Here we are talking about the smart ForTwo... But this also applies to ROADSTER
0.7 from 0.6 can only be distinguished by VIN and it starts with WME450...
0.7 went from 2002, 0.6 was discontinued in 2003, and diesel was released in 2000.
MCC Smart ForTwo CDi 2007 - the world's smallest direct injection diesel from DaimlerChrysler with a volume of 0.8 liters and 45 hp. The maximum torque of 110 Nm is reached at 2000-2500 rpm.
It consumes only 3.3 l/100 km in the combined cycle, that is, a 33 l gas tank is enough for 1000 km.
With an average European mileage of 15,000 km per year, the MCC Smart ForTwo CDi will only need to be refilled 15 times during this time.
Diesel, if in good condition, is more reliable, more economical, high-torque, more environmentally friendly, it is less often and cheaper to maintain and it has a longer service life.
A diesel engine runs just like a gasoline engine, and sometimes even faster if the gasoline engine is low-powered. After all, these are modern, efficient diesel engines, and not slow-moving engines of the last century.
In winter at -30? A serviceable MCC Smart diesel engine, like a gasoline one, starts without problems, which is confirmed by many owners in the cold part of Russia.
There are no drain holes in MCC Smart engines, so only pumping is done with a vacuum pump. Every 7-10,000 km 2.7-3 liters of synthetic oil class MB229.5. Mineral water and any other cheap stuff inevitably (and you have absolutely no doubt) leads to wear of the rings, smoking, increased oil consumption due to waste, and, accordingly, a decrease in the service life of the engine and expensive turbine.
The engines of the running MCC Smart, both diesel and gasoline, are usually yum-nom, but up to 1 liter per 1000 km is considered not a crime throughout Europe. The turbine and rings, diligently raped every day by fans of driving, fortunately the machine is very capable, inevitably require a natural daily portion. Therefore, the level must be monitored regularly and maintained within the middle of the dipstick.
Among many in the world there is an opinion that if the engine does not smoke particularly zealously, then kill it, still use high-quality synthetics and enjoy life.
In principle, when it comes to profitability, you just need to poke your finger at the calculator buttons, wrinkling your forehead. If pouring synthetics is choked by a toad, then it is better to overhaul the engine in time, because over the course of a year, adding oil will cost at least half the cost of bringing it into full order.
And, naturally, the later this is done, the more expensive it will be.
For a long time, I shared the opinion that the MCC Smart engine is not capable of surviving as long as its plastic body. And that the average resource of the MCC Smart motor is about 150-200,000 km.
However, our own daily trips on many MCC Smart ForTwo, frequent intercity travel, and the ever-growing experience of organizing engine and turbine repairs of MCC Smart Club BY members shows that this is not entirely true.
The specially designed turbocharged unit has a more powerful crankshaft, reinforced liners, different valve timing, fuel equipment, ignition system and much more are adjusted and tuned differently...
The service life of turbocharged engines is no less than that of atmospheric engines, since they are specially designed and have an appropriate margin of safety.
Every day I am more and more convinced that such a low service life of small engines everywhere in Europe is associated with a low level of operating culture.
With ideal fuel (AI95-98) and oil (synthetic), driving style (do not rush from the start, do not immediately turn off the engine after each stop), with meticulous maintenance and, most importantly, proper operation, the mileage can be much greater.
Once again, the most important factor is proper operation, ladies!
That is, always warm up the engine, preferably while moving and especially if it is below 5?, do not over-rev, do not accelerate quickly, brake smoothly, change gears on time when stopping, never turn off the engine immediately, but let it idle for a couple of minutes ...
(only where does this happen, and even on MCC Smart...
The harm from warming up at idle is in increased wear of the cylinder piston group, shortening the life of spark plugs, oil, environmental degradation, and the less time it takes to warm up to operating temperature, the less wear the engine will wear out. On the spot, warming up takes 15-20 minutes, and when moving, 5-10 minutes. and accordingly, the time until the “excess” gasoline rinses the walls of the manifold, valves and washes off the oil from the cylinder walls will be minimal, as will the wear of the engine and turbine.
