I'm 6'5", rented Smart cars a few times and it's got a surprisingly open and spacious feel. But the way it shifts feels like someone who's learning how to drive stick.
You can't overstate the practicality of ALWAYS finding a parking spot with a car that's still solid and large enough to go Highway speeds with 2 passengers and a week's groceries in the back. The top down version makes it a nice summer cruiser ON TOP of that. It's all about confidence ;)
I have the Brabus version here in Nigeria and its a neck turner every day. This thing drives like a v6 especially with the shift pads, glides through small gaps where other cars wouldnt, parks where no other car dares. I went for a wedding last week and was told no more space to park, I argued with the security guys and insisted I would find a spot, finally they let me drive in and to their surprises and laughter I drove straight into a tiny spot with the greatest of ease...walked out of my Smart with shoulders high.😃
These are really fun to drive. The comically long delay between shifts actually added to the experience by making the weight transfer flop from font-to-back and made you feel like you were doing a crazy launch in every gear lol
I have a 150hp cabrio myself and its an incredibly fun car. I'd argue the most fun you can have for the money at least with Europe prices (including purchase, mods, insurance & gas). Still daily it around the year. Its pretty much as fast as I want it to be but Smart Hard Tuning can get these over the 300hp mark with the original engine. People complain about the automatic being slow, but you can actually reprogram it to be a lot faster and even without it I think every review makes it sound worse than it is. There are a few driving techniques that make it better as well which every review seems to ignore. Also it's recommended you don't use the full auto as its really not good, but instead switch the gears yourself. My 451 is pink, loud and relatively fast and I catch BMW's and others off-guard a lot. It gets off the line crazy quick.
Had one like this for several years and it was a joy to drive cabrio mode… transmission was really annoying but it had many pros … used it on my wedding day and used to borrow them for my friends weddings as well, it became unforgettable, few new cars have this emotional effect on people. Great nostalgic review… Portugal is full of them all models motors and colors… they’re everywhere!
I sat in one once at a car show and had the same conclusion… not a small car but a regular car with the back chopped off … great review again!! And the “Alanis Units” is now my formal unit of measurement 😂
My wife unwhittingly bought a J Code, 4-door, 5 speed 2004 Toyota Echo RS hatchback while in college, 5 years before I met her. They were only sold in Japan, Canada, and Mexico. It is 20 years old, has 500k on it, and is my daily driver for the past decade. It has a 1.5l 4 cylinder engine that makes 108hp. The car weighs under 2900lbs, so it's actually pretty fast. Gets 45mpg on the highway. I'm 6'3" and it has a high ride height and roofline, so it is very comfortable. I can easily sit behind myself in the rear seat with tons of headroom. I can afford to drive a new car, and I currently own 4, but I choose to drive my tiny race car for the amount of pleasure it delivers. Also, it has been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. I could see it going another 500k. Just wanted to post about how a tiny car can cast a spell over you if you give them a try.
I drive a 2016 Smart Fortwo. The attention and constant questions have driven me mad, and when you get a special one they will stare at your car in the mirror and be oblivious to the green light in front of them. Or swerve out of their lane. Or slow down as they pass and jump over right in front of you. I love it, I just wish there weren't other people on the road when I drive heh. Thanks for making the video.
I wouldn't have thought the 2016 version would get those reactions. Compared to the old/first version of the car, it looked rather generic for a compact car in my opinion. I'm wondering, was the 2016 version still mostly made of plastic, or did they go with a metal body? Apparently the old one with its plastic body was one of the safest cars you could drive, surprisingly. My brother in law lost his brother in a car crash on the German Autobahn and when he went to get his brother's belongings out of the wrecked car, the guy from the highway maintenance department told him that the only people who survived that kind of crash were people driving old Smart ForFours. Apparently, because most of the car is made of plastic, they made the metal floor especially rigid and sturdy, which made it particularly safe in serious crashes somehow.
