me , but I don't care at all because I'm laughing all the way to the bank and I don't like carrying passengers lol .
Thank you for sharing I really enjoyed watching this , I hope you continue to enjoy owning your Brabus for many years which I'm sure you will .
Thank you Andrew for the view and comment - very kind of you - keep up the good work!
Great little video. I’ve got a Brabus 451, and I’m now thinking of a roadster version! I live in a small island (Jersey). Speed limit is 40mph. I don’t need any more power to have some fun. Great stuff and thank you for your insight. 👍
Perfect for that beautiful island 🏝️ 👍
Great review, have one of these myself, and its fun, fun and even more fun, and indeed very addictive.
Cheers chappy x
My mate was an engineer working for McLaren. He had 2 smart roadsters
A man of fantastic taste 👌
I had a really nice Brabus Xclusive coupé for a couple of years. It was good fun, sounded great and was pretty quick having been remapped to about 120bhp with an aftermarket filter, ported throttle body and a forge dump valve. Mine also had a ridiculously expensive V6 Raid steering wheel which transformed the feel of the car. Gear change was actually pretty quick in mine using flappy paddles. The ride comfort was feckin harsh, akin to driving a skateboard with seats! Personally I didn't find it that cheap to run requiring specialist attention which involved a 60 mile round trip. I ran mine alongside a Eunos roadster. Ultimately I hung onto the Mazda which imo is a better drivers car, more reliable and cheaper to maintain.
Great thoughts and comment John - much appreciated x
Agree .. they are not cheap to run. Petrol is the only thing thats cheap on a Roadster Brabus to run.
Good on you mate, subscribed
Cheers fella 👍
Great video! I just bought a smart roadster one week ago to have a fun car. I loved the design since I was a student. The only thing is that I can't understand why such a rare and good looking car is still so cheap. What's going on? Everybody on youtube says that this car makes so much fun and it is even built by mercedes. I am sure that the prices will rise soon. I will keep my roadster! :) Thx for sharing!
Great to hear chappy - thanks for the view and comment 👍
Just purchased one. All fixed up. I absolutely love it! Its a brabus with 50000miles on the clock
Awesome chappy
Do you have any suggestions for leaks? My mirror on driver side is a tap mate
@@bradador1 I've been extremely fortunate thus far regarding this chap - have heard a few people filing the rubber with silicone which has helped rather a lot... Worth a try maybe???
hi
excellent review. loved it. Could you send some pics of the boot(s) pls - front and back (in the coupe). thank you.
Yeah of course chap
Maybe ping me a DM on Instagram and I’ll send you some over 👍
My wife called mine the speed bump and refused to get into it after she noticed a Nissan micra's door mirror was above her head in traffic. Had to go. I loved it. Always felt faster that 10s 0-100k. Leaked like a sieve.
Amazing how “small cars” appear huge in these things 😂
Don’t think my wife is a huge fan either - all the more reason to keep her 😂 (the car that is)
Two videos in as many days well done. Are you going to cars and coffee with Footman James on the 26th of this month in Droitwich
A man possessed Peter! No unfortunately I wont be there - shame but duty calls elsewhere!
Love the looks of these! been so tempted to get one. my question is... can you make them faster? 😅any modifications available? and if so how hard / expensive are they to get?
Cheers fella 👍
Yeah they look incredible - you can 100% increase the speed however NOTHING on these cars is simple so you would need a specialist in my case (or some know how and patience if you are handy)
There’s a really good forum (theroadster.net) that has bags on information on there
@@CarMadDad cheers mate! There's 2 black ones for sale at the min I've been looking at. Look sick! I'd wanna track it though 😂 be a first, not seen one out there before. I wonder if anyone has done an engine swap 👀 I'm just in the learning phase about them and my knowledge goes no more than what I've seen from your videos to be honest so I'd have to do some digging before commiting but they do look like a car that would be seriously fun with a bit more power and some handling aids for track
Yeah for sure chap
I know there’s a few with bigger engines so defo possible. Handling wise my Bilstein set up has been v good 👌
Never really looked at these but want to see what it’s all about now
I’ll take that 😂
Nice and relax told! Thx m8
Glad you enjoyed!
Great review... Just bought one, I think the gearbox isn't as bad as many people say, cheap, fun economical, and a bit different ( not an Mx5) what's not to like 👍
Captain sensible by name and nature 😂
Cheers dude - if you get chance I’ve done a video on some of the issues I’ve encountered - might be worth a goosey!
