Should You Buy a SMART ROADSTER? (Test Drive & Review)
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- Опубликовано: 4 сен 2024
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Today I'm in this 2005 Smart Roadster. Let's see what it's like.
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Fun fact: The roadster has two spark plugs per cyclinder (6 in total), has hill start, abs, anti skid, traction control and launch control. It was way ahead of its time and I thoroughly enjoyed mine back in the day, especially with an Evil Twin re-map which bought the power up to that of the Brabus version. Oh, and the gear box isn’t quite that bad, it just requires the user to adopt a different driving style. 😉
Yes - you turn off automatic and hit 5000rpm before you change, I bloody loved my flappy paddle Roadster and miss it a LOT
@@RalnonI had a Bluewave Coupe version. The paddles were great fun to use. Wish I had kept mine. Getting out sometimes required doing a commando roll. Such a good car we went to the local casino in it one night and the valet put it amongst all the super cars outside the door. 😮😅😅
Good video. Pity about the comment about Heather Mills !!
If Paul McCarthy is watching this I'm sure he chuckled..I nearly pissed myself..cracking line !
Haha that would be funny if he was a fan :)
McCartney
@@V7RNR, did you know what he meant?
Apparently Paul McCartney treated Heather very well. At Christmas he bought her a plane, and a lady shave for the other leg. I’ll get me coat…
Paul who lol?
Hey mat ,nobody can say you don't have variety in your car reviews, one day an Audi rs6 avant the next a smart car. That's why I look forward to your videos, thanks mat.🙏
Very true!
Yes. Always a very interesting mix of "real world" cars. The last super-car/ hyper-car video I watched ( about 2 years ago ) was the last one I'll ever watch. These more real world cars ( incl. the Bentley as that is doable if you work hard and save ) are much more interesting
Refreshing to see an honest, positive review of one of these. I’ve had mine for two years now and love it.
Points of note:
1. That gearbox - it actually doesn’t change any slower than a manual gearbox, we’re just conditioned to think a “tiptronic” type box should change instantly. Once you get that idea out of your head and approach changes as you would in a manual car it actually works very well. I never use mine in auto mode because it’s just bad and indecisive. Also worthy of note is that it’s a 3 speed box with overdrive on every gear, hence the 3rd to 4th change is fractionally slower than all the others.
2. Acceleration - The headline figures are hindered somewhat by the gearbox when pulling away as it slips the clutch a touch if you floor it, and hindered more by the change from 3rd to 4th at about 58mph. In gear acceleration is absolutely fine.
3. Motorway twitchiness - I’ve ditched the power steering in mine and it made a huge difference in that regard. I’ve also since fitted Eibach springs, Bilstein dampers and a stiffer ARB which improved things further, but removing the PAS is free and takes less than a minute so is well worthwhile. The steering is still lighter than on my X5 even with PAS removed as there’s very little weight over the front of the car.
4. Servicing - Dead easy, even removing the rear bumper to replace all six plugs isn’t a major chore. Important to have the clutch aligned though and this requires MB Star software so go to a specialist for that once a year.
5. Leaks - I have a hard and soft top for mine. The soft top doesn’t leak at all, the hardtop does leak. If anyone sees this and is thinking of buying one, PLEASE join the Evilution (not a typo) website and follow all the leak prevention guides, they’re invaluable, as is much of that site.
6. Reliability - Gearboxes are strong, engines are reliable if maintained. Mine is on 140,000 miles - the engine has never been opened up and it’s still on its original clutch, it’s been serviced every 6000 miles from new, mostly by the previous owner and me, and has been totally reliable save for a dry solder in the SAM unit that was causing it to cut out - fixed for free, by me, on my kitchen table.
Thanks for the tips
Agreed water ingress at top of A pillar is an issue with my targa top (said goodbye to the speakers). Good informative post, thanks.
I never used the auto mode in mine, but there's no way "it actually doesn’t change any slower than a manual gearbox".
@@Valisk yeah, I also use the manual up/down. Still feels like a delay engaging though. Other than the box and minor roof water leaks, it's a very underrated car and I love it for weekends.
@@emilymaitlislaptop @page 94 Mine was pretty trouble free over 80k, although it was nearly new when I got it. No leaks or failures, apart from the time the gearbox decided to completely stop selecting gears. It used to eat tyres - I went through several sets of the factory spec Bridgestones. I occasionally find myself looking at them on Autotrader - it was a fun car.
