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Hey guys! I've been looking all over the internet to find somehting on this issue with no luck. I bought a 2017 Fortwo Cabrio. When closing the the top when fully open, when it transitions from the vertical close to the horizontal slide makes a hard clicking noise, like gears skipping. It sounds simultaneously on both sides. I'll share a video. There is no way of avoiving the clipping no matter if you try to release the button before it clicks, as soon as you press it again to close the "sunroof" it clicks until you let go of the button again and then you can press it for it to slide closed. Any thoughts? Thanks

Hi All, We previously leased a 451 cabrio ED and when the lease expired we got into the new 453 cabrio ED. We've had it for just a little over 2 months now and I would like to share my experience with it and point out some short comings of the new model compared with the old. By all means the new 453 is definitely an improvement overall compared with the old, I see many other posters already detailed all the advantages. The purpose of this post is so new buyers/owners are aware of the short-comings of the new model, compare experiences, and hopefully look for ways to improve the issues in the future. Briefly mentioning all the obvious improvements on the new model: Ride Comfort, Cabin Comfort Features, Cold-Weather Battery Range, Eco Mode, Cross-wind Assist, Turning Radius, Quick 32A Charing, EasierPre-entry climate control menu onboard etc... which are all discussed by others in details and what makes it worth it to go for the new model. Let's talk about some known problems and issues based on my experience: 1. Steering Sensor Malfunction - Had this the day I picked up the car, generated a ESC code on the dash, took it back to dealership, replaced the sensor and that's the end of that. Did notice that the car was more stable in the wind after the fix so I suspect the cross-wind assist needed either the steering sensor or a fault-free ESC to be operational. Didn't really had the problem that long to confirm that. 2. Battery System Fault Code - Don't know if it was our luck or not, this code popped up once during a drive, took it in, they saw two faults registered "charging system fault", did a whole bunch of tests and cleared the code. They tried to blame it on the charging stations, I politely explained to them that no-matter what stations I plug the car in, the car should not register any code (worst case should just be not charging at all), that's why all the protective battering charging logic is built in to do. Anyways, so far monitoring it and it hasn't come back. Sorry picture was out of focus (it says "Malfunction, visit workshop"). 3. On-board CPU Clock Reset - Happened a few times already, the clock reset itself when the car was parked/charging, came back to a wrong clock afterwards. Note, just the CPU in the dash, the radio clock is fine. Brought it back to the dealership, they found a TIPS to fix this, they applied some firmware fix and I'm monitoring it now. 4. No online smart control app. We all know about this. 5. Climate Control no heat while plugged in. This was definitely not the behavior in the 451 ED. We were able to have the car plugged-in, charging, turn the car on and blast the heat, that was keeping us warm at the expense of a slower charge as expected. On the new model, the moment you plug in the charger, the heat instantly turned into blowing only cold air no-matter which setting you had it at. That means you can't keep yourself warm in the car while charging. Went back to the dealership, they said this is expected behavior, they had no other cars to show it was doing it as well, so I could use your help here to confirm if you have a 453 ED. What we see is the heated seats were still working, and the pre-entry climate control were still working if we turned off the car and set it, so definitely it had the capability to blow heat at the moment, just decides it won't do it while charging and the car in "on" state. Not sure about if A/C does the same, too cold outside to test. Would be really disappointing if they took this feature away on purpose. 6. Blue-tooth handsfree clarity. Not sure if it's because we didn't get the bose upgrade this time, but the new blue-tooth is close to not-usable. They other side can hardly hear us speak without yelling. Even if the car is stopped and not making any noise, it's still very noisy on the other end of the call. If other owners can please help confirm this, that will be great! 7. Climate control, heat takes longer to heat up the cabin. This is very obvious to us, we simply blast the heat the moment we enter the car on a cold day, the 451 would've heated up instantly (5-10seconds we would feel the heat from the vents), while the 453 would start blowing cold air at us, and only slowly heat up after 1-2 minutes or so. Eco mode was off. Again it's too cold to test A/C for now. 8. 0-60 km/h acceleration. Ok, this I have no way to prove as we never had both cars at the same time. Would be interesting if someone who has access to both versions can line them up and do a test. My personal observation is that the initial pick up of the 453 is slower than the 451. The specs don't agree with this and the only observation I have to back up my suspicion is the speed of power gauge reaching to 100%. When I put my foot to the kick box, the 453 ramps up to 100% in 1-2 seconds. Where I remembered the 451 would have done it much quicker (<0.5 seconds). My guess is that they have adjusted the traction control, it just feels like weaker kick on the pick up from 0km/h. Maybe reaching 60km/h or 100km/h time is same or even quicker now, but if it was a race to 40km/h, i would put my money on the 451. I feel most of these problems can be corrected/improved with some ECU upgrade(s). And my hope is that MB will slowly improve as the car gets more mature. Please feel free to share your experience as well, hopefully if enough people voice the same problems we see a solution sooner. Thanks

