The Smart Roadster is a Pocket-Size Supercar with a Fatal Flaw

Riding on the coattails of the innovative and cult-seeking Smart ForTwo, Mercedes-Benz's city car manufacturer expanded the platform to create an almost forgotten sports car - the fabulous Smart Roadster.
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[@calumbryant1]

This is my Smart! It was an absolute pleasure to have Ed up to review it! Delighted that he had as much enjoyment driving it as I do!

[@DizzyWombat]

Crazily I was the one that had it before you! Glad to see its still dealing out smiles

[@noiselesspatient]

Best, most fun car I've ever owned. Local Smart specialist tweaked it to 112 bhp and kept the clutch properly regulated at each service. Well sealed; no leaks. If only it had room for our greyhound...😥

[@allsearpw3829]

Which Smart specialist are you using ? looking to get my Brabus chipped . Fun to drive and smiles per mile .

[@RapideWombaticus]

112 of the Best HP - and probably able to use every one

[@leestockton9367]

"If only it had room for our Greyhound"; that's what the optional rear boot rack was for, you strap the Greyhound to it! 👍

[@ap9970]

I have owned five Smarts, 4 x ForTwo and a Roadster. The best upgrade I had done, and there was a few, was the fitting of a pedal shift steering wheel. Made it a lot more enjoyable to drive. You learn plan ahead more, you drive along not thinking "What gear do I need now?", but more "What gear will I need in 4 seconds". Seven years on from selling it, I still miss it.

[@Black-Country-Rider]

Very true.... Anticipating the gear change keeps both the car and the driver on their toes. Its part of the fun life is to short, so you definitely need buy another one .

[@roberttaylor6295]

Ed This was such a boost to my morning drowsy mood over my cereal. My smile was as broad as yours, and your obvious fun and excitement was electric! And it looked that you were testing the 'smile-a-yard' sports car on a familiar Lakeland Road, so knowing it I felt your experience through my whole body in a way I have not had before. BRIALLIANT! You have grown over so few years from a young enthusiast to a fully blown, researched and professionally presented expert to the point that you are without equal in the motoring world because your professionalism is matched by your so-obvious sense of fun and smiling enjoyment! I face a dull day with joy with thanks to you as always! Thank you - and I too want one too! For a while I helped a young motor racer who is now quiet well-known and for whom for his daily transport on the way to the racing stars was a Smart that I felt a little infra dig but hey, you have changed my mind! Also a 79 year-old friend has a Kia with a three pot and I love its pretend 6-cylnder sound and grunt. With good wishes and expectations for the next Ed magic! Rob

[@TwinCam]

Thanks as always Rob :)

[@cellis77]

I've owned one of these for the last 12 years. Brilliant little car. Why you wouldn't just leave it in auto I don't know, drives much better. Also you mention the cars character, the gearbox is part of it's character. Wouldn't change any of it, been smiling for years.

[@TwinCam]

This one really doesn't, and in that case, I'd lose that last precious bit of control! ;)

[@juznipetargas2157]

How about the maintenance? Its quite an unconventional setup so id expect it to be more expensive to fix? Do they have reliabilty issues, like the engine and transmission?

[@Indisguise1000]

I honestly can't tell you how much I love my Smart Roadster. If I'm having a bad day, I pop out in it for half an hour and my whole mindset changes - it's that much fun to drive. Lots and lots of B roads to play on where I live which is the perfect environment. Cheap on petrol, cheap to insure and cheap to service. The chirp is wonderful and you forget about the gearbox once you get used to it. If you're tempted to buy one then make sure you buy a paddleshift car - much better than the standard gearchange. Stirling Moss was a big fan and I think Jenson Button had one too. If it's good enough for them...

[@Nickoboss29]

Gordon Murray had one too

[@mquuu...6022]

I see that the car is very light in terms of kilograms. Only 750 kg. In the Netherlands every day is windy, sometimes very strong. I currently drive a Renault Clio and it is not 100% stable on the road, and I drive to work every day with 100 km. I see that the beautiful Smart is only 750kg and I'm worried about the wind outside 🥴. And I fell in love with this car

[@D1craigRob]

​@mquuu...6022 it's alot smaller than a Renault so should be more stable than it in the wind.

[@mifluent]

I am buying one - what should I check well and be ready for to pay as a part of repairs?

[@on_wheels_80]

@@mquuu...6022 Strong gushes of wind from the side at 140 kph don't affect the Roadster a lot. It's got a tiny and very flat side profile and quite a long wheelbase for it's size (same as a Golf Mk IV).

[@autoknight747]

Great, positive video! Smart needed it’s own dealer network filled with people who had passion for the brand. Mercedes dealers have never have much interest in it and it showed, from the cars always seeming condemned to a little corner of the premises, to their attitude towards you upon arrival. These amazing and quirky cars deserved more, as did the buyers.

[@andrewmooreandrewrmoore7615]

I have the flappy paddles which are great and the sound the engine makes when wrung out is just marvellous.

