5,000 Miles, Dozens Of U-Hauls, One smart.

"Mercedes Streeter" (smart)
03/12/2018 at 15:11 • Filed to: smart, u-haul, embiggen this, challenge, keep oppo awesome

I’ve taken a lot of time thinking about how to write this. While I love to write research reports for fun, I’ve never researched or written anything quite like this. So here is my best attempt. This is the long-delayed second part of my U-Haul series.

My obsession passion with smart dates back to the year 2008. Since I first saw these cars, I made it my mission to know absolutely everything about them. When I got my first smart in 2012, I then made it a mission to also own most variants and models of smart produced and maybe find my way owning a couple of the concept vehicles too.

During this journey, there has been one question that to this date has not really been answered. It’s been bothering me for years and eventually I had decided that if no other person would figure it out, I would try my best to fill in that gap.

What is the question? How much weight can a smart tow?

The answer to this question depends on generation. So many people tow trailers with smarts that European insurance companies demanded a certification. Thus, the first generation (W450) smart is TUV certified to tow about 775 pounds. Interestingly enough, neither the second generation (W451) nor the third generation (C453/W453) were certified despite the second gen being used just as much for towing. Tow hitches for the third generation do not really exist yet, so anyone towing something with a 453 has custom-fabbed a tow hitch. People will even tow with a Crossblade!

A friend in the US smart community modified the existing Curt hitch design for the 451 to work with his 453. He improved the design along the way to also be stronger and less prone to rusting. He conducted his own (unpublished) long term testing and has concluded that a third generation smart can easily tow the 1,700 pound load he hauls for his business and could do more, but the hitch’s max weight is 2,000 pounds.

The 453 twins have good torque, short gearing, and a dual clutch transmission. The engine’s design would lend it to always being in torque and always being in boost while towing. The “normal car” stance of the 453 twins would also help with stability too.

So I guess that leaves me with the second generation (W451).

The second generation smart doesn’t have an official tow rating anywhere in the world, not even from a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . It does not even have a GCWR. The GVWR is also an amusing 530 pounds. There are actually a lot of smart owner couples who exceed the GVWR just by sitting in the thing. The official word in the manual is that the car tows absolutely nothing. It also used to say that the car itself couldn’t be flat-towed...Well, that was until RV owners and organizations proved that to be very wrong and the manual was amended for later years.

One thing that is clear is that thousands of smart owners around the world tow trailers with their smarts and report that the car makes a decent tow vehicle if you’re reasonable.

I’ve had many Kinja denizens also tell me that smarts are also popular track tugs. The low end torque makes towing a racecar around the pits pretty easy and since the car is road legal you can use it for errands when you’re done. Apparently the cars can easily tow more than their own weight for short distances. Watch this 450 tug a 451 on a trailer for a short distance.

There does also seem to be competing ideas of how much a smart can tow. Europeans tow over 1,000 pounds, where Americans don’t go any higher than the W450's TUV rating. If you stopped here and directed me to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! I wouldn’t blame you.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

However, in the case of smarts I have a hunch that the Americans are greatly undervaluing the fortwo’s abilities. I can’t blame them, there are only 70 ponies on tap, a transmission that laughs at your attempts to accelerate quickly, and a wheelbase that makes a mini SUV blush. None of these are traits you want in a tow vehicle...and that’s before you even look at the GVWR and the fact that the car comes with tyres that are just good enough for a car that size anyway.

At first, I never thought about actually testing out that hunch. In 2014 I had U-Haul install a towing hitch to my car. The original intention to it was that I’d get a bike rack for hundreds cheaper than the MB dealership offering and also be able to tow a motorcycle camper (like a TimeOut) if something like that ever happened.

It wasn’t until 2017 when I’d actually use the hitch. When it was time to move out of my apartment, I weighed moving vehicle options and a U-Haul trailer came out on top every time. I’d save a massive amount of money. However, there was only one problem: The empty weight of the trailer I’d need is 150 pounds greater than what Americans could say the car could tow and only 50 pounds fewer than what the Europeans started capping their limits at.

I ended up taking the chance anyway. I know these cars like the back of my hands, so I can monitor behaviour while towing.

