Buying Guide: Smart Roadster and Roadster-Coupé

Hello Petrolheads!

In today’s post, I decided to put down a comprehensive guide featuring all the points to look at while searching for a Smart Roadster, plus answering a few of the most regular questions I’m asked. Having first acquired a Roadster 9 years ago and nowadays owning two further units, and having read an awful lot about it, allowed me to have a very detailed idea about the strong and weak points of this Automotive pearl.

So, considering buying a Smart Roadster? Congratulations! You’re on the way to a very fun life experience. But, to be so, you must do your homework first.

-       Which production year?

Generally speaking, I always advise people to avoid cars produced during the first production year. I’m a Mechanical Engineer specialized in vehicle development and production, so have a perfect insight about the topic. Without entering in details, let’s just say that rigid marketing milestones regularly imply a car coming to market without perfect part maturation. What that means is that, during the first production months, many components are still not the final design, therefore not as good. That even applies to the body in white (a colleague of mine actually worked on the Roadster's bodyshop planning, and told me some "fun" stories...).

Now, almost 25.000 of the ca. 43.000 total produced Roadster were built on that first production year, 2003. More than half of all production. That automatically means excluding a considerable amount of an already small market.

Making matters worse, the Roadster was a slow seller, due to its high price and low practicality. That means the first registration might have happened on a year different from the production one. The Roadster was produced until November of 2005, yet some units were first registered as late as 2007. But fear not, it’s easy to check where a particular unit fits in the production year: the Smart’s VIN ends on a 5-digit sequential number, which is the exact production number. That way, you can tell whether a car with a 2005 registration was produced before or afterwards that 25.000 threshold.

-       Older with less use, or newer with more mileage?

From the remaining production years, normally, I advise to buy with the lowest mileage possible, irrespectively of the car having being produced in 2004 or 2005. But the key factor is maintenance, really. A 30k km car with one service each 10k kimometres, which stood still for long periods, is obviously less advisable than one with 60k km which was driven regularly, although sporadically, and serviced frequently. A thorough history, with original invoices, is what you ideally should look for. The ideal owner doesn’t save on preventive maintenance.

-       Which engine version?

The Roadster was available in three engine versions: 45 kW (61 PS), 60 kW (82 PS) and 74 kW (101 PS) Brabus, plus a dealer-fitted 66 kW (90 PS) Brabus chip tuning, based on the 60kW version. These can be checked on the car’s VIN as well:

Version	45	60	66 chip	Brabus
VIN (WME.xxx.xxx)	452.432	452.434	452.434	452.437
Power (kW/ PS)	45/ 61	60/ 82	66/ 90	74/ 101
Torque (Nm)	95	110	120	130
0-100 km/h (0-62 mph)	15,5	10,9	10,4	9,8
Top Speed km/h (mph)	160 (99)	175 (109)	179 (111)	190 (118)
Fuel consumption L/100km (mpg UK)	6,2/ 4,1/ 4,9 (46/ 69/ 58)	6,3/ 4,3/ 5,1 (45/ 66/ 55)	7,0/ 4,5/ 5,4 (40/ 63/ 52)	6,6/ 4,6/ 5,3 (43/ 61/ 53)
CO2 (g/100km)	117	121	128	126
Fuel’s Octane rating	95	98	98	98

The above displayed figures are factory claims and apply for the Roadster version. 66 chip data including Brabus suspension and wheels. Roadster-Coupés’ VIN: WME.452.33x.xL.0xxxxx (the forth digit is a 3, instead of a 4).

Despite all sharing the same 3-cylinder, 698cc engine block and most components, there are physical differences between the three:

45kW: best avoided. The weakest powerplant is also the least reliable. Taken straight from the Fortwo W450, it’s gutless on the Roadster, lacks an oil-cooler and has a reputation for burning oil from an early stage. Not even available on the Coupé.

60kW: the sweet spot. Featuring reinforced components (from the induction to the complete exhaust system), this engine was developed specifically for the Roadster. It’s progressive, revs happily, has a broad power band and manages averages below 4 l/100km (70+ mpg UK), emitting few CO₂.

