Smart ForTwo micro car (2007-2014) | owner reviews: MPG, Problems & Reliability

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Apart from an initial wiring loom issue, this car has been very reliable. No issues at all.

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No issues over 3 years.

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Always reliable and dependable

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has always been good,but low mileage helps

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Outstanding piece of innovative design. Fun, engaging, tactile, well built and unique in terms of niche presence. Perhaps the most enjoyable vehicle i have ever owned!

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Brilliant

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Great motor for what it is

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Good

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Economical, pleasant to drive, practical, reliable.

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Excellent - does exactly what it supposed to do.

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Excellent, cheap to run

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This is the ultimate in auto energy conservation of the world's resources! Chequered flag put a reconditioned engine in a, otherwise, duarable smart. And to top it off they give a year's warranty and free servicing. I'm doing my bit for recycling. The smar turns the urban drive into something fun. I did not know that was possible on uk roads. And the little thing drove its little heart out trying to save us in a white-out blizard. With a good traction control system, and, surrounded by air bags, there we were still in control when 4x4's around us where spining off. I just wish i had a picture of the driver of a land rover defender, as he got out of his cab. He clearly had no idea how we manged to follow him up a long and winding, ice covered hill. His jaw just drpopped as he saw us! We then drove a furhter 10 miles home on untreated roads. So i have a lot of admiration for this little car. I'm hooked.

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Ok for city driving , annoying stop/start facility which i can and do switch off . Poor economy considering that was the prime reason for buying the car in the first place . Stuggle to get 55 mpg when the citroen c1 i turned in for it consistantly returned 65 mpg from new .

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A very practical town car with sufficient acceleration and speed to cope with motorways - high winds permitting!! Great funky fun

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It does exactly what you expect of a city car. Comfortable, but speed bumps can catch it out. Reliable. Easy to manouvre and park. Great economy and no road tax.

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Awful gearbox, bumpy ride, stutters at very low speeds, rattles and creaks - but is cheap to run, easy to park and fine for one person pottering about

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This is an awful car, I commute into a large city, and that is the sole purpose of this car, we (as a family) have another car for kids etc. There is only ever me who uses the commuting car, I never pick anyone up, give anyone a lift, carry anything larger than a laptop with me, it would be ideal to park... i'ts small.. so i thought. The suspension is non-existent, and it's like sitting on a washing machine on full spin cycle while driving. Attempting to park in those small gaps is impossible if there is a slight incline, there is no "creep" on the auto gearbox, you have to used the throttle, and the clutch engagement is so slow and delayed for every inch you move forward it rolls back 4 inch. So you need the same gap as a normal car to park it anyway. Any wind stronger than a light breeze will have you gripping the steering wheel at a strange angle, wondering if the next van that overtakes you will blow you into the side of the road. The gear box is awful, it takes 3 seconds to change gear, going up any incline in the city you end up in 1st gear just to get up it with angry motorists following closely behind you. This also causes problems pulling out of junctions in the city - there is a small gap, but the smart car won't make it because you have to build up revs to get the clutch to engage. Any other car would be away. It only achieved high 40mpg, a lot worse than i expected to be honest, I did get 54mpg once on one tank being extremly careful. Interior, quite spacious really, maybe its only redeeming feature, and quite clever and likable in a strange infectious way. Big dislike for me was the radio reception though, anywhere out of the city and all you can hear is static. Second was the heating, can't close any vents off and any hot air that came out took forever to get "hot" and was more lukewarm, had to wrap up warm in this car. To sum up I brought it as a city car but it underperformed for its designed purpose, I replaced with a small hatchback which gave me more miles to the gallon, a nicer ride, more responsive drive, and easier to park, yeah I had extra seats to carry around with me and a fairly decent boot that I wasn't going to use, but they're just bonuses, right.

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It goes!

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Within specification only quality of auto box V deseil engione disappoints

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Great fuel efficiency and really good on the motorway. Power steering is non existent though and of course no space for cargo.

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Great little car for the money, very nippy around town, but also keeps up with traffic on the motor way. Fuel economy is far from manufacturers quoted figures and ride is choppy.