I used to enjoy looking at these when I was younger and they were current. I think if they’d put a manual box in them then they’d have been far better, especially in the Brabus.
Cup holder exists: fold the passenger seat down and there it is in the middle of the seat back. Oh aye, the coupe gives a useful rear storage area above the tea tray.
Nearly bought one of these but ended up buying a Suzuki Cappuccino and never regretted it. The Suzuki is very well engineered, easy to service, rare and a blast to drive. Suzuki Cappuccino, 5 speed gearbox 0-60 in 8 seconds and top speed 90 mph.
Agreed - the Cappuccino is brilliant. I had one when they were current. Difficult to find now - and very expensive for a good one, which is why went for the Smart. The Suzukis can also rust badly......
Always wanted a Cappuccino when they came out years ago, they looked like a lot of fun! Can't be many good examples left by now I imagine.
I’ve owned both the Smart and Cappuccino (at different times). There’s no question: the Cappuccino is better in every respect and much better in most.
So rare ive never seen one. Guessing they werent released in the UK?
@@InsanityRennOnly as grey imports. The biggest issue with the Cappuccino is they rust like a 1970s Lancia.
Hi Mat, decent enough generally well balanced review, nice to see. Roadsters came in two main variants, with either a black chassis, ( "Tridion" ), or silver which was a cost option ), Colours of the body panels, were "Jack black", "Shine yellow", ( as tested on your video), "Star blue", "Glance grey" and "Spice red" with "Speed silver' on the roadster only Speedsilver special edition of 2005. They were offered in both roadster and coupe for, with Brabus versions having a different engine with bigger turbo and charge cooler as well as suspension exhaust and styling differences and larger wheels amongst other minor differences. Generally they were sold however in the UK for a little longer than 2 years however, from 2003 to 2007. They came generally with an electric folding roof but could be spec'd with hardtop instead, ( gloss black or a matt "dimpled film" covered version. You could also buy a hardtop in a bag as an option with it's own carry bag but you also need the hardtop fitting kit. You were testing the basic "Light" version that only came in hardtop form with steel wheels no a/c dimpled steering wheel and base grey cloth seats. They also did other special editions, a "Speedsilver" in roadster form only non in coupe, in 2003/4 they produced the "Bluewave" in both coupe and roadster in Star blue with silver tridion only these had Brabus mono-bloc alloys Brabus twin exhaust and sport pack interior so and several versions including the Brabus variants as "Finale edition" which were 2006 to the end of production with colour coded body sections and fluted headlight covers. The rarest version was coupe only " Edition Red" that came with the Brabus style wheels and 3 spoke steering wheel but also had the quilted red diamond stitched seats and unique Ferrari red "Rosso Corsa" painted panels. It was however 80 not 101BHP spec. Coupes generally are worth around £1,000-£1,500 more than the standard roadster and are also rarer as less were made, Brabus versions are generally £1,500- 2,000 more than their equivalent standard versions. All standard cars could be spec'd with upgrades including "pack option", "Lux", "safety" and "sports", individually you could option, a/c electric mirrors, cruise control, auto-light, on board trip computer,3 spoke paddle shift steering wheel, sound pack etc. It was also for a while the case that you could also buy fitted genuine coupe and roadster waterproof vocoders from Mercedes Smart however they rapidly sold out ! A Full service for £200 !....with respect that seems remarkably cheap for a proper "c service" however so I assume it was just 6 plugs oil and filters done then and not a full service. All the engines it's with saying are cam chain not belt by the way and are different from the similar looking problematic 450 Fortwo engine. Price wise high mileage roadsters with average spec are around £2,500 to £4,000 for a sorted and decent example without issues, coupes from £3,500 to £6k currently. Low mileage examples that are mint can fetch a premium, but need to be properly sorted cars with preventative waterproofing works and gone through top to bottom. There are a lot of horrible examples around with worn suspension, rusty sumps, rusty abs rings, rusty turbo coolant pipes, water damaged SAM units, soaking wet carpets, damaged lights, noisy cam chains, leaking water pumps, iffy starter motors and alternators, ( which you have to be very careful getting a correct replacement ),...etc etc...and with no waterproofing work done. You certainly get what you pay for with them.£7,995 for the "Light" base car you have is also however, well a tad, optimistic to say the least, !, (despite the very low mileage),I really do wish you luck with that as although I see that more like tops £5k realistically at the moment, ...but ...if you get £7,995 that pushes the whole market up 25%+ ! ...(I imagine the owners clubs and forums will be in melt down however and trolling you about the price already, they normally do with any higher priced cars, not just Smarts though, the keyboard warriors love to slag of dealers ). Waterproofing work is generally straight forward to do and you did not mention this, sealing the wing mirrors and bulk head is as common fix. They are a cracking little car and the size is almost identical to an early 70's `Lotus Elan. Keep up the good work and best of luck selling your car.