Therefore, it is advisable to warm up the engine without poisoning the neighbors in the yard, but as soon as it has slowed down after starting, start moving and drive slowly until the first temperature starts to burn. When signals come from behind, you can politely raise the middle finger of either hand. (In my mind, of course).
The Anamegator deserves a special ode, allowing you to literally increase the service life of the engine, turbine and gearbox even with rather sloppy operation.
Having filled the Anamegator with oil a couple of times and driven more than 10,000 km on it, regularly using Anamegator fuel in the future, you can drive in the cold without much warming up, accelerate painlessly, increase the oil mileage, and make the next change in the box after 200,000 km. And so on, but more information in a separate link...
As my real experience of organizing repairs of several cars already shows, if the MCC Smart was too stressed and poorly fed, then burnt valves and pistons, burst rings, egg-shaped cylinder walls and a dead turbine are guaranteed.
If you come to your senses in time, you can only get away with a rebuild with replacement of rings, liners, oil seals, some gaskets, seals, spark plugs and their wires, which should definitely be changed, regardless of their good appearance. Mercedes is particularly sensitive to the quality of high-voltage wires – proven!
In more advanced cases - expensive grinding, grooving, re-sleeving and throwing cabbage at the address of spare parts suppliers and mechanics...
Glory to the Powers, the “collective mind” of MCC Smart Club BY knows the Masters who know all the secrets and specific nuances of the MCC Smart car. Therefore, any repair is real and guaranteed.
Naive amateurs who think that it is easier and simpler to buy another used engine, as a rule, purchase a motor with the same, if not higher mileage, to the delight of savvy sellers. The consequences are obvious...
In Europe, most MCC Smarts are sold with a mileage of over 100,000 km. That is, with natural and significant wear of the main components. When purchasing any small car with this mileage or higher, you must at least mentally prepare for the above activities and costs.
High speeds of small engines reduce oil scraper rings to nothing by 150 thousand km. Oil goes out in liters...
Especially high oil consumption occurs due to a burst ring. In such a cylinder there will always be oil deposits on the unscrewed spark plug.
Due to untimely topping up, oil starvation is inevitable. An increase in abrasive in the oil path begins to strain the turbine, which in turn begins to kill the engine even more... The vicious circle closes...
That is why among MCC Smart owners with extensive experience there has already been a fairly fair opinion that it is better to take a shabby copy, completely restore it and then have a reliable MCC Smart for a long time, than to buy a beautiful, freshly imported copy, which in the end will naturally require additional investments very soon.
Clean filters are the most important component of a long engine life.
A dirty, long-overdue oil filter doesn't actually filter anything. The oil passes past it through the bypass valve and, being contaminated with suspended waste particles, gradually begins to act as sandpaper, which leads to abrasive wear of parts.
This applies to both the air and fuel filters.
An important and little-known detail is that solid particles missed by clogged filters or filters from poor manufacturers, having penetrated into the soft metals of the friction pairs, will continue their destructive activity for a very long time, despite all subsequent changes of fresh oil, washing and purging.
After a major overhaul with turning, grinding and lapping, who knows what you will need, you can count on a new 100-150,000 km. Oil consumption is reduced to almost zero, and the engine regains its former power.
If you constantly use Anamegator, then this resource can be increased several times, but only five times, with proper use and meticulous care.
After all, Anamegator for MCC Smart is, perhaps, just an ideal salvation. As, in fact, for any internal combustion engines, gearboxes and gearboxes, but for small-volume vehicles - extremely relevant! My many years of personal experience, as well as the experience of my colleagues, have allowed me to ensure an increase in power, throttle response, roll-over, as well as a reduction in oil consumption, smoke and CO.
All details about this unique drug are in a separate Anamegator link.
