Overview & Reviews

The concept of the Smart car emerged in the early 1990s when the Swiss company Swatch, best known for its kitschy watches, sought to build an affordable city car that would fit into the smallest of parking spots and go easy on fuel. Not too long after, the company paired up with Mercedes-Benz to make the idea a reality. The car was later christened "Smart," an acronym for Swatch Mercedes Art.

The Smart Fortwo, originally dubbed the City Coupe, debuted at the 1997 Frankfurt Auto Show. Although the first generation never made it to the U.S., the tiny two-seater, which persevered through its parent company's financial troubles and an eventual buyout by Daimler-Benz, was later replaced by the slightly larger second-generation Fortwo. Not only is the reworked Fortwo newly available in the States, but an ambitious plan to launch several stand-alone dealerships in the U.S. makes it clear that the Smart brand is serious about competing in the American subcompact market. While its diminutive size and power entail certain on-road limitations, the Fortwo is a worthy candidate for urban commuters who want to maneuver through city congestion and save on gas without giving up the creature comforts of a car.

Current Smart Fortwo

At 8 feet, 10 inches long, the Smart Fortwo is a two-seat subcompact city car and is the smallest production car currently sold in North America. It comes in two body styles: the hatchback Coupe and the convertible Cabrio. The standard trim levels are Pure and the more well-equipped Passion. The Fortwo is powered by a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that produces 71 horsepower and 68 pound-feet of torque and sends its power to the rear wheels through an automated sequential-shift manual transmission.

There's also a limited-edition model from German tuner Brabus that upgrades the Smart with sportier wheels, a stiffer suspension, aerodynamic and cosmetic body cladding, a higher-performing exhaust and heated leather seats.

Because of its Lilliputian proportions (it's more than 3 feet shorter than a Mini Cooper), safety is at the core of the Fortwo design. The engine is in the rear of the car to increase front crumple-zone space, and the car is built around a cage of high-strength steel known as the Tridion safety cell, which helps the Fortwo post passable if unimpressive frontal crash-test scores. Side impact protection is enhanced by the closer placement of axles to the passenger compartment, and the Smart's scores in side-impact crash testing are top-notch. And although the car might look something like a golf cart, standard safety features like side airbags, antilock brakes, stability control and traction control combine to put that comparison to rest.

Fuel economy is another welcome asset of the Smart Fortwo; its EPA rating is 33 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. With its 8.7-gallon gas tank, that makes for a lot of driving between fill-ups, though it's worth noting that premium gasoline is recommended.

In our initial reviews, we found the Smart Fortwo surprisingly comfortable. The interior is roomier than it might appear from the outside -- especially in the passenger seat, which is set back 6 inches for increased legroom. (It also folds flat for extra cargo space.) On the road, however, the Smart's manner is less than graceful over rough pavement. Moreover, while the car is admirably stable at high speeds for such a small vehicle, its slablike side panels and upright posture conspire to make it unsettlingly vulnerable to crosswinds.

We aren't fans of the automated manual transmission either. Gearchanges are sluggish and somewhat jerky. The Fortwo is also one of the slowest vehicles for sale today (zero to 60 mph takes 14.1 seconds) and it has a particularly hard time keeping up with traffic on the highway. Still, the Smart Fortwo is great for tooling around city streets. Buyers who aren't looking to do much more than that will probably be quite satisfied with the Smart car.

Used Smart Fortwo Models

The current (second) generation Fortwo debuted for 2008 and was the first Smart model to go on sale in the U.S. There have been no major changes since, though the Brabus trim level wasn't available for its first year.

Designed primarily for urban cities in Europe, the first-generation Smart Fortwo was originally known as the City Coupe and not sold in North America. It debuted for the 1998 model year and it came with a turbocharged three-cylinder engine that was either gasoline-fueled (initially 599cc of displacement and later 698cc) or diesel-fueled (799cc). The first-generation Smart Fortwo was discontinued after the 2007 model year.