A friend lent me his Smart roadster for a week. I travelled all over the middle part of Vietnam in it. This car was great fun and so well built that it withstood every challenge I threw at it including speed and it coped just fine with the heat, humidity and the rough roads & hills. My wife & I packed our carry on wheely suitcase which just about fitted in the rear boot unfolded. The front boot was used for storing our shoes & other knick knacks. Well worth investing in one as a spare weekend plaything.
Hi, do you think it is also a good option as daily? Mainly for getting to work and back
@@joerith00 Yes absolutely.
Thanks for adding the litres per / 100km bit when you mention fuel economy. Appreciated
The Heather Mills reference was pure class, do you prep your reviews if not you really have missed your calling. Keep up the excellent work.
🤣🤣🤣
It was my wife's first car, we had for about 4-5 years. It is a great fun car. Regarding the cup holder, there are 2 in the car. One of the CD tray has a rubber insert which is the cup holder and the other one, you need to fold the passenger seat.
Matt - I bought one, off the back of your recommendation. I have a bright red, silver retractable elec. roof version, with removable bars (under 45k miles). Thought my daughter would absolutely love It and the cheap insurance/running costs were a plus. I thought she'd be so excited. Sadly - I was so wrong. She wants a Fiat 500. She says she don't like being so low to the ground. Not happy but will probably give in, but preferably to a Toyota.
Heather Mills....Very good!
Gear shifts in these and the for2 can be massively improved by lifting off the throttle when changing gear.
I had one of these and loved it. So much fun. Light, and economical.
The boot of the SMART Roadster is hilariously small.
Jeremy Clarkson says it's a baking tray above the engine.
@Uncle Gilbert It doesn’t matter.
That's why you buy the Roadster Coupe.
The coupe is my choice (I’ve owned 5), and they are a hoot to drive. That hard-top is worth a fortune nowadays, yet used to be the poverty-spec option; if the SAM unit wasn’t so vulnerable and they didn’t leak so badly, they’d be perfect.
Still an awesome car and glad to see you being enthusiastic about it. The gearbox ain’t that bad though!
Why did you own 5?
Finally i understand the mpg figure! Thanks for the conversion to L/100km
😉
Love this guy's sense of humor, and the vid was really informative too. I had to subscribe.
Thanks!
This was on my list of convertibles to own. FYI, I chose the Tigra Twintop.
● Mazda MX5
● Smart Roadster
● Merc SLK
● Vauxhall Tigra Twintop
● Renault (can't remember the name - not Megane)
● Ford Street Ka
Each had their limitations but the Tigra ticked all the practicality boxes and so far, its lasted me for 14 years. It still runs today. 👍
/Discuss
Another great and witty review from you Matt. Always look forward to your reviews and always looking at what car stock you have.
Keep up the excellent job and I think we car lovers would all love to see you as a presenter on one of the big shows !
Much appreciated!
I wish they''d stuck with it! The principles of the Smart Roadster are still the way forward - lots of accessible fun in the real world. I've heard McLarens described as a Lotus turned up to 11, but what we actually need is a Lotus turned up to 7...Like this!
I owned one of these in this colour. Loved every minute of it, on country roads it was fantastic
A mate of mine had the Brabus Coupe which I loved. He ultimately had to get rid due to an engine fault that nobody, not even Smart could sort! Love the interesting content.
Great car but leet down buy u
Good review - Recently bought one and agree with your conclusions. The gearbox is slow, but with practice, you can make reasonably smooth and quick manual changes - which is quite satisfying. The other water leak issue is when when the engine management computer (SAM) gets damaged. It's under the dash on the drivers side and the cars are prone to water leaks through the scuttle. This was one of the expensive warranty claims when new and most cars were re-sealed, but this was never a complete fix and they are getting old now, so something to watch out for.Mine has the canvas electric roof, which I prefer as it can be opened and closed at any speed and takes up less room than the hardtop.