And since the MCC Smart, like a bicycle, once you buy it, there is absolutely no point in selling it, your grateful grandson, or even more so your granddaughter, having removed it from a nail in the barn and cleaned it of cobwebs, will remember you with a kind word more than once, driving kilometers in busy city traffic .
Smart ForTwo was created on the initiative of Swiss businessman Nicolas Hayek (founder of the watch company Swatch) in collaboration with Mercedes. The name of the car speaks for itself - the number of people it is designed for.
The first copies of the two-seater ForTwo hit showrooms in 1998. In 1999, the model range was replenished with a diesel modification. 2 years later (in 2001), the car underwent a thorough modernization, and a convertible appeared on the list of offers. A year later (in 2002), the model underwent a facelift, and a Brabus version joined the line. Since then, Smart Fortu was sold unchanged until 2007.
Engines
Gasoline:
R3 0.6 Turbo (45-61 hp)
R3 0.7 Turbo (50-82 hp)
Diesel:
R3 0.8 Turbodiesel (41-45 hp)
The small 2-seater city car had two small petrol engines and even a “tiny” turbodiesel. All of them have a timing chain, three cylinders, turbocharging and an intercooler.
This is what the engine compartment of a diesel engine looks like.
Design features
Smart ForTwo is based on a very strong steel frame, the so-called Tridion. The outside is lined with plastic, which means corrosion is not a problem. However, as they age, plastic becomes increasingly brittle. However, most exterior panels can be easily replaced if damaged.
All Smart Fortu have a transverse rear engine and rear wheel drive. Torque is transmitted through a 6-speed manual transmission with automatic control. The driver can choose between automatic or manual transmission control mode using a selector between the seats. In cheaper versions, the driver must independently shift up gears, and the gearbox itself will take care of downshifts.
The DeDion rear axle is attached to the subframe at one point in the center. It is worth noting that the design turned out to be very durable. At the front, until 2001, a wishbone was installed, and after that they began to use classic MacPherson struts.
Smart ForTwo is quite functional. There is enough space for both two people and luggage (260 liters). All owners praise the excellent visibility from the driver's seat, maneuverability and the absence of parking problems. Even without power steering (there were some), the steering is quite easy.
To replenish the washer fluid, you must remove the cover under the wipers.
On the run
Smart Fortu holds the road surprisingly well. Its center of gravity is low. Even in the weakest versions, up to a speed of 80 km/h there is no lack of power. No surprise – the car weighs just over 700 kg. When driving, you can clearly hear the engine running, especially in diesel versions. The automatic transmission (regardless of version) is delayed, but you can get used to it. The suspension is quite stiff - the car bounces on uneven surfaces.
Typical problems and malfunctions
When choosing Smart ForTwo, you should pay special attention to checking the engine. All of them are prone to increased oil consumption, especially gasoline ones. Often, after 100,000 km, the need for major engine repairs arises - the piston rings wear out. The costs will be at least 20,000 rubles, including about 3,000 rubles for a set of new rings.
If we neglect to replace the rings, the situation will develop as follows. An oil film will remain on the cylinder walls, which will burn and coke. Uncontrolled combustion zones increase the temperature, melting the spark plugs and valves (usually exhaust valves). As a result, metal parts can separate, damaging both pistons and cylinders. In this case, it will not be possible to get away with a major overhaul. You will have to purchase a new engine for 200,000 rubles, or a contract engine for 40-60 thousand rubles.
Gasoline engine dismantled for repair.
The timing chain sometimes does not withstand even 50,000 km. This is especially true for cars produced in 2003. Another weak point of the timing drive is the plastic chain guide, which loses strength and breaks with age. Therefore, after purchasing the “baby”, you should play it safe and replace the timing drive. The cost of a camshaft drive chain kit is from 8,000 rubles.
With very high mileage, it may be necessary to replace the turbine - a new one from 55,000 rubles. Restoration repairs will cost much less - up to 20,000 rubles. It is worth noting that the service life of a turbocharger is much greater than the service life of a gasoline engine, which is estimated by experts at 100-150 thousand km. Diesel engines last twice as long. There are cases when a turbodiesel survived up to 500,000 km.
