Questions about Smart 450 CDI, before buying.

[Meir 0]

Hi, I am fairly new to car forums and smart cars. Over last several weeks I was thinking and researching some stuff about smart cars but I still can't come to conclusion… I was thinking about getting smart 450 CDI. I would like to use it to go to work, which is about 50KM (highway driving) away and drive around a city. I drove smart couple of times and I liked it, I don't care about performance, speed and stuff like that, it appears to be like a nice little cruiser… which can take me to places and save some money on gas (diesel).So here are my questions ( I am aiming at smart 450 CDI ):1) What is life expectancy of the car? ( engine, tranny, body and other vital things )2) Is it expensive to maintain? ( I can fix some stuff by myself )3) What's the acceptable milage of the car I can buy?4) Is it possible to get cruise control in smart?5) How to determine if car has issue, before buying it?6) Tires, it seems like smart has different size tires Front/Back, what's deal? Do I have to buy special tires ( or walmart tires will do )? Can I put the same size tires ( what's consequences? )?I read some stuff on forums and it seems that some smarts have some issues… like turbos and engine blown… but I didn't quite figured if those issue are with gas smarts or cdi… Can you please layout it out for me, what are realities of owning the car and if it can serve me for a long time. I don't like to change cars often, so if I buy one, I expect it to work for at least another 7-15 years … currently I have Mitsubishi Mirage 1995 ( with 350,000 KM ) and it works like a charm, so I got spoiled with long lasting Japanese cars.Thank you.

Edited September 8, 2010 by Meir

[MikeT 744]

1. Where do you live? If it's a cold winter area and the smart is an all-year car, I would say it won't be as reliable as it could be if you live in coastal BC. I think the design standard for the engine was 5000 hours in European road conditions. Multiply that by your average speed to determine likely lifespan in a temperate climate.2. It is expensive to maintain, probably double that of a Corolla. Even with DIY, the oil wants changing (only the best will do) every 8000 km. Some items are more difficult to DIY than others. Dealer services are quite expensive.3. Get the lowest km you can, with some residual warranty. Buying a premium-priced smart certified car with extended limited warranty may be extra money very well spent. Use the early months of ownership to sort out any bugs for free.4. Yes: the best is done by Fast Eddy in Richmond BC, it is OE cruise activation, perfectly seamless operation ($400). No M-B dealer is permitted to activate it (all cars are pre-equipped for it). The distant second choice for cruise control is the MDC aftermarket system ($550 if you can find it).5. With warranty this isn't much of a problem. Press the button on the LH side of the dash binnacle twice in quick succession to see the service information appear in the LCD screen. If any number is negative, DO NOT buy the car, it has been mistreated. These cars will not tolerate skipped oil changes.6. Don't buy stuff at Wal-Mart, it is usually crap. Get the proper tires for the car.

[Meir 0]

1. Where do you live? If it's a cold winter area and the smart is an all-year car, I would say it won't be as reliable as it could be if you live in coastal BC. I think the design standard for the engine was 5000 hours in European road conditions. Multiply that by your average speed to determine likely lifespan in a temperate climate.2. It is expensive to maintain, probably double that of a Corolla. Even with DIY, the oil wants changing (only the best will do) every 8000 km. Some items are more difficult to DIY than others. Dealer services are quite expensive.3. Get the lowest km you can, with some residual warranty. Buying a premium-priced smart certified car with extended limited warranty may be extra money very well spent. Use the early months of ownership to sort out any bugs for free.4. Yes: the best is done by Fast Eddy in Richmond BC, it is OE cruise activation, perfectly seamless operation ($400). No M-B dealer is permitted to activate it (all cars are pre-equipped for it). The distant second choice for cruise control is the MDC aftermarket system ($550 if you can find it).5. With warranty this isn't much of a problem. Press the button on the LH side of the dash binnacle twice in quick succession to see the service information appear in the LCD screen. If any number is negative, DO NOT buy the car, it has been mistreated. These cars will not tolerate skipped oil changes.6. Don't buy stuff at Wal-Mart, it is usually crap. Get the proper tires for the car.