The end result was astonishing. The car not only towed the 1,400 pound loaded trailer well, it barely broke a sweat doing it. Hmmm...

It was then that I decided that I’d finally try to shine some light on that question.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

After that first time towing a trailer with the smart, I became such a regular with U-Haul corporate stores that I was on a first name basis and my car was used as an example for people who were scared about towing a trailer.

I decided that if my testing concluded with favourable results, I would move forward with my idea of fibreglass camping. However, I wanted to make sure I wasn’t doing anything that I would come to regret later on down the road.

I decided to test how the car tows in various environments and grade it on different metrics. I’m not sure if this proves anything or not, though the data I’ve gathered does seem to support that the car is better than most would think.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Here are some of my metrics:

Test Length

- 5,000 miles or until something breaks, whatever comes first.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

- All seasons, all weather conditions.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

- City, Highway, Town.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

- Hills.
- Braking distance.
- Acceleration.
- Handling.
- Tyre wear.
- Emergency braking.
- High wind.
- Starting and stopping on hills.
- Trailer sway.
- Top speed.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

- Traction Control.
- Stability Control.
- ABS.
- Engine temperature.
- Transmission temperature.
- Fuel economy.
- Engine load.
- Intake Air Temperature.
- Codes (if any).
- Transmission/Clutch/Clutch Actuator behaviour.

Now the hard thing to track was transmission temperature. There does not appear to be a transmission temperature sensor in this car...That or a Scangauge and an Ultragauge cannot read it. However, since the engine and transmission are both packed into a minuscule space behind the seats, I have noticed that when the transmission heats up, it also heats up the engine, the parking brake handle, and the cabin.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

2012 smart fortwo passion coupe (yes, that’s all lowercase) “Tucker”.

- 130,000 miles (142,000 at end of testing).
- 70 bhp Mitsubishi 3B21 engine.
- Single clutch automated-manual gearbox.
- Curt hitch (max weights: 200 tongue, 2,000 trailer).

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

I decided that one of the couple upgrades I’d do would be the rubber that contacts the road.

First 1,000 miles:
— Nankang Toursport NS (195/50/15) Load Rating 82 (1047 lb)

Remainder of testing:
— Vredestein Quatrac 5 XL (185/60/15) Load Rating 88 (1235 lb)

I chose the Vredesteins for their low price, great winter traction, and their reinforced sidewalls. More on that later.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

- U-Haul AV (enclosed 5x8 trailer, 900 pounds empty).
- U-Haul AO (open 5x8 trailer, 950 pounds empty).

I’d then toss in random heavy objects into these trailers for testing, typically old appliances found in the shed of my parents’ rental property. Total weight was usually 1,200 to 1,500 pounds, plus and minus 180-ish pound passenger.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Now, I suppose it’s time to discuss my findings. First thing’s first, I was surprised to see that no matter what test I conducted, I could not produce any trailer sway that is worth noting. Even when I intentionally loaded the trailer more towards the rear, you could feel tiny tugs, but it was business as usual otherwise.

I believe this is because of a couple factors:

- U-Haul trailers are designed to reduce sway. The small trailers could make do with a shorter tongue, though I believe their longer length helps them track better.

- Most of a smart’s weight is in the rear, possibly leading to less wandering when weight pushes on the hitch?

At any rate, not only did the trailer not sway - even in high winds - but it also helped the smart not get blown around by crosswinds. I suspect the combined weight of the whole rig sort of helped it beat wind into submission a little better.

!!! UNKNOWN HEADER TYPE (MULTI-LINE BREAK?) !!!

Manual Mode on the transmission is a MUST . It is well known within the smart community that the programming for Auto Mode is far from intelligent. This lack of intelligence is amplified while you are towing. It never knows what gear it wants to be in and you’ll almost always not be in power when you need to be.

Using Manual Mode, I replicated similar shift points that my parents’ Ford Expedition uses in its “Tow/Haul” mode. The results were about as expected. When shifting at 4-5k rpm, the car is already in power in the next gear.

Amusingly, past 1,200 pounds trailer weight and at highway speed, there’s no point in even trying 5th gear. The car will struggle and your fuel economy will dip into the mid-20s.

