Smart Brabus ForFour Review - Bargain Fun
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- Опубліковано 7 чер 2024
- Fun, small and affordable? This week we're looking at a selection of quirky and cool performance cars for less than £10,000 and we begin today with the effervescent Smart ForFour - tuned by Brabus no less!
Want to see your car on the channel? Email me on talk@jayemm.com
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Always had a soft spot for these absolutely no idea why
Because you are a gentleman, a scholar and connoisseur of the fine arts.
@@nervsouly you sir are a legend
I think its the styling. Its pretty unique and timeless. Same with the roadster
Me2!!
Dude i would love to see Jay review a Mercedes Brabus. Now we need to find someone that hase one he can review.
I would like that too
@@JayEmmOnCars Ask for a factory tour when Covids ended
@@jasondunphy1170 seen a complete factory tour documentary once, was not that interesting inside their holy halls tbh. I'd rather just see Jay drive around.
Used to have a Smart Brabus Roadster as a cheap fun car. For the money it was great. The wastegate noise from the mid mounted engine was addictive.
Literally just bought one of these 2 weeks ago. So far its amazing daily
Visit owners' forum forfour.co.uk for information about enjoying and maintaining your brilliant new car.
I bought mine 9 years ago and it's soon gonna reach 200.000 km. It's powerfull, reliable and I like the design.
@@BassComb sad boy .. and what design??? lmfao
its called being a loser..
@@jhondiick4202 I didn't get the meaning of your comment. If you want me to understand what you're trying to express, you'll have to learn how to write proper sentences.
10/10 for pulling a far left field car Jay. I bet nobody guessed this was coming!
Looking forward to your next choice 😊
I helped a friend who had no mechanical experience or tools to change the exhaust manifold on his Brabus a few years back. It is a known thing for those cars two crack the manifold. The replacement was a tubular version with better flow. The car was fast, but the suspension hard!
I have 2 regular 454s and I love them, and that steering you talked about, that's not a factory feature it's a common fault in these, one of mine is also currently suffering from it, the electronic power steering motor is failing, which means new rack, but those are the exact symptoms. A rather common fix on the forums is to just disconnect the power steering
That`s really a good value for the money. For that price, it`s fantastic what you get. Cool Video!
Jay you are creating a content of your own and that's fantastic!! Love your reviews ❤️
I appreciate that!
Simply a great sum-up of a guy that understands! Thanks for the vid!
$3,000-$4,000!!? I can tell you why David got another one. God damn, that’s a steal.
No British Pounds
I've had a 2005 Forfour for a year now - great car. Fast Eddy looks after it for me at his garage - he's a top bloke. I think he mentioned his runs 240bhp So no wonder it's fast!
Always liked these and they are a bargain even for a decent example. I had a brabus roadster coupe in the same colour but sold it last year. Good fun but a pain in the arse to maintain.
Always loved these! Glad this is still an option as a cheap fun daily
Great review 👍
You're an excellent car reviewer based on this 1 video I've seen from you.
Keep up the good work!!
Thank you! I have been looking for one of these.
Smart Roadster! Still the same crap gearbox as standard Smart but it drives like a big go-kart. One of the purest driving experiences - and that's coming from someone who owned a Miata before the Smart. Definitely worth a drive!
Great car, own one :) super fun and more exclusive than a mini
I own a regular one. Bought it at a low prize with low mileage or kilometers in my case. I bought it as a 1.3 but my mechanic who put it in diagnostics said its a 1.5. I had to fix many things on it. The roof was leaking, the paint was chipping with every visit at the car wash (still does). The front roof sunshade is broken and because it is almost impossible to find the part, those who will sell you a used one, will ask you for a ridiculous amount of money. Like 270 (!) euros in my case (didn't buy it). The fuel gauge had its own mind. The AC pump broke. The diagnostics revealed a few more problems but nothing alerting so I didn't bother. The interior trim is also not the best. I had to replace the factory radio/cd and the speakers. The gear leaver is made from a very cheap plastic which was worn out badly by the previous owner's rings. I fixed it with a silicon cover. The handbrake release button is very flimsy and the "leather" cover is also worn out. The cloth trim on the dash is detached in the area were the central vents are. Caused by the heat of the vents. I have to replace the whole upper part of the dash to fix it. The good news is that the car never broke down. The engine is reliable and punchy. It likes to rev high but it is always noisy. The car handles better than most. It has a sporty feel to it. The steering is direct but has an odd feel to it which I got used to after a while. The brakes are really good. The seats are good and hold you in the right places. Fuel consumption is also good. It is practical and roomy for its size. Mechanical parts are easy to find and cheap unlike the body and trim parts. Before you get into any conclusion, I knew what I was buying in the first place. Some of the problems were noticeable when I first saw the car. Others were not. I could have chosen a Yaris instead for a higher prize and be more carefree. Great reliable commuter but very dull. Hands down the Smart is more fun. More fun to look at and more fun to drive. It is also a pain in the ass. But the more you fix things the more you get involved with it. You create a bond with it. I like that and I didn't regret buying it!
