Poor Handling at 65mph plus

[canon1753]

Before the great attack on the site, I remember someone was putting vortex generators on the roof. Did that do anything?

[LinuxGuy]

There is a long thread on 451s dot com started by SATO on this subject entitled: "cross winds and or squirmy at speed". Some improvement reported with tire/wheel change and suspension tweaks.

[iwantmysmart]

I have no problems with the handling at high speeds (usually drive 80). My car doesn't shift in the lane or feel like it is going to be blown off the road. Doesn't feel unstable at all even at 90

[JPaul]

It's a somewhat subjective issue: don't forget where we are coming from. Some of us have driven big cruisers, some are/were bikers. The latter do know what grooved pavement can do... A minibus driver knows what a burst of wind can feel like.
So, for some, the smart maybe a bit disconcerting at first. And for some, it's just a shoe-in.
The bottom line is that it's not fundamentally unsafe, but it requires to be driven, with all due attention. As all driving should be.

What am I standing on? A soap box? Nah!

[anthony94114]

It's sort of like when you ride a bike.. sit upright (as the smart does) and a breeze catches you and you FEEL it.. hunker down like a racing cyclist (as most cars do, lowering the center of gravity) and cross winds make less difference. The smart is tall, short and naturally prone to cross winds. I've definitely even felt them going over hills in San Francisco at 35-40mph.

[The GMan]

Because of the short wheel base and the sensitive steering, make sure you are not OVERCONTROLLING. Move the the steering wheel in very small increments. Guide the car instead of steering the car with pressure on the wheel instead of actually moving it from side to side.
(My mother-in-law had a big sport sedan and could never keep it going straight down the road either, because she insisted on steering it instead of guiding it.)

Hope this helps

[Dave Van]

The Smart car is very different. It's not bad or a lot better than the average car on US roads. The narrow track and short wheelbase make for a very different driver. 10 minutes after I picked up my car I was on the interstate driving the 4 hours home. And while I just drove on the interstate to get out of the Pittsburgh area before we swithced over to back roads....learning to drive the Smart took me about 3 days before it became second nature to me. Now my Concorde seems very strange when I have to jump into it! If it's really bad there may be a issue....but just 'different' I'd say you will get used to it....

The bottom line is that it's not fundamentally unsafe, but it requires to be driven, with all due attention. As all driving should be.

Can't really say it better than that!

[mvukovich]

We had no problems with handling at high speeds. We had two huge Semi trucks sandwich our Smart car in-between them doing 70mph. No problem, my wife zip around one of them doing 75mph.

[Karl Roth]

Originally Posted by canon1753

Before the great attack on the site, I remember someone was putting vortex generators on the roof. Did that do anything?

made money for the folks that sold them
karl

[RussBarnes]

I installed nine on mine. About $2.50 each so not a big cost factor. I put 6 on the rear spoiler and three under the front pan. Did it help - who knows since the wind conditions aren't the same unless in a controlled wind tunnel? Did it feel like it made any difference - I think so, but not a black and white difference. On a 1-10 scale I think it felt a little less twichy, but still was buffeted, so I give it a 2-3. Would I do it again, YES in a heartbeat because with the gloss black paint I applied they look factory and the feeling that it worked. But I expect the wider front rims and four new Michelins I'll be putting on next week will make much more of a difference.....let you know.