Is a Smart Car OK On a Motorway?
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- Опубліковано 21 січ 2022
- Is a Smart Car OK On a Motorway?
In this video we take our Smart ForTwo Passion (450) on the motorway & answer a question I have heard asked many times... Is a Smart Car ok… on a Motorway? Or are they a city “only” car?
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So I have just purchased my first car as a new learner and it is a smart. I have always been nervous to drive however sitting in this little one makes me feel confident, I'm sure it's due to not being a tank. I just need a car for what I call nipping about and not needing to depend on my husband. These videos have really helped me understand my new 4 wheeled friend.
Awesome. Enjoy your new Smart!
I own a 451 mhd...no problems at all on motorway in any respect..😨..I'm a hgv driver and it's such a fantastic little car..👍
Agree. My 451 is comfortable and fine on the motorway. My 450 with the long 6th gear is even more relaxed. They are fantastic cars.
Agreed. I have a 451 in the US and I drove it from New York to south Florida without issue. I will be driving it back at the end of summer. My only complaint is seat comfort after several hours and the convertible top can be a bit loud at motorway speeds.
Thank you so much for these videos. Just on my way to look at my first Smart, and your fab videos have helped convince me!
Thanks. They just seem to get to you. Smarts are just like Marmite… some love them and some hate but I enjoy the quirky parts; the semi auto gearbox, the sound as the turbo spools and the way they can be thrown around corners.
I bought a 2004 fortwo passion cab. in 2005 for a bit of fun. Had it mapped to speed up the gear changes by 30% and added 20hp to boot. It was an absolute riot to drive, with it out dragging much bigger faster cars away from the lights. My Mrs. was working in Aberdeen though and flying to and from Leeds/Bradford and Aberdeen weekly. The Smart did several trips from Bradford to Aberdeen and was always a pleasure to drive, with non of the stability issues ever being noticed. It averaged over 70mpg at the hands of the Mrs. too. My friend and I thrashed it to Aberdeen on one occasion at highly illegal speeds and still got just under 60mpg. First fuel light came on as we arrived. A joy to own but, was traded in for a Panda 100hp 20 months later.
The cars are great at city work and long distance. Marmite as some just don’t get them or like them and others (like us) love them but they are so much fun to own and drive. Thanks for watching and your comment.
@@LivetoDriveUK Thanks. As a coincidence I watched your 2cv video and was pleased to see that my friend Alan (Citwins) did some work on it for you. Small world.
@@Hell-Hound1 ah, Alan yes. Alan completed a new (lower) bodyshell, floors, rear floor and spare wheel well and lower windscreen surround. Great man and very skilled.
I've had both 451 and 453 cabrios and did thousands of motorway miles with no issues, even driving to the factory in Hambach.
I agree they are excellent cars on any road. Would love to drive to the factory in my Smart. Thanks for watching and your comment.
I have just bagged a 2003 smart fortwo soft top 0.6 for £200. Needs the engine servicing as it appears to have burnt a valve or blown a gasket, but i am really looking forward to using it hopefully in within the next month or so.
All the best with the fix.
My smart 450 is the only car I have owned I can run on £20 of fuel each month.
Yes I love them. Cost, fuel, driving them, everything. Thanks for watching.
Thank you for your reply. I have owned mine since 2004 and only covered 33k it’s been a very reliable little car.
@@jonathanthorpe1653 purchased an early right hand drive version at the launch in 2001. Missed the car. Purchased this one in 2021 and had only got 18k miles, it lived inside a motorhome so barely any evidence of use with no UV damage.
I am very happy with my 451 MHD on the motorway, and indeed overall. Nice review.
Thanks. Yes I love the 450 and 451. Great cars.
I`ve just gone from having a 4.0 Jaguar LWB for 10 years to a late 2007- (08 spec ) 451 1.0 71 Bhp and was dreading the 80 mile motorway journey home. I was pleasantly surprised and found overtaking surprisingly easy, even hitting the limited top speed with ease. I got quite a few shocked faces as I whizzed past in my Banana-mobile .
I paid £2,300 -50k miles - FSH - Full MOT - new tires, brakes, clutch, actuator and discs .