I just sold one of these! If you shift with the paddle shifters it drives like a totally different car. The car has a shift indicator, but ignore that and shift when the engine is ready and you are gold.
I always imagined that you could literally drive a smartcar inside a building and probably not crash into anything! Lol! Has anybody done this? I'd LOVE to see it! Lol! Excellent job Alanis!
I absolutely love my 2016 Smarty! I have Mercedes emblem, lil black flowers, and decal on back that says “Baby Benz”. It is so cute n adorable. People stop me all the time n ask me questions about it.
You reviewed my car! Well, a version of it. Thanks for giving it some love! I think the reason why you feel that you're so 'normal' with the other cars is the ride height. You have a mini cooper next to you? You're looking down on them.
Just looove my small 2008 Smart 451. Automatic / panoramaroof / rainsensor / el. windo's / light sensor. Got it in January this year. It's my side-car... next to my Suziki Ignis. Replaced some bushings and the brakelightswitch.. ❤
I was the smart product manager for the US from 2015-2017, overseeing the launch of the 453 gen. Was a fun and weird time of my career. Thanks for posting.
It's worth noting that the stock exhaust is also quite loud, (I mean the engine practically in the cabin & a motorcycle esc. small displacement will do that lol), also in America it can handle most conditions other than please don't drive in the snow, it's so bad, I did it for a few yrs in MI as a daily where a half hour commute turned into an hour since backroads with hazards on were my jam (never bought winter tyres but that only solves half the problem since clearance/underpowered/rwd-in-a-small-wheelbase are the other half of the equation). Also if you're considering driving one of these in the US you have to remember Smart discontinued support here, the forums are nice and there's SmartMadness for aftermarket parts, but OEM parts are hard to find, and most Benz dealerships fully dropped support for them.
We used to call this an elephant's roller-skate in Germany. This gear box from a Mercedes sister brand is just ridiculous. It works according to geological time scale. (quoting Clarkson)
Great job Alanis. I almost bought a first gen back in the day when living in Madrid. Perfect for a town like that where parking is a real nightmare. A lot of fun too as you can see here. Much love from west Spain as always!!
@enisrabowman2634 Were those sold in the US cause I legit have never seen or heard of the fourfour. It's kinda what I was after, but I'd want to keep the 2 door look.
@@damienlee1165 🤷♀ i mean the contemporary Forfour looked not really like the Firtst Smart and codeveloped with the Mitsubishi Colt. But the Next-Gen Smarts looked similar
I suppose on this channel you only review whatever cars happen to be auctioned at the moment, so it is probably pointless to say this, but I would be more interested in a review of the ForFour version of the Smart, particular the old one. It surely is even rarer in the USA. I have been driving one till recently and have very ambivalent feelings about it. On one hand, the 100+ horsepower version was pretty agile and not a bad driving experience and it was pretty roomy for a car that size, but the ergonomics sucked. Changing a headlight bulb was comically stupid because you couldn't do it through the engine room but had to open a small access door inside the wheel well. In general the interior gave me the feeling as if the Daimler designers made it shitty on purpose to not cannibalize their Mercedes sales. But apparently it was one of the safest cars you could drive, surprisingly. My brother in law lost his actual brother in a car crash on the German Autobahn and when he went to get his brother's belongings out of the wrecked car, the guy from the highway maintenance department told him that the only people who survived that kind of crash were people driving old Smart ForFours. Apparently, because most of the car was made of plastic, they made the floor especially rigid and sturdy, which made it particularly safe in serious crashes.
My ex-girlfriend drove a Pontiac Firefly (non-turbo, sadly) … when she was wound up on long trips on the motorway … she was noisy, broke down (twice!) and was so much thirstier than I could have imagined. But … the ‘car’ was cool though. Small cars definitely have their place… but not in my driveway/lifestyle. Thanks for another video done with… sprezzatura! Cheers.