There are fixes to leaky roofs though not sure if still can buy them, more of a fabric top, that attaches to the anchor points side top panels and covers the top of the car and strechy bands to keep it in place. Advised not to drive above 60mph if attached, defo fixed my water leaking issues.
@@ascelot Yes - that can help, but I understand they also had issues with the scuttle area - dealers had a fix process under warranty which involved lots of sealer in the heater inlet/wiper motor area. Mine's a second car, which I only use when the sun is out, so not too worried about leaks.....
Yeh the SAM unit get's damage from water as I discovered & had to send it away to be fixed. Wipers would run all the time & then other things went so the SAM unit had to be fixed. They are fun cars & still have mine & hope to get it back on the road soon.
If you do an old skool Twingo, then you'll have covered my 2 favourite small cars
Top review Mat. Loved the Aldi and Heather references. You have the ability 5o make me smile whilst considering buying a car the size of one of my slippers. 👌
Hi! My dad owns one of these and I love it, so I clicked instantly.
No, it would not make a great first car. I have continuously checked my insurance cost for it (before and after passing my test), and with a blackbox I was getting £2.2k - £2.7k, without a blackbox it was £3.2k-£4.6k. Even now, a year after passing my test, I’m looking to pay £2.1k without a blackbox. And trust me, there’s no point in owning one with a blackbox.
No Jump starting either, it blows the ECU and it’s about a grand for a new one (don’t ask me how I know). Parts are rare and expensive at times too, so god forbid something goes wrong. First year of owning this car as a youngun would cost you probably around £5k, at least, depending on which model and what condition.
But still, there is no car I want more.
Ahhh I sold my Brabus Coupe this year - drove it for 3 years, had THE most fun in it as a school run car. Sold it for the same money I bought it for. Build quality was not great but the styling on the outside made it a truly interesting and unique car to own. Why they didn't pursue the develop the platform is beyond me, the handling was amazing but the suspension was horrifically hard and speed bumps were something to make my blood run cold. Gearbox on mine was pretty good once you got used to it. Brabus alloys have to be the worst alloys every, as fragile as it gets.
I recently took my SLK in for a service and the garage gave me a Smart car as a courtesy car. I can honestly say in my 40 plus years of driving it was the most frightening experience I’ve had driving a car . However it did start to grow on me and I can see the appeal of these little cars .
Sounds like you may have exited the garage with a beige driving seat but returned it with a brown
@@greenbunnyinabongo7299 lol. Not quite a change of boxers experience but certainly one of the most interesting driving experiences I have had.
if their ever was a car that needed a remap its this one. car has soo much potential
Yes! Got the Brabus Roadster coupe with twin roof panels. Gearbox is slow, but it's a pocket rocket given the power to weight.
Good choice!
The views/scenery in your videos are worth the viewing time alone 👍👍
Thank you
I've got a roadster with the paddle gear shift - and I think the gearbox mapping has been updated - no gear change lag at all, and it's immense fun. I agree with you about getting in and out, though... I have to fall into it... and getting out is almost comedic... Love the car - brilliant on country roads.
I owned two of these car, both coupes . Brilliant little things . The Brabus one is a great drive
In 2007 I took one of these in px, my wife jumped in it (well fell really) drove off, came back and said I'm keeping that you're not selling it. After about 6 months I got a client desperately looking for one, so I sold it him. My wife was furious! I had to put a padlock on the knife draw for a long time after.
We had a 2000 reg Smart Passion diesel and found it a great fun car. Keep the turbo on low boost and could get 100 mpg - Sheffield to Skegvegas and back on 9 litres. Weston on Donkey and back on a tank. Talk about space, it's a tardis. My Mom used to go to Skeg for a couple of months and packed accordingly. Food, bedding (including pillows), curtains, basic gardening tools, suitcases, pans ..........., it all went in (with some creative packing lol).
Only problem we had was when we took it to our local Merc/Smart agent for it's final warranty service. Charged us 2 hours at £75 per hour plus service items. Cost over £200 in 2003 and they didn't know how to service it. Yep, they told us Smart don't do a diesel and the service manager kept telling us we were wrong. It came out rattling like a tin can when we picked it up and they wanted to charge us to see what the problem was. I think you can guess what our reply was. Similar problems when we had a new Skoda. Never used a main dealer since and never will again. Specialists live or die by the quality of their work, main agents don't.