Pedro Arrais review: A smart choice for urban driving Pedro Arrais / Times Colonist August 18, 2017 10:04 AM The Smart Fortwo, a vehicle conceived more than 20 years ago for a shrinking world, will shrink once more with the discontinuation of the internal-combustion engine. This makes my tester, a 2017 cabrio version, the last of the breed in North America. Let me be clear: This is not the end of Smart, as the brand will continue. But it will only offer electric cars as of the 2018 model year in the United States and Canada. The Fortwo was launched in Canada (but not the U.S.) in 2005 and totally exceeded any expectations parent Mercedes-Benz had about the diminutive city car. Buoyed by its success, our southern neighbours finally got the cars in 2008, just in time for the second-generation debut. Those were the days, with Smart cars flying out of the showrooms due to sky-high fuel prices. But the continent’s appetite for SUVs grew with a corresponding decline in gasoline costs. Smart found itself a shadow of its former self. In 2008, it was (with a government incentive) the lowest-priced vehicle on the market. Nine years later, it was thousands more. So the gasoline-powered Smart will be no more after the stock of existing cars are sold. My yellow cabriolet tester is one of the last remaining cars. Disclosure: I have owned two generations of Smarts, starting with a 2005, followed by a 2008, so I may have a bit more insight on the 2017 than the average automotive journalist (and more tilted towards the brand). The news of the discontinuation of the gasoline engine is perhaps for the better. The one-litre three-cylinder engine is surprisingly rough, especially when cold. It vibrates like my old diesel engine. Compared with modern machinery from any number of manufacturers, it doesn’t compare favourably. The addition of a turbocharger, though, has livened things up a fair bit, bumping horsepower from 70 to 89. Torque is also up substantially, from 68 to 100 foot-pounds. If you ever drove an old Smart and found it lacking, chances are that you will be happier. The zero-to-100 km/h sprint now takes less than 11 seconds, shaving more than four seconds off the previous car. The last two generations had perhaps the most peculiar transmission to survive the trip across the Atlantic. It was jerky (until you mastered the unique driving habits it demanded) and almost universally panned by critics and consumers alike. Smart finally installed a regular automatic transmission this time. They also offered the Fortwo with a manual transmission (not tested) for the first time. The powertrain combo is more than enough to keep you having fun without getting in trouble. Perhaps the only dark cloud to the excellent fuel mileage is the requirement for premium-grade gas. The big change between the 2017 Fortwo and the previous two generations is in its width — the new car is about 100 millimetres wider. The two occupants — the ForTwo is only for two people (hence its name, in case you didn’t know) — now don’t have to rub shoulders. Surprisingly, the new car’s turning radius — 6.95 metres (vs. 8.75) — is even tighter than the previous generation. Looking to snag that parking spot across the street? The Fortwo will get you there in a heartbeat. If there is a downside to the Smart, its impossibly short wheelbase might be it. While it will get you into spots every other car has to pass up, it communicates irregular surfaces (read: potholes) to the driver. The ride is choppy, to say the least. It’s also tall, which makes it susceptible to side winds or buffeting by a semi-trailer passing on the highway. The ForTwo is perhaps unique in the city-car segment by offering a cabriolet version. The two-layer fabric roof can be open to the vehicle’s tridion (a body shell providing safety for the occupants), giving it a Targa feel, or all the way down and the side supports removed, for a complete convertible experience. If a small convertible on a sunny day in August doesn’t put a smile on your face, better check to see if you are still breathing. But good feelings about the Smart hasn’t been enough to sustain the brand in the face of competition and the lack of a model that carried more than two people. Smart in Europe sells a Forfour, a four-door, five-seater, but it never made the jump over the pond. Plans for a micro-SUV for North America also never made it past the proposal stage. So the Smart as we know it will live on as a niche product, in the same body but only available as an electric car with a range of approximately 100 kilometres. It will be the smallest EV on the market and the only one with a cabrio. It was sad to give my tester back after a week. The Smart brand came to Canada with so much promise, and while it will still be around, gone is the ideal that it could change the way North Americans drive. While you will likely see fewer Smarts going forward, it does leave behind a strong community of diehard Smart enthusiasts whom I am sure will keep the spirit alive for many years to come. Addendum: I so enjoyed my test drive that I went out and bought a used Smart Fortwo Electric Drive — my third car. Wave when you see me. THE SPEC SHEET Type: City car, rear engine, rear-wheel-drive Engine: Turbocharged 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engine, 89 hp at 5,500 r.p.m., 100 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,500 r.p.m. Transmission: Six-speed automatic Dimensions (mm): Length, 2,695; width, 1,663; height, 1,555; wheelbase, 1,873 Curb weight (kg): 915 Price (base/as tested): $21,800/ $23,730 (includes $1,495 freight and PDI and $100 AC tax) Options: Metallic body panels $395, sport package $800, retractable cargo cover $140 Tires: 165/65 R15 front, 185/60 R15 rear on alloy wheels Fuel type: Premium Fuel economy (L/100km): 6.3 highway 7.0 city Warranty: Four years/80,000 km new car, four years/80,000 km powertrain four years/ unlimited km roadside assistance

Friday I took the plunge and traded my 2008 Yellow/Silver Passion Coupe for a 2016 White/White Prime Coupe. Daimler did their homework and made many, many improvements, especially in the highway driving dynamics. I am also very happy to have a real 5-speed again!

When I was in Paris about a week ago I stopped by Renault's showroom on the south side of the Avenue des Champs Elysées. To my surprise they had a bunch of Twingos in the showroom and not much else, plus a nice demonstration model that showed the drivetrain in some detail. The photos that follow were taken there. This will be the 453's drivetrain as well, as most of you already know. As for the Twingo itself, the front seat is OK for room, especially headroom. The rear seat is very tight though 100 times better than those of an iQ; however, the rear side windows are not roll-down and only swivel out at the back, a guarantee that rear passengers in summer will hate the driver. The best photo was "too big to upload"....