any smart car info wanted

jayy2

Well-Known Member
With the rising cost of fuel im looking into getting a second hand smart car to use for work any one got one ?what mpg are you getting anything to look out for when buying second hand?insurance cost/tax etc cheers jason....
 
With the rising cost of fuel im looking into getting a second hand smart car to use for work any one got one ?what mpg are you getting anything to look out for when buying second hand?insurance cost/tax etc cheers jason....
There not smart there crap! so crap merc wont put there names on them, un reliable ! Get a fiat panda
 
The motoring correspondent of Chap Magazine wrote a few years ago approximately thus:

Smart Car:
not really smart
not really a car
 
they are a money pit mate, they more than make up for the economy with the servicing and repair costs. Here is an example to change the 6 yes 6 spark plggs in the little 3 cylinder engine the book time is half an hour. So that seams ok but to do this the rear bumper and rear wheel arches have to come off, and the fixings are always seized or the heads chewed off. never managed to do one in less than an hour. get a vw polo or lupo
 
I worked with some guys from the development company called Rucker in Germany and they told me that Merc did a crashtest of a smart against an E class saloon and the smart had less passenger/dummy damage because the panels are spotwelded together under holding pressure to up the body stiffness levels as there is no crush zone to speak of.
Yeah / I am a body development engineer by profession. I rented one to go from Stuttgart to Dover & back in 2001 it was 850 km oneway and it was a backbreaking crap hard ride though.
Martin
 
If it weren't for the tools I have to carry I'd have one jay, give Peter a buzz the guy you bought the press from he runs a few of them now and may be able to source you a cheap one.
Girl I used to see drove one she could 90 out of it and reported up 90 mpg
 
A mate has a second hand Smart dealership, here in Yorkshire. If you'd like his details PM me and ill let you have them. Spot on guy that will do you a good deal I'm sure.

Tom
 
Having read the answers given here I have to assume none of you have owned one.
700cc ones avoid, engine goes pop at less then 50K, about a 1K to fix, on the other hand if priced right it satill makes sense as cheap car.
800cc ones much better, both these earlier versions are good on fuel, and will get what the book says.
The newer 451's (07 0n for petrol and 09 on for diesel) with the 1000cc jap engine are reliable but not so good on fuel, 35 to 50 mpg depending on how they are driven, and Turbo or not.
The 800cc diesel (still a merc engine) is better on fuel, but not book figures, mine gets 65 ish to the gallon around town, 75 plus on a run, with free road tax.
Only had one fault, gearbox related that was sorted free of charge, after the warrenty had run out.
Check this forum for more info Smartz

Neil. :)
 
Nope never owned one never will. Picked up a few when driving the slide and tilt. I have no time for them.. real gimmick if you ask me. The small Citreon diesel does as many MPG's has proper seating and load room. Daihatsu probably as good if not better. of course not so fashionable.

I rate the smart car along with the new MIni both were designed to fleece the yuppie types and both are unreliable and expensive. Picked up loads of those crap Minis with the truck.

Had some joker at a Bisley show tell how great their smart was. How they drove to the South of France in it with enough room for their lap top........................................................ Gee whiz.................................. I asked where exactly would I put a rifle let alone the dog? At the time I had the Citreon BX 17TZD which gave 69 MPG on a run and about 45 MPG in town plus could carry everything I wanted in more comfort... No brainer to me.

The only Smart thing about those vehicles is the smart way they get you to pay for them ................................................ the term fleeced comes to mind.
 
Having read the answers given here I have to assume none of you have owned one..........................

Neil,

You left off the Smart 'Busa':

And the various 'Supercar' bodykitted versions: apparently manufactured by Adobe Industries. ;)
 
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Huh if one wants a bike why not get one? To me a car is a mode of transport and a means to get me and what I want to move from A-B. The dumb car does only one is a sort of way..
 
So Brithunter, you haven't owned one, you haven't worked on one.
Pretty fair to say you know nothing about them then ?
As for no room in them, mine has carried me and my gear all over the country for the last 2 1/2 years.
The last two years it has managed to carry 3 rifes and a shotgun, rangebag and ammo, along with a tent, sleeping bag and camping gear for a week or so without a problem.
Each week it carries me and fishing tackle again with no problem, oh and on the odd accaision it carries a full size lawn mower.

Neil. :)
 
I have drove the electric version.............terrible, uncomfortable, no leg room, no head room, no storage. It was brand new and didn't last a month before it was off to the garage for new batteries. It dosn't bode well for reliability.
 
Huh if one wants a bike why not get one? To me a car is a mode of transport and a means to get me and what I want to move from A-B. The dumb car does only one is a sort of way..

And to others the re-engineered or as-manufactured bike engined cars might be something else. Although the 'Busa powered Smart is obviously something that you personally seem set against due to the original donor vehicle's shortcomings, don't forget that they come in all shapes, sizes and types - ranging from the Morgan and other 'cyclecar' derivatives through to Caterham 7s, Westfields, Dax to Radicals and other track cars. Where else are you going to get supercar performance and engines that rev to 10,000rpm and beyond for the price?
 
I rate the smart car along with the new MIni both were designed to fleece the yuppie types and both are unreliable and expensive. Picked up loads of those crap Minis with the truck.

Well I don't consider myself a yuppie that's for sure, perhaps born 10 years too late for that title. But I do consider the Diesel Mini Cooper me and the mrs have as one of the best cars I've ever owned. Build quality is as it should be being a BMW and the reliability is second to none, our previous one never broke down in the 4 years we had it and only needed usual service parts.
 
You can always trick 'em out like mine though...........

smartmonster.jpg
 
Well I don't consider myself a yuppie that's for sure, perhaps born 10 years too late for that title. But I do consider the Diesel Mini Cooper me and the mrs have as one of the best cars I've ever owned. Build quality is as it should be being a BMW and the reliability is second to none, our previous one never broke down in the 4 years we had it and only needed usual service parts.

:rofl: I picked up three in one day. One the chap got into it to go out and the back of the drivers seat snapped off. The dealer said well what's the problem with that when he phoned then told him to drive it down so they could have a look at it. When he refused as he considered it unsafe they didn't like it. Another the gear linkage fell apart on a busy junction of the A25 in Coulsdon...Sorry I cannot recall the thirds problem but by that time I knew the spot to drop it at the dealers. Along with the other dozen or so all broken down and the dealer was not too helpful either. pretty standard for most BMW dealers. The good ones were the exception.

As a result I would not have a BMW as a gift. One bank Holiday I also picked up three BMW's within 25 yards of the same marker in one busy morning. The oldest had done just over 5000 miles one had only 1800 on the clock and the owner was well peeded off. Seems it was not the first time it had packed in with the same fault. Being a BH the dealers were shut and the warranty people told me to drop them on the forecourt of the dealer and pop the keys through the letter box. Nice letter box in the glass window so every one could see them. I counted the makes I picked up in one month and BMW accounted for the majority of them funny thing was most were nearly brand new too. Didn't get to pick up the older ones and these were just break downs and not accident damaged ones.
 
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