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Guest Molly47

Driving a SMART in the snow...

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Hey - I'm seriously considering a SMART. I Live in Ottawa and we have pretty serious winters here. I'm wondering if anyone on her is from Ottawa and if you drive your SMART in 4 seasons. What I'm reading online says that it's good in snow, but Ottawa is pretty harsh. Ovbiously snow tires are a good idea, but should I keep anythign else in mind? Or, add any other features?What do you think - Honestly...??THANKS!!

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I am from Vancouver and purchased my smart only last week, so I don't know first hand BUT... talking to a friend of mine who has two smarts (yeah, he likes them that much) he claims that they handle very well in the slippery conditions but unfortunately can get stuck with ease. He had to abandon his smart a few times when trying to drive through a little bit of actual snow... they are low to the ground, the nose gets stuck and that is pretty much it... either you have a shovel or you are walking from there. In short he said these cars suck in the snow in comparison to his other car, which is a Subaru... go figure. Hope this helps.It is much less of a concern to us Vancouverites...Good luck.

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The smart is quite capable in the snow. Snow tires are a must and heated seats are a good idea.

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It's worse than my RWD Peugeot in snow but better than a bicycle, right Eddie? ;)Seriously it is so low that deep snow is impassable and the ESP is useless when trying to drive off on ice. You won't be able to. If those two limitations are OK with you, then go for it.

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It's worse than my RWD Peugeot in snow but better than a bicycle, right Eddie? ;)Seriously it is so low that deep snow is impassable and the ESP is useless when trying to drive off on ice. You won't be able to. If those two limitations are OK with you, then go for it.

What if one had chains on it? Just thinking here...

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Hi Smart Brabus09 - is your friend that had all this trouble in Ottawa?I'm becoming discouraged... I was really hoping I could manage a SMART in the winter here... :(

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Good day and welcome.Don't get too discouraged, there are a number of us here who have driven smarts year round. Good winter tires and heated seats have gotten me through 3 Alberta winters so far. There are a few people in the Ottawa area that are frequent posters on the board, they just might not have a a chance to read this yet. Check out some of the threads about winter tires, there has been a fair bit of discussion about driving in the snow.MG

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I would recommend waiting on a few responses from some Ottawa area owners. Being from one of the snow belt areas of Southwestern Ontario, I had no real issues with the car this past winter.

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Winter tires and good driving technique should get you through 95% of winter.Lots of winter smarties in Thunder Bay, but Ottawa gets more snow.Unplowed sidestreets are a liability when ruts form.On the PLUS side, its really easy to push out of trouble !!

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I would recommend waiting on a few responses from some Ottawa area owners. Being from one of the snow belt areas of Southwestern Ontario, I had no real issues with the car this past winter.

with my limited experience, I would say the lack of inside heat is way more of a problem then the snow. But a gas smart would be better for heat.

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I've driven mine last winter & it's fine....with the following caveat, snowbanks left by plows!

If the forecast calls for 10 cm or so I take my truck to work until the banks blocking the parking lots are cleared.

!5 cm forecast or more & it's almost a given that there will be banks that will hang your smart up lingering

for a couple days.20 cm it stays home banks or no!

Snow tires are a must & a heating pad for the oil pan is good, & if you're really ambitious, a small

120V space heater on a timer as the diesel engine's heater is weak. A gas engine shouldn't be as cold.

A small folding shovel & some stone dust for traction just in case.

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Hi Smart Brabus09 - is your friend that had all this trouble in Ottawa?I'm becoming discouraged... I was really hoping I could manage a SMART in the winter here... :(

My friend is from Vancouver, we do get some snow but not very often, so in general we tend to be less prepared for the conditions (like no shovel in the trunk, no snow tires etc.). Hopefully someone from your area will respond soon.

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I'm from Ottawa, and really have encountered no major problems in snow, other than the top of a parking garage that hadn't been plowed for weeks, and was more than halfway up the tires.

The diesels really do stay cold in the winter, so it's best to dress warm. I don't know about the gassers though.

This winter I'm planning on sometimes carrying a small folding shovel and some sand, but I don't think I'll really need it that much.

Oh, and yes, winter tires are a must. I wouldn't even muck about with all-season ones, you want your traction.

Have a look at The Ottawa Section of CSC. We've had discussions of winter fun, and meets and stuff too.

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Get the heated seats.Ian

Or if you are cheap/buying used, grab a heated seat pad from Canadian Tire when they're on sale for $10.

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My 2 cents....I have been through three winters here in Winnipeg and there have only been two occasions where I chose to take my 4X4 instead of the Smart. With snow tires and proper drving technique (the same techniques you should use driving any car in the snow and ice) I have never had a problem and never got stuck. The lack of heat in the cabin (diesel engine) at 30 below is really the only gripe I have but the heated seats help that a lot.