[@guymartindale9837]

I have owned one since 2020. And absolutely love it. The paddle shift if used well is quick. That said for shear drive abillity and smiles for miles it fits everything wanted in a small functionable sports car.

[@MW-jf9sj]

As an American living in Germany, I own both a Cayman S and a Smart Fortwo. I absolutely love them both--the Porsche for obvious reasons, the Smart car because it feels like a go-cart, and at any given time, I get to push the accelerator to the floor. Plus, my first maintenance on the Porsche cost more than the purchase price for the Smart. I was driving slowly on the autobahn when a Smart Roadster passed me, and it was so striking that I sped up to read the brand name and was shocked that it was made by Smart.

[@grayfool]

The first time I drove a Smart, a fourtwo, I honestly thought the gearbox was broken. I returned it to it's owner with some trepidation explaining that the gearbox seems to be faulty. "Oh no", he said, "it's just total crap". I never tried the raodster, wish I had now having seen how much you enjoyed it. Good work as always Ed. Thanks.

[@philthewriter]

It's worse in a fortwo. Also made more apparent as there's less power, so need to change gear more often. Have both, they're surprisingly different to drive.

[@ferrumignis]

They aren't crap, just different. Once you learn to use them properly and anticipate when you need to change they are absolutely fine, but you can't treat them like a modern DSG. Though I prefer a manual box, the Smart auto adds an element of involvement to driving that is missing in a modern auto or DSG and I love it for that.

[@Brebgon]

Owned 2, fantastic cars Also when it comes to the gearbox, you're much better off getting the flappy paddles

[@Mancozeb100]

Great to see your joy from driving the little Smart ! I’m guessing that you’re going to have quite the car collection in a few years time, Ed 😄❗️❗️

[@TwinCam]

Ah, we can all dream :)

[@UncleBooBoo]

Been waiting for a review of this and this is brilliant. So much great detail. And I prefer the glass booted version. And does it whistle each time you change gear? Fantastic!

[@TwinCam]

Every single time!

[@marcjeffery]

You CAN get used to the gearbox and smooth the changes by using a bit of throttle at the right time, but the main thing with these cars is that you will need an engine rebuild at about 50k miles and make sure you change the non-return valve on the tube that comes out of the crankcase and goes into one of the turbo pipes. Do it every year as they are about £12 from memory. If the valve fails, the turbo will pressurise the crank case and believe me, that is not a good thing. Fun though.

[@BRED510]

The 700cc engine in the was better. I know of several that got over 100k miles on their original engines. The earlier 600cc engine wasn't as strong and did only last around 60k.

[@rusty911s2]

Best thing for longevity is to fit a sump with a drain rather than the ridiculous factory version that relies on oil being pumped out from above. After that, regular oil changes and the engine js very robust indeed. Even my 599 City Cab has over 100K. Brilliant cars, I've got a Roadsrer Coupe running a 113bhp map plus the stock City Cab.

[@TwinCam]

I tried a number of times to feather the throttle, as is mentioned on the internet, but with the hour and a half or so of driving I had, I didn't notice much of a difference whatever I did.

[@tjroelsma]

@@TwinCam You don't really need to do anything, just keep applying the throttle. I've heard different opinions about it, where some say you need to lift and others say you need to feather the throttle. The ECU cuts the ignition as it shifts, so the position of the throttle doesn't matter one bit. The only perceived difference might be the moment when the clutch releases. What helps the shifts be more smoothly in my particular Smart, a 700cc City Coupe with 197.000 km's, is to slightly rev the engine a little higher when it's warm. The sweet spot for the shifts seems to sit at around 4000 rpm for my car. Taking it easy in the city means I mostly shift between 3000-3500 rpm and then it will have the occasional small hiccup when releasing the clutch. It's something you get used to pretty quickly though. After the software update the first generation already got, the Smart's robotized gearbox does a pretty decent job, though it is very sensitive to clutch and gearshift adjustments. Especially keeping the clutch well-adjusted and maybe even more important well-greased makes a huge difference in the shifts. In my experience the gearbox tends to make the most mistakes in slower corners, where it hangs on to third gear too long and often decides to downshift in the middle of the corner. I don't know if that's standard or specific for my Smart though.

[@jussisavola337]

"need an engine rebuild at about 50k miles " ... really? I hope nobody tells that to my Roadster-Coupe, currently having 150 000 km on the clock and going strong. "change the non-return valve" Interesting. I still have the original in use.