1. I live in Windsor, Ontario. 5000 hours seems quite low... is it how they measure life expectancy of an engine?2. I never go to dealers ( only to buy some part that's not available any other way ) and I have mechanic that is quite good with fixing MBens.3. The reason why I wonder about mileage, is that may be previous owner has fixed everything that was falling apart... so is car has about 100KM means it's been driven and fixed... I am wrong? And while we are on it, is is better to buy from dealer ( which dealer? MB? ) or private? 5. What does negative value indicate? 6. Well, I know wal-mart tires are crap, but... smart doesn't go that fast and therefore doesn't need specialty tires... am I wrong? and what's deal with different sizes of tires on front and back?Thanks you.P.S: I still would like to know what is reasonable to expect (in terms of KM ) from engine, tranny, body and turbo. Edited September 5, 2010 by Meir

[MikeT 744]

5000 hours at an average speed of 60 km/h is 300,000 km. I think it's pretty much a normal design standard for most cars these days.Your independent service point would need to have a Mercedes-Benz STAR computer to perform services on the car properly. Otherwise you will have to go to the dealer for certain services: clutch adjustment, airbag, transmission and other electronic diagnostics.Just get one with some warranty. That's all that matters. A car with 100K km will not have any.Negative value is indicating overdue service. Tires are the most important safety item on a car! Don't buy crap tires!

[Meir 0]

5000 hours at an average speed of 60 km/h is 300,000 km. I think it's pretty much a normal design standard for most cars these days.Your independent service point would need to have a Mercedes-Benz STAR computer to perform services on the car properly. Otherwise you will have to go to the dealer for certain services: clutch adjustment, airbag, transmission and other electronic diagnostics.Just get one with some warranty. That's all that matters. A car with 100K km will not have any.Negative value is indicating overdue service. Tires are the most important safety item on a car! Don't buy crap tires!

Can you give me details for MB STAR computer, what's the use of it? Basically is it for setting values or just for diagnostics? What about clutch adjustments and tranny?How are negative values set? For example: is it because after change of oil you have to connect smart to computer and set some values on the computer?About tires... I don't have any experience driving RWD, I always drove FWD... with FWD it is kind of easy, since most of weight is on front, it has pretty good traction on front wheels... so I drove my car without any problems even on bad tires ( of course driving carefully ). Is it that different with RWD?

[MikeT 744]

The STAR computer is needed to do all sorts of things to the car, not just diagnostics. Any OBDII tool can read engine codes, but cannot read the other codes (braking, SRS, transmission control, etc) not can generic tools make the adjustments.The car counts down its service schedule and if the number is negative, that's an indictment of the car's service history. The counter can be reset by anyone if you know how to do it.RWD, FWD, 4WD, tires are all-important. Use proper tires for the car.If very low cost of service and using cheap tires are things you are used to, steer clear of smart.

[Meir 0]

The STAR computer is needed to do all sorts of things to the car, not just diagnostics. Any OBDII tool can read engine codes, but cannot read the other codes (braking, SRS, transmission control, etc) not can generic tools make the adjustments.The car counts down its service schedule and if the number is negative, that's an indictment of the car's service history. The counter can be reset by anyone if you know how to do it.RWD, FWD, 4WD, tires are all-important. Use proper tires for the car.If very low cost of service and using cheap tires are things you are used to, steer clear of smart.

So let me get it right... you can reset counter? What's use of looking at it?About tires: so what are the proper tires? and exactly why wal-mart ones are bad? Is it compound? Strings? or something else?

[MikeT 744]

It is difficult to reset and someone who has neglected maintenance will neither know how to do it nor have someone else do it.Wal Mart does not sell smart sized tires.