Nice videos, keep up the good work.
Great script this week. Mat....... the Heather Mills gag had me gasping and slapping my desk.... hilarious! I haven't heard her referenced in years and the dead pan delivery was perfect. You are a talented presenter compared to the usual 'content providers in the RUclips motoring universe. Keep it up.
I previously owned the coupe version in blue for 3 years (as my only car). It was the BEST car I've ever owned (and I've had some good ones). I put 35 thousand miles on it and sold it for more than I bought it for! It never needed a single repair in three years just an MOT and servicing (not even tyres as it was so light!). They are so much fun in the corners. I had lots of fun in the peaks district bends and although it's not fast in a straight line it felt faster as you are basically sat on the floor! They can be pretty practical too. I went camping many times and had my mates in it that are well over 6 foot and they were really comfy. Wish I had never sold it.
I like them too
Still not as good as a Hyundai Getz GLS 1.6 auto.
i LOVE these and the Brabus is a proper future classic. it has a paddle change and genuinely feels quite quick.
I do love the look of the brabus ones but that gearbox is woeful.
It is awful but you get used to it and helps keep your license
You get used to it really quick if you change manually.
@@cbrown182 I’ve had six. I feel ya! Lol timing the change manually prior to peak power improves the feel.. doesn’t make it quicker though
Gear change was much improved on the Brabus version.
Saw one of these in rural Wales this morning and then your video comes up.I didn't realize it was a Smart Roadster.
Had a Brabus example..101bhp, paddle gears etc. Fantastic car...really nippy and such good fun. Gearbox was remapped (making a huge difference), but the ride was shocking! I'd definitely have another!
I have 2 all black smart roadsters at the moment, I'm 18 and they were my first and second cars done about 30k miles between them and its safe to say I love em!
I've found that there faster than almost all other people first cars e.g. mk7/6 fiestas, corsas, yaris and many more
We had two of these, the second one a Brabus. Fantastic car in every way, beautifully made. I never noticed the pedal problem - obviously it did not affect me. But a new tyre for the Brabus was £150!! Definitely a future classic but try to get the Brabus version. You soon get used to the gearbox.
"It will do 109" - it will do MORE. On a GPS recorded track I maintained around 200kmph for about 10 minutes (I sustained over 124mph) at 5am on an autobahn back in 2004. It was bloody tiring to maintain that speed as it skipped on the concrete sections. Absolute white knuckle ride. That was company rented. I was so impressed that I bought one when I returned to the UK, but I drove it on a very wet night and at exactly 2 years old (to the day) it suffered massive electrical failure when the ECU was force fed water at 50 mph through a popped floor seal around the A/C pipe close to the ECU. Mercedes very decently fixed it under warranty (could have argued the breakdown was ten past midnight - so 10 mins out of warranty). However it had electrical gremlins ever after and I px'd it. Great car but DO NOT drive it fast through standing water, even if it's only an inch deep. Re. Gerabox - The gear shift is fine but you have to get the knack to hurry the shifts - It's not a car you jump in and can drive fast immediately - you need to learn how and this bloke clearly hasn't had time to - just jumped in and driven it like a basic semi-auto and there is more to it than that - for example on downshifts you can keep it nailed and the electronics rev matches it for you - likewise on up shifts you can keep the throttle floored and it rev matches on the shift with an addictive dump valve sneeze on each gear change. Great car but keep it for best and enjoy it in the dry.
I had a really nice Brabus Xclusive coupé for a couple of years. It was good fun and pretty quick having been remapped to about 120bhp with an aftermarket filter, ported throttle body and a forge dump valve. Flappy paddles were standard on the Brabus and mine also had a ridiculously expensive V6 Raid steering wheel which transformed the feel of the car. Gear change was actually pretty quick in my car and never bothered me though ride comfort was feckin harsh, akin to driving a skateboard with seats! The expensive monoblock alloys were prone to damage and had me constantly scanning the road for potholes which was tiresome. You are right about the specialist aspect which is a bit of a pita as the nearest to me was 25 miles away. As a result I never found it that cheap to run and hefty bills await even for mundane little jobs due to the access to the mechanicals. The clutch and turbo aren't a cheap fix either. I ran mine alongside a Eunos roadster which I still have. Ultimately the Mazda is a better drivers car, way more reliable and cheaper to maintain.