[@adrianquinn5473]

I ADORED my Roadster! Consistently put a smile on my face every time I drove it! Just so much fun! And more practical than you might be forgiven for thinking - you could accommodate some pretty long loads if you folded the passenger seat forward! You’ve made me miss it all over again ☺️

[@andrewstones2921]

A great review, thank you so much. I have owned 2 Smarts, one was amazing and never let me down, the other was a nightmare from start to finish. The real problem with these is the electrics, they were one of the early adopters of lead free solder in the circuit boards and after a decade or so combined with vibration the solder joints fail and then reliability becomes the big problem.. the other big problem as briefly mentioned is the water ingress that is impossible to solve (at least impossible to solve In my experience). If you do not have garage space or need to use these or park in rain, the be prepared for misery.. also the rain gets into the electronics. The gearchange is something that you can massively improve with experience and technique, also an uprated clutch actuator can be purchased from Germany which is a game changer. From a technical and engineering perspective it’s theoretically perfectly possible in my opinion to add a manual clutch pedal and hydraulic actuator as it’s a perfectly conventional clutch with a electronic actuator. The gearbox also is controlled by the ecu, but with manual control it would be perfectly easy to achieve as it’s a simple motorcycle type 6 speed sequential box. The electronics of the whole car would be affected and I’m convinced that actual owners of these cars would not see the value in a manual conversion as it would be quite expensive. By the way I had one with power steering and one without power steering and I’d always take the power steering every time. Anyone considering buying one of these as a second car and with a dry space to keep it, go for it.. but get one with good history from Mercedes or a recognized specialist.. and get the top spec with the leather, ideally the Brabus. If you see lots of previous owners it’s almost certainly one of the unreliable ones with electronics gremlins that in my experience is a nightmare. A good one is a real fun car, with so much character.

[@TwinCam]

I think the challenge would be in engineering a manual gear selector and packaging it all?

[@JaydenB23]

Such a awesome video Ed, it was great to see you enjoying you’re drive so much despite the clearly hideous gearbox, have to say the car did suit you😂

[@norwegianzound]

Loved mine but it was like driving around in a bath - a full one at that. In Ireland, it was totally unsuitable, so I got rid after about a year. Shame, as it was great fun.

[@-triumphgt667]

I used to have a Honda Beat - I suspect it knocks this into a cocked hat. Very well built, engine revs to 8K + and you feel you are doing in mph what you are actually doing in km/h. Proper hood, A/C (!!) and mine had a luggage rack so a small suitcase could be carried. Should never have sold it!

[@TwinCam]

I'd love a Honda Beat, but as they were discontinued some eight years before the Smart, and were never sold in the UK, they can't be directly compared. From today's perspective however, Honda for me.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

maßter chef hoñda ß 2000 155 moh

[@GazzaView123]

A few years ago I delivered one of these from Lancashire up to Braemar. On the motorway it was absolutely awful. Once I reached Perth, however, the character of the car completely changed & driving up the A93 over the Spittal Of Glenshee has got to be up there in one of the best drives I've ever done within the posted speed limit. It was so much fun!

[@Summers-lad]

I was going to say that any car would be fun on the A93, but maybe not. The Smart Roadster would certainly suit it though. I remember driving it in a very different vehicle, a VW Bay Window camper, and that was great too - high enough up to get good visibility over the humps in Glen Shee so I could keep speed up and enjoy the (limited) power. The double-jointed rear axle on the Bay gave good handling too - a lot better than the swing axles in the Split Screen and most Beetles.

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

Roadster is the “red one” the blue one a Coupe. Gearbox is great if you play. Auto and drive. Tiptronic change, flappy paddles and decide or, just drive it with foot flat down and it will rev to the red line and change gear ⚙️ it’s self.

[@captainzoll3303]

2 valve per cylinder and twin spark? so it's got as many spark plugs as it has valves

[@TwinCam]

That's true, as to be fair did every Twin Spark Alfa before 1997!

[@gwheregwhizz]

I miss the days when buyers had a choice of different body styles. Smart now offer a one car range in the UK and that is yet another £36K plus five door electric SUV but next year they will offer another £46K plus five door electric SUV that weighs two tonnes. Don't get caught up in the crush outside the dealers folks 😂

[@TwinCam]

Total madness.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

woñg ¹980 suv $630000 miami vu é curveer cañiñ ball rub

[@colrhodes377]

I never owned a roadster but i did own a ForTwo MK2 which i used to commute to Manchester everyday. I used to rag it around the moors early mornings which was such a hoot. Only a 1 litre but so quick and nimble around those sharp turns and uneven roads.

[@WSS_the_OG]

Unbeilevable that this is the first I've ever seen of this car, and on first blush (your thumbnail) I thought it was a new concept of some kind. It's hard to believe it's 20ish years old! That gearbox and electric steering you'd think would kill it, but it's loaded with charisma and charm somehow.

[@davidsharp9166]

The paddle version was better, an with practice it's not as bad as many make out. What you do is call the gear before you need it.

[@arthurdardalis]

Having driven loads of Smart’s, i can say this, on downchanges i blip the throttle and smooths out the shift. On upchanges, I slightly feather off the throttle, smooths it out. Around town I just leave it in auto mode If the clutch is adjusted with the diagnostic annually, the changes are quicker. basically the distance between the clutch & the flywheel is adjusted to take into consideration clutch wear Here in Greece, Smart’s are trendy and hugely popular, the 600cc version used to blow the engine at around 100k kilometres, the 700cc is without issues. Despite the heat here, they cope well but the majority of owners here completely ignore the recommended service intervals and change the oil every 5000km at most. My sister-in-law has a late 2007 Fortwo Passion which is the top version with paddles, leather and of course A/C (all Greek versions have it) which works well.