Due to the strong vibration of the diesel engine, the intercooler grille is rubbed through.
Power units are very sensitive to oil quality. Cheap oils very quickly clog the crankcase ventilation system with slag. The problem is common in many other vehicles that are frequently used for short trips. But here it is even more acute. Ultimately, excess pressure in the crankcase squeezes out the dipstick and throws out oil. The same thing can happen in severe winter - due to freezing of the ventilation valve. Experts recommend using only good synthetics with a viscosity coefficient of 0W-40.
Owners sometimes complain about dirty throttle valves. Symptoms will be a lit Check, and the absence of the usual reaction to pressing the gas pedal.
Due to its small size, most engine components are located too close to each other, making individual parts difficult to access and therefore more difficult to repair. Another unpleasant moment is the absence of a drain plug in the oil pan. Old oil is removed by “sucking out”.
Often the generator overheats and jams.
Smart Fortu also has to deal with numerous suspension defects. This is where shock absorbers and delicate levers quickly “end their lives”. Stabilizer struts are also not durable.
The automated transmission is generally reliable. Although sometimes there are clutch malfunctions and malfunctions in the electronics that control the operation of the box. The clutch itself has an unusual design: one non-separable module contains the flywheel, disc and basket. The cost of the kit is about 20,000 rubles. There are no problems in petrol versions, but in diesel versions it lasts about 160,000 km. The axle shaft seal also changes along with it. After replacing the clutch, the activator must be calibrated.
Plastic rear windows become deformed over time and begin to let moisture through. Water often enters the cabin through the windshield seals. The problem is aggravated by the fact that water ends up in the legs, where the fuse box and battery are hidden. With age, the air conditioner also leaks due to leaky flange connections.
In winter, sometimes the door handle lock cable freezes, causing the door to remain open.
Conclusion
Once upon a time, a small car was very expensive, which significantly reduced the pool of potential buyers. Today, for the Smart ForTwo of the first years of production they are asking about 130,000 rubles. The youngest copies are valued by the owners at approximately 300,000 rubles. Don't forget to set aside money for unexpected engine repairs.
Technical characteristics of Smart ForTwo I
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Version |
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Engine |
turbodiesel |
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Cylinders/valves |
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Maximum power |
45 hp / 5250 |
61 hp / 5250 |
41 hp / 4200 |
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Torque |
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Performance |
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Maximum speed |
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Acceleration 0-100 km/h |
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Average consumption, l/100 km |
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Smart Automobile is a division of Daimler AG, located in Böblingen, Germany. The idea for a project for Smart cars finally began in the 80s and is associated with the famous company Swatch. After a long period of development, the first car was revealed by Daimler-Benz in October 1998. Several variants were presented along with the original design, called the Fortwo. The entire Smart range.
Various Smart models are sold throughout the world, including Asia, North and South America, Australia and Europe - both equipped with gasoline engines and electric sports models. In the late 1980s, SMH director Nicolas Hayek (maker of watches under the Swatch brand) was obsessed with the idea of a new car.
He believed that the auto industry was stubbornly ignoring potential customers who wanted a small and stylish city car. This idea soon became known as the "Swatchmobile". Hayek's private firm, Hayek Engineering AG, has begun designing a new 2-seater car for SMH with a hybrid powertrain.
Hayek tried to find support from the Volkswagen Corporation, but its management insisted on the concept of a four-seater car, somewhat reminiscent of their own Volkswagen Lupo 3L. Moreover, Volkswagen tried to dominate the project, which did not suit Nicolas Hayek.
Finally, an agreement was reached with Daimler-Benz AG that the companies would merge to form Micro Compact Car AG (MCC). 49% of the initial capital of 50 million Swiss francs was provided by SMH and the remaining 51% by Daimler-Benz. By the end of April 1994, MCC opened its head office in Biel (Switzerland).