I've had this car for the past two years as my only car. Thankfuly I live alone so I was able to get rid of the passenger seat and use the space as my storage area.
Heather Mills....brilliant! Wiping tea off my keyboard now
The Aldi special buy quip made me smile just as much as the Heather Mills one!
Hi m8 a have just bought myself a yellow smart roadster coupe 2004 one owner, love ❤ 😍 it ,remapped to 116bhp
I have just seen this on your website about an hour and was surprised that you hadn't filmed with it... but you never let me down! Here I am
Hahah Or am I just predictable
@@HighPeakAutos not predictable, at least your use of similes isn't! I'd love to get your view on a classic Mini, I have a 1991 rover mini and I love it
Always really liked these. Not sure I'd want to own one, but I do crack a smile whenever I see one out and about. They just look really fun - too many cars take themselves too seriously.
Ah mate had to pause and comment truly terrible car but the Heather mills reference makes up for it. Great video. I never lol but I genuinely did lol!
You’ve just confirmed my thoughts about the roadster. Great little car
One of my old bosses had a red one of these. He used to drive down from Northumberland to Leeds, stay over two or three nights for work, and then drive back. Must be interesting driving one of those things up and down the A1 for two hours at a time. He also owned a couple of old Discos, quite the contrast.
Coffee out of my nose when you said Heather Mills!
Haha
You've got to feature more 2 seat sports cars on the channel. How about the Honda S2000 or a different gen MX5?
Matt's quips about these cars are getting ever more brutal as we go along 😂 the heather mills joke had me crying 🤣
Mrs has a 2005 Roadster (fabric roof) can open and close that at 80mph. We had a boot bag (off my SL)
that made it an everyday tourer. Economical too.
My dads gonna buy one when i get my driving license because its affordable and i like how it looks :D 5 years left
Great video matt I wouldn't mind a smart roadster but already got a smart fortwo 2010 and a bmw 730i e65 little and large lol know what you mean about the parked behind a rangerover happens to Me all the time lol
I like this dude, very good energy. Not some of these pretend guys owning a smart.a
great video ! ive had the new shape smart forfour as my first car for a few months now and I love it! its the more powerful 89hp version and i think its really fun to drive ! it would be great if you did a video on one !
Great review that nearly competes with Twin Cam!
Rob
Thanks! 👍
Gotta be your best an most humorous review to date..I howled when you mentioned no where for your foot to go 🤣🤣 simply brilliant as ever
Haha thank you for watching
I was actually checking your website the other day and saw this car, i was thinking to my self, I would actually like to see this car in your reviews :D
I loved these when they launched. But prefer the glassback version. Being 2m tall I can actually fit in it. I always thought these would be a future classic.
I had one of these cars. I loved it but the parts were more expensive than a full size Mercedes. I live in Australia and was quoted $4000 to replace the mitre square soft top. A fullsize convertible roof for a SL was cheaper.
" Heather Mills "🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 A Smart Specialist can play with the chip really smoothing out the hesitant gear changes. Great review thank you 👍
Thanks for providing us with such a varied feast.
My pleasure 😊
Thought of buying one of those,but bought a Daihatsu Copen,as seemed a bit more likely to be an owner friendly choice.Never had a moment's regret.
Great review , and I love my smart , very quirky and not everyone,s cup of tea , but I exactly agree with you , if you have one of these always try and make sure you use a smart specialist for servicing and repairs , and yes they will increase in value over time .
Thanks again 👍
Review of the Nissan Note and Ford B-Max please.
Das ist das tollste und geilste Auto, dass ich je hatte! Und ich hatte schon viele. Meinen smart hab ich seit 2004 und seither war nur eine Lambdasonde defekt, das ist alles, und das auf 120 000 km! Jede Kuve Spaß pur. Nur Freude damit. :-))
I've got one and they handle superbly.....flappy paddles are a must imo and you get used to gearbox n change gear a little earlier
I maybe in the minority but I would love to see more reviews of vans & pickups.
You don’t find many unbiased reviews. They’re usually sponsored by some manufacturer or publication sponsored by them
I should try and do some of those
Very cool,,
All the best from A.J. Arizona USA..