[@TwinCam]

I did try modulating the throttle, as suggested on the internet, but I didn't find that much difference on my short drive. I'm sure it's better with experience!

[@mikeenglish6401]

Way to go Ed……. Excellent and your infectious love of this little car is to behold! Mike PS we had a blue and silver ForTwo and loved it….. even the gearbox which we always had set to ‘auto’ gave us so many laughs!

[@vincebeynon6147]

I have had a 4/2 for 17 years, and a roadster for about a year. Both great cars. The gearbox everyone hates, is something you get used to. And when you learn to work with it, it's so rewarding. Until you have done that. Don't knock it!!

[@Richard-Bullock]

Dammit all! Every time you review a car I like, it makes me want one. You have that in common with another KZbinr I subscribe to.

[@willswheels283]

That’s a cool little car, and the 3 pot engine really suits it, but I’m with you on the gearbox, why didn’t they just get a manual gearbox option for it rather than complicating it with that electronic box it’s got, I’d imagine that would be hideously expensive to fix should you have issues with it which I suspect has happened to a few owners. I haven’t seen many of these over the years since they were new, they are a bit scarce. Excellent review Edd as always, thanks again! 👍😎

[@TwinCam]

All down to the parts sharing, I'm afraid :(

[@KT-TV]

I believe you can have the gearbox remapped to make it faster and smoother....worth doing apparently. I have the ForTwo 451 and I have exactly the same smile on my face constantly. When I feel like driving I use the sequential selector but if I'm just stuck in traffic or bimbling about the area I enjoy the laziness of auto select. It's nice to have both. I improved the suspension by adding spring buffers and it's transformed the ride...no longer do you feel potholes like spine jarring explosions! Get one...make your life fun every single day. Great video...really enjoyed your style... subscribed!

[@TwinCam]

Thanks mate, hope you enjoy my wittering :)

[@garyallsopp6369]

My wife had a ForFour EQ (Electric) with Brabus alloys. 160Nm of instant torque through the rear wheels and a traction system designed for a wheezy petrol engine; it was a blast to drive. Wonder if that power train would fit in a roadster...

[@sharonbraselton4302]

giíf gir wife fur wife módél à mídél t ektruç

[@terryroxburgh3276]

A car should be fun to drive. I've had many cars over the years and my favorite of them all was a '73 Datsun 180b bluebird purely because if the fun factor! The man & machine in perfect harmony applied more so than even the sportiest car I've had. If you're not having fun it's just something you have to do! I've always fancied a Smart roadster but have never got around to getting one.

[@thestealthpigeon3057]

The roadster is an amazing car. The gearbox isn’t actually as bad as most people thing in a car like this. You learn to actually work it. It gets you thinking like a manual and auto is great just for around town and on motor ways when you don’t need to keep the revs up. Remember it was stated as a city/sports car so in town the lack of power in lower revs works cause it’s more manageable. I have driven everything from Ferraris, Porsches, Morgans, to Caterhams around country roads and actually opted for my roadster over a 997. Mainly for two reasons 1. It is just a lot cheaper to run and didn’t want ever bill to just leave me disliking the car (although don’t get me wrong the smart hasn’t been cheap to maintain) 2. 20years ago I had both a 997 and a roadster at my disposal and I found I just used the roadster more. Beautiful car and all the ‘faults’ I would say add to its fun. One final note for those looking to buy. If this one is boosting around to 1.5 bar on the turbo. It’s been mapped. Only the brabus engines cars boosted around to this.

[@barrettwbenton]

Wow…you got hold of this *much* sooner than expected. I'm now screaming that we didn't get this car Stateside, mainly just the ForTwo (with its lackluster-for-it's-size fuel economy). Thanks to you and JayEm, this car finally gets its due, somewhat-dodgy transmission and all. Well-done!

[@SB-vb8ch]

I loved my '04 Roadster Coupe. Bought it accident damaged, repaired it & ran it for almost 4 years. It never let me down & never did much less than 50mpg. Definitely an 8 tenths car but nothing wrong with that. The gearbox was pretty awful in absolute terms but once you tune into it then it was fine. I used to always paddle shift up & let it sort itself out on the way down. There was a real joy in getting it right. Still a mega looking thing to my eyes, the 16" spikelines, specifically the epic offset on the rears is mega.

[@allsearpw3829]

Fun all the way , if it is sorted out and been looked after , had the Brabus coupe for 4 months and love it , such a HOOT to drive and vacuum pack every thing bar your self .LOL

[@terjehelle]

I have this car without the eletric sterring. And it’s one of the “best” cars in the whole world! Because it’s fun! I wish it had a proper H-shifter. But the slow auto clutch, you get used to, and it makes it even more engaging to drive. You really have to think forward in time with this car. When you live with it, it’s become “natural”. I don’t know of any car that can give the same feeling. Maybe a Elise, but that’s way more serious. The Smart is a clown car, making you smile all the time. I really love it!

[@TwinCam]

The Fiat X1/9 gave me a very similar feeling when I drove one last year, but apart from that, moving more modern, I'd only suggest the likes of the Honda Beat, Suzuki Cappuccino, and Honda S660 would be comparable?