Story
One of the first controversies at MCC was the name of the car itself. Hayek insisted that the name retain some sort of Swatch: "Swatchmobile" or "Swatch Care". The choice fell on the acronym “Smart”.
In 1994, the co-managers identified a location for the assembly plant: Hambach, France. The plant acquired the name “Smartville”. One of the factories opened in October 1997 with the opening of the two heads of state with the traditional cutting of the ribbon.
The car, launched successfully in 9 European countries in October 1998, the final design did not match the intentions of Hayek, who insisted on a hybrid powertrain, instead the final product was equipped with a gasoline engine. Daimler-Benz quickly bought his part of the company from Hayek and moved the office to Germany. Since the new year 1999, the company name has been changed to Smart GmbH.
The assembly line subsequently expanded to produce the Roadster, a rear-engined, rear-wheel drive, four-door, four-seat model called the Forfour (the original city coupe model was renamed Fortwo to fit the new naming scheme). However, the project remained unprofitable.
Modernity
In 2005, Daimler refused to acquire a 50% stake in the Dutch NedCar plant where Forfour was produced, thereby ceasing its production. The following year, due to the unprofitability of the brand, Smart GmbH was liquidated and was absorbed by Daimler-Chrysler.
If you have just sold your treasure called Smart, and are now browsing this site with a slight nostalgic mood, then this article will no longer be useful to you. It’s another matter if you suddenly acquired the status of a Smart Owner. And quite recently. And we haven’t yet managed to register the car with the valiant traffic police authorities. This is where the fun begins...
Start over. The Interdistrict Registration and Examination Department of the State Road Safety Inspectorate (in common parlance MREO) is a very self-respecting organization. Showing up there without prior preparation is just a waste of time. By preparation I mean a thorough study of the locations of the main license plate units of the car (body, engine), as well as the actual numbers on them.
So, you are at the MREO. Place the car on the site for inspection. You give the documents for registration to a pretty girl or young man of the opposite sex (What, they are not there? What the hell, choose another MREO, a commercial one) and calmly go back to the car to wait for the inspector. Usually the inspector approaches your car from the front and angrily inquires why your hood is not open. Try opening it. Happened? But you can't see the engine? It's OK. Usually the Smart has a hood at the back, in the trunk. And underneath is the engine.
You lift the trunk carpet and see an iron cover with a bolt that secures it. This is the "hood". The bolt unscrews counterclockwise.
The following are possible options.
Option one. The inspector frantically searches for the engine number of your Smart for an hour. Does not find. He walks away thoughtfully.
Option two. The inspector asks you where the engine number is located, and, having not received an answer, happily runs away. In this case, you understand that the inspector is<дятел, причём негодный>.
Nervously throwing away your half-smoked cigarette, you dial the number of a knowledgeable person.
Naturally, the subscriber is unavailable or the subscriber’s phone is turned off.
But don't worry. Everything is not just simple, but very simple.
Look at the engine compartment from above.
On the left you can see a ribbed thing (1) with a fan, on the right there is a small light metal thing (2), from which a thin squiggle (pipe) extends to the side. And between them in the photograph something turns yellow. This is a small light bulb (I put it there myself), which currently illuminates the area with the engine number. By moving apart a pair of rubber pipes (3, 4), you will see this treasured platform for yourself. The engine number of Smart cars consists of 14 characters arranged in two rows. The number can be read from a decent distance (if you have binoculars), or with the naked eye from a distance of 7.5-15.2 cm. A special inspection mirror is not required. It looks something like this.
The 14 digits are arranged in two rows.
By the way, check in advance the identity of the number on the engine and in your PTS issued by the customs authority. An MREO inspector who discovers a discrepancy between the document and reality will easily prescribe you a prescription for impound parking.