[Britsmart 0]

1) My theory with this is, depends on how you treat the car will determine the life expentancy. Obviously things will need repairing along the way as with any car, just depends, each are different. I put 23,000km on my car since I have owned it (Aug 2009), I do all the required services that come up, and nothing major has gone (All I have is a minor leak in the turbo, but the pressure is still there so no issues in my smarts performance)2) With expense regarding the upkeep of the vehicle, yeah that 450 is more expensive. Being a diesel has to go in more often, with having both an A and B service, this year I have had two A's and one B so in maintance it has cost me around $600+ (Do I mind, not at all, I adore my car, so it doesn't bother me). Very few people I trust with doing work on my car, Glenn (smart142) is the only gentleman I trust outside Mercedes dealers.3) In regards to mileage, I would try and and aim for one with the lowest you can find -100,000km forsure, go threw an MB dealership is what I recommend. I bought mine via a used dealership, and now I know they didn't know anything about the car (didn't know it had cruise on it, thought the air intake for the engine was for the option of switching the gas tank) If I knew what I know now, I doubt I would've bought the car, since they were lying (I love my smart don't get me wrong, I would never trade it)4) It is possible to have Cruise Control in a smart, I have one, which was installed by Glenn by the previous owner of my car. Couldn't live without it, I do a lot of highway driving and it is the most fantastic option to have.5) Listen to the car, have it looked at by someone you trust or by Mercedes. Use your past knowledge, if it doesn't feel right and your gut is saying "alright something is fishy here" don't buy it.6) Tires, yes they are staggered for a reason, bigger tires on the back lead to better grip on a rear wheel drive small car. Simply the answer to that is no, you cannot put the same size tire around, otherwise it would've come like that. Rims are different in the back (deeper & larger) then they are in the front. Consquences are just don't do it, for your safety and everyone elses. For me personally I like the Continental tires, I would highly recommend that you get winter tires for your smart, makes all the difference.I think for you, judging by the lifespan you expect from a vehicle that the smart is not a good choice. Some people have got to the 200,000km point, I do expect the same out of my car, with keeping up to date with the smart service schedule and getting things done that are not working right, fixed. If you have had fantastic reliability from your Mitsubishi then why not stay with their brand and go with a newer car in their lineup.Good luck on your decision and keep us up to date.Brit

Edited September 6, 2010 by Britsmart

[Meir 0]

It is difficult to reset and someone who has neglected maintenance will neither know how to do it nor have someone else do it.Wal Mart does not sell smart sized tires.

I see, I googled and apparently only 4 companies sell those tires. http://www.richhelms.ca/richhelms/?p=98Am I right?

[Meir 0]

1) My theory with this is, depends on how you treat the car will determine the life expentancy. Obviously things will need repairing along the way as with any car, just depends, each are different. I put 23,000km on my car since I have owned it (Aug 2009), I do all the required services that come up, and nothing major has gone (All I have is a minor leak in the turbo, but the pressure is still there so no issues in my smarts performance)2) With expense regarding the upkeep of the vehicle, yeah that 450 is more expensive. Being a diesel has to go in more often, with having both an A and B service, this year I have had two A's and one B so in maintance it has cost me around $600+ (Do I mind, not at all, I adore my car, so it doesn't bother me). Very few people I trust with doing work on my car, Glenn (smart142) is the only gentleman I trust outside Mercedes dealers.3) In regards to mileage, I would try and and aim for one with the lowest you can find -100,000km forsure, go threw an MB dealership is what I recommend. I bought mine via a used dealership, and now I know they didn't know anything about the car (didn't know it had cruise on it, thought the air intake for the engine was for the option of switching the gas tank) If I knew what I know now, I doubt I would've bought the car, since they were lying (I love my smart don't get me wrong, I would never trade it)4) It is possible to have Cruise Control in a smart, I have one, which was installed by Glenn by the previous owner of my car. Couldn't live without it, I do a lot of highway driving and it is the most fantastic option to have.5) Listen to the car, have it looked at by someone you trust or by Mercedes. Use your past knowledge, if it doesn't feel right and your gut is saying "alright something is fishy here" don't buy it.6) Tires, yes they are staggered for a reason, bigger tires on the back lead to better grip on a rear wheel drive small car. Simply the answer to that is no, you cannot put the same size tire around, otherwise it would've come like that. Rims are different in the back (deeper & larger) then they are in the front. Consquences are just don't do it, for your safety and everyone elses. For me personally I like the Continental tires, I would highly recommend that you get winter tires for your smart, makes all the difference.I think for you, judging by the lifespan you expect from a vehicle that the smart is not a good choice. Some people have got to the 200,000km point, I do expect the same out of my car, with keeping up to date with the smart service schedule and getting things done that are not working right, fixed. If you have had fantastic reliability from your Mitsubishi then why not stay with their brand and go with a newer car in their lineup.Good luck on your decision and keep us up to date.Brit