[@carly-beatz-DJ]

Cracking video. New owner of a 2006 450 Fortwo. Love it - the funnest thing I've ever driven. I have zero concerns with the gearbox; you just have to learn how it works (in auto mode in particular) and alter your driving to accommodate - i.e lift of your foot, switch to manual mode on fast roads, and enjoying a combination of what both modes have to offer. It's all part of the quirks of the car. I'd love a Roadster next!

[@notroll1279]

It's a charming car I always wanted to like. Then I drove a few Mk I Smarts as rental cars, really hated the gear changes and buried the idea of ever buying anything connected to that semi-autobox.

[@scottishcarenthusiastsandtrain]

Why or Why do i so want one now 😂😂 Could it be the sound of the car chirping at every gear change 😂😂 40 years old and now wants a mid life crisis toy😂😂 Another excellent review Ed, really enjoyed this and you did too.

[@koini11]

Eee! Exciting to see a review of my car. I love mine so much. It's definitely not perfect and it has recently cost me money as you really don't want to hit an unseen pothole in one but I still just love it. So much fun. As others have said, you can cope with the gearbox. I had been out if driving for a while when I got mine so it wasn't a massive shock. I think I've got to the point where I can work around its quirks. Completely agree it's the wrong way round shift wise though.

[@Xenstein]

You've forgot to mention the fact that after couple of years after ceasing production some aftermarket cheap mods made the car gearbox and engine much more responsive and enjoyable. A, Gordon Murray used one as daily for 16 years

[@mikefearn5213]

Love the review, thank you. I've had my black and silver roadster coupe since 2011. It's such a great car, and is such fun to drive. The gear box initially takes some getting used to, but after a while you get to love that too. The paddle shift and main gear stick can even be used together in combination to quickly shift down two gears if ever you need to. Just plan ahead and it's part of being alive and thinking ahead. I've often wished both my Audi and Golf had a similar gear box. The auto mode on the Golf just isn't as good, and sometimes even in manual mode the tiptronic shift on the golf insists in being in the wrong gear and won't allow me to be in the gear I actually know I want to be in. My roadster also qualifies now for classic car insurance, so costs nothing to run, and very little to insure. Some maintenance I also do myself. There is even a very good mod to allow you to have full manual steering on the roadster, so that isn't something you can really fault either. Leaks also are well known old problem but have a complete set of fixes. My roadster has never leaked since I've owned it as the leaks were all sorted. Also do get the drain plug for the oil sump. As long as it's well maintained and cared for, they can be great and reliable cars and don't cost the earth to own or maintain.

[@xZeiZeix]

When upsifting quickly, dont lift the trottle. And it downsifts faster when braking. That said, it is annoying when computer desides to change the gear for you, when you Don't want (need) to. Yes, the auto mode is mostly rubbish, only working well when warm and you are in no hurry.

[@grahamnicoll6515]

you can get a software update for the gearbox to speed up the gear change

[@tturi2]

a hyabusa engine swap works too

[@tinkertalksguns7289]

It killed me that we couldn't get these in the US. The very few examples over here demand stupid prices now.

[@neepheid]

One of my neighbours has one of these, can't stop myself looking at it when I walk past it :)

[@BobClements-wy7mc]

You should try my one. It's a Brabus coupe. Power steering has been diabled, and it has the small diameter Brabus V6 steering wheel with paddle shifts, which transforms the steering feel. The gearbox has also been "tuned" and the shift takes about half the time now, which makes the whole package an absolute hoot to drive. I prefer it to the Ferrari F355 or the Porsche 968 which I had before. The roadie is tons more fun.

[@Black-Country-Rider]

Great video, however, having owned my "finale edition" roadster for over 12 years , I disagree that the gearbox robs the car of character. For me , anticipating the gear changes, and keeping the engine in its sweet spot on twisty road is a huge part of the fun and character of the car...The whole experience is unique to the smart roadster. Add that to the fact that I have never seen another model the same as mine on the road, makes driving it a bit of an occasion. The only time I'll consider selling it is when I can no longer manage to climb in and out of it ..

[@mfbfreak]

My dream car is one of these, but with a Triumph Speed Triple engine and gearbox. Or a SV1000 one.

[@exafrost]

Yeah... they never brought these gems over to the USA or Canada... I would have loved to have one! But no... We only saw the Fourtwo here. Yeah, no. I first saw the roadster on Top Gear and of course Clarkson's home-movie videos. Then of course, Tom Cruise decided to rub our noses in it when he used them in Knight and Day. I just wish they would bring back the small, light, low-to-the ground sports cars and get rid of those ridiculous SUVs!

[@p.informatico1320]

The small cars are better if you aren't tall... I'm 6′4″ and most small cars are uncomfortable so I need to find a bigger one. And sure, the MX5 was the most successful roadster in the 90s, but it wasn't the only one... the Honda CRX Del Sol and the Lotus Elan M100 were also important in that trend.