I have a 1.1 75 hp (which is enough but i wouldn´t want even 1 hp less)
Problems:
- front sunroof looks shit, as described in the video
- the fuel gauge has its own mind, i agree. I always have a full tank of gas after a right turn. I just ignore it and fuel up after 600-700 km.
- replaced radio
- agree on handbrake button, same with window switches
- tires are a bit small so there might be slipping on wet road when braking or accelerating hard, i managed to spin the wheels in 2nd in a 75 hp car!
- uses a small bit of oil if you rev it high (5-6.5k). If you don´t, it doesn´t. I check oil level every 1-2 months and add 200 ml or so.
- headlights got foggy and had to be replaced.
- 1.1 liter is *really* not built for highway/motorway/Autobahn.
pros:
- agree on engine, handling, seats, sporty feel, steering feels very good i think
- very reliable. starts instantly, even at -20 degrees celsius.
- am currently at 283.000 km on my second engine (with 165.000 km). Still has its full power.
- very tight turning radius, parking is never a problem
- very good for city driving. The car has no problem with just going small distances, 3-10 km at a time is what i do everyday, no complaints. Had a time when i went over 120 km a day, works too.
- Back seats can be folded in verious ways giving you the same trunk space you´d have with other cars (exept then it´s a two seater)
Very happy with the car.
Edit: The first engine was replaced by previous owner, idk why.
@@vornamenachname727 try 'Wynns Petrol Gold' on a full tank, that seem to rectify the misreading fuel gauge on my Brabus plus added noticeable smoothness/power through the revs. I experienced the misfortunate event of running out of fuel on the A13 at 2am.. thought I had half a tank which wasn't the case! Ha
Awesome little car. Nice video. Keep up the good work.
I bought mine 10 years ago with 100 000 km. I was living in Northern Europe and I didn't want to buy a motorcyle because of the short summer period. I then searched for a light and quick car and found the Brabus.
It's now 223 000 and still fun to drive.
Very reliable car except for the very soft and fragile Brabus monoblock 6 wheels.
It's rare and unknown because it has been built from 2004 to 2006 only... and the Smart badge... But, as you said, it doesn't feel like a Smart at all. It feels like nothing else on the road, or perhaps a go-kart :)
It's amazing to see what it can do on curvy and small roads when you know how to drive it.
The police never controls me because it doesn't look like a fast car. Actually, it is quite a fast car: 177HP, 230Nm of torque, 0-100 km/h around 7 seconds and it can reach 220 km/h. It uses something like 8,5 liters per 100 km in average but you can go lower or higher, depending on the way you choose to drive. And it breaks very well too.
Before the Smart, I've owned only slow cars (Citroën C5 and ZX, Fiat 127, Renault 21 and Laguna, Nissan Stanza, Triumph Acclaim, Peugeot 207) and the second car I drive at the moment is an old 2000 Volvo V70 T5 (250 HP engine). I feel safer in a car like the Forfour Brabus when I overtake or merge onto a highway.
Hey! I'm about to buy one, would you please give me a quick rundown of the problems to look out for?
@@oliverpasztor788 Hi. If memory serves me correctly, the major works were as follows:
- The box remained stuck in second gear after changing the clutch (around 130,000 km). I will never know if this failure was the result of the clutch change/dishonesty/incompetence of the Mercedes garage in Vantaa, Finland. At the time, one of the salesmen at this garage told me that the engine would soon stop working and he offered to buy the car for 700 euros out of kindness (the car was worth ten times more at the time... then and still today)... I have driven almost 100,000 more km since then and the engine still runs like clockwork.