All the stuff I read about smart and this thread makes me wonder... if smart is for me... I mean I love the car, but the package that comes with it seems to be more and more disappointing. Special tires, special tools, not highly reliable, lack of parts ( some stuff apparently has to be ordered from Germany ), discontinued diesel line of smarts... oh man... initially I thought that smart is the same as my little car... cheap on gas, doesn't require much maintains ( just change oil and keep an eye on any noises... ), easy to fix and cost less than $700 a year to run... I guess I was wrong...May be you are right, I should look at Japanese cars... since they are generally extremely reliable, cheap to maintain and don't require any special tools... I found Toyota IQ... may be that's way to go... P.S: Still thinking Edited September 8, 2010 by Meir

[Britsmart 0]

All the stuff I read about smart and this thread makes me wonder... if smart is for me... I mean I love the car, but the package that comes with it seems to be more and more disappointing. Special tires, special tools, not highly reliable, lack of parts ( some stuff apparently has to be ordered from Germany ), discontinued diesel line of smarts... oh man... initially I thought that smart is the same as my little car... cheap on gas, doesn't require much maintains ( just change oil and keep an eye on any noises... ), easy to fix and cost less than $700 a year to run... I guess I was wrong...May be you are right, I should look at jap. cars... since they are generally extremely reliable, cheap to maintain and don't require any special tools... I found Toyota IQ... may be that's way to go... P.S: Still thinking

A lot of people adore the smart car (non-owners) but when it gets down to the yearly cost it's no hidden fact they are expensive to maintain and not a lot of people can work on them or feel comfortable with working on them. I don't discourage people from buying a smart, but more encourage people to really consider what it takes to help keep your car healthy and have years of happy moments with the car. If your looking for something soon, why not look at the 2011 Honda Cr-Z, sporty, small and not over the top expensive ($23,490).Brit

[MikeT 744]

Definitely, YOU should get something other than a smart.

[Meir 0]

A lot of people adore the smart car (non-owners) but when it gets down to the yearly cost it's no hidden fact they are expensive to maintain and not a lot of people can work on them or feel comfortable with working on them. I don't discourage people from buying a smart, but more encourage people to really consider what it takes to help keep your car healthy and have years of happy moments with the car. If your looking for something soon, why not look at the 2011 Honda Cr-Z, sporty, small and not over the top expensive ($23,490).Brit

The thing is that I have fallen in love with smart ( drove it couple of times )... but I also like to do a bit of DIY and I hate all the computer crap... since it usually requires computers and special tools in order to diagnose some issue and that is the most expensive part (besides car parts). As understand, smart requires all of those things, otherwise it is impossible to fix it?!?!?!? CRZ looks very good, but I don't like hybrids... I think they are not practical if you are planning to keep it for long time... Since battery usually lasts for 4-5 years at best, it will require to be replaced and battery itself probably costs a lot... + car has a lot of electronic gizmos in order to work with both electric and gas engine... => it means complexity, which in turn means not easy to fix and requires special tools and such... Did you guys see Toyota IQ? I read some discussions on this forum about IQ and it seems to be nice car, but with some minor issue such as crappy interior... As I understand no one saw a production version of IQ, so it makes me wish for better implementation of interior when it comes out. I read online that it will come to Canada in 2011... that's good... I think if Toyota fixes some cosmetic issues, the car can become something special... I mean it will have 1.3 inline 4 engine ( gas )... simple, and CVT tranny - which is very nice ( excellent on gas ) however not wildly distributed so no one will not how to fix it... but it's okay. It will probably run for 8-10 years no problem... The only thing that bugs me a bit is the fact that Toyota seems to bundle together some parts of the car... so there are less separate parts... which means that if something brakes you might have to change the hole unit instead of one part... But I guess it is a price of small cars.Another thing I was looking at is Nissan Cube, which is very nice as well... strange design = +1, relatively small engine ( 1.8 ) and optional CVT... car isn't very big but has lot's of room and okay price...