That high final gear is great for higher speed cruising. I surprise people off the line, if in the right mood, as they certainly pick up quick from 0-30. Love mine and happy with the 50+mpg, £30 road tax and sub £100 insurance. Thanks for watching and your comment.
£100 insurance for how long?
I'm a huge fan of the 450 ForTwo, they are fine on the motorway providing there are no strong cross winds and you give plenty of clearance to HGVs when overtaking. The rear suspension design causes roll steer which makes these little cars quite twitchy and tiring to drive in gusty winds. The Brabus with the lower suspension is better in this respect, and the Roadster is absolutely fine. The "Man builds" channel did a 1200km trip in his diesel 450 in a single (very long) day!
Yes I am too. Agree about the HGVs. Read a few comments that think the cars are not suitable for motorways and I have to disagree.
Thanks for watching and your comment.
I've owned my 451 for 10 years and would have to say that the smart on the freeway is like driving a regular car on ice. It can be done but I would not recommend it for any distance driving. The wind is the killer also large trucks.
I know they are not quite the same, particularly the 450 with the narrow front tyres but I’ve never been concerned and have done many motorway miles in the 450. The 451 is better but you will always be aware of large vehicles in a Smart.
Just started looking to buy a Smart. Most helpful 👍
Thanks for watching. All the best with your search. 👍
I have owned a 2011 Smart 799cc diesel, I've owned it since it was 5 months old, it has covered 135000 miles most of my time is spent on the motorway as I work around 30 miles away, I do this journey at least 5 times every week, I only use it for work, it is my only car, my other car is a Yamaha XJR1300, which I use in the better weather for work, but for me, the Smart is as good on the motorway as it is around town
I agree. Very happy to drive my Smart any distance. They might be considered a city car by some but they are fine for long trips. Thanks for watching.
2-Wheeler Car
@@MoskusMoskiferus1611 I have both a two and a four wheel car, I love the contrast of driving them both
Hi Andrew, what is the diesel like on the motorway? I am considering one but the acceleration seems really slow on paper but what is it like on onramps, overtaking etc?
@@2010SmartFortwo I'm not going to lie to you, it won't break any records, it's not the quickest accelerating vehicle, it does hold its own once it's going, it doesn't lose speed on hills, it's extremely economical, especially between 50 and 60mph, it's not the quietest but it's not overly noisy either, I've had mine for 11 years, use it regularly and it doesn't miss a beat, the suspension is a bit on the harsh side but then it's only got a very short wheelbase, I've covered close to 140,000 miles now, it's on the motorway every day, it easily keeps up with the rest of the traffic on the motorway, although I've only ever done short blasts, it will do 80mph up hill without protest, it's got an extremely powerful turbo, for a small engine, it's impressive
I would say so
I go from bodmin in Cornwall to Eastbourne no problem. I have the diesel 800cc turbo. Please cheaper to run than a big cc motor bike and no road tax
Awesome. Yes I would be very happy to drive my 700cc turbo petrol long distance. Not free road tax for me but at £30 it is cheap. Very cheap.
great video ... am going to get one of these. Think they tick so many boxes. Looking at a 2010 model. I know old, but if well looked after should be fine. Always safer than a motorbike!
I enjoy driving it. Definitely safer than a bike. If you buy an MHD model just make sure the belt is changed when needed as I am told by the specialist if they break and you continue to drive it will cause severe overheating. Thanks for watching and your feedback.
@@LivetoDriveUK more good advice: yes the model I am looking at is the MHD. I know the 84bhp 1L is the better model, but this MHD seems to be well priced and has lots of extras ... how to tell if the belt needs changing: will do some readings.
@@David_JA_Noble I am not sure. I rely on Ben @Smart-TECNIC for the detail. He had a customer drive one into his place knowing the belt had gone but the engine had been cooked by the time he arrived.
@@LivetoDriveUK I have since been reading: the MHD is a time bomb. That belt can go at any time and there is no warning as no overheating warning. What were Mercedez thinking? Very poor design. Looks like I can't get a smart as the 2007/8 models are only euro 4 and Sadiq Khan will soon make them ULEZ non-compliant. A real shame ...
@@David_JA_Noble the 450 I own is currently ULEZ exempt. I would speak to a specialist to find out exactly what happens with an MHD.