- right rear suspension broke (around 150,000 km). Later, I had all four suspensions and shock absorbers changed.
-The exhaust broke around 180,000. The welding cost me 20 euros.
- The fuel pump stopped working (around 200,000 km)
- One of the rims broke in a pothole. It was repaired very well, but a few years later I had to pay 600 euros to straighten the four rims. They were so veiled that they were constantly leaking air and driving became unpleasant. I think the condition of the rims is a good indicator of the condition of the car and the treatment it has undergone. Then it's classic. The leather on the seats is of very good quality.
The gear lever is originally covered with a little leather. If it's still there, you're lucky.
There is almost no corrosion even though it has been in a Nordic country for 13 years. I have sometimes had difficulty finding quality tires in the right size. Headlight lenses often become opaque and require cleaning. In short, as with all cars almost twenty years old.
@@BassComb thank you! That's very helpful.
Would love to see you review a mk1 fabia vrs in this vein
Pleasant, to the point video!
I owned both the Smart Brabus and Colt Czt I can vouch for both models . Smart handling better and a nicer interior.
I did own CZT, how is Smart driving experience compared to Mitsu?
I wish I could buy this from across the pond in the states. Pretty smart looking car.
yesss my brother and I used to have this... worst problem was the alloys they were so soft, used to sometimes wake up to a flat tyre or come back to a flat tyre!, alloys used to get bent very easily. The suspension was harsh, but the car was just a pocket rocket and fun. Options list was great in ours :D
Got the same car and same flat tyres problem with the Brabus alloys. It took me a while to understand why my tyres are flat in the morning. Did you fix the problem?
@@BassComb hello after 1 year, sorry for such a long delay. We eventually got them refurbished, so the rim was brought back in to shape... however no other way to solve it unless you change alloys or remember where the bent part of the alloy is and avoid parking on that patch! :D
Always love the outro music!
Kinda shocked how powerful they are always thought they would be around 120hp at the most but with such a light weight im truly impressed awesome review will change alot of people's minds about them as it did mine lol welldone
The torque is more impressive than the HP
@@roxind I think it's the hp more due to top end potential torque is good but once on the move it's all about hp to reach top speed
Forgotten about these. Looks weird but better looking than the colt czt
Always enjoy your reviews Jay ad your open-minded I was a little apprehensive with this one because I also Can't Stand Smart cars I think they lost the point the only things smart about them as you can park them sideways and that never really worked. What it does highlight is such a shame that Mitsubishi didn't develop the colt as you said with the sort of underpinnings because it had so much potential like the rest of their sports range that have disappeared unfortunately.
Haha absolutely mate smart car auto box shifts about as well as a melted box of chocolates 😂🤣 so happy to see the brabus is a manual
I don't know what's up with prices in the UK, but outside the UK prices start at almost 5000€ for high mileage examples and then upwards of 6000 for low mileage ones.
Spotted those hankook venture evo tyres
I've wanted one of these for a long time. I better get on with it.
One cool cheap car with bags of character.
A detailer might be able to machine polish that plastic roof back to some clarity, then ceramic coat it.
So is this like a Colt Ralliart. I have one in stock with Nav. Great thing. Not yet brought myself to get it ready to retail. Fun isn’t the word. It’s fun fun fun.
The only Brabus I have seen go for cheaper is the w168 Brabus however they are extremely difficult to find
At 6:20
I thought you and the owner were going to test the plastic sunroof with your heads 😀
The Brabus Forfour was reported to have a lot of torquesteer. Some tried ralliart or Cusco LSD in order to fix this.
Mine doesn't. It'd need to be provoked in a very unsympathetic manner to induce such a thing, rather like hard braking my Volvo 960 24v from high speed at the last moment would probably see it not make the bend due to its weight. Each car should be driven according to its characteristics.
Lol I had one of those. Why did he ditch the far nicer and more distinctive standard Brabus monoblocks though? Also, given your hatred of Smarts...may I recommend the roadster? As you know, I've had some cars, but it's still the one I regret selling the most.