Further. The inspector will ask you to show him your car. Don't show him the sticker in the engine compartment. She doesn't suit him. Show him where something is stamped on the body. You need to look for this under the passenger seat mat. Pull back the rug, come on! Ha! It turns out that there is a polyethylene foam panel covering the battery. And it is not empty!!! It contains a nice little hook for towing a car.
The funny thing is that this panel also needs to be removed. First unscrew (counterclockwise) a pair of clamps (5,6). However, if you need it very urgently, you can rip it to hell, and that’s it. Don't care, then use a vacuum cleaner to clean the interior of plastic debris. Under the panel - who would have guessed - there is a battery lying peacefully. And next to it, on the body panel, the number is stamped.
If you have a 2002 or younger Smart, the chassis number is stamped in the engine compartment. Lift the mat, remove the engine compartment cover, lift the mat a little higher and you will see the body number stamped on the body panel opposite the body number sticker.
The inspector will see this, and his thoughts will be pacified. And at the same time, your soul will rejoice, because the moment of deliverance from the vanities of the MREO is near. In a couple of hours you will receive your registration numbers and be on your way!
As for the question posed in the title of the article - why MREO, etc. - I don’t know! But I can guess. How much money did you leave there? This is for this.
Best wishes to you, brothers and sisters.
An article about the Smart car - a little about the history of the creation of the model, the details of the purchase, the advantages and disadvantages of the car. At the end of the article there is an interesting video about Smart.
The content of the article:
With the depreciation of the ruble and the rapid rise in fuel prices, domestic car owners have become more confident in getting rid of large cars equipped with high-volume and power-hungry engines, which have become extremely expensive for everyday use and maintenance.
Another fly in the ointment was added by the fact that over the last decade the number of cars in Russia has increased several times, but the transport infrastructure of large cities has remained virtually unchanged, which has led to huge traffic jams and problems with finding free parking spaces. As a result, many car owners, in order to save personal time, were forced to switch to public transport and use their own car exclusively for trips out of town or rare shopping trips.
Those who do not consider giving up a personal car under any pretext have begun to look towards more compact and economical cars, the most popular of which have recently become the Smart used models produced by the Mercedes-Benz automaker.
A little history about Smart
The Smart model owes its appearance to Nicholas George Hayek, the founder of the Swatch watch company. It was he who first set the goal of creating a high-quality and stylish subcompact car that could make life easier and satisfy the needs of residents of large cities. Wanting to bring his idea to life, he turned to a large number of automakers for help, but could only find support in Mercedes.
As a result, two concepts were presented in 1993 - Eco Sprinter and Eco Speedster, which became the progenitors of the first Smart model, which entered the production line in 1998.
Almost after the start of mass production, Swatch left the project, after which it changed its name from “Micro Compact Car” to “Smart GmbH”.
Currently, the Smart lineup is represented by Smart Fortwo, Smart Fortwo cabrio, Smart forfour and special, “hotter” versions from Brabus.
Subtleties of buying a Smart car
Currently, the simplest new Smart Fortwo in Russia is offered at a price of 790 thousand rubles. (about 13.6 thousand dollars), which for most Russians, given the class, dimensions and capabilities of the car, makes its purchase, frankly speaking, expensive and pointless. Therefore, most potential buyers have to turn to the services of online automobile platforms that offer smart cars to buy used, where its price starts at $3.2 thousand for copies with a mileage of more than 100 thousand km.
True, we categorically do not recommend buying a used Smart with such a mileage, since to the existing price you should immediately add the cost of a major overhaul of the engine, which will cost a pretty penny. Cars with more or less adequate mileage (less than 60 thousand km) start at 4-4.5 thousand dollars, and the most optimal examples will cost 5-7 thousand dollars.
Another option to become the owner of a Smart subcompact is to buy a used car abroad, and then drive it to Russia yourself.
In this case, the price of the car including customs clearance will vary between 4.5-5 thousand dollars, but the buyer will receive a wider selection of modifications and a richer package.