66 kW: same mechanicals as the 60kW mean there’s more internal stress due to more heat being produced. Never drove a car with it, so no idea how it performs.

Brabus: again featuring reinforced components in comparison with the 60kW, it has a narrow, stronger power band high up in the rev range. It’s gutless on the low end though, due to the massive turbo lag.

Both the 60kW and Brabus engines are relatively strong, but there is one thing neither tolerates: being thrashed from cold. Actually, I suspect that’s the main problem maker on the 45kW engine: because it’s underpowered for the Roadster (although fine for the lighter Fortwo), it’s thrashed just to deliver normal performance, therefore starting to burn oil and afterwards valves, and so on. Some cars do that from as early as 50k km (31k miles).

For all engine versions:

1.    They are chain driven, so there’s no regular timing belt change to worry about; but because of that, engine oil level and quality is a top priority.

2.    Speaking of which: oil changes (ca. 3L) MUST be performed each 10k km (6k miles) or each two years. Remember this is a high output engine for its size, with specific outputs ranging from 87 to 145 PS/ litre (to put that into perspective: the standard Porsche 911 Turbo of the time – the 996 – with its 309kW/ 420PS, had a specific output of 117 PS/ litre – exactly the same as the Roadster 60kW). Oil must be sucked, as there’s no oil drain in the pan (although some owners fit an aftermarket oil pan which does).

3.    The engine is a twin-spark design; many people don’t know that, and only change the upper-mounted spark plugs. The change of the lower ones requires the removal of the rear bumper (not joking). To be done more regularly if low-quality fuel is used.

4.    General work in the engine is hard, as everything is extremely tightly packaged. Bear that in mind whether you plan in servicing it yourself or when you analyse your workshop’s invoice.

5.    Coolant changes: extremely important as well. All-aluminium engine blocks, in general, are very sensitive to corrosion. To be done approximately each 4 years, depending on how you use the car: long drives with few cold starts means less degradation of the coolant, whereas daily use in the city means more of it. Upside: very easy to perform, as there’s an engine drain plug, a bleeding point and the radiator hoses are easily accessible.

-       Roadster or Roadster-Coupé?

It’s mostly a matter of personal preference design-wise. The Coupé is almost twice as rare as the Roadster, due to its higher showroom price, making it harder to find, and more expensive, today. Its rear hatch provides additional storage space, making it slightly more practical. There’s no relevant difference handling wise, and the performance is blunted more by the standard bigger wheels than the weight penalty.

-       Wheels: big or small?

If your top priority are looks, then go for the standard 17”. There are two designs: Brabus and Runline. Brabus’ are lighter, but extremely fragile; Runlines are tough, but rarer and heavier. The tires are hard to find and very expensive.

If you value everything else, go for the base 15” alloys. Called Spinline, they look good and are the smallest wheels the Roadsters – all of them, in most markets – can legally have. The rubber is 185/55R15, more than enough for all engines’ power and very low weight and centre of gravity of the car. They provide the best handling, ride, performance and economy of use.

One note for all wheels: unless you drive A LOT, or very aggressively, tire changes are to be performed because the rubber becomes dry, not because the profile runs out. That alone says a lot about the low weight and superb chassis balance of the Roadster.

-       Roof: Soft top or Hard top?

The electric soft top was standard fitted to most Roadsters. Exceptions: Base 45kW and Roadster-Coupés from the first production year, both on the “to be avoided” list. It must be used regularly to stay working fine, and protected from the Sun’s UV radiation, which makes it shrink from the sides and generally look bad. Provides poor acoustic insulation, but uses little storage space when open.

The manual hard top is extremely rare nowadays, as Smart stopped selling it long ago. It requires specific mountings on the car’s front and rear roof frames. It’s also weak against the Sun’s UV radiation, but can be painted, solving the problem. Better acoustic insulation, but prone to squeaks. Takes a significant use of boot space when not in use.

-       Leaks?