User Reviews:

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  2 year old smart passion - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By mech_pe - May 12 - 5:09 am

  Best car I have owned for commuting to work. Fun to drive like a go-cart. My wife loves to drive it on the weekend. Roomy with upright seating like a pickup. Flying rocks will not dent the car. 10,000 miles between oil changes. Gas mileage consistant 42 mpg in Minneapolis. Worst was 38 mpg in the deep slushy snow plus warming up in driveway. My commute is freeway at 80mph to downtown congestion at 60 miles per day. Easy to park and manuever. Some states allow straight into the curb (no parrallel) and sharing of parking spaces with a motorcycle or two smart cars. Plastic panels resist rust and you can change the cars color in about 4 hours. Very tough little car with good acceleration.

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  Fun To Drive - 2010 Smart fortwo
  By Jerry - May 1 - 10:00 am

  Purchased in El Paso Texas from individual who had won it and put it on E-Bay. Drove back to LA area in 18 hours..First tank averaged 43. Did wish it had cruise control but enjoyed the trip anyway. At 65 MPH car was fairly comfortable and enjoyable to drive..Hard to believe it is as small as it is when on the road. I am very happy I made the decision to purchase the Smart car. Love to drive it especially for running around town.

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  Brilliant design and practicality! - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By david wayne - April 28 - 2:16 pm

  Drives great on the highway. Gas economy and driving capacity is under rated on car reviews. Averaging 44 mpg in town and speeds up when needed for highway traffic. Comfortable and luxurious inside and much more space than I expected for storage. Brilliant and well thought out design. Love that I will never get a dent on the plastic panels too.

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  High on the fun meter - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Ken - April 24 - 10:03 am

  Well, I have had many cars in my life and I can not think of any that is more fun to drive, including my wifes Z-4. It just cruises down the road at 70 to 80 with the big boys. My first tank of gas I averaged 37 MPG.

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  I love it on the highway! - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Angela - March 31 - 3:26 am

  But it is the most fun in a city. I regularly drive my smart fortwo on the NY thruway, and the garden state parkway, up to the Catskills from Philly. Yes, the handling takes a while to get used too. But for the 2010 review to state it gets tossed around on the highway is ridiculous. Perhaps people need to learn how to drive again? Steering a huge SUV is different than driving a smart. I prefer the smart. Where it excels is when I am in my row home in Philadelphia. I have never had to hunt for a parking spot, maneuverable in the city, and awesome handling makes it easy to get out of tight situations. I save $200 a month on parking. Get smart!

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  Just good to say - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Jody of N.Y. - March 24 - 9:26 am

  This car is really good to show off how big it is inside. People I know cant believe how big it is and feels when it drives. The only thing I would change or add is Cruise control. I had it added, that makes it complete for me. I have nothing but fun when I drive it.

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  Big Fun - Micro Car - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By shawna - March 23 - 5:20 pm

  This car handles well at any speed. Minimal noise and sturdy drive. Due to the lighter weight of this car, you may feel the wind during a VERY windy stormy day, but not while passing semis. Feels like an average size car, taller than most sedans. Plenty of power and fun to drive. And get ready to make some friends at every stop light and gas station, I picked up SmartCar brochures to hand out! I always have enough room in the trunk area for grocery shopping.

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  LOVE my Smart red convertible! - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By jtb9265 - March 2 - 3:33 am

  I have owned CRXs, Miatas, Mini Coopers, and other comparable cars. Theyve all been great, but theres just something about the Smart! Lets face it, its not a car for everyone - but if you do most of your driving by yourself (or with one other person), its a complete joy to own! I chuckle when people ask me, "So, can you take it on the freeway?" To set the record straight, YES you can - and not only does it drive like any other car, its a LOT more fun!

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  Bad Acceleration - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Niles - March 1 - 2:30 pm

  Great car for commuting, Good gas millage, low emissions. Love that you can just park sideways in a parallel parking spot. Transmission has problems from 1st to 2nd, takes time for it to kick over which can be a problem when trying to accelerate quickly.

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  I hate this car so much... - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By foxmajik - February 22 - 2:24 pm

  Ive had to take this car in for work more than my used 92 Mazda Protege. For various reasons, from plastic pieces falling off the interior to the air dam in the front snapping off and dragging on the freeway. The gas mileage is atrocious for a car this small (around 25 mpg). The transmission is a confused and nervous little curmudgeon that cant decide what gear it wants to be in when youre under 15 mph and keeps jumping back and forth between 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear. Every time the gear shifts the car lurches back and lunges forward like Ive slammed on the brakes. And this is normal for smart cars, every one Ive been in does it, even after having the transmission firmware upgraded.