Happy driving x
Hiya thanks.. Whether my decision to buy one was ' sensible' remains to be seen! I nearly got one a couple of years ago, but to be honest I talked myself out of it ( stories of SAM units, leaking, the gear box ect)
Hopefully I've got a good one 🤞 does need a bit of tlc but I don't mind tinkering. Have you had any issues with the roof? Mine needs a bit of a manual push to work.. Any thoughts?
Regards
Fingers crossed for you dude 👍
Nothing there mate but maybe some grease might help there 🤔
@@CarMadDad strangely according to various Web sites the recommendations are not to lubricate??
Anyway fab channel mate.. All the best..
I think the smart has something that very hard to quantify...... Character
Cheers dude x
Nice video good not agree more with you, I own the cheaper version of this without powersteering, heated seats, no leather upholstery and I enjoy it so much! Mine has only one annoying problem and it's a sort of blob when it reaches 3000rpm. Mechanics looked into it but they say it's fine and good maintained. Thanks for the video. I enjoyed watching
Cheers Rudy - really appreciate it chap
@Rusticle 2.0 mine doesnt have power steering as well
I have just bought a 2003 Roadster Coupe, not a Brabus, but considering I have a Suzuki Cappuccino for some really sparky acceleration, I love how this drives. It's so much more spacious and its froggy face is adorable! I didn't expect the 'fun' factor as I already have that with Suzii, however, it's so responsive and alive!!! It lives to climb a hill, too....))
Great to hear - thank you x
Need to get the paddles looked at, mine with low miles has fast gear change . On my last one smart2smarts re soldered the Sam connections made gear change much better.
Cheers for this PT - will look into
Do you think a 17 year old new driver could get this for his first car? And how much would the insurance be? Looking forward to buy one as my first
I think it would be a great first car yes
Small
Cheap
Reliable (when serviced properly)
Insurance is entirely subjective - would suggest doing your own research there chap 😂
HI , PICK UP A BRABUS ,on a 06 plate , 55 k miles and what a Hoot , AND EVERY THING SEEMS TO WORK , and still has the paint on the parts underneath . Sheer fun with ones back side scrapping the road , not a Lotus ,having had them in the passed , but a real drive all the same .
Great to hear that chappy 👌
Ein herrliches Auto....!!!
Danke für die tollen Bilder!
👍👏✌️
You are very welcome 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Ive had a 'normal' roadter, mild remap and the optigear to reduce the gear change speed. Ive not driven the barabus but given uve had both id be curious on your thoughts. Love my roadster but, like the barabus looks. The smart specialist orginallu talked me out of it when i explained i lived in london and said it would be too 'crashy'
Hi there
There’s really very little in performance - you can easily get a none Brabus better than the Brabus - for me the benefit is solely aesthetic. With the Brabus you also get the mono lock alloys which are a NIGHTMARE and would buckle around London often I would imagine.
If your after a more “special” look - maybe try a finale ?
Just bought an MX5 RF but looks like I'll have to get a Brabus as well.
MX5 is a great shout too chap 👌
Thank you 😊
Just discovered this video at seemingly the right time, I currently have an M135i that due to the nature of my commute devours fuel so I'm changing it for something more economical and hopefully fun. I've found a 1 owner Brabus with 55k on it and I think I'm going to trade for it!
Thank you for the view and comment chap - best of luck with the search (although it sounds like you’ve found a good in)
I have had my roadster for 10 years. Now little things are failing. One big pain is when the lights are on it intermittently cuts out. Any thoughts as to why?. Love the channel ❤
Hi Kirsty
Thank you for the view and comment.
Not heard of this one myself but have you friend the owner forum mentioned in the video?
The roadster.net
Sounds like the SAM unit but I’d speak to people in the know!
@@CarMadDad Thanks
check & replace the main engine earth!
You should check the engine mounts, especially the front/center one. There's too much movement in the entire assembly when accelerate. If you don't solve that issue more will occur sooner or later
The exhaust on the roadster brabus is fitted to the rear suspension bar so under hard acceleration it drops down. This used to make a lot of people think it was broken when i owned one.
