Overall Rating |  |
The toy-like smart roadster is marvellous fun, with its buzzy little turbocharged engine mounted behind the occupants and sharp rear-wheel-drive handling. It offers affordable thrills and is surprisingly easy to live with.
For
- Everyday Roadster
- Fun to drive
- Comfortable ride
Against
Road Test
The roadster reflects smart's styling flair and turns heads. It comes with either an electric folding fabric hood or a pop-out glass roof panel (dubbed roadster-coupe); they both look great.
This tiny two-seater is one of the smallest cars on the road, with just 80bhp from its little three-cylinder engine, but it's turbocharged to pack a big punch. With its light body and that rear-mounted engine driving the rear axle, the roadster a far more serious sports car than the cute exterior suggests, especially in top-spec (100bhp) Brabus-tuned form. Its true driveability is only spoilt by the clutchless sequential-shift gearbox - slow and jerky in fully-auto mode, fiddly and awkward to shift yourself.
Surprisingly comfortable on long motorway journeys and with good ride quality, roadster is a car that can be used every day; it's more than just a toy or a track day-only indulgence. Prices look high, but it should hold its value.
Need To Know
NCAP: Not tested
Best Models: Coupe
Worst Models: None
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Star Ratings
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