I had to look up what a Firefly is, because this is the first I've ever heard that name. Shouldn't have been surprised it was a Geo Metro with a Pontiac badge. It was GM in the early 90s, after all
We used to have the electric version of this generation smart car in Madrid for carsharing, and they were an absolute blast, it was like driving a go-kart. I also used it to move appartment once (I changed rooms from an apartment to another, I had to do two trips, but you can fit a surprising amount of stuff)
Here in Greece they are so common, the usually sold (this 451 generation) from 5-7K euros. They are really great in the small and crowded roads in Greece and in the islands, but they are very prone to theft and the steering wheel does not lock
Haven't been paying attention to CZcams or this channel, didn't realize that Alanis King was doing stuff on here nowadays. I always liked her journalism on Jalopnik back in the day before the site imploded...
I have a 2009 Cabrio. I've driven it twice on long trips (about 4 hrs each time). No complaints. Shifting? Auto mode is about how I drove my 2006 VW Beetle. Again, no complaints!
Great video Alanis, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I remember reading about these new in a Robb Reports magazine in 09 and yes, the reviewers took issue with the transmission too. I was genuinely intrigued to see the top retract because I never saw it. The only other convertible with removable "rails/tracks" I know of is the Citroen C3 Pluriel (Jeremy Clarkson reviewed one on Top Gear) those didn't have a place to store the rails. It was cute seeing you use your body to measure the car! PS Tiff Needell reviewed a Smart roadster on fith gear. I thought they were cool too.
When this car was first introced, the smart part was that it could be nosed into the curb and fit within the width of conventional cars. To this day, I have never seen one nosed into the curb that way.
In 2013 I was in Rome, Italy and I saw plenty of Smarts parked that way. the whole length of a Smart was almost the same as the width of an Alfa Romeo sedan.
People in Greece like to fill them with speakers because the cabin is very acoustically efficient from what I've heard. They also do engine mods and some even drag race them. Seeing a Smart fortwo do a wheelie is as amazing as you can imagine. The Lorinser wheels on this one give me Greek vibes. Heartwarming.
09 smart cabrio owner. To our surprise insurance rate went down when switching from a Toyota yaris the crash rating on them is surprising. However if my roof is down and the side rails off I would be very worried if I rolled it over...
My brother has the Smart Passion. Its a pretty cool little car, but a problems he's having is finding shops in the Houston area that will work on them. He's just blatantly told no by every shop he's called.
@@dbmabe and he’s unwilling to learn to do it himself? Sad. People with zero car skills, and I’m close to zero, should stick with Lexus/Toyota, Acura/Honda, or public transportation
Hi nice video - unfortunately you didn't move the passenger seat to the back position, before you judge about your legroom. I have the European spec Turbo convertible version with some tweaks so I have about 140-145 hp wich is great fun in this little car, especially with the gearbox tweak its much faster in changing gears.
in regards to how it shifts gears, there are software upgrades to the transmission that can be done. I doubt it would shift like a porsche PDK, but hey it atleast shifts... less slow.
Sure they look like a good vehicle, Let me list the problems; It was supposed to be the competitor to MINI which was BMW’s small economy brand. The electric version of this generation would only get 130 km on range. The smart in general would only get 140 km on a petrol tank and required premium gasoline. The starting price was 25’000$ which was an absolute Joke, considering the base Mini 3 cylinder was a grand more and could do roughly the same fuel efficiency, with a larger tank! The first generation also had technical problems and occasionally the transmission would lurch and seem dull.
@ComedyKingsJackMango1 i remember spec'ing out a Smart Cabrio EV when they were still sold and it was close to $50k USD, crazy price for a small car. MINI EV is far less with better range and somewhat more usable everyday.
@AlanisKing - Fun review. I also think this video should be used to show how easy it is to user a turn signal. You didn't even take your hands off the wheel, you could hardly see the small movement to turn them on, just a tip of the lever with your fingers and voila, turn signals are on. If it is that easy, why do so few people use them?
