General Comments:

I love my Smart Roadster Coupe.

Use the tiptronic to keep the revs over 3000 and you'll always have instant power.

It's agile, handles like a go cart, has powerful brakes, and women love it - men sneer at it until they've had a ride in it, and then they want one. Top end speed is nothing to brag about, but keep to narrow, twisty, winding roads, and few hot hatches or modern sports cars will stay in your mirror for long.

If you commute in one, you will arrive at the office buzzing with adrenaline - every commute is fun.

Wives also don't feel threatened by thoughts that you're having a mid life crisis; in fact my wife makes opportunities to drive it herself.

My longest journey so far was 420 km at night in 3.5 hours (including a stop for a burger) George to Cape Town on the R62.

Don't be fooled by the small size of the car - it is very capable and an absolute hoot to drive.

It's a pity Smart didn't go to 1000cc and push the top end to 200 km/h and knock a second off the acceleration.

Faults:

This is one great car, it is like a cross between a mark 1 MR2 and the golden age of British sports cars, like MGs and Triumphs.

Great as you have Mercedes build quality and reliability.

You have a hard targa top that is totally secure, 55 plus mpg and £90 a year tax.

The handling is great, and there is that great whine to the engine. It also has ABS and ESP.

You can fit stuff in the front and not much in the rear, go shopping on your own, and put things where the passenger sits.

General Comments:

This car handles great.

Reliable.

Fun.

Faults:

I'll just list the main motor troubles...

Turbo broke down at 40k km.

Lambda sniders replaced a bit later.

At 50k km the car was drinking oil (approx. 2,5l/1000km)

Valves burnt at 55k km.

Valves burnt at 60k km.

Engine rebuilt (pistons) at 60k km.

Still drinking a lot of oil...

So more troubles to come.

General Comments:

It's great fun to drive; really!

If it wasn't this poor quality I'd buy another one..

(or I would still be driving the first one)

Smart dealers are rubbish: very expensive and not willing to help in unusual situations like this one.

Faults:

Car suddenly jumped out of gear repeatedly, engine would not rev and you would have to come to a complete stop, switch off engine and take key out and then start over again! Very unfortunate when it happened to me in the middle of the M4!

The roof leaks sporadically, seat-belts are very wet most of the time!

General Comments:

Fabulous handling and fun car, only gripe is that it would be more than perfect with a standard gearbox and not the semi-automatic rubbish that smart insist on!

I have never had so many stares when driving this car! it really stands out in shine yellow!

It's so low than many people have difficulty getting in and out of it!