@@SecretOfMonkeyIsland784 it can be worn-out not really broken. It should not move more then an inch
ive got a notch which i am fairly certain i will keep forever, it's an 05 brabus it's such a fab little car !
👍
Worth pointing out the power.
Back in the day, I had a mk1 Ford RS2000.
It had 105hp and was considered quick.
I love these little Smarts - everything a little sports car should be.....
Agreed 👍
The gear change is actually ok, but if you drove an automatic from newer cars then this is def slower compared to those but still it changes gears very well (drove a fortwo cdi for 3 months). What i liked the most is how eazy it is to find parking and how cheap it is to run, like 4L of diesel per 100km, that is insane
Cheers Dev chap 👍
Agree with you on the cheap running costs - comes good now!!!
Way didn't you get the engine and gearbox maped?
You always need to tune a Smart.
Yeah for sure chap. I’m keen to keep it stock as best I can though
Do you still have this car? I have a fortwo and I'm very tempted to get one myself, especially in this colour and spec
I do chap yes
@@CarMadDad wonderful to hear it is still on the road and going well! Are you local to west midlands? Accent sounds close aha, it'd be nice to see it about! If you see a blue 850 T5 or a black fortwo, I'll give a wave!
Please do more exterior shots.
Check out Insta chap
Out of curiosity what kind of leaks did you get and how did you sort them out?
Hello chap 👋
I had the standard window leak it would seem. Not bad in comparison to some cases. Treated the rubber with a specialist autoglym product and haven’t really had it in the wet since 😂
I have heard of people filling the rubber with filler to help keep it flush 👍
@@CarMadDad Cheers. I’m on the fence about getting one due to many tales of additional costs for repairs or fixes. But do love the look of them. A very under appreciated car :)
I think a good mechanic and some know how will see you enjoy many happy miles chappy 👍
@@CarMadDad Indeed. Just got to find a good mechanic!
Gold dust!
B.I.G. Performance in Surrey can give it a remap for engine and gearbox, +30% power. ;)
I’ll have a mooch buddy - cheers
Love that car!!
New too ☝️ 👍
In how many seconds does it reach from 0 to 100 km
Approx 9
One more point, leaking is clearly a problem with many owners reporting it so I am taking my roll-back ragtop section out and replacing it with a snap-in hard panel - a lift out lid just like the TVR. This is good for security and any leaks if you have that situation....
Yes very good point chap - my original had the hard / split roof - was great until an impromptu need to remove occurred
Always when driving yourself rev it to its limits and enjoy
Will do Dougie 👍
Always loved the look of the red/black none coupé version ('cos I'm weird); never did get around to buying one, settled for a Kia Picanto GT-Line S instead (special edition 110bhp "Bumblebee" version in bright yellow); but still wish I'd have gone for this car
There’s still time my friend 👌
@@CarMadDad it doesn't come with a seven year warranty!
Also 40k cheaper 😂
@@CarMadDad The Kia or the Smart Roadster?
I just saw the rear-mid engine setup of Smart 4-4 and 4-2 with H4Bt model, Nissan-Renault 0,9l TCE engine. 90 to 110 hp, 150-170Nm of torque and manual or dual-clutch gearbox. I'm thinking about a swap... 😉
Sounds like a fun way to roll 😂
@@CarMadDad that's true!
I bought one of these a couple of weeks ago. I am an M3 owner and in comparison the F80 now feels so artificial against the roadster. It's way more fun to drive than the BM.
That’s great to hear chap
All about the fun factor these things!
People say the road quality isn’t as good as other cars as you always feel any bumps in the road. Is that true?
It rides like a 800kg, rear engine, sports car should chap. If your after a GT - i would looks elsewhere... Fun on a B Road? You wont go wrong!
I wanted one of these but seem to be unavailable in america
Had a few comments along the same lines… import one!!! 😂
@@CarMadDad ive considered it but rn it will cost me more than i can afford atm but i plan to in the future
Still don't get how 80hp gets you 140km/h. Can it be turned in to 180km/h
Sure it could chap yes
Great fun car.
Agreed chappy 👍
Great car :)
Cheers chappy - i'm a fan (obviously)
Having owned a Smart Roadster Brabus Coupe (Jack Black - 2005 model, sold after 10mths of ownership) i wouldn't say they were cheap to run .... everything breaks or leaks and Merc charge a fortune for repairs (If they even service them in 2022). Also those 3 cylinder engines aren't designed for high mileage and the coupe particularly needs half its rear removed just to change the spark plugs (Speaking from experience). Totally agree on the attention they get and fun to drive, never owned a car that got so much attention and was far more fun to drive than the Astra VXR i replaced mine with in 2006 despite being a lot slower.