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I second the above! I've gone through 5 winters in London with no issues (excellent driving technique :rolleyes: )My 4x4 has not turned a wheel during those 5 winters. Rusting as we speak!

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Thanks everyone... sounds like heated seats and a gasoline engine are a definite must - and a shovel in the back for emergencies.... Feeling better... Going to checkout the winter fun and Ottawa posts now...

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I live in Ottawa and have an 06. The car does quite well in the snow, but a GOOD set of winter tires are MANDATORY! Although, on days below -15 or so, you will find you don't have any heat unless you can drive at a steady 100 km/hr for a while. I actually run studded (yes, I know they are illegal) rear tires, which are fantastic in the snow. Leaving a light, I am usually racing against the AWD guys, while the rest of the FWD cars are sitting there spinning their tires, gotta love weight transfer! Our cars are especially good in snow on the Queensway, the really narrow tires cut through the slush and ice with ease, I find myself blowing by everybody on the highway when there is a couple of inches of the white stuff down.

Edited by MightyMouseTech

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with my limited experience, I would say the lack of inside heat is way more of a problem then the snow. But a gas smart would be better for heat.

having said that I would not trade my 05 cdi for anything. just love the thing winter and summer. a garage in the winter is a must as far as I am concerned - if the windows are clear to start it really helps...

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Heat and 451's -- gassers -- 2008s and 2009s, or whatever you wish to call them.Even with the problems I had with my blower this winter -- bad luck but the regulator and the motor were replaced this time so should be good -- I found the heat terrific even at -25. My routine, start the engine, turn heated seats on high and leave the heater on high heat - low blower for about 5 mins, kick the blower up to max and hit recycle the air button and within another 10 - 15 mins I was turning the heat down. So with my about 35 - 40 min commute in the winter I was comfortably warm by the time I had to step out into the elements again to walk the 1/2 km to work from "back40" parking lot. Driving on Calgary's winter roads -IMHO - I found the vehicle did quite well for a low riding car. Of course, it doesn't like deep snow but what "small" car really does. I did fine even on the ice polished roads.

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Hey - I'm seriously considering a SMART. I Live in Ottawa and we have pretty serious winters here. I'm wondering if anyone on her is from Ottawa and if you drive your SMART in 4 seasons. What I'm reading online says that it's good in snow, but Ottawa is pretty harsh. Ovbiously snow tires are a good idea, but should I keep anythign else in mind? Or, add any other features?What do you think - Honestly...??THANKS!!

I am in Ottawa, and have had my Smart since August 2008. The car is not great in snow. Even with winter tires and very conservative driving I would often find myself "losing" it in the rear. If ever you do get stuck don't count on good old fashio driving techniques to get yourself out as the Traction Control system was so bloody sensitive it wouldn't allow the wheels to spin. The heating in the car worked fine, until the blower motor froze into a ball of ice (replaced under warranty). The car always started, even in -40C without being plugged in. The only issue I had related to extreme cold was the shifter mechanism not engaging "D" - Drive. The ABS/TC lights would also come on.Shifter issue was fixed by resealing the brake pedal box (i guess water was getting in???)If this is going to be your only vehicle, then I would buy something else. If you have already have a car, then the addition of a Smart to your fleet is a great move. I would rarely drive my Smart if they forecasted 5-10cm's of snow, just not worth it when I have a 4wd Passat Wagon. Also the fuel mileage is considerably worse than in the summer. I never got more than 330-340km's to a full tank all winter. It also took forever for the heater to finally warm up. Sometimes i'd already be at work before the heat was blowing "WARM"!!All that to say, the Smart is a great 3-season car. If we could delete winter, I would have had no issues at all with my Smart. Let me know if you have any other questions. Cheers,Mike

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Lots of winter smarties in Thunder Bay, but Ottawa gets more snow.Unplowed sidestreets are a liability when ruts form.On the PLUS side, its really easy to push out of trouble !!

Yes, unplowed side streets are a major issue!This past winter I had to often work earling mornings and although the City of Ottawa was great at plowing major roads, the side streets would sometimes be left until a day or two after the storm had passes (especially in Orleans where our side streets are not really a priority). Anyhow, I found that if I ignored all road signs (i.e. stop signs, etc...) and built up enough momentum and kept my foot on the gas, the Smart would make it through 30+CM's of snow covered roads....Like I said in my other post, I love this car for 3 seasons, then hate it for winter.The AC in the 451's work great! Actually blows cold unlike the 450's. Plus there are some great deals out there these days.

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I second the above! I've gone through 5 winters in London with no issues (excellent driving technique :rolleyes: )

Are you for real? My wife did her undergrad @ Western and the only reason I enjoyed making the treck to London during winter was that there was no SNOW!!!5 London winters = 1 Ottawa Fall. :D

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