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Ace , everything i wanted from it

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Brilliant small fast and economical car this is my third smart car i simply love them.

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I have been very satisfied with my present car.However,i feel i would like to buy my first ever brand new car which would probably be a small toyota four seat car.

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Fantastic, we have 3 vehicles and its the most fun to drive

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Fit for purpose, uber-urban life speed unimportant, tiny parking footprint essential, costs pennies to run. I also have a land rover for weekends.

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Practical cheap motoring thats fun to drive just keeping up with the traffic

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Dismal fuel consumption average 36 mpg does not come anywhere near manufacturers figures other than that sort of ok

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Nice but fragile. needs more than a two year warranty.

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Too many sensor running the car,unreliable broken down twice within 10 month,reason locks car in reverse will not release.unhappy with supplier.

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It is great

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Fun

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Funky, reliable, style icon!

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Value - a good city car - easy to drive & park

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Fantastic car for today.60mpg and free road tax. Looks good and easy to drive in traffic automatic.

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All in all a superb little car for commuting and generally flexible enough for longer journeys for short weekends away. Good boot space, comfortable and extremely economical, not reaching the manufacturers 84 mpg but never the less a great all round economical vehicle which means less trips to the pump! Very surprised all round, would have another but 2nd child on the way and will have to trade up,pity they don't do a larger model!

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Expected better economy

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We had one Smart each, loved them to bits, even after years of Volvo and Saab. The Brabus was very exciting to drive, a nuclear-powered skateboard, really! Fun to drive, a dream to park, big boot. Superb level of finish, no significant problems at all.

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Hello, I bought my smart because it looks great and puts a smile on my face every day. I can get in and out very easily where most cars I have trouble being 25 stone and 6 ft tall. The smart is often described as a tardis because it is spacious and roomy inside due to the seats being slightly staggered means two big people can get in it without their shoulders being cramped up. There is enough boot space for the weekly shopping for two people if the rear of the passenger seat is slid forward a bit and I have even seen two girls who set up a car boot stand from one of these. The MPG is good as I do fifty miles a day at a cost of around £25 a week (you do the maths) anyway it's about a fiver for fifty miles. The brakes are great and the steering lock is legend. Parking is easy as is nipping in and out of tight spaces where other cars cannot go. I also get waved at by small children in other cars where I look like a honey monster when driving it. The driving experience is fun but keep clear of pot holes and rough roads as they are punishing as are speed bumps. The traction control is vital for such a short wheelbase but if it snows while you are at work, walk home because you will be driving nowhere. My car has a fault where it cuts drive to the rear wheels if trying to overtake other cars over forty miles per hour. The mechanics at smart charge a fortune yet could not fix the problem so where I have extensive knowledge of cars and engines no manual is available because Mercedes servicing only is what you buy into when you purchase a lemon like mine you end up replacing part after part until you find the dodgy one. An engine speed sensor fault came up on my ODB11 reader but gearbox faults are not read by the standard readers and smarts own diagnostic machines are equally useless. I had a yellow triangle in the dashboard and tried to read the error when it was still there only to find a no fault situation yet my computer was locked out with no drive where the traction control still thought the car was spinning round on the spot instead of being stuck in a layby. I soon discovered that if the ignition is switched off and back on again it clears the problem but if you have your headlights on at seventy some would take this as a signal for them to move into your lane and there was a real fear the gearbox would come back in at first gear out of the six it has leaving cogs down the motorway at seventy miles an hour. My fears were thankfully unfounded and it came back in at the same gear and continued to run with power restored. The warning triangle is a red herring. it does not exist and the memory shows no fault history after this major event however I have come to live with it. I have however found that the key with it's buttons on one side can open the rear hatch if hastily switched on and off so I always put the buttons on the left side when driving it. Changing the headlight bulbs is impossible for people like me who have huge hands and keeping fingers off the glass is almost impossible. The insurance on one of these is the same as on most cars when you reach a certain age (55) but the tax is only £30 a year. Manuals cannot be purchased in any format but most tech on the smart is very similar to other peoples cars so fly by wire throttles and engine sensors are fairly standard parts that Mercedes do not make but a £17 engine speed sensor from Joes garage will cost you seventy from a smart dealer who will probably not have stock and if you need your car fixed in a hurry expect a two week delay and to get your car back with the same fault but having cost you about £700 for the privilege of having it plugged in to their useless machinery and a button pressed. If you have need of a spare key be aware that it will cost you about £350 as smart keep the key code at the factory for cutting and programming the remote control. There are no locks on the doors to fit the key only the rear hatch so if your battery goes flat in storage you need a small kid to get in and lift the passenger carpet to get to the battery terminals however I have since found out that the locked doors will unlock from use of the interior lever so straighten a coat hanger and get in that way, keep it in the boot at all times and that's only if you managed to get the mechanical side of the key cloned elsewhere for a tenner. some radio operated garage door fobs are programmable but I do not know if this smart system can be copied in the same way. might be worth looking into. My next move is to replace the throttle pedal as it only seems to cut out when the pedal is just above the cruise point so it will slowly creep up to seventy but if you want to overtake another car or go uphill and want the extra grunt forget it, cog down two gears and floor it seems to work best for mine but the smart always takes a second or more to shift gears losing a couple of mph before actually gaining any. Cars behind tend to think I just passed my test or am driving like an idiot. Paint work looks fresh as the day it was made nine years down the line and rust limits itself to the safety cage or the chassis tube around the engine or the suspension springs. Reluctor rings are blamed for most traction control issues but mine are all good and if you paint them with hammerite then you should not get any problems at all for the life of the car. Despite the problems I would recommend this car but would not recommend the very expensive enforced servicing that comes with it. Thank god for Evilution's website! There you can find the details for fitting a traction control off switch for snowy days and a lot of helpful tips to diagnose your own problems if and when they occur especially when the Mercedes 'service' is 'iffy' and two weeks away without your car is unacceptable in my book especially when Mercedes consider themselves to be a prestige car manufacturer. (Most of the world see them as taxis.)

