451 Positive Feedbacks?

[letzgo 0]

Hi, thanks to all the contributors on this forum, I have sure learned a lot from all the good info. I noticed that most of you overwhelmingly favour the 450 diesel over the 451. I have a 451 cabriolet on order and I am now feeling kind of anxious if it is a good choice. I wonder if the 451 owners can share some positive feedbacks for this model. Thanks to all.

[rawlus 0]

no issues with the 451. does what it says it does. good mix of value and economy and performance. comfortable and stylish IMHO.i think the favoring of the 450 here is simply due to the vast majority of members are 450 owners.

[sponge 0]

i love my 450 dearly, but if things were to have worked out differently and the gas 451 was available at the time i got my diesel and at the current price it is being sold for, then that would be the vehicle i would be driving. sure, the milage isn't as good. sure it isn't as quirky. but in the end, i can buy a lot of something else for the 4-6 grand price difference.

[SmartieParts 12]

Having had both, I have to be honest and say overall I preferred my 450 (which I've now sold). But with that said, I can break it down pretty simply. I like the engine and transmission better about the 450. I like everything else better about the 451.The fuel economy difference is unlikely to EVER balance out with the initial cost difference plus the (expected) lower maintenance costs of the 451. So economically, I think you do come out ahead with the 451. Long term investment... who know... neither car's been around long enough to say if either will last as long as they should. In my estimation the 451 is a better built product (bolts line up better, seams are tighter, etc) but a diesel should outlast a gas engine every time.Sadly, 450 owners are going to start seeing more and more expensive parts and servicing as the brand has seemingly started its retreat from the 450. Internally, it is getting very difficult to find some replacement and repair items. With the 451 being in the US, that is doubtful to ever be a problem for 451 owners unless it only sells for a couple years - then in 20 years you might start having a problem The US is such a huge market compared to Canada.If someone isn't particularly enamored with the 450 then I would recommend a "typical" car buyer to go for the 451 over the 450. Tons of improvements... just a different engine configuration. - Steven

[Caribou 0]

450 owners were early adopters, so by definition they'll be keen about their cars. :-)

[mimota 0]

I have had my 451 cabriolet for 6 weeks now and love it. It is comfortable, peppy and I love the glass rear window. I test drove a 450 and the 451 and felt more comfortable with the power of the gas motor. I hope this helps.

[ianjay 6]

I've only had our 450, so I can't compare. If you like the 451, just buy and enjoy it. Enough said.I love my smart car.Ian

[JonTheDull 0]

I've had my 451 since January of this year. I've no experience with a 450. I've put 4,500 miles (7,200km) on it and I'm happy with it. It's what I expected it to be. Is it as smooth, roomy, or powerful as a big V8 luxury car? No, but it's not meant to be that. I'm happy with the mileage I get, highest so far 46mpg (5.1 l/100km), lowest 32mpg (7.3l/100km). It goes on the highway fine, it's great around town. I can't ask for more.

[Nextourer 1]

I have a 451 black/silver passion coupé. I've only test driven the 450. Yes the 450 is quirkier with the S-shaped dash, pods for vents and 6-spd sequential with an actual sequential shift lever (not the PRND that we have) but the 451 is a little more grown up with a more business-like dashboard that's straight cut and a row of buttons. It's still fun to drive and I love driving it in manual mode esp. now that I've just broken through the break-in period (2,200kms now). Heated seats (yes I had to use them in May) were fantastic and the little bugger heats up fast.The suspension is a bit firm, yes. It's definitely the firmest vehicle I've owned (or in our family of vehicles) so that shows you where we come from but it's not that jarring. I do have the tyre pressures up a bit (32/39) which might explain it. 29/36 which is the factory spec will be a bit softer. The wipers are fantastic and clear a huge portion of the windshield and forward visibility is great. I love the 3-spoke steering wheel design, one of the nicest wheels that I've seen.Is that enough for ya? hehe.

[letzgo 0]

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU........ to all of you for taking the time to give me such helpful comments. You guys are really the BEST. I will relax now and wait for my 451......(excited).Sue

[Nextourer 1]

You'll be fine =). I bought mine from Richmond, BC. I'm sure you'll have loads of fun in the cabrio (and it's summer!)

[Awesys 4]

I have a 450, but I want a 451! The performance is better (at the expense of fuel economy) from what I could tell from test drives, and the ride is maybe a little better too.

[SmartieParts 12]

The performance is better

So people say!I swear something's wrong with mine but they say its fine. My diesel would kick my gasser's *** any day. Especially at higher speeds, but pretty much at everything over 20kph. The gasser's a bit faster off the line, but that's it. I preferred the performance of my 450 by a WIDE margin. Granted, my 450 was remapped but I think its the lack of turbo that really makes the difference.Or mine's gimped. But for me, in terms of performance, I preferred the 450. - Steven

[Nextourer 1]

The 451's power is up in the middle range for sure. Give this a shot:Stay in D and accelerate moderately, don't lift and hold that pedal position. Let it shift to 2nd. Now from 2nd onwards, pay attention to the acceleration. Below 3,000rpm, you'll get so-so acceleration. Once you past that, you'll feel a surge of extra power. It's almost like it has a light turbo. It's weird.

[Snow_Dogs 0]

No yours isn't gimped. My 451 was the same way, once you hit 5th you really have to work it to keep up a decent speed. Unlike the 450 that once you hit 6th they just want to go... Hmmm.... wounder if my 450 has been remapped? Is there any way to tell?I'm so glad that I traded my 2008 for the 2005.

[VRsyncro 0]

Didn't a few 451's have an issue with the SAI (Secondary Air Injection - Pump)? Don't have the exact fault code. Easy fix covered under warranty.

[Nextourer 1]

Yep.. P0 something something haha.

[Calgary Guy 0]

My 451 just turned over 16K and it is really starting to perform. There was a noticeable difference at 10K but it seems that at 15K, it happened again. I find that in first and second gear, 3/4 throttle gets better acceleration than pushing it to the mat. Once into 3rd, it really starts to show off at about 4500 rpm. Getting around traffic is no problem and merging onto the freeway is a breeze. If necessary, I take it to about 110 kph before shifting to forth. After that, forth gear comes in at about 4500 rpm and you are right on the power band. I find that when cruising on the feeway, fifth is reasonable for passing but if you need to do it quickly, drop it back to forth and hang on. My biggest surprise was how little the AC affects engine power. In previous cars, anything less than a V8 would labour once the air was on and power was needed. Of course, I may be a little biased.....