Wow, you were in my town. Picked a good day for it, if you'd been a week earlier it was topping 100! Shame though, you could have reviewed my 2017 500e at the same time!
Makes sense why people Yamaha swap this. It comes off as way more competent then you’d think. The irony about how the automated manual just comes off as manual gear changes on camera 😂
My mom and I went to a local launch event for the Smart. Afterwards we both stared at each other in disbelief. How could they release a transmission that bad?!?
You need to put the seat back sweetheart on the passenger side. I know for a fact it goes back much further than that. I'm 6'3 and I sit on the passenger seat all the time and I don't think you're as tall as me. So if you're going to say that they're small, you better put the seat back all the way to show people that they actually can fit in these cars much easier. I have more room in this than I do my four-seater large car
In Europe I find this car THE FASTEST one in the city. Assuming speed as the shortest time to reach certain place - door to door. Driving large sedan or SUV sometimes I am loosing 10 minutes or more to find right spot for parking, eventually half a mile away from the place I want to go. Effectively going by tram would be quicker... or Smart.
The amount of people staring at me in this car made me feel like I was driving a Pagani
Wait, it's not a Pagani? We'll have to update the listing
The only thing that felt Pagani-like I'm sure. LOL
Please crash it then it would look better 😊
Throughout this entire video all I could think of was Michael Scott’s rant “what is the deal… with the smart car?”
They make a Brabus one, too! Not sure if it comes in cabrio, though.
I love this car. When it started up in the parking garage, I was a little surprised by how great it sounded.
It does sound great!
👏 climb in the trunk 👏 climb in the trunk 👏 climb in the trunk 👏
I'm 6'5", rented Smart cars a few times and it's got a surprisingly open and spacious feel.
But the way it shifts feels like someone who's learning how to drive stick.
Yep the shifts are terrible
You can't overstate the practicality of ALWAYS finding a parking spot with a car that's still solid and large enough to go Highway speeds with 2 passengers and a week's groceries in the back. The top down version makes it a nice summer cruiser ON TOP of that. It's all about confidence ;)
I have the Brabus version here in Nigeria and its a neck turner every day. This thing drives like a v6 especially with the shift pads, glides through small gaps where other cars wouldnt, parks where no other car dares. I went for a wedding last week and was told no more space to park, I argued with the security guys and insisted I would find a spot, finally they let me drive in and to their surprises and laughter I drove straight into a tiny spot with the greatest of ease...walked out of my Smart with shoulders high.😃
These are really fun to drive. The comically long delay between shifts actually added to the experience by making the weight transfer flop from font-to-back and made you feel like you were doing a crazy launch in every gear lol
I have a 150hp cabrio myself and its an incredibly fun car. I'd argue the most fun you can have for the money at least with Europe prices (including purchase, mods, insurance & gas). Still daily it around the year. Its pretty much as fast as I want it to be but Smart Hard Tuning can get these over the 300hp mark with the original engine.
People complain about the automatic being slow, but you can actually reprogram it to be a lot faster and even without it I think every review makes it sound worse than it is. There are a few driving techniques that make it better as well which every review seems to ignore. Also it's recommended you don't use the full auto as its really not good, but instead switch the gears yourself.
My 451 is pink, loud and relatively fast and I catch BMW's and others off-guard a lot. It gets off the line crazy quick.
300HP!!!! WOW!!!
This is one of the best smart vids on CZcams. Entertaining and informative. And charming! Like the car itself.
Thank you!
Had one like this for several years and it was a joy to drive cabrio mode… transmission was really annoying but it had many pros … used it on my wedding day and used to borrow them for my friends weddings as well, it became unforgettable, few new cars have this emotional effect on people. Great nostalgic review… Portugal is full of them all models motors and colors… they’re everywhere!
That is so cool!
I sat in one once at a car show and had the same conclusion… not a small car but a regular car with the back chopped off … great review again!!
And the “Alanis Units” is now my formal unit of measurement 😂
Ours too!