This was really helpful! looking at getting a smart car, probably an older one due to a smaller budget but a lot of reviews were saying how uncomfortable they are on motorways, I won't be doing much motorway driving but good to know if I ever needed to I could! Do you have any tips for buying an older smart car say 2008-2010?
Thanks. Only real advice is to buy one with good documented service history. Finding your nearest Smart Specialist is important too as many “garages” don’t understand them properly. Ben at Smart-TECNIC has vehicles come in with wrongly fitted parts. All the best with your search.
im in the same boat! everyone saying theyre bad on the highway makes me nervous as i do maybe 45% highway driving. but the smart is SO tiny cheap and cute!
I have a 2015 smart for two. Love it. So cheap on gas!
I love the Smart too 👍
hi, I saw some videos which were mentioning that the fuel consumption of Smart fortwo is really bad
@@dab7805 it’s not. I get around 45mpg on average. Now compared to modern cars yes it is bad cause you can get a hybrid getting 50+.
@@dab7805 my 450 will do over 50mpg.
new shape? Not the same car.
Fab review...was looking at these & this was a concern as looking to move to Bournemouth from Hertfordshire at some stage & was a bit concerned about the drive. Are these easy to get into for someone with disabilities & is the seat higher than some of the other small cars i.e. corsa, yaris etc. Thank you!
Thanks. The doors open wide and the height of the car makes it more like stepping on rather than sitting in the seat. The seat height isn’t particularly high but the car already sits higher than many and has excellent visibility. Hope you find a car that is good for you.
@@LivetoDriveUK Thank you for the prompt response...that is great to hear & definitely helps...will start my search now😁...enjoy the rest of your day!
Here in Holland 100 km max on the motorway. So good enough for a smart. A no go on the German Autobahn 😂
😁
4:19 it took like 20 minutes to gain 10 mph 😂😂😂 still pretty cool and economical
Gentle acceleration 😂
Thank you. I'm looking to buy the 2006 diesel model
Excellent. The diesels are ok if they get driven on longer journeys. They are not so happy only doing short commuting. Hope you find what you want.
In Dubai is allowed in all place
60mph all day Smart 450
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Has anyone crossed the Severn bridge between UK and Wales with a smart? How was the stability of the smart? Will appreciate if someone answers.
Whilst I cannot confirm personally you do notice a little sideways movement when large vehicles pass but nothing of any issue.
@@LivetoDriveUK thanks!
I haven't got a smart car but own a 2009 Toyota Aygo and go over the Severn bridge roughly ten times a year and people slag it off, but it does the job I've also driven smart cars and work on them I'm a retired mechanic and I don't see a problem also they are nice to work on and good MPG my aygo does 60 mpg and £20 road tax and I've driven in winds and torrential downpours even over the Severn bridge, hope this makes you feel better.
Audi drivers, don`t you just love them. Well at least they make BMW drivers look slightly better drivers.
They do… just 😁
Hi my dad only has a motorcycle license as these have small engines do you know if he’s allowed to drive a smart car? And settle an argument between us
Many questions including which country you are in.
For the UK depending on what category license the person is using:
“Motorcycles - Category A - Motorbikes with a power output more than 35kW or a power to weight ratio more than 0.2kW/kg or motor tricycles with a power output more than 15kW. Category A2 licence holders can also drive motorbikes in categories A1 and A2.
Light vehicles and quad bikes - Category B1 - Motor vehicles with four wheels up to 400kg unladen or 550kg if they’re designed for carrying goods.”
A Smart car First Generation weighs approximately 800kgs. It could not be driven in the UK on a Motorcycle license.
Source: www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/the-uk-driving-licence-categories-what-car-can-you-drive-on-your-licence/n1142
Oh the uk and he’s never had a driving test or lessons and got his bike license in about 1951
Thanks for the info
I'm not being funny, but this doesn't need a video to answer this question, only a brain. Although I guess there are two different ways this question could be asked.
I don’t think I could disagree. But the question is asked on forums quite often.
The answer is very subjective, what some people find perfectly acceptable, others do not. Put someone used to a larger car in a 450 on a motorway with strong, gusty side winds and they likely won't think it's ok at all.