The real Roadster’s Aquilles Heel, and the most important reason for DaimlerChrysler to stop production less than 3 years after the market introduction. Many already did from new, most do nowadays. They can happen in very different points, from the side roof’s rubber seal (both Soft and Hard top) to the wing mirrors to even the front bulkhead. The last one is the most critical, as it can lead to ECU damage, but it’s also the one which has a solution: to disassemble the bulkhead cover and correctly apply sealer beneath it. Always having the bulkhead drains – one left, one right – unobstructed is also mandatory.

The side leaks are extremely hard to eliminate. Having the doors perfectly aligned (some people grab them while trying to get out of the car) and the rubber seals always well lubricated with silicon spray helps massively. But even so, sometimes, out of the blue, a leak can occur. All my 3 Roadsters leak slightly from the wing mirrors, with two different sealer designs. Bizarrely, on the move all is well, even on downpours…

Should you be put off by these?

YES, if you plan in using the car daily or have no garage to store it while not in use.

NO, if you have a garage and will use it as a toy for when the mood takes you fancy. And the weather is dry.

-       Gearbox?

Together with the leaks, the biggest discussion topic all around the Internet.

First of all, a false statement which goes around states that Brabuses have a faster and smoother gearbox than the rest. That’s plain false. What they do have is a reinforced clutch, which they still regularly overcook. The only difference on the way they change gear is exclusively related to the software version. My late-production Brabus Xclusive and mid-production Roadster-Coupé are similar, but way worse than my mid-production, late first registration Roadster 60. That is a fact. Has the later registration something to do with it? Well… please stare the stars at night and let me know if you find the answer.

The only, minor difference of the Brabus software is only ever noticeable while arriving at roundabouts, as it’s less prone to engage neutral and, therefore, leave you without power for a quick burst of acceleration if you suddenly need it. The regular Roadsters engage neutral when the car is decelerating from a certain rate, and only re-engage a gear when you leave the brake pedal. Manually downshifting avoids all that.
None is the deal-breaker some people say it is. Flappy paddles on the steering wheel? Nice to have... but not mandatory.

-       Steering?

Without power steering. Always. No, really. Unless you’re very weak, or lazy, even a Brabus without it is perfectly maneuverable. The upside is an un-corrupted steering feel. No other car I know betters a Smart Roadster on this front. I hear wonders about Lotuses, but having never driven one I don’t know if they are even better.

The only downside of both systems is that both are low geared for current standards, requiring more wheel turning than you might expect.

-       Air Conditioning?

YES. Comfort-wise, it’s especially important on Roadster-Coupés, because the rear hatch exponentially heats the interior under the Sun; therefore, it was standard fitted to them. It was optional equipment on the Roadsters, but that also depends on the market.

It’s most important feature, though, is another one. The Roadster’s engine tends to run hot when stationary; for some reason I can’t understand, the radiator fan only deploys when the coolant temperature reaches some 110ºC, which I find way, way too late. It then drops the temperature to some 80ºC in a matter of seconds – a drastic temperature change, bad for everything. The thing is, though, when you connect the A/C, you engage the compressor and also the cooling fan – being a simple way to activate it when you want, avoiding the engine’s temperature going so high up in the first place. That also means the optional additional instruments – the two pods on the top of the centre console displaying engine coolant temperature and turbo pressure – are mandatory equipment, as that’s the only way you know the engine’s coolant temperature in the first place. Contrary to almost all of the displays in the entire Automotive Industry, it really shows the current engine temperature, not falsely capping it at 90ºC. Always keep an eye on it when stationary in traffic or during technical inspections.

-       Anything else?

Avoid modified cars in general, cars which have been lowered and personalized in particular. These also tend to be chip-tuned, something you will want to avoid by all means – if someone felt the need for more power, they likely drive aggressively.

Also, never, ever buy a Roadster without driving it before. It’s not mandatory on many, new-ish official-dealer cars, but it is on this occasion: not just to check whether all performs fine, but also to have the feel of it, including one of the biggest drawbacks in real life – getting in and, especially, out of it. You must be physically fit, and that alone is yet another reason to buy a Roadster: you must keep doing some sport!

Finally, remember: this is a toy. Need a tool for daily use? Better look elsewhere.