Smart makes such good looking cars
Yeah but sadly the 2020 model year introduced an evil face. That's the last thing a Smart needed with all other cars looking that way already. But maybe the trend will hopefully soon go away, Honda e and Ford Puma are friendly looking.
Setting aside how common the Mini JCW is, would you pick this Smart Brabus or the Mini for a fun little run around?
I drove a 2009 Smart Fortwo last year, whilst I was working for a dealership, and I honestly feared for my life. Not because of the size of it, you get used to it in five minutes! It was the brake pedal. Something we usually don't notice because it's almost always the same is that pedals are hinged from the top (except some accelerators). The brake pedal in this Fortwo was hinged from the bottom in a semicircular arc. So, as you pushed the pedal, it went up before it went down, so your foot would slip and you'd slam the brakes on. Hateful!
You can drive my smart 454 1.5 AMT half the horse power to the Brabus but flappy paddle gear change 6 speed probably running windows vister, just loads of fun, smiles, and a bit of swearing to pick a gear.
5
Damn cool. Hard to believe not weighs that much! Only a bit less then my ‘71 911!
I remember loving the Smart Roadster as a child. Never having heard of a Brabus ForFour, I think you would enjoy the Brabus Roadster as well.
PS:
Love the 'video series' idea. Especially this one seems very promising.
As a child...
@@Brickinasock
Beg your pardon?
Got 1 absolute pocket rocket
Currently looking for one of these. Very rare indeed lately
Got one for sale
Go for it.. They are fun. I own one and boy it's such a shock for the festa st owners trying to best u off the line
Now another to test is a Smart Roadster...one of the most misunderstood cars of recent times. I have tried one with a friend and can tell you that driven properly, it is very capable of upsetting Ferrari drivers out on open roads. The gearbox just needs learning and then, it is a quick car for such a tiny engine. So another for the list..sadly “ours” went many years ago.😐😐
Not watched this yet but yeeeeeeees!
*Was £3k to £4k. After this video it will probably jump to £6k courtesy of Jayemm.
I would like to think I can affect the market that much, but somehow I doubt it!
@@JayEmmOnCars I know correlation does not imply causation. However, the price of renaultsport clio 182's seemed to rise after your video dropped (just as I was looking for one).
Also, I really enjoy your videos! I wish you all the best and hope the channel continues to grow!
James did you ever try the Fiat Panda Sport?I have one here in France ,it’s fun,if you want to try.
Panda 100hp in the UK I think smart little cars
I agree the Panda 100hp was a great little car & was only 10k when new
I once saw a regular FourFour in a weird olive green colour.
Your like james may and tiff needells love child. Its a great channel best on youtube for car reviews.
I'll take that. Cheers Graham
@@JayEmmOnCars 👍
Mitsubishi and Smart should bring them to California! Put a 1.6 and 1.6t, and I will gladly buy them!
There is a drought for good small cars here!
wasnt the ForFour the car where James and Richard had to spend a night in during some older Top Gear season :D
Got a 2017 ForFour Brabus. It's basically the complete opposite of this one: Half the horse power which means not that quick, rear wheel drive, very comfortable and practical, great at taking curves in a very narrow circle, fantastic interior, important modern functions without too much digital shit going on. It still got the glass roof divided in two but it's real glass now.
Had the exhaust replaced because the serial one is nothing like on that older Brabus. Also had engine control optimization done and that helped a bit. Currently thinking about bringing it to a tuning shop once more for more horsepower. Anyone got solid advice what gives a lot of bang from 3 cylinders without shortening the engine's life span?
You'll get solid advice for tuning from forfour.co.uk where plenty of registered owners have done work on their own cars.
@@ollycollie thanks. Sadly wasn't what I was looking for. Wrong ForFour, I don't own the 454 from the video but the 453. I also have to modify according to German laws and they are kinda strict. I'll ask at a somewhat nearby tuning shop I found on the internet next year. When Corona lockdown is over an all that.
@@nervsouly
Good luck. I hope you find the right solutions for your situation.
I do love a pocket rocket. I never even knew brabus got their hands on a Smart! You'd never know either would you??