[smart142 605]

The thing is that I have fallen in love with smart ( drove it couple of times )... but I also like to do a bit of DIY and I hate all the computer crap... since it usually requires computers and special tools in order to diagnose some issue and that is the most expensive part (besides car parts). As understand, smart requires all of those things, otherwise it is impossible to fix it?!?!?!?

If you've fallen in love , buy the smart! A $150 scan guage can tell you what's wrong with the smart as well as help you monitor all the info going thru the computer. They are not impossible to fix. I love working on them If you wanted to work on your smart you would have to buy some torque wrenches and screwdrivers. Not that expensive or prohibitive. Example last year one of our members changed his own reluctor rings, he bought a $12.50 socket specific to the job and and a set of "E" torx sockets $29.00(need the E18).....click here.Not all the smarts are problematic. I serviced Brad's 2 weeks ago and he has had 206,070 trouble free kms......200,000 km club

[Graham 0]

If you've fallen in love , buy the smart! A $150 scan guage can tell you what's wrong with the smart as well as help you monitor all the info going thru the computer. They are not impossible to fix. I love working on them If you wanted to work on your smart you would have to buy some torque wrenches and screwdrivers. Not that expensive or prohibitive. Example last year one of our members changed his own reluctor rings, he bought a $12.50 socket specific to the job and and a set of "E" torx sockets $29.00(need the E18).....click here.Not all the smarts are problematic. I serviced Brad's 2 weeks ago and he has had 206,070 trouble free kms......200,000 km club

I work on my other Benzes, but the Smart is new to me. Is there a shop manual or equivalent available? I feel I should have that before messing with the car.

[smart142 605]

Evilution is a great site! Will give you the confidence to tackle any smart job!

[Meir 0]

2) With expense regarding the upkeep of the vehicle, yeah that 450 is more expensive. Being a diesel has to go in more often, with having both an A and B service, this year I have had two A's and one B so in maintance it has cost me around $600+ (Do I mind, not at all, I adore my car, so it doesn't bother me). Very few people I trust with doing work on my car, Glenn (smart142) is the only gentleman I trust outside Mercedes dealers.

I am sorry for ignorance, but what is A & B service?

[ianjay 6]

A and B services are lists of service checks to perform at different intervals. The car helps decide, based on use or time elapsed, when it needs service.An "A" list is less extensive, and therefore less expensive at the dealer. A "B" service is more thorough and costs more.If on startup, the car indicates one wrench, it will be time for an "A" service at the interval displayed below the wrench. This is usually indicated in kms, but if the car hasn't been driven, it can also reflect # of days till service.I have seen my car do both over the time I have owned it.If there are two wrenches, a "B" will be necessary.Pressing the little button to the left of the speedo nacelle a couple of times should show you how long it will be until the next service. Good to do BEFORE you are buying a smart.If the number is negative, it indicates how far past the service the car has gone. NOT a good sign, because Mercedes will always reset the indicator after servicing the car properly. You don't have to be Mercedes to re-set the indicator, but a proper and thorough, by the book service includes the reset.It is a tiny, sophisticated little car that requires proper service. You can do lots yourself, or you can let the dealer do the hard stuff.It is kind of hard to convince Mercedes to fix something that blows up or fails if you do not have a detailed record of the services (assuming whatever you buy has factory warranty).I don't think we have "C" services for smarts in North America. Good thing, I've spent plenty already.