Another interesting thing to note is that I’ve found that not babying the clutch is the best practice. I noticed that if you give the throttle a nice jolt on a green light, the clutch engages 1st gear faster instead of slipping while you babied it up to speed. You only need to get up to 5mph to engage gear, make it short.

The smart’s engine cooling system made short work of the extra load. Normal operating temps without a trailer was 188 degrees. With a trailer that number was only about 195-200, or perfectly within normal operating range. Only intentionally abusing the engine did I get temps to begin exceeding 200 degrees. The engine doesn’t begin “overheating” until 230 degrees and higher.

One of my favourite tests was “top speed in high winds, empty trailer”. I saw that a day was forecast to have 30 mph wind gusts, 20 mph sustained wind, and roughly 70 degrees ambient temperatures.

I decided to race up and down I-94 doing a bit of a stress test on the transmission. I could not exceed 70 mph without generating way too much transmission heat and beating fuel economy into submission at only 19 mpg. I covered 300 miles in that test and I fully expected the transmission to call it quits, but once I dropped below 70 mph the transmission cooled down and life went back to normal. I may be looking into a transmission cooler for future testing.

Braking is actually pretty awesome. The brakes on a smart are decent to begin with, hence why the rears are drums. With a trailer, stopping distance does increase, but nothing that couldn’t be easily handled. Panic stops are truly amazing considering that you’re hauling nearly the car’s own weight. I wouldn’t say “it stops on a dime”, however trailer brakes won’t be necessary unless you plan on tackling steep downgrades.

Perhaps the most amusing finding is ride quality. Once I ditched those lame Nankang tyres, the trailer actually improved ride quality. Instead of getting jolted by bumps, the car sort of just rolled through them without cratering your fillings. The rear end also seems more planted with better quality tyres. If anything, the upgrade is worth the extra safety and peace of mind.

If I had to compare the experience of towing a 1,000+ lb trailer with a smart to another vehicle, it would be my parents’ expedition towing this, but on a much smaller scale.

Alright, so based on a bit over 5,000 miles of testing through all conditions (snow storms, subzero temps, floods, etc), here are my conclusions for now.

And, again, it’s necessary to note that I’m not an authority and the results could be entirely different for other smarts.

These are what I’d feel safe doing in my car with a passenger with me . The car can do more (save for tongue weight, do not exceed that at all), however one shouldn’t run their car at its limits like that.

Trailer weight: 1,400 lb
Tongue Weight: 200 lb
Top Speed (calm): 70 mph
Top Speed (any kind of inclement weather): 60 mph
Expected Fuel Economy: 30 MPG

Recommended modifications:

- Stronger tyres.
- Car computer (Ultragauge/Scangauge).
- Transmission cooler???

Honestly, I’m not sure what else to note here. My data was literally a bunch of incoherent notes scribbled down in notebooks then transcribed onto Notepad notes on my MacBook.

Further, do not buy a smart thinking that you’ll get a tow rig out of it. If you want a cute little tug for the track or something you can occasionally haul some furniture with, go for it. These cars are better at the job of towing than you think. Just be smart (haha), know the risks (legality, insurance, etc), and do your homework.

Also, please read !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! It’s an excellent resource on tow ratings in the US vs EU.

Big thanks to U-Haul of Waukegan and U-Haul of Grayslake, I couldn’t do it without you!

And hopefully one day I’ll be the only U-Haul CT13 owner who tows with a smart. There was at least one vintage Shasta owner who towed with her smart.

Side note: If there’s any interest in it, I think I can offer a prize for Oppo COTD. At the end of the week I’d pick an overall winner and write a research report on a car of choice for the winner. Though, don’t make the car of choice too obscure!

Edit: Proofreading!

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

DISCUSSION (12)

TylerLinner > Mercedes Streeter
03/11/2018 at 19:52

From someone who hauls 8-10' lumber on a bike trailer, this is insanely badass.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Mercedes Streeter
03/11/2018 at 22:39

I’m not surprised about the towing capacity. My first truck was an ‘83 Mazda B-2000. It was a truck, so it was designed to carry the weight (I think about 1,500 lbs, but I don’t know for sure), but it also had a paltry 75 hp and a higher curb weight than your Smart.