My wife unwhittingly bought a J Code, 4-door, 5 speed 2004 Toyota Echo RS hatchback while in college, 5 years before I met her. They were only sold in Japan, Canada, and Mexico. It is 20 years old, has 500k on it, and is my daily driver for the past decade. It has a 1.5l 4 cylinder engine that makes 108hp. The car weighs under 2900lbs, so it's actually pretty fast. Gets 45mpg on the highway. I'm 6'3" and it has a high ride height and roofline, so it is very comfortable. I can easily sit behind myself in the rear seat with tons of headroom.
I can afford to drive a new car, and I currently own 4, but I choose to drive my tiny race car for the amount of pleasure it delivers. Also, it has been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned. I could see it going another 500k.
Just wanted to post about how a tiny car can cast a spell over you if you give them a try.
I drive a 2016 Smart Fortwo. The attention and constant questions have driven me mad, and when you get a special one they will stare at your car in the mirror and be oblivious to the green light in front of them. Or swerve out of their lane. Or slow down as they pass and jump over right in front of you. I love it, I just wish there weren't other people on the road when I drive heh. Thanks for making the video.
I wouldn't have thought the 2016 version would get those reactions. Compared to the old/first version of the car, it looked rather generic for a compact car in my opinion.
I'm wondering, was the 2016 version still mostly made of plastic, or did they go with a metal body?
Apparently the old one with its plastic body was one of the safest cars you could drive, surprisingly.
My brother in law lost his brother in a car crash on the German Autobahn and when he went to get his brother's belongings out of the wrecked car, the guy from the highway maintenance department told him that the only people who survived that kind of crash were people driving old Smart ForFours.
Apparently, because most of the car is made of plastic, they made the metal floor especially rigid and sturdy, which made it particularly safe in serious crashes somehow.
Alanis is my favorite!
We like her too!
Awwwww
@@carsandbids That aged poorly
Thanks for this small car review Alanis. I would love to see you do a Fiat 500. Just not the Pop (base) trim. I believe you would do them justice.
I drove this once, and the gearbox was the most horrible POS that’s ever put into a car
It matches the entire car.
I own a 2005 smart Roadster BRABUS Xclusive - it feels even smaller than a fortwo from the inside. Pure fun machine and smile collector 😊
Love my Smart Roadster as well
I just sold one of these! If you shift with the paddle shifters it drives like a totally different car. The car has a shift indicator, but ignore that and shift when the engine is ready and you are gold.
90° and 70% humidity is hell in Florida terms
I always imagined that you could literally drive a smartcar inside a building and probably not crash into anything! Lol! Has anybody done this? I'd LOVE to see it! Lol! Excellent job Alanis!
The start to this has & must be the greatest of all time.. That's going on repeat when I need a bit of a happy pick me up.
The editors did a great job!
Thank you so much!
I absolutely love my 2016 Smarty! I have Mercedes emblem, lil black flowers, and decal on back that says “Baby Benz”. It is so cute n adorable. People stop me all the time n ask me questions about it.
This makes you feel that you are driving something cool. Great Video!
We appreciate it!
It was so cool!
That widebody kit goes hard. 😍
Talking about the car or....?
@@colterlane2570 I am talking about the car
I got my wife one, the passion trim she loves it!
The off center Merc emblem is making me mad
I bought a 2009 Cabrio a few months ago to commute in. I really like it.
My old barber used to have a Brabus Smart. The 3 lug wheels made me laugh each time
You reviewed my car! Well, a version of it. Thanks for giving it some love! I think the reason why you feel that you're so 'normal' with the other cars is the ride height. You have a mini cooper next to you? You're looking down on them.
This is one of my all time favourite cars
Literally love how you filmed yourself sitting on all different sides of the car. It really broke up the visual and made it absolutely cool 👍
I love Our Fortwo. Its just silly and funny
Absolutely top class car noises. 13/10
I like it when a wheel size is a third of its overall car height.
