Smart Brighton
Looking to buy a Smart? Find out what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for from Honest John.
Good: Cute looks, comfortable ride and good grip. You can raise the hood while driving along. Makes far more sense second-hand.
Bad: Not quite as much fun as its looks suggest. If you were its first owner, you'll still be smarting from its heavy intial depreciation.
Read Honest Johns full review of what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for below.
Good: Funky-looking, versatile hatch with plenty of safety kit. Manual versions drive well. Four stars for the diesels, by far the best in the line-up.
Bad: Slow gearshifts with the semi-auto. Not all second-hand ones will have a three-point seatbelt for the middle rear seat.
Read Honest Johns full review of what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for below.
Good: Handles better than original LHD version. Funky looks, perky enough in town and low running costs.
Bad: Unsettled ride. Sluggish gearshift. Rearmost side windows leave the cabin vulnerable to theft. Some engines are short-lived.
Read Honest Johns full review of what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for below.
It seems to have taken Forever to arrive, but the SMART Forfour is finally here in Brighton. And, as predicted, it's already got the public pointing. The original SMART City Coupe and the Smart Roadster turned heads.
The first time I saw a Smart Roadster was at the unveiling in Berlin in Summer 2002, and I couldn’t wait to drive one. The low stance, the mid engine, the paddle change gearbox and the huge tyres sticking out of the sides all said "fun, fun fun".
The first time I saw a Smart Roadster was at the unveiling in Berlin in Summer 2002, and I couldn’t wait to drive one. The low stance, the mid engine, the paddle change gearbox and the huge tyres sticking out of the sides all said "fun, fun fun".
Switching to Softouch fully automatic relieves you of that chore, but returns a sluggish response and can leave you with no gears at all when trying to set off from the traffic lights in Brighton. However, get it right and it has enough poke to overtake a slow-moving Volvo 440 without unnecessarily quickening your heartbeat.
Good: It has the style and performance that other two-seat city cars lack. Cheap to run.
Bad: Doesn't handle that well. Gearbox and throttle can feel odd at first. Rear windows aren't thief-proof. LHD only until early 2002.
Read Honest Johns full review of what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for below.....
Good: Good performance and reasonable range for an electric city-only car. Exempt from congestion charge and road tax. Cheap to run.
Bad: Initially available as a business lease car only and the monthly rentals are a high £375pm.
Read Honest Johns full review of what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for below.
Good: Funky-looking, versatile hatch with plenty of safety kit. Manual versions drive well. Four stars for the diesels, by far the best in the line-up.
Bad: Slow gearshifts with the semi-auto. Not all second-hand ones will have a three-point seatbelt for the middle rear seat.
Read Honest Johns full review of what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for below.
It seems to have taken Forever to arrive, but the SMART Forfour is finally here in Brighton. And, as predicted, it's already got the public pointing. The original SMART City Coupe and the Smart Roadster turned heads.
Good: Handles better than original LHD version. Funky looks, perky enough in town and low running costs.
Bad: Unsettled ride. Sluggish gearshift. Rearmost side windows leave the cabin vulnerable to theft. Some engines are short-lived.
Read Honest Johns full review of what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for below.
Good: Roomier than previous version, with better seats and a more comfortable drive. Cheap to run. Better than your average city micro car.
Bad: Initially no right-hand-drive diesel version. Lacklustre cornering. Limited appeal beyond town use. No appeal if you need more than two seats. Expensi
Read Honest Johns full review of what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for below.
Smart's expansion plans have failed. Both the Nedcar-built and Mitsubishi Colt based ForFour and the Roadster Coupe have been shelved because they could not generate enough profit. Yet the original concept has continued to sell, especially to city dwellers in Rome, Paris, London, Berlin and Madrid. So now it's time for a new one.
Good: Cute looks, comfortable ride and good grip. You can raise the hood while driving along. Makes far more sense second-hand.
Bad: Not quite as much fun as its looks suggest. If you were its first owner, you'll still be smarting from its heavy intial depreciation.
Read Honest Johns full review of what's good, what's bad and what to watch out for below.
The low stance, the mid engine, the paddle change gearbox and the huge tyres sticking out of the sides all say “fun, fun fun”. So is it? First impressions were from the passenger seat of a Roadster, after we’d got the roof off.
It’s most fun of all on tight, winding back-roads in Brighton where, as long as you can see through the corners, you can get round them at what seem like astonishing speeds. The front wheels always hang on and the backs are first to let go even with the ESP left untouched.