You'd pull up beside me "in that one" and rev your engine. Me in my GTA would laugh, then I'd s$/t my pants!!😆
From 2016 onwards, they offered a Brabus version of both ForFour and ForTwo in standard and exclusive version each. Then they made an almost 40k € limited version with more HP, crazy tripple exhaust pipe, and full leather interior. And Mercedes was offering a tailor made version for all Smarts of that time where Brabus would rebuild them according to your wishes, for example with special seats that look fantastic and are not available anywhere else.
this is bmw 1 , 2 and 3 series killer and evrything with 2000 cc on normal cars ..:)) i have 1 with 1.3 petrol 97 hp .... but i want the brabus so much .... is criminal !
Where are the other videos to this quirky affordable playlist
So its stock apart from the engine, suspension, and exhaust... 🤣
so not stock then
damn mine is exactly the same exept... 75 hp
👍👍
The Spoon S660 owns this
Not sure that fits into the "bargain" category though?
@@technicalscience $20k new in 2018
Wish we could’ve gotten these in the USA
Just get a Fiesta ST :p . Supply is running out since Ford cancelled them :/
Closing in on 25 years, so it will be available for importing soon. Do you think something like this would garner interest State side once it’s eligible?
Next review Aston Martin Cygnet
Google Azur Lane Cygnet and be amazed.
What? Front-wheel drive? Arent these usually RWDs
Yeah. 0 for sale in me country. 3 in the whole of Germany. Right, moving on.
Had one for a couple of years..
Fun car..
Crap original wheels !
They are beautiful, but square after the first pothole 😂
@@roxind tell me about it m8
Nothing but grief..... yeah they did look nice.
Wheels are so hard to find. Cracked my front left a few months ago. And it cost nearly £500 for one wheel direct from brabus.. And then they only hadp two left in stock
Drove a normal Smart for a week orso and that semi automatic gearbox sure was a crappy one.
The Smart ForTwo - haha - totally agree, awful car. Never driven one, but was once a passenger and once was enough: scary being so close to nothingness in front, not to mention the weird pitching backwards and forwards under acceleration. Always wondered why the ForTwo was only ever quoted with a top speed in the 80s, but then again 80 in one of them would probably be suicidal.
A mate had one of the standard ForFours and wow it was a piece of total garbage 😂
It's weird that Brabus has so much history with Mitsubishi, of all brands.
Even AMG fettled a gallant vr4 before the Mercedes take over
Except...Mitsubishi entered into a joint-venture with Dodge to provide Starion, and later GTO models as Dodges and give Mitsubishi a US manufacturing plant in the mid-80's.
When Daimler-Benz bought into/took over Chrysler-Dodge a decade later, Mercedes and Mitsubishi link was formed; in 2000 Daimler-Chrysler bought a controlling stake in Mitsubishi itself, hence the joint-platform cars like Colt/Smart.
They later sold the cars division (Mitsubishi Motors), but retained the Truck & Bus (aka Fuso) division.
My mates mum (hot airline stewardess) had the Brabus Roadster, great little car, terrible gearbox
Magnetti Marelli are still flogging those bolt on single clutch "automatic" gearboxes mostly to the Indian market but still having sampled just about every type of gearbox going there's NOTHING worse than a single clutch robotised manual!
@@psions555 I can imagine. Those automated manuals seem to be fairly common on the big trucks in the US also. Old dinosaur tech.
What does she drive now? 😊
With airplanes staying on ground during the Corona crisis, does that mean you friend's hot mom spends more time at you place? Just asking for science.
@@chappy2121 a single clutch auto is forgivable for a commercial vehicle but for a road car they are absolutely dire. Nothing beats a 8/10 speed modern torque converter auto closely followed by a well programmed DSG or even a Hondamatic (Automated manual/torque converter) everything else is flawed in so many ways.
These are by far the least impressive of the Smart cars.
The original and the incredible roadsters were decades ahead of their time and people will eventually realise how genius they are.
These are $15k in Australia sadly.
Another good one James. 👍🏼
The fastest car they ever made how it's the least impressive?
''Drives, of course, the front wheels''
me, waiting or the sad womp womp womp.
I have this car since 2006, the only car that I don't want to sell. The monobloc 4 wheels are definitely better looking than the set on this car thought.
Same as you I'll never sell it, in Spain is a rare car..