The exhaust is hilarious!
Just looove my small 2008 Smart 451. Automatic / panoramaroof / rainsensor / el. windo's / light sensor.
Got it in January this year. It's my side-car... next to my Suziki Ignis.
Replaced some bushings and the brakelightswitch.. ❤
not gonna lie that bodykit looks very clean
I was the smart product manager for the US from 2015-2017, overseeing the launch of the 453 gen. Was a fun and weird time of my career. Thanks for posting.
the video's simply legendary 🤣
nice job alanis!
Awwww thank you
@@AlanisKingnp :)
Alanis, CONVINCE DOUG TO USE YOUR LAV MIC SETUP, I can hear you so much more clearly than we can hear Doug!
It's worth noting that the stock exhaust is also quite loud, (I mean the engine practically in the cabin & a motorcycle esc. small displacement will do that lol), also in America it can handle most conditions other than please don't drive in the snow, it's so bad, I did it for a few yrs in MI as a daily where a half hour commute turned into an hour since backroads with hazards on were my jam (never bought winter tyres but that only solves half the problem since clearance/underpowered/rwd-in-a-small-wheelbase are the other half of the equation). Also if you're considering driving one of these in the US you have to remember Smart discontinued support here, the forums are nice and there's SmartMadness for aftermarket parts, but OEM parts are hard to find, and most Benz dealerships fully dropped support for them.
If ya can put up with the gearbox, then these are a riot!
The shot at 2:33 kinda makes the smart look almost big lol
The infotainment screen almost looks stock.
We used to call this an elephant's roller-skate in Germany. This gear box from a Mercedes sister brand is just ridiculous. It works according to geological time scale. (quoting Clarkson)
Love some of the german phrases.
16:18 blindspot mirrors oughta be standard on cars! Lets you check that angle while keeping your face forward. Imo way more safe for 90% of driving
Alanis is a joy, as always!
I have1 of these love it, but I did have the auto box re mapped, made a huge difference
SMART FORTWO BEST CAR LETSSSS GOOOOOOOO
THE GREATEST :)
Mine is a stock 2009 red and black. Rode motorcycles for decades. Now I have a safe Smart Car. Don't want anything else. 😊
Great job Alanis. I almost bought a first gen back in the day when living in Madrid. Perfect for a town like that where parking is a real nightmare. A lot of fun too as you can see here. Much love from west Spain as always!!
That's a beautiful smart car. That's my next car.
Good choice!
Had one loved it wife hated it so traded it for a 328 BMW. Should have kept it. Thought had 90 plus hp?
I always wished they'd make a slightly larger model more akin to a yaris. The styling on these were always pretty good imo.
you mean the Smart Forfour?
@enisrabowman2634 Were those sold in the US cause I legit have never seen or heard of the fourfour. It's kinda what I was after, but I'd want to keep the 2 door look.
@@damienlee1165 🤷♀
i mean the contemporary Forfour looked not really like the Firtst Smart and codeveloped with the Mitsubishi Colt. But the Next-Gen Smarts looked similar
I expected Alanis to pop out and say "yeah, that's a thing" when we heard the initial start up and exhaust note. Great review!
I suppose on this channel you only review whatever cars happen to be auctioned at the moment, so it is probably pointless to say this, but I would be more interested in a review of the ForFour version of the Smart, particular the old one.
It surely is even rarer in the USA. I have been driving one till recently and have very ambivalent feelings about it.
On one hand, the 100+ horsepower version was pretty agile and not a bad driving experience and it was pretty roomy for a car that size, but the ergonomics sucked. Changing a headlight bulb was comically stupid because you couldn't do it through the engine room but had to open a small access door inside the wheel well.
In general the interior gave me the feeling as if the Daimler designers made it shitty on purpose to not cannibalize their Mercedes sales.
But apparently it was one of the safest cars you could drive, surprisingly.