If you have neither the desire nor the time to go to Europe to buy a car on your own, you can resort to the services of specialized companies, whose specialists will independently select and fit Smart used cars, taking into account the wishes of the potential buyer. In the latter case, the buyer can additionally count on professional advice, comprehensive support and even a guarantee.
Advantages and disadvantages of Smart cars
Like any car, a used Smart car has its own advantages and disadvantages, which make it much easier to decide on the need and advisability of purchasing a subcompact.
Main advantages of the car
- Design. No matter what anyone says, even today the first generations of Smart look modern, stylish and attractive, and this applies not only to the exterior, but also to the interior of the car. Being in city traffic, the car instantly attracts the attention of others, most of whom “baby” Smart evokes an exceptionally sincere smile.
- Dimensions. Thanks to its compact dimensions, Smart allows you to climb into places where the driver of a larger car would not even look. This allows you to easily find parking spaces and confidently move in dense city traffic, easily maneuvering between neighbors in traffic. Moreover, the car allows you to park perpendicular to the curbs and turn around literally on the spot, which has become one of the main “calling cards” of the model, so beloved by residents of large cities.
- Visibility. Thanks to its compact dimensions and large glass area, the car provides excellent visibility, allowing you to approach obstacles almost closely.
- Excellent dynamics - despite the presence of frankly weak 3-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, the car has excellent dynamics, allowing you to literally tear away from traffic lights, leaving behind the surprised drivers of larger and more powerful cars.
- Efficiency - however, this applies exclusively to diesel modifications, which allow you to consume about 3.7-4 liters of diesel for every 100 km of travel. Gasoline versions of used Smarts consume on average about 6-6.5 l/100 km, which is comparable to the consumption of larger and more powerful models. To be fair, we note that modern Smarts equipped with a gasoline engine consume on average about 4.1 l/100 km.
- Safety. Yes, yes, you heard it right, despite its miniature size in terms of safety, Smart is not only not inferior, but even superior to most competitors, even if we are talking about cars several classes higher. The Smart body is based on the proprietary Tridion frame, consisting of several layers of reinforced steel, which is complemented by several predictable deformation zones designed to absorb the impact force in an accident. The picture is complemented by the presence of front and side airbags, as well as three-point belts with a pretensioner system.
The main disadvantages of Smart cars
- Suspension stiffness. Unfortunately, miracles do not happen, and the short wheelbase of the Smart has a negative impact on the comfort of passengers, whose fifth points are transmitted to almost all the unevenness of domestic roads. As a result, only a masochist can go on a long trip in this car.
- Low practicality is the downside of the compact dimensions of Smart cars. Thus, the car’s interior can accommodate only two passengers, and the trunk volume is only 280 liters, and the driver does not have the ability to fold the back of the front passenger seat, which does not allow transporting more or less large cargo. In addition, the car is not capable of towing a trailer and taking other road users in tow.
- Expensive service. Since the production of Smart cars is carried out by the Mercedes-Benz automaker, you cannot count on low prices for maintenance and repairs. Moreover, they are comparable to the cost of servicing “adult” Mercedes models.
- Low engine life, which for most Smart models is limited to 100-150 thousand km, after which it will require a fairly expensive overhaul. Moreover, it is not possible to repair a Smart engine in all auto repair shops, which imposes a number of additional inconveniences on its owner.
- Modest equipment and low acoustic comfort. Most Smart models are equipped with only the most necessary equipment, this is especially true for the first and second generation models. In addition, due to the location of the engine immediately behind the driver and passenger seats, acoustic comfort leaves much to be desired, which can be quite annoying during long trips.
Conclusion
To summarize, we note that in the conditions of modern reality, a Smart bu car is still an expensive toy, rather than acting as a convenient and affordable transport for every day.
Only those people whose family already has a larger and more practical car, and who are mentally and financially prepared for its low practicality and comfort, as well as quite expensive maintenance, should consider purchasing a Smart. We recommend that everyone else look towards compact class cars, the prominent representatives of which are the Kia Picanto, VW Up, Hyundai i10 and others.