[@rasmAn2]

I finagled my dad into getting a test drive when these first came out, and dreamed of them ever since. i finally got an ex tuner democar a few years back. the it had a screamer pipe, was lowered a scary amount, was on very wide 17", and painted in a very tastefull matte grey. The thermostat died on the way home, the next day the gearbox refused service and it was sideswiped while immobile. the roof leaked and was not functional, and it had some mass problems. after fixing all this it drove brilliantly, except for the gearbox obvs. you could only find the limits of traction while aquaplaning, on the dry you had to scandi flick the live out of it to get the back out, otherwise, it steered by telepathy (it didn't have power steering) and corner entry speeds were ridiculous for a road car, the only thing i've driven that could get close was a Lotus Elise (which was way quicker, but not nearly as cute). But, the gearbox is and remains dimwitted, the maintenance costs rose to 2€/km which was getting the better of me. I sold it a while back, and while i was glad to be rid of it, I should've bought a 60hp version with a broken engine and stuffed a bike engine in it, it would have been very close to the perfect sports car

[@BobyourUncle]

I'm afraid every tiptronic/dsg/selespeed style gearbox that I've driven has been a monumental disappointment. The bloody things sacrifice responsiveness in the name of smoothness. If I wanted smooth I'd leave it in drive for Pete's sake! When I say change you change and to heck with the whiplash! Stupid things! 🤬

[@ianbell6680]

90 k smiles per miles in my roadster light, a head turner and then you see 3 roadster's in a row on the motorway all beeping waving and flashing yes i did join the convoy what a buzz, i miss my little smart i always took the long way round loved driving it the handling is like nothing you will experience, problems i found was the leaks from the door weatherseal the merc smart garage tried to fix the problem and failed 16 times, so i took off the weatherseal and put some double sided sticky tape on the frame then put the weatherseal back on problem sorted after a £800 hit for the sam unit like, i am looking to buy another one maybe the Brabus or the finale edition, i can't live as happy as i did when i had my little smart we will be united together someday i promise🥰

[@fredchi7594]

A great car ruined by it build quality, mine was a soft top bought from new with the fancy three spoke wheels, and was full of rain water leaks, a common problem on the roadster from the front bulkhead, door speakers and door mirrors, roof and boot. I got the leaks fixed under warranty but smelled damp all the time. I sold the car when warranty ran out after two years. In 2023 I now have a Smart 453 cabrio, and its bone dry, just like all the previous smart Fortwos I had bought over the years. Pity the roadster was flawed, as it was brilliant to drive.

[@MitcyDupres]

I miss my Roadster. Yes, the gearbox is utter drivel and the ECU can suddenly switch off ALL your electrics on a dark, rainy night on the outside lane of a slip road. The facts that the stereo system was woeful even back then and If someone parked next to you in the supermarket car park you'd have to contort yourself to get into it, I would own another as a second car without a second thought. That smile you have just nipping around town, or the errant rear end when you're pushing around a wet roundabout easily makes up for all and any faults the car might have. Next time however, it will be the coupe, I think it has better lines.

[@martinda7446]

Just buy an old Mini. All that with exceptional steering and a proper box. Edit: When I was a young lad, you could do that for 200 quid! Edit again: And park by the Embankment for free...

[@JimBob_1975]

Great review by a great reviewer/presenter. In fact I'd go so far as to say one of my favourite KZbinrs when it comes to this kind of thing. Remarkable given your age.👍

[@TwinCam]

Thanks James :)

[@peterthwaites5891]

100% agree with you... The Smart roadster coupe has always been a car i adored and would have loved to have owned BUT because of that gearbox i have honestly never even driven one! i hear when equipped with the steering wheel paddle shift there is an improvement? a future classic? OH YES

[@TwinCam]

I think the paddles would be an improvement, but I did enjoy bashing through the gears with the sequential lever.

[@danielfielder337]

Great video. I have an Abarth which is ridiculously quick. Too quick to be fun. I’m going to chop it in for Smart Roadster. Sometimes less is more…

[@BRED510]

I had one of these back in 2006 when they were new. Great fun to drive and made great noises. Was massively improved by an engine and gearbox remap, as the gearbox is a bit lazy in them. However it leaked like a sieve, it wasn't just the Targa top that leaked, it was also the Bulkhead, doors, wing mirrors, behind the rear seats, absolute nightmare. I had mine 6 months, for 4 of thos months it was stuck at Mercedes trying to fix all the leaks. Got fed up never having it and got my money back from Merc. And yes, they rattled and squeaked like that from new. I really think these are a future classic.

[@TwinCam]

According to reports, that's why they killed it off in 2006.

[@RebeccaLasse]

When brits try to pronounce "fun" but ends up saying "fauen" 😂 Very nice video and an amazing car.. cant wait to add it to my small collection of cars 😊

[@Steph-pn2kq]

I worked at a Toyota dealership in Melbourne when these came out. We swapped a Daihatsu Copen with one of these for a try. I loved the looks, but the gearbox ruined the whole experience. Utterly horrible to drive around town. The Copen you just floored the throttle and bounced around with a grin.

[@TwinCam]

I didn't find this horrible at all around town.