My brother in law lost his actual brother in a car crash on the German Autobahn and when he went to get his brother's belongings out of the wrecked car, the guy from the highway maintenance department told him that the only people who survived that kind of crash were people driving old Smart ForFours.
Apparently, because most of the car was made of plastic, they made the floor especially rigid and sturdy, which made it particularly safe in serious crashes.
My ex-girlfriend drove a Pontiac Firefly (non-turbo, sadly) … when she was wound up on long trips on the motorway … she was noisy, broke down (twice!) and was so much thirstier than I could have imagined. But … the ‘car’ was cool though. Small cars definitely have their place… but not in my driveway/lifestyle. Thanks for another video done with… sprezzatura! Cheers.
I had to look up what a Firefly is, because this is the first I've ever heard that name. Shouldn't have been surprised it was a Geo Metro with a Pontiac badge. It was GM in the early 90s, after all
Hmmm… that explains it and makes sense she was (I am also) Canadian. I don’t think we ever sold ‘Geo Metros’ in our country.
We used to have the electric version of this generation smart car in Madrid for carsharing, and they were an absolute blast, it was like driving a go-kart. I also used it to move appartment once (I changed rooms from an apartment to another, I had to do two trips, but you can fit a surprising amount of stuff)
A fun review..love the noises😅
This review was awesome. The student may have surpassed teacher.
Loved the transmission noises. 🤣🤣🤣
Glad you enjoyed it!
how does it look so big and small at the same time?
Here in Greece they are so common, the usually sold (this 451 generation) from 5-7K euros. They are really great in the small and crowded roads in Greece and in the islands, but they are very prone to theft and the steering wheel does not lock
Haven't been paying attention to CZcams or this channel, didn't realize that Alanis King was doing stuff on here nowadays. I always liked her journalism on Jalopnik back in the day before the site imploded...
Doug needs one of these!
Why wouldn't you put the trans into manual mode & use the paddle shift ? You can also get a mod to shorten the auto change.
The Smart car Doug reviewed...was very fucking "Doug is the Type of Guy" worthy. This Smart car is more normal.
Great review ! :)
Great job with the videos!
Love the Alanis content, great addition to Cars & Bids
The measurements in Alanis units were highly informative, but is it rarer than an IS300 SportCross?!
Good question
I have a 2009 Cabrio. I've driven it twice on long trips (about 4 hrs each time). No complaints. Shifting? Auto mode is about how I drove my 2006 VW Beetle. Again, no complaints!
Great video Alanis, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I remember reading about these new in a Robb Reports magazine in 09 and yes, the reviewers took issue with the transmission too.
I was genuinely intrigued to see the top retract because I never saw it. The only other convertible with removable "rails/tracks" I know of is the Citroen C3 Pluriel (Jeremy Clarkson reviewed one on Top Gear) those didn't have a place to store the rails.
It was cute seeing you use your body to measure the car!
PS Tiff Needell reviewed a Smart roadster on fith gear. I thought they were cool too.
Its a good thing they didnt team up with honda....and make the Shart car. Ill show myself out
When this car was first introced, the smart part was that it could be nosed into the curb and fit within the width of conventional cars. To this day, I have never seen one nosed into the curb that way.
In 2013 I was in Rome, Italy and I saw plenty of Smarts parked that way. the whole length of a Smart was almost the same as the width of an Alfa Romeo sedan.
i did with mine. most times people intentionally give me the smallest space to park just to have a laugh...it never fails.
12.8 second 0-60? 12.8 second 0-60.... And I'm sure that's an *optimal* time with a 90lb driver on a prepped surface...lol
On Cup2 tires as well.
She’s much closer to 190
Where is the car in this video's preview thumbnail roll? Its a convertible looking thing with two arms folding up??
People in Greece like to fill them with speakers because the cabin is very acoustically efficient from what I've heard. They also do engine mods and some even drag race them. Seeing a Smart fortwo do a wheelie is as amazing as you can imagine.
The Lorinser wheels on this one give me Greek vibes. Heartwarming.