@@danicuendias I know, I live in Catalonia and I came across a grey one only. To be fair, that car was quite expensive compare to others hot hatch, and it certainly wasn't a success in France either.
@@roxind I live in Catalonia too, we Are neighbours!! Mine was silver maybe you saw mine, I just painted it british green color :)
You and me both! I’ve had this car since 2012. Love this car. The speed bumps and pot holes of London have taken its toil on it, sometimes I think to sell it... then one look at the car tells me what a silly idea selling is!
If you guys don't already know it, take a look at the owners' forum forfour.co.uk where you'll find all the information, help and advice you could ever need for any version of the forfour.
Those crazy Germans. Sorry, did you say the Smart car had a gearbox? Must have missed that.
Naturally Aspirated Mitsubishi 1.5 177BHP lump is almost BHP per tonne as much as an S2000!
It's turbo
The problem with this guys reviews are they are always on tuned or chipped cars sitting on non stock suspension so might as well stop listening when he starts talking about the actual ride.
Not to sure about this ,another nedcar creation?
Yes
It's a shame the new one with the Brabus badge slapped on it has meager 110 HP, not even worth having Brabus name... I mean still a nice car, but far from being anything sporty, well at least it likes corners more that the one in the video lol.
Please don't roast my car. :(
@@nervsouly you have the new one?
@@Janshevik 2017 model year. I'm thinking about having it tuned further, just had engine management optimization done to it. It's basically my ideal car... if it was but a little quicker. :D
@@nervsouly I'm thinking of getting a twingo, but even if it will be gt, I won't treat it as a sports car.
Also can you disable traction control to have more fun on your car? :D
@@Janshevik I think there is a button for it on the lower left side from the steering wheel. But I would never use it because I'm not a skilled driver. What I do know is traction control already saved my unskilled bacon at least twice: Once when I was flooring the car on an uneven road and once when I took a 90 degree angle curve with too much speed.
It's not a sports car, but the acceleration is enough to annoy your average Mercedes C class or BMW 3 series driver when the light goes from red to green. :)
I know it’s not the point of these reviews... but how would these fair in a crash?
NCAP 4/5... So just fine.
@@GregK2 thanks. Just have to convince the missus
I have the baby brother Brabus Fortwo - has 8 airbags and a very decent safety rating
The Tridion Safety Cell is well known for its resilience in crashes. Somewhere on here is a clip from Fifth Gear some years back where they crashed a fortwo at motorway speed and it outperformed expectations for such a tiny car. The extra size of the forfour would make it even better.
Polycarbonate no fix. Great. Effects sunroof and quarter light back windows. Lovely. Shame. Car is great.
Please don't say "bonkers", please don't say "bonkers".... Anyways, I once test drove a Colt Ralliart and have to say it was a shitbox. Felt like a Kia Picanto, except nippier. Basic, plastic shite.
OMG 😍💋 💝💖❤️
Don't get Brabus stuff here in Au. Probably not Asian enough.
We do mate, "sharp performance" in South Melbourne is our regional brabus affiliate.
If you walk past their window you'll usually see a brabus car
@@Bboytraxx That's awesome! I now feel a bit better about living in SUV Shitsville Stralia 😄
Its a shame the roads are so boring and flat
Sorry wrong Smart try the roadster brabus mid engined 2 seater
At this price, have both!
@@jamesengland7461 good point
Brabus: we're not as good as AMG so we make a business of ruining reasonable cars.
Actually, I'm not sure it's possible to ruin any kind of Smart car more than it already is when it rolls off the production line.
Brabus are far more exclusive than AMG Brabus will do what ever you want power or design with AMG you get what you are given power and design you can pic a AMG up at any dealership 🧐
" ..at 3 or 4 grand, what have you got to loose ?"
Me: My life ? I wouldn't like to be hit even by a bicycle from the side..
On the contrary, with the strength of the Tridion Safety Cell these little cars are very safe in accidents.
waste of money.. toycar
Having recenlty bought one of these from personal experience I can safely say it's not a toy car by any stretch but I respect it's not to everyone's taste which kinda gives an underdog impression
@@dan_t8161 which version did you buy and what’s the verdict? Looking to buy the 1.3 or 1.5 automatic as a cheap family run around / city car….