[@Steph-pn2kq]

@@TwinCam they clearly sorted it out then, or worked some magic!

[@sharonbraselton4302]

theßé fubñ çarß vét

[@sharonbraselton4302]

chief meborne fkorda has exótiç çars kambghi díable waß chef fitrß catr

[@djohh3057]

Strangely its not a six speed gearbox, its a three speed with a two speed transaxle. So to change from 3rd to 4th it has to change the two speed into 2nd and the three speed into 1st. That's why the 3rd to 4th gearchange is slow.

[@on_wheels_80]

They couldn't have given it a manual because if that was necessary, the whole car wouldn't exist, period. The far bigger flaw are the rear drum brakes. But, same situation: Smart 450 had drum brakes, and so had the 451. If you invest a bit of hard- and software and more than half a day into learning how to drive it with some anticipation, you'll realise the gearbox doesn't hamper the car's performance a great deal in the surroundings where it is the most fun: Twisties. The engine and gearbox have to be treated as devices that help to keep the momentum. I've driven two 100 HP Smart Roadsters for a total of more than 150k miles within 14 years, all over the Alps, Pyrenees, Balkan, etc. and in front and behind all sorts of other sporty cars. Driven properly, the speed is somewhere between an Elan and an Elise and certainly higher than an MX-5 NA/NB/NC.

[@TwinCam]

Of course, as I say it's built from a parts bin, and that's why it was possible.

[@mr.y.mysterious.video1]

Before watching the vid im going to say rotten gearbox?

[@andrewcambridge2831]

I've had my Brabus Roadster for over a decade. I can't get rid because I know I'd want it back after a couple of months. It's my third child.

[@1183newman]

Had one of these, was enjoyable to own but received a lot of criticism from randoms out and about, also the auto transmission was horrific in this. Sold it for 3.5k 15 years ago and it was in perfect condition Then bought an elise.

[@keithhooper6123]

When I was looking for a car,t ten ears ago,there was a Smart roadster, and a Daihatsu Copen for sale, locally .I bought the Copen,and often think about that Smart.

[@hevosvoimat]

There is lot of talk about the gearbox. It is not fastest by no means, but when you have shift paddles and drive on track it not that bad either. You just do downshifts during braking and make sure that it is on gear when exiting the bend. The paddles make it better than manual as you can keep your hands on steering all times. Me on track day: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZmmhWyQea5mlc0

[@PatrickTCAPIreland]

I do eye one of these up once and a while, I love JDM cars, kei cars and I have been thinking about importing a Honda S660 to replace my Honda CRZ once Im done with it, and the Smart Roadster and Daihatsu Copen are giving me the same vibe.

[@sharonbraselton4302]

ho da 8ñsifht

[@sequentialgear]

Bought mine in 2005 and I still have it. But the roof is all messed up and have to keep it in a garage for the whole time, so I only take it out for the anual MOT. It has less than 50k kms...

[@Silverhand290]

I wonder how much hassle it would be to drop a motorcycle engine in the back of one these quite cute little cars. Double the BHP add a bit more and a decent bit of torque, give it a set of wider wheels, sort the suspension and of course the brakes and maybe it could be fun owning one.

[@liamrconnell]

I've had a brabus for 3 years its my place to go of i need a smile... yes its very flawed yes its leaky and rattly but its such a character ki think everybody should drive one on a twisty b road

[@hrungnir00008psp]

Once you upgrade the gear box, reset the actuator, and install the Bravus steering wheel, all your problems are solved.

[@SB-vb8ch]

The space you mentioned is already in use for the fuel tank. The packaging is actually pretty decent. The suspension hardware is a lesson in minimalist production engineering. It's a really well executed bit of kit. I might need to have another look at them.

[@TwinCam]

Ah of course!

[@saxon-mt5by]

My only experience of one of these was a short test-drive in one for sale; it took no more than three or four miles to come to terms with the gearbox. Treat it as a manual with an automatic clutch, modulate the throttle and the gearchange is no slower than a conventional manual. If it wasn't so low built I would be shopping for one right now, but sadly old age and arthritic knees means it's not for me :(

[@TwinCam]

Though I only had an hour and a half of driving, I did try as the internet suggests to modulate the throttle while changing, but it made little to no difference. I could change gear in any manual car in less than half the time this takes.

[@Dominik189]

My only real gripe with these was the gearbox. I hated that gearbox... If it was a true Manual it would have been so much better.

[@tayeriley976]

Caterham we’re going to do a version of this with a manual gearbox. What a missed opportunity 😢

[@daviddenham2971]

With the Smart Roadster I sense some Lotus styling vibes. But alas, no Lotus performance.

[@TwinCam]

Performance is a relative term. It's not that much slower really than a Lotus Elite, if we ignore the 45 years between them!