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Dependable Fun, only major fixes = New Sump & OSR Hub at 24000 miles

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I'd say with many cars you pay for what you get. However the smart fourtwo has mercedes input and therefore you get more than you pay for with this car.

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Excellent car. Very economical but major problem with keys needing recoding every 12 to 18 months at £200-300 each time. :(

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Great car for purpose. Cheapest car i have ever owned but great fun. One of few cars with character. Ideal as an additional car, was running two expensive cars which seemed ridiculous -- enjoying spending money on other things!

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It's a brilliant car, but because it is a used car, you can't always know what the history is and that is probably the problem all fixed now

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Too early to say as too new (only 600 miles so far) , but based on the previous similar smart, it should be fine. Economy is disappointing on the newer mitsubishi petrol-engined cars anyway, as was the previous one i owned (same engine, but 84 bhp). This is the 71 bhp mhd and it seems a little better, but once again too early to say. All smarts should have power-steering as standard (not fitted on either of mine) and this does transform city driving i think, but the first time i didn't think it was necessary (dealer said not too). The new one i had the car from the showroom because it looked so good and the wider wheels make it heavier still at low speeds only! Smarts are really a lifestyle thing - how many people wave at you if you're in a ford fiesta if they have one too? Happened in my land-rover, old vw beetle and old range-rover (rusting on the drive) too. But, they are quirky: it is a drivers car, like many odd-ball vehicles and shouldn't be bought without an extensive test drive first. An acquaintance bought a new one on the strength of mine and found it so challenging to drive she sold it....

