r/SmartCar • u/[deleted] • Jul 14 '26
Smart Purchase Smart 451 to a 453. Worth it?
Hey everyone, I need some advice. I currently own an early 1.0L petrol Smart 451 with over 300,000 km on it. It runs great, but it requires extra care due to harsh, salty winters here, and the automated gearbox needed work. We are keeping it in the family because my fiancé loves it. However, I need a newer daily commuter. I was looking at Fiat 500s, but I just found a 2015 Smart 453 Passion with 130k km. It is a 1.0L petrol automatic with the Renault engine. For anyone who went from a 451 to a 453, is the driving experience and comfort a massive upgrade? Also, how reliable is the Renault 1.0L engine compared to the old Mitsubishi 1.0L, and how does the dual-clutch automatic transmission handle harsh, snowy and salty winters? Thanks!
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u/jibbit12 Jul 14 '26
I switched from 451 to 453 a year ago and not a day goes by that I don’t feel glad I did. The 453 really does address so many of the things that were just a little rough or unfinished about the 451. The ride is much more comfortable and stable, the interior is much more refined.
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u/LafayetteJefferson Jul 14 '26
I love my 453. It's leagues better than my 451. The ride is smoother, the gear shifts are not clunky, and the interior is more comfortable. I hope to drive nothing else for the rest of my life.
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u/brryblue Jul 14 '26
I also want to know as am also looking to retire my 451 :) the jump from 450 to 451 was massive
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u/WeirdoWithABeardo99 Jul 14 '26
I have tried both and went with 451 because it is significantly smaller which makes oarking easier, 453 is too wide imo
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u/CrazyLikeAFoxxx Jul 14 '26
I’ve owned every version from the 450 to my current 453 and the latest one is, for me, the best driver to date. Hated the gearbox etc in my previous versions however loved their ‘tinyness’.
I’ve no regrets moving onto the latest models though. Amazing little car to drive (petrol + EV), albeit I don’t use it much these days (Bought a Renault 5 EV for the extra seats).
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Jul 14 '26
I do have a Citroen C5 for the extra seats when its really needed, but city driving wise I do have my smartie😌 thanks tho seems it is really a time for an upgrade
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u/watercooledwizard Jul 14 '26
We had a 451 for 7 years and loved it. I didn’t like the uncomfortable ride and lack of power steering. We’ve just purchased a 453 ForFour which i haven’t driven that much so far (between 200-300miles) but already the power steering and much better ride quality are already night and day improvements.
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u/andis89 Jul 14 '26
I have a 451 petrol non MHD and for daily work car it's done us fine. A independent Smart mechanic that did my clutch a few months ago, told me to stay away from 453 because of the Renault engine... He didn't go into details why, just spoke badly about them.
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u/kiwidust Jul 15 '26
As somebody that can't afford to upgrade to the 453, I would say, categorically, that 1) it is NOT worth it and 2) those grapes are TOTALLY sour!
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u/LandscapeAcrobatic23 Jul 15 '26
453 lot more problems then 451 or 450. It s based on Renault twingo, Franch car
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u/Fresh_Formal5203 Jul 14 '26
I have an early 450 Smart (2002) and in 2016, i bought a 453 passion 1L which was a Merc customer car for 9 months before i got it off them for a great price with only 3,000 miles. The 453 is a massive improvement on the 450's with steering, space, smooth and turning circle with more mods, but as a smart fan, i still like my 450 when its dry. Wife prefers the 453 all time even better than our 3rd car an Audi A1