Congratulations on all your success ,
I recall the first review I watched,
Not surprised of your viewership is always on the rise, Thank you for your interesting views and humorous
Way we all look at buying, cars..
Kh
Thank you! Blows my mind that people are watching from all over the world. Cheers
Hey Matt. Great review- very polished.. you’re costing me a fortune- every time I see one of your reviews.. off to Auto Trader .. Thanks for reviewing cars that nobody thinks or talks about ..
I had the Brabus RCR for a while. Worst mistake I ever made selling it. Went for a spin around the Isle of Mull once and it drew more attention than the Lambo club that arrived on the same ferry!
I haven't watched it yet !!!!!!!!!!!! but it`s guaranteed to be an excellent watch👍👍🙏🙏🙏🙏
I Hope it doesnt disappoint :)
@@HighPeakAutos It never has since you started Matt>>>>>>>>> So I very much doubt it mate 🙏🙏
LOL, i had this as my first car! Got it for 6 000 EUR, 2006 with 91 000 km on the clock. Loved the looks of the car. People actually think it is a fancy sports car (i mean it sounds pretty good for the 1l engine! ;D In the city, this one is more agile than my audi a5 with its 288 hp. But when you get on the highway then depending on the weather temperature, speed and the direction of the wind you can reach between 110 and 145 km/h - definitely no business on the highway for this lil champ. It was really cheap to maintain. First, the mechanics in the garage was scared of this beast and told me that i have made a huge mistake buying this ... but for the two years i had it - there were not many issues. I got it in an accident with 2018 VW gold, the whole side of the golf was damaged, but i just had to replace the plastic bumper in front. Surprisingly rigid car. The gearbox is a pain in the ass, howver i had shifters on the wheel, basely I used those 95% of the time.
Mate I love your car reviews no one puts it better great videos
Excellent review with just the right amount of humour. Good job!
I persume it's a fantastic car! I owned a 2001 4two smart which is basically same car but squished along it;s length. Brilliant car. And I'd guess they would cost upwards of 40grand if they had a proper snappy manual box instead of that parliament. It takes ages to do a straightforward shift, but god forbid you roll out into a roundabout in third and it starts to debate whether downshift or stay in third when you realize that concrete mixer is going faster than you thought...
Thinking of getting one of these in January, lovely lil review
Always a pleasure watching your channel. Love your dry sense of humour and variety of cars. Keep it up !
Thanks for watching!
I had a roadster many years ago. Loved it tbh but the auto box was horrid and often changed gear just as you put your foot down at a roundabout only to roll out in front of a car. The convertible roof was extremely fragile and expensive to repair, servicing was a hassle due to how compact and cramped the engine bay is. Overall feedback was positive but i had someone kick the wingmirror off once and also on multiple occassions someone had attempted pierce the tyres on it. A few instances of people laughing and pointing at the car as you drive past and the odd person coming up to you to tell you your car isnt even a sports car and is slow.
Lots have already said it, but the Heather Mills quip warrants an(other) honourable mention. Matt, why don't you have a column in one of the weekend papers... ? FTWeekend still haven't found a worthy replacement for Tyler Brûlé...
Haha Thanks! Maybe one day - I would love that
Gordon Murray (McLaren F1) ran one of these for 16 years. Ron Dennis said he could chose any current Mercedes and he chose the Smart!
I believe so. Thats interesting
Glad you are making also other cars than SUVs and executive cars.
8:40 Doug would be proud. Next you’ll be starting your reviews with: Thiiiiis!
First car with a tectonic gearbox? I haven’t driven either but based on reviews I get the distinct feeling it’s the rightful successor to the X1/9. The 0-60, power and top speeds are almost identical as well as the layout and most reviewers draw similar conclusions about them being a lot of fun to drive.
The best fun car ever, I sold my brabus years back,
I had one of these when they first came out. Managed to get it sideways on the first corner. Good times
Loved these for years but I’m not brave enough to actually drive one. They are tiny! One thing though, you got shortchanged on the models in the UK. Here in Greece we got a range that topped out with a Brabus version with something like 130 bhp on tap. That one was actually fast for the time.
The Brabus was 100bhp and was available in the UK, I had one. 👍
Brabus was available in the UK to, in the Roadster and Coupe
"Unless your name's Heather Mills" wow brave... 🤣😜
I always liked these cars. The hatchback looks better.
The Aldi comment was spot on. Amazing