[houseofdiesel 9]

The smart car is not comparable to other small cars, it is owned by Mercedes Benz, and in their context it is cheap to maintain...The smart costs no more then any other German car in Canada to service, and it is the most basic/simple car available from europe. You cannot compare european cars with Japanese products, completely different design/driving intentions/life cycle. German cars were designed to be driven and engineered to last forever with advanced features/design. Japanese cars are designed to get you to work the least offensively, have old technology and never break for about 8 years, after that good luck. They are refrigerators on wheels...If your not into maintaining your car or keeping good rubber on your wheels, the smart is not for you. It requires regular service, the tires are expensive for their size/no cheapie selection, it has traction control so you have to have good rubber in the winter or you simply won't go anywhere. It does deliver amazing fuel economy and a very pure driving experience. It does have some issues that you can avoid if your well educated on the car and its problems. I love mine, and refuse to subject it to canadian winters so it I stay in love with it...Perhaps a VW diesel is more inline with your search...they last, they don't rust (since 2000), they get good fuel economy and cheap tires are easily found.

[Meir 0]

The smart car is not comparable to other small cars, it is owned by Mercedes Benz, and in their context it is cheap to maintain...The smart costs no more then any other German car in Canada to service, and it is the most basic/simple car available from europe. You cannot compare european cars with Japanese products, completely different design/driving intentions/life cycle. German cars were designed to be driven and engineered to last forever with advanced features/design. Japanese cars are designed to get you to work the least offensively, have old technology and never break for about 8 years, after that good luck. They are refrigerators on wheels...If your not into maintaining your car or keeping good rubber on your wheels, the smart is not for you. It requires regular service, the tires are expensive for their size/no cheapie selection, it has traction control so you have to have good rubber in the winter or you simply won't go anywhere. It does deliver amazing fuel economy and a very pure driving experience. It does have some issues that you can avoid if your well educated on the car and its problems. I love mine, and refuse to subject it to canadian winters so it I stay in love with it...Perhaps a VW diesel is more inline with your search...they last, they don't rust (since 2000), they get good fuel economy and cheap tires are easily found.

Don't want to get into argument Japanese/Euro cars, but please don't call the refrigerators on wheels. Japanese have lot's of stuff to offer in both quality and pleasure of driving. Now traction control in smart is cool... question: do you need good tires in order for traction control to work or what?Now let's get into rubber thing... I really don't understand it... may be because I don't drive RWD or because I only drive manual ( tranny ) cars but I never had issues with cheap rubber. But again at some point in my life I learned a bit about driving ( books, videos and lots of practice ). I love driving during winter times when there a lots of snow... it is fun, car slides and over-steers... it is fun to me... I not afraid of car sliding from side to side... It is all about speed, calculations, dynamics of the car and road conditions. Once I drove entire winter on almost done ( minimum thread ) cheap ass tires from walmart... never had an accident.... but again may be it is just me. NOW I am keep asking about RWD cars because I know guys who have BMWs and they always change their tires for winter ( putting winter rubber ) because they say it is hard to drive it otherwise... I don't know why, never drove RWD car, but I have all season rubber on my car and it drives just fine... it doesn't stuck in the snow. I know that different tires are built for different things... for example if you drive fast ( over 160Km/h ) then you can't put cheap ass walmart tires, because by specification they are not design to go that fast, they will blow to pieces. You should not drive during summer time on winter rubber because winter rubber is much much softer and will wear out fast and lose ability to grip. And so on... NOW I know some people will not put cheap ass tires on just because they have fancy car... it is not because they drive fast or because car requires those tires but simple because of prestige and looking good.... oh look I have PIRELLI... not because he drives fast or have an actual need for it but just because he drives a Porsche. SO I don't understand it! I know it is a good idea to put good tires on, but if you don't nothing gonna happen! In Canada you can't drive faster than 115KM/h on highway and 50 in the city... expensive tires don't make much difference on those speeds. It is another matter if you race... So PLEASE explain to me with ACTUAL data and hard evidence why is it so important to pay 200-400 bucks for a tire AND PLEASE don't write something like you just don't get it... or anything else which is not explained in details... I WANT TO KNOW AND RIGHT NOW I JUST DON'T GET.P.S: I have been driving in Canada for 9 years, in rain, snow and ice ( on 401 ) in my cheap ass Japanese FWD car ( no ABS or traction control ) and cheap ass walmart tires... so far no accidents. P.S.S: Thank you all for patience... please don't get mad with me... I just want to know and better to understand... so if someone wants to offer me a good book to read on the issue I will be happy. Edited September 8, 2010 by Meir