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Meets my needs - no road tax, good economy and no congestion charge form 4/1/11

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I own a BMW Z4 which is wasted driving through town to work so having hired a Smart car in Italy last year, I bought a fortwo model to drive to work and use the Z4 at the weekend. So carbuyer review says cons are; Auto gearbox is jerky - It's fine, but if you want smooth, just back off on the throttle slightly as it changes gear and it changes very smoothly. It only has two seats - which is one more than I need anyway. Poor performance out of town - The whole design philosophy is that it is a city car and it does not pretend to be a "let's take the Smart and drive down to the South of France for the weekend darling" kind of car, so not sure what point they are trying to make. Saying a Smart has poor performance out of town is like saying a fridge is no good for cooking your dinner. To me this car does exactly what it is designed to do which is be small, easy to park, good MPG and most of all be quirky and fun which is why I like it and why I bought it as the little brother to the Z4. My Smart has no power steering but you would never know it as it is a breeze to drive and instead of £25 per week on petrol for my commute, I now only spend £7 and there is no road tax either. The interior is well spec'd with a really good Sat nav - although I know my way to work so this is more of a luxury. What is really surprising is the interior is huge. I am over 6 feet tall and have no problems. Smarts are a bit like Marmite, you either love them or hate them. I like things that are out of the ordinary, I was one of the first to buy a Chrysler Crossfire in the UK, and the little Smart is not ordinary, which is what I wanted, so I bought one.

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Never let me down. A couple of replacement parts at service in 11 years.

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Excellent

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No problems so far.

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Not had a problem... Always starts first time!

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The funkiest car in the car park. £0 road tax, low insurance, good fuel economy. Great for running around and also takes my full supermarket shop. I love my car.

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Very poor fuel economy; 30 mpg in town. I had a 02 plate and was always astounded by its capabitilies. The 08 '451' 84 bhp passion has unbelievable bad fuel economy, 30 mpg in town. I am looking into a legal action against mercedes. Also the car has had real problems from day 1, some of which have left me stranded in traffic situations, dangerous and embarrassing for me and passenger. But the car would be great without the fuel and reliability issues.

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Car kept going into limp mode, but the dealer had it for a week to test it and gave me a replacement car for this time. No problems since this was dealt with. Great little car, given that i have had it for 9 months and covered 16,000 miles.

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Its small but perfect for 99% of all our journeys. Next time i'd go for the diesel for even greater economy and zero road tax.

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A great town car.

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Superb used car buy. Very small nippy in town or on a,b and m/ways. Plastic body panels keep dents away. Every more than one car family should own a smart for singe person daily road commute.

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Excellent in town, parking never a problem. Once you know how to drive it with it's quirky gearbox, longer journeys are fine too. 70 and cruise control on. Perfect for one person which is most of the time and two when necessary.

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Worst car ever. It looks ridiculous and you can tip them over easily.

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Apart from a flat tyre, been very reliable

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Gears randomly get stuck in neutral when trying to reverse.

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Broken down twice with engine problems.

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never fails to start, runs well, very smooth performance

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ok NOW mhd TURNED OFF..could cut out..did!

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Car did fail several time when nearly new.

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Car feels very solid and dependable; the electrics and mechanics are very strong to say it is used heavily around town!

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No problems other than regular service items.

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Bought with Warrenty. Once initial problems sorted( with great difficulty using a main dealer) . Everything in the garden is rosy

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just totally reliable

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Not broken down but has required a disproportionate amount of repairs at each service

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think it was a friday afternoon car. problems with electronics, gear selection. leaking windscreen and corroding electrical parts

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Fantastic for city driving, not so good on motorways. Very cheap to run, low tax and cheap servicing. Does everything i need a car for, and does it well.

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Delight to drive but beware speed bumps as the short wheelbase makes these uncomfortable.

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Over 7 years motoring. Over 80,000 miles. Rear tyres do 40,000 miles & front 60,000. Only one service in the 7 years has cost more than the basic a, b, c service basic price. Only off the road twice. Once when hit up the rear and once for tesco petrol. Average 55mpg since new. I am now retired and our second car is only used for grandchildren! A fantastic car, but a pitty the new model is not as good.. shame

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Small car good around town and on the motorways too. Not to big an not to small, like its quirky features.

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Good fun to drive and does what it is designed for well. Quiet on the motorway at 70 and nippy around town. Can suprise some bigger and more expensive cars and owners. Not perfect but like most cars it has its faults but they are few. More positives than negatives

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