[@rogerking7258]

As the owner of a Frogeye, I couldn't agree more about the merits of small, light and modestly powered cars. I've driven modern Ferraris and other exotica and I truly have never found them nearly so much fun as a 43bhp car from the 1950s. At the time of the Roadster's launch, I really thought it might actually be a true Frogeye replacement, even more so than the later Midgets. I've still never driven a Smart Roadster, though I did have a go in a FourTwo. I had no prior knowledge about them, nor any preconceptions, but within a quarter of a mile I hated it with a passion - because of that gearbox. I cannot understand how something so dreadful had been allowed to reach production, particularly when a tried and tested technology would have fixed it. Did they think people wouldn't notice? Did they have a large number of ex 1970s British Leyland employees who told them, "sod it, we can get away with that? I dunno, but I strongly suspect that it ruined the whole Smart venture. Shame.

[@brianfreeman8290]

A Frogeye ??? You lucky sod ! Such a pretty car, except when something small disappeared to the back of the boot !

[@twiggacott]

Every tester compares the gearbox to a full automatic with a torque converter which it isn't. Instead when you go for a gear change compare it to, foot on clutch, move gear lever, foot off clutch and I bet that's longer than the Smart gear change.

[@TwinCam]

I said in the video that it wasn't a torque converter.

[@flobberbogtrot]

Fine if you don't mind buying a new clutch every 20,000 miles.. 😊

[@jimkoher5372]

The gear shift-direction isn't wrong... It's Mercedes

[@aammssaamm]

How cool it would be to get an electric one these days. So sad they did not bother fixing the issues instead of killing it.

[@The_R-n-I_Guy]

I'm 6'2" and about 250 pounds. But for some reason I love small cars.

[@brucerobinson1284]

They put a Hayabusa in a Smart car . They put a turbo on a Hayabusa . I think They need to find one of these cars .

[@sageoz9886]

Wish these had been released in the USA but with a 90’s Honda 5-speed transmission

[@white_mage]

the perfect car doesn't exist and the transmission on that car is proof.

[@hythe64]

You're WRONG Ed , the gearbox is great .....well no, not great, but it is OK. You need to accept what it is & get used to it. Here's a challenge to prove it is OK to yourself. Time yourself making a manual gearchange, up & down the box & getting into reverse. These often take several seconds. However because you are fully employed in the gearchange process, you don't notice the time passing. Here's another experiment you can do at home - on a flat or uphill road concentrate on the road speed of the car during a normal to swift manual gearchange. Never noticed how much it slows down before? Well that's because you have been distracted by the in & out & move the stick all about & let's do the hokey-cokey, rather than drive business, that is joy (for some) of manual gearboxes. I accept that when you are 'on it' manual gearchanges are faster than the smart, but it's the waiting with nothing to do that's upsetting you, rather than the time for shift. Acceptance & adaptation can then lead to contentment.... I had a smart roadster coupe for 8 years & 80,000 miles. It was the most admired & commented on car I ever drove. It had the steering wheel shifters, which reduce effort & time to shift. It has good accommodation for 2, with plenty of flexible luggage space for such a car. It never leaked - get the hard panels roof. The ride was ok, often did 300 miles in a day without feeling it was a hardcore experience, 48 to 55 mpg as a norm. Sold it with the original front tyres, which had 3mm tread, rears replaced at 48,000 because they each had a nail in them. For such a small car it was a complete arse to reverse park. The gearbox had a perfect set of ratios, which was very necessary, as you needed to be in the correct gear & have the turbo pressure up or else you were going nowhere slowly. What all the journalists have failed to grasp over the years is that a smart with a manual gearbox would have been unbearable. Owners would have developed stigmata with the amount of downshifting then upshifting to be done. Thanks for the video & next time I see him, I'll tell Max Verstappen to get a proper sports car, rather than that automated manual he potters about in.

[@TwinCam]

The Smart's gearbox certainly is not quicker than a traditional manual. If it takes you that long to change gears, that's fine, but I am able to change gears in my own manual cars significantly quicker. I'm not sure what your reference to Max Verstappen is, but if you're referring to his RB19, then that's not a sports car. However, racing sports cars do use automated manuals, because they're racing cars, and in that state, it is quicker. But a car engineered for pure driving enjoyment cannot be an automatic with a straight face. The Mazda MX-5 is proof of that.

[@loganlovescarsandmotorcycles]

I would love to drive one of these. I like it because it's different and we didn't get them here.

[@steverolfeca]

In the For Two, the secret was to leave it in auto mode, and lift the throttle momentarily when you wanted to upshift. That way, it didn’t cut the power and lose momentum. I can’t say if that would work in the Roadster, because they never reached Canada.

[@robertkomosa4556]

As for the luggage capacity... I easily pack two people, in two suitcases, a few extra bags in the back + a 6pack of wine and what else you need in the front;)

[@loganlovescarsandmotorcycles]

I had a motorcycle that cruised at 6000rpm. Took some time to get used to.

[@bryzot7242]

I'm a roadster coupe owner..i love it but they are slow really slow

[@jamesengland7461]

Mercedes builds a city car and tiny sports car- they'll be built as of hewn from granite! Ah, NO. Rubbish.

[@TwinCam]

Mercedes hasn't built a quality car since the 1980s. I wouldn't expect even an S-Class from the early 2000s to be problem free or quality feeling!