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter
03/12/2018 at 06:55

I have a feeling that kind of load will be fine here in the flatlands, but I’m not so sure about it if you tried to go anywhere with real topography.

That’s how I feel about my truck pulling a big camper. It did fine around these parts, but it doesn’t have the beans for real gradients.

Cool article though, this was a fun read :)

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher
03/12/2018 at 15:12

I’ve tested steep grades too (which is **really** hard out in these parts)...Uh...yeah...2nd and 3rd gear only, top speed something like 50 mph.

Thank you so much! :)

AfromanGTO > Mercedes Streeter
03/12/2018 at 16:09

Great article! Research is fun. See if you can submit this article to a university for review.

Mercedes Streeter > AfromanGTO
03/12/2018 at 16:12

Oh! That sounds awesome! How would I even go about such a thing though?

Liam Farrell > Mercedes Streeter
03/12/2018 at 16:13

Really great read! Also, did they ever figure out what was with the differing gas tank capacities on the W453?

Mercedes Streeter > Liam Farrell
03/12/2018 at 16:25

Thank you so much! Sadly the fuel tank capacity issue was never resolved. The last update was this:

My dealer called TAS and there was some misunderstanding. ‘’The tank is NOT SMALLER. It’s the reservoir that is bigger than indicated by the owner’s manual and instrument cluster due to North American Emissions Spec. North American smart vehicles should have approximately 11 liters reservoir (approximately 2.9 gallons). They went on to say that it is at customers own risk if they choose to try and put this theory to test”

Which raised a bunch of red flags with me:

As for these new findings, how does this explain the 1.3 gallon countdown? Shouldn’t it then be a 2.9 gallon countdown? Also, why the hilariously small measured capacity, yet hilariously huge reserve? On top of that, how does that also explain the fact that some folks can put around 10 gallons into the tank, while others can only fit 5?

And finally, why does Germany recognize this as an issue if it’s actually by design? If these findings are true, then smart wasted a year of everyone’s life for an error...an error that makes measured fuel capacity 33% smaller.

Something smells like an excuse not to call something a problem, or a tech making up an excuse because it’s more convenient than trying to fix the issue.

Unfortunately, my questions were never answered as maybe a week or so later smart announced that they would no longer sell the internal combustion variants in the States. Whether such news was intended to or not, everyone forgot about the fuel tank size issue.

I hardly drive my 453 enough for it to be a bother...but still...

shop-teacher > Mercedes Streeter
03/12/2018 at 17:11

Yeah it is! You gotta work for that around here! There is a difference between being able to go up a steep grade, and being able to go up and down them all day at altitude. I just don’t want to see you stranded in Colorado with a deep-fried transmission.

I’m not saying don’t do it, I’m saying be reasonable with your destinations.

I can’t believe I just told you to be reasonable. You’d think I’d know better by now ;)

DEFINITELY get a trans cooler!

Mercedes Streeter > shop-teacher
03/12/2018 at 17:29

I just don’t want to see you stranded in Colorado with a deep-fried transmission.

Hey now, I’m not David Tracy! (yet)

I’m still not sure how confident I would be on a cross country trip towing close to the car’s own weight. 300 mile sprints across WI and IL are one thing, but going across multiple states for 1,000+ miles is a whole ‘nuther longevity challenge.

DEFINITELY get a trans cooler!

I’ll probably have the only smart in the world with one. Challenge Accepted.

I can’t believe I just told you to be reasonable. You’d think I’d know better by now ;)

I desperately need that $4,500 drag smart. I don’t care if it doesn’t have a working heater, A/C, or radio. I NEED IT!

feather-throttle-not-hair > Mercedes Streeter
03/12/2018 at 18:58

Lol, this article is amazing, terrifying and hilarious, i’m alternating between shaking my head and laughing.

Liam Farrell > Mercedes Streeter
03/13/2018 at 09:51

That’s pretty crazy, it seems as though they just didn’t want to be bothered to deal with it since they aren’t selling them anymore.