[fordnut71 1]

the special size tires for a smart isnt that bad. i just paid 250 for 2 rear 195 tires installed. the dealer i bought it from had to replace the 175s an they told me they paided 120 a tire. an these are contentals so really its not that bad.if you owned a suv this is normal tire pricing.

[houseofdiesel 9]

Good tires are there when you need them, like going around an onramp at two or three times the posted speed, emergency lane changes at highway speed and still in control of your car (even getting the car to break loose and bring it back), hard braking in the rain, they can completely change the attitude of the car. I have had many different kinds and types of tires on the same car, I stay with the best performance Michelin Pilot series or something very similar (summer only, run snows in the winter), they just plain stick when you need it most. It also changes the handling of the car and steering feel, much more feedback on road conditions and confidence. Snow tires are the same way. Good snows let you know when the roads get icy, the steering feel changes.I think the easiest way to descibe a good tire is the stiffness of the sidewall, go to a tire place and try to pick up a cheap tire by the inside rib of the tire, it feels floppy and flexes alot. A good tire does not deform when you pick it up there, it is firm and maintains shape, this gives the car much more road handling and steering feel. This also makes the tire harder to install. Weight of the tire is also important, especially on heavier vehicles and trucks. Makes a huge difference on how long the tire lasts and road manners.I think it is a personal thing, some people come in for service with 10psi in two tires and have no idea, others drive on flat tires right down to the rim and destroy everything having no idea. I am very sensitive to steering input and want control, I know when my tires are down a couple of psi, I know when I am getting a flat. I drive my car, that is the way to get the best economy (in other words, I don't slow down for corners etc), conservation of speed. I rarely use my brakes but I do use my tires everyday and enjoy driving my car. I cannot stand driving something with cheap rubber, boring to drive and dangerous at any speed. Try a panic stop in the rain, lots of abs intervention or lock up? Hydroplanning in puddles or truck ruts in the pavement? Greatly reduced with good rubber. Sure it is possible to drive carefully, but that one time you need to avoid somebody else and your let down. Not with good tires...Sorry about the refrigerator comment, just how we mechanics descibe jap cars (atleast the euro crowd)Rear wheel drive cars need snow tires if you want to enjoy your winter drive. The traction control will not let you go anywhere fast with poor grip, meaning no left turns in traffic, no pulling out of parking lots with a tiny snow bank, no uphill starts it just interveens and prevents progress forward, nothing you can do to help without a clutch pedal! Front drive just doesn't steer well with snow tires, it does everything else just fine in the snow (meaning you cannot accelerate and steer or brake and steer with poor tires in the snow, just one thing at a time). rear wheel drive will not accelerate without good tires, it will steer (with the throttle). It also depends where all the weight of the car is, BMW engine in front, driven rear wheels. Smart, engine over drive wheels. Japanese car, engine over drive wheels front drive anyways.

[Meir 0]

Thank you, I think I got everything I needed to...

[Alex 21]

Most questions have been well answered already, just a quick note on tire sizing. For winter driving (with good snow tires!) the same size all around works well. You need to use four front rims, it looks a tad funny, your high speed extreme maneuvering ability is poorly affected, but poor traction performance is much improved. A narrower rear tire lets the car dig down to traction better, a higher contact pressure helps with ice traction. The wide tire "floats" too much.IMHO. YMMV.