Cheers for the view and comment chap - i hear your points - well made.
1.5 years to wait for my first car !
yes, It'll be a Brabus coupe aswell
Great choice 😉
@@CarMadDad I want the Xclusive and I want to drive It as long as the engine lasts !
Plenty of smiles per miles to look forward to
@@CarMadDad hell yeah dude
It would be perfect for some sort of engine swap
Agreed
I did look for a similar high mileage example to convert to an EV but gave up 😆
You just seem to be smiling all the time!!
It genuinely is the effect this car has on you in person... On paper - it makes no sense... BUT DRIVING IT - EVERYTHING COMES TO LIFE!
The Gearbox can be remapped to be faster. I heard
Do you know how???
@@CarMadDad no but I’ve seen a few RUclips videos that states that you can via a specialist
Thank you 🤔
@@CarMadDad added note as well, an engine map can give you 125hp. This is based off info from the fortwo brabus 451 version from similar year.
Smart roadster is basically european Honda s660
Googling those now 😂
I have to be in the right frame of mind to watch a Roadster video since you can't import one to the US so it's like dangling candy just out of reach. 😭😭😭🤧🤧🤧
Sorry to hear that chap - feel like a roadster would get lost on your highways but be perfect for those mountain passes 👍
@@CarMadDad I drove my Smart ForTwo from Long Island, New York to La Paz, Mexico, and on only rare occasion did I question the wisdom of that. I do get your meaning about "getting lost," however.
is 0 to 60 in 9 secs. a bit scary joining motor ways on a slip road
Not at all - just about getting momentum up… that being said - not really a car you buy for the motorway 🤔
So you took that out instead of your comp … do you want to talk mate, stress does strange things 😂
Might need to chap - but trust me... This little thing is addictive!
@@CarMadDad people say it’s not what’s on the outside, it’s the inside that counts… doesn’t work that saying on cars for me 😂 put your windows down in your m2 to get the wind in your hair 😂, I like cars that makes you look back at them and making them shine that’s enjoyment, people talking to you just while your filling up or at lights it’s an experience owning a nice car …never happened in my Volvo 😂
I can always pop the sunroof on the M2 too chappy 😂 but there’s a sense of fun from the plucky little roadster that means it’s stole my heart ❤️ 😂…
Maybe a swap for the Volvo 🤔… sure it’s just as practical 👍
@@CarMadDad 😂😂😂… could prob fit that car in my boot of the Volvo I got the v70 😂
nice video but pls stop pronouncing 'coupé' wrong
Nope 👎
. Salut my friend super car super video subscribe subscribe
Thanks for the sub!
Also put new shocks and springs on , was a much better ride when I went from 50k brabus to a 15k one.
I’m running Bilstein shocks now chappy - love them!!!
Buy yourself a MX5 👍👍
On the list - definitely something to experience 👌
3k subs and invests in merch to flog, hilarious. You’d be better investing in a personality. 🤣
Love keyboard warriors who smash out assumptions with no facts.
So here’s a few for you Fred…
1 - merchandise sells every month
2 - NO investment on my side
3 - once “flogged” ALL PROCEEDS that I receive go to good causes and charity
.
The personality comment is a low blow… Says more about you than it does about me - but for me getting my character across on camera is work in progress.
Final thought - anytime you want to measure up - feel free to have a go yourself and I’ll send you my opinions on what you create beyond a video of you typing away on your keyboard.
Bell end
@@CarMadDad You mad bro?
Not mad
Certainly not your bro
Let me know when you’ve given it a shot - make sure you get that spiffing personality across 👍
@@CarMadDad Ok will do. You seem a bit touchy about that half dead slug personality tho bro… ❤️❤️
@@fredbloggs6342 not touchy - just replying to comments - i reply to everyone no matter how pointless.
Keep up the critique - you have a real knack for it.
Coop. Shudder. Stop with the Americanisms!
“Coop”??
Will do my best Philip - for you as you’ve taken such time to comment
You can't shine a turd. Give it up and get a real car.
Got a few of those too 👍