09 smart cabrio owner. To our surprise insurance rate went down when switching from a Toyota yaris the crash rating on them is surprising. However if my roof is down and the side rails off I would be very worried if I rolled it over...
My brother has the Smart Passion. Its a pretty cool little car, but a problems he's having is finding shops in the Houston area that will work on them. He's just blatantly told no by every shop he's called.
Because they are a continual money pit. Your brother must have been in special ed.
@@ozarkliving7263 you’re not wrong. But he can’t even find anyone who will do a simple tuneup. Much less any major repairs.
@@dbmabe and he’s unwilling to learn to do it himself? Sad. People with zero car skills, and I’m close to zero, should stick with Lexus/Toyota, Acura/Honda, or public transportation
Good review!
Hi nice video - unfortunately you didn't move the passenger seat to the back position, before you judge about your legroom. I have the European spec Turbo convertible version with some tweaks so I have about 140-145 hp wich is great fun in this little car, especially with the gearbox tweak its much faster in changing gears.
in regards to how it shifts gears, there are software upgrades to the transmission that can be done.
I doubt it would shift like a porsche PDK, but hey it atleast shifts... less slow.
Alanis is just the best, awesome job.
Always wanted the EV version of these, seemed like a fun like city car.
And you avoid the lousy engine and horrible transmission and get decent economy!
Sure they look like a good vehicle,
Let me list the problems;
It was supposed to be the competitor to MINI which was BMW’s small economy brand.
The electric version of this generation would only get 130 km on range.
The smart in general would only get 140 km on a petrol tank and required premium gasoline.
The starting price was 25’000$ which was an absolute Joke, considering the base Mini 3 cylinder was a grand more and could do roughly the same fuel efficiency, with a larger tank!
The first generation also had technical problems and occasionally the transmission would lurch and seem dull.
@ComedyKingsJackMango1 i remember spec'ing out a Smart Cabrio EV when they were still sold and it was close to $50k USD, crazy price for a small car. MINI EV is far less with better range and somewhat more usable everyday.
Hawt, but no Cygnet.
@AlanisKing - Fun review. I also think this video should be used to show how easy it is to user a turn signal. You didn't even take your hands off the wheel, you could hardly see the small movement to turn them on, just a tip of the lever with your fingers and voila, turn signals are on. If it is that easy, why do so few people use them?
I decided that those people paid extra for the optional no turn signal model.
Wow, you were in my town. Picked a good day for it, if you'd been a week earlier it was topping 100!
Shame though, you could have reviewed my 2017 500e at the same time!
Makes sense why people Yamaha swap this. It comes off as way more competent then you’d think. The irony about how the automated manual just comes off as manual gear changes on camera 😂
Alanis sure is a looker! No truer words have been spoken....
Also the tailgate is good for 100kg of weight on it
How have I never seen a cars and vids that didn't feature only Doug DeMuro????
My mom and I went to a local launch event for the Smart. Afterwards we both stared at each other in disbelief. How could they release a transmission that bad?!?
You need to put the seat back sweetheart on the passenger side. I know for a fact it goes back much further than that. I'm 6'3 and I sit on the passenger seat all the time and I don't think you're as tall as me. So if you're going to say that they're small, you better put the seat back all the way to show people that they actually can fit in these cars much easier. I have more room in this than I do my four-seater large car
the intro 😂😂😂😂
I got a diesel 800cc 2010 smart car 50 mpg love it 😅
That was awesome.
We agree!
I just had to get rid of mine. I miss it!
In Europe I find this car THE FASTEST one in the city. Assuming speed as the shortest time to reach certain place - door to door. Driving large sedan or SUV sometimes I am loosing 10 minutes or more to find right spot for parking, eventually half a mile away from the place I want to go. Effectively going by tram would be quicker... or Smart.
Calling the Smart car a ‘cultural icon’ in the U.S. is a bit of a stretch there Alanis.
He actually fit! LOL