smart in the snow???

Luke1robb · 12-25-2008, 05:07 PM

So I'm thinking about getting a smart and I want to know how they drive in the snow. I saw one the other night driving down the street in Cambridge, MA, my hometown. Can anyone give me any insights into what their like to drive through the snow and a comparison to a non-smart car? Better? Worse? Same?

Thanks for the input,
Luke

jefferios · 12-25-2008, 06:08 PM

My smart with snow tires is better than my FWD Pontiac Aztek.

blackbeagle · 12-26-2008, 10:18 AM

If you do get a Smart, make sure you have about $500 left over for snow tires. You'll read some posts on here that'll say that stock tires are fine. They may be fine for limping down the streets but when it comes to 'normal' driving in winter conditions, they cannot give you the turning, stopping, and acceleration power as a smart equipped with snow tires.

I am a huge proponent of snow tires. You buy them. You drive one winter on it. You will be sold as well. If I asked to buy the snow tires back from you the following winter, you would tell me to get lost.

JD10367 · 12-26-2008, 10:42 AM

Wow. A snow thread. Haven't seen one of these.

Hey, I think the automatic transmission in this car is AWFUL. Just sayin'. Anyone else notice that?

jefferios · 12-26-2008, 11:20 AM

Also, feel free to do a search, or looking below for similar threads as this has been a very popular topic in the recent weeks.

NeWave · 01-14-2009, 03:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD10367

Wow. A snow thread. Haven't seen one of these.

Hey, I think the automatic transmission in this car is AWFUL. Just sayin'. Anyone else notice that?

Leik OMG ! The transmission is not automatic!!!111one It's an automated manual transmissison!!!

...

Anyhoo. I'm too lazy/cheap to put snows on mine. In the past several years, snow hasn't stayed on the ground long enough to make a difference. Then again, 95% of the time it's already plowed and salted by the time I get to it if it does stay. Hooray for big cities...

mdfortwoguy · 01-14-2009, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD10367

Hey, I think the automatic transmission in this car is AWFUL. Just sayin'. Anyone else notice that?

As the previous poster stated, it's not an automatic. It's quite brilliant actually once you understand the workings of it, and understand what it is doing and why it reacts the way it does in given situations.

3/4 of the "problems" with the transmission in this car are caused/aggravated by the driver of the vehicle.

Neonspinnazz · 01-14-2009, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JD10367

Wow. A snow thread. Haven't seen one of these.

Hey, I think the automatic transmission in this car is AWFUL. Just sayin'. Anyone else notice that?

This is going to be fun!

The smart uses a automated-manual transmission, meaning that you can shift it in manual mode, or let it do the shifting in auto mode. There's no clutch pedal.

It's supposed to act like a manual transmission because it IS one!
Give it a couple thousands of miles and like most other cars, it'll fix itself out.

-As far as snow goes. Here's my top 4 smart snow tires.

1. snow tires.
cost: $$$
2. All weather radials.
cost: $$$
3. Tire chains.
cost: $$
4. The autosock.
cost: $80

Steve Eaves · 01-14-2009, 10:10 AM

Well if you are only going to go 30 miles per hr, you would get run over on our highways even in snow conditions. Go ahead and spend the money and get some Blizzacks and then your life and safety of others would be much better.Google d the autosock and it looks like it would be fine for slow roads. Probably would never leave the trunk in my case.
Steve

PerryA · 01-14-2009, 11:20 AM

Have had my Smart since June so I started the season on the stock tires and then converted to winter tires (Continentals offered at the dealer).

My quick take:

Use the transmission. If you know manual transmissions, you'll find this easy (and easier) because you have no clutch pedal to fuss with in adverse weather and, unless you have a Pure, you have the paddles on the steering wheel so you keep your hands on the wheel the whole time.

If you aren't lucky enough (NetWave) to have the snow for only short durations or your city isn't quick with salt and plowing, you'll probably want winter tires. After some icy conditions and some snowy conditions with and without winter tires, there is a positive difference using winter tires. (Lake Erie is at 32 degrees so we may lose some of our lake effect snow cinditions - yah hoo.)

The stability control (ESP) and the ABS add a considerable amount of control.

So, if you don't have heavy and steady snow conditions, you may find a combination of ESP/ABS and manually shifting to keep the transmission from upshifting when you want the traction may be sufficient. I have been driving a manual-transmission AWD RAV4 for 11 years prior to this season, and the Smart hasn't kept me housebound yet this winter.