Smart Roadster (2003 - 2007) Light 2d Auto (2006/06) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

That I am an impulse buying foolish girl who went for looks and a bit more power (than my old car anyway) rather than fidding with all the bells whistles and... knobs (can I say knobs?) before buying...

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

"Nice Lotus!" ;) (I just smile and nod.... ).

Would you buy this car again and why?

Probably not... I don't think I'd ever buy a Smart again, not after the carry on I've had. It's like I love this car, but she wants to kill me, make me unhappy, destroy my financial stability.... she sounds like a really bad wife doesn't she...?!

What are you likely to buy next?

A sensible, slow, reliable car... with 4 or 5 seats, and a boot, and seatbelts that don't fire you out of the car when you have to do emergancy stop... unless that's some sort of hidden optional ejector seat that I've missed?

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£6,000

When did you buy the car?

June 2010

Did you get a good deal and why?

I thought I got a good deal.... until I picked the car up to discover the wipers weren't working, the tyres tread was illigal and then one day it rained..... and my car became a puddle!

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

I wanted something small, cheap and fast, it seemed to fit the bill.

What was the dealer like?

Basically after a quick sale, saw me coming from a mile off, couldn't wait to plam the shed off onto me!

What's it like to drive?

I love driving this car, the only reason I still own this car is because it is so much fun to drive. It corners like it's on rails. You can fit through the smallest of gaps and badly positioned drivers trying to turn right as you go straight on - making town driving a breeze. Motorway performance is great, I did a lot of motorway miles in this car last summer and I enjoyed every second of it (except for the occasional strange smell of the London Underground coming from the engine, but I call it character...).

What's it like to park?

Seriously, you can park this car anywhere, even the smallest of spaces you will fit in.... although if you fit in a really tight spot... good luck getting out of the car, it's pretty much impossible unless you have about a metre between your door and the wall/car next to you. But it';s still fun to say to friends "bet i can get my car into that tiny spot..." "bet you can't" "how much you wanna bet..." yeah... made a few quid with that one :). Reverse parking, parrallel, whatever, it's easy, and I'm a woman... so yeah, it must be easy if I can do it! I'm pretty sure I could train my cats to park this car...

Have you had any problems with the car?

Where do I start... I have owned the car 22 months and in this time: Wiper motor siezed, Rear light let in water, eventally corroding the tail light connectors meaning new light casing and new looms. Water seeps in through the door seals, the wing mirrors and roof. Driving along and sometimes the seatbelt decides to just release itself - practical - if you want to die quickly... Stereo likes to randomly turn on and off - car seems to think she is bumblebee from transformers, I tell her to change into a chevvy camaro... she won't.The handbrake might as well not be there, it needs tightening every other week it seems, park this thing on a hill in neutral... it'll be gone when you get back...

What's most practical about your car?

The glove box is built for purpose - holding gloves and only gloves - very practical if you only own gloves. Slam your brakes on hard enough and the contents of the rear boot will fly forward onto your lap - handy if you are lost and you can't be bothered to stop to pull out the A-Z, not handy when you have a boot full of heavy files that smack you in the head. Seriously, the first time this happened I thought I'd been shot. The amature gymnastics you have to perform to get in and out of the car are both fun and a great way to keep fit!

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Well seeing as this is the light option, it does come with pretty much nothing, although I was lucky enough to get some added extras with mine, alloys, leather steering wheel, stereo with CD player, among other stuff. It is pretty cool that the passenger seat folds down for extra space, although in my car the seat is so stubborn it takes about 12 burly blokes just to fold it flat...