Best Tires for the Smart Fortwo MHD cabrio

I had an issue with my suspension spring that had broken and dug into my old tire and took my car to a local garage who told me the spring had damaged the inside wall of my old tire, they said they'd fit a new tire but didn't specify the make and charged premium price for a pair of these LS388's and at first I wasn't really bothered. I noticed after a week of driving the grip wasn't right especially cornering or on roundabouts and in rain it was even worse with stopping they just don't want to grip. I still have them fitted for the time being but am going to change them shortly towards the end of summer for a premium tire brand and all season as these just feel dangerous to drive with and I don't even drive a fast car.

My girlfriend needed new tires on her Smart Cabrio rear wheel drive.
As we live in Switzerland (ski region) i was looking for a set of good 4 season tires.
As the Kuhmo Winter Tires on the Smart were completly done. (2mm left)
A cousin of my drove from Holland to Norway in wintertime with his Saab 9-5 on The Vredestein Quatrac 5.
He is (was) a really wintertire fan in winterconditionsˋ as he was going every single year to Norway he was my perfect real experience person. He was so positive about these tires in Norway that i decided to by 4 of them for the realwheeldrive Smart Cabrio.

Of my personal experience i can say the following:

Dry: handling is okey; brake and corners are standard
Wet: very good felt really safe with heavy heavy rain
Snow: as long as you use your brain this tire is as food as a full winter tire, good traction and breaking is even better.
Comfort: i was so surprised how quite this tire really is, it felt almost as i was driving a different (newer) car.

Buy again ? absolutely!! The dutchies (Vredestein) are doing really well the last few years;
But only buy this tire if you have a normal car with not to much power. If you have a lot of power and drive over snow covered roads I would go for the Vredestein Wintrac Pro,

I purchased these tires for my Smart Car a couple of years ago, just before Christmas (ie Christmas Eve).
I was told there might be snow, and knowing how impossible it was to drive the car at all, even on dead flat, tarmac surfaces roads, I decided to get these from my local tire merchant - meant to be good value, certaily in comparison to other makes - I've had winter tires on a previous Smart car for a number of years and they had worked very well - indeed as the car is so light, I had had no need to change the tires after the winter, and had kept them on for the next 30K miles.
These were a different car, different tires and a ballgame!
The first journey was on a motorway - going away for 2 weeks holiday. There was a strongish cross-wind (not a gale) and I almost immediately noticed the back end moved about a bit, but I thought this was due to the weather. I travelled gingerly (no faster than 50mph) for the 250 miles, believing the weather was at fault.
Over the next week or so, the weather got warmer rather than colder but I had no need to drive as I was on holiday - so the tires were not really required or tested further.
When I travelled home, I had exactly the same experience, even though there was no noticeable breeze.
I returned to the store and having had them check the wheel alignment and balance, I took the car out again for a 20-mile test drive, to find exactly the same problem. I returned to be told the tires were fine and it was road conditions or my driving so I could not replace the tires as they had been used for several hundred miles and not informing the store within 7 days (remember this was over Christmas week), there was nothing that could be done.
I took the car to Mercedes to check possible other problems, to be told the car was fine. They put 4 of Goodyear winter tires on instead, these worked brilliantly - AND were actually cheaper!. I was told that above 7°C the Jingus might not have the tire wall rigidity of other tires.
I kept the Jingus to try again in cold/snowy weather. This winter, after 3 years/35000 miles full use, the Goodyears needed replacing. I swaped them for the Jingus.
Results:
Handling = rubbish (back of car extremely twitchy),
Actual road-holding (ie straightline stopping/starting) in snow - fine/good.
Clearly a problem with the tires NOT the car.
Am changing them to summer tires later today.
Will bin the Jingus.
Sadly not using MTS Banbury again.

For a Smart car thats light these tires can take you through snow drifts that a 4x4 would struggle with, direct and responsive to turns and grip is incredible. Expensive but safe and comfortable for any Smart for two

I fitted a pair of these to my smart fortwo rear wheels only, unfortunately kleber doesnt make 175/55/R15 yet, but as soon as they do i will probably buy a pair. the tires worked just as good as my continental winter contacts fitted on my BMW, and perform just as good, quality grip in snow and ice and the cars DSC worked really well with the tires. the car was pretty much undriveable with summer tires fitted to the smart car in snowy conditions. a very good purchase for any rear wheel drive car.