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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  This car is fun to drive - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Bill Turpin - January 15 - 7:03 am

  My smart for two was a demo car and had 3500 miles on it when I purchased it. I now have 6500 miles on it. The car is a blast to drive, I like to get on the interstate highway and pass cars and trucks going 75 miles per hour, they look like they cannot believe this smart car can go that fast and have the power that it does. What is neat is the car will go over 80 miles per hour in 4th gear, ha. I would like Cruise control on the car and arm rests on the seats. And I will probably have Cruise control installed. So far, I love the smart car and am thinking about purchasing another one for my wife. People are very inquisitave about this car and like it, but dont like the 1 year wait.

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  smarter than you might think - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Alan Griff - January 1 - 6:30 am

  Unlike shopping for other vehicles, in choosing a smart, you decide on what you dont need. Do you need to chauffeur people? Do you need to buy fuel frequently? Do you need to spend time looking for a parking spot? Do you need zippy acceleration? Do you need trunk space that will hold more than a suitcase or two? If you answered, "No," to one or more questions, then the smart deserves consideration. Yes, the ride can be poor to fair, but the very comfortable seats make up for a lot. Yes, the transmission doesnt shift that smoothly, but it can be described kindly as "easy going." Its okay in the city, and on the highway, once youre up to speed, does it really matter? I love it.

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  the Helmet - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By kdb - December 16 - 5:10 pm

  We adapted an orphan and love it, we call it the helmet because we think it looks like a football helmet and we feel safe in it so it protects us like a helmet. My husband and I are neither one small people and we feel very comfortable in the car. The only thing that is sometimes uncomfortable is that people always stare. I feel like I am speeding all the time.

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  Cool Car - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By intake172 - November 1 - 6:40 am

  After Test Driving I fell in Love with the car Never have I been so Excited about a car. Love the gas mileage. Making U-turns are a breeze even in a narrow street. Not bad at Highway speeds. If Blindfolded i would never know i was in a small car. I love the way it handles only because i like to feel the road i am on. You definitely have to be a friendly person to own one of the great cars. The best idea to ever hit the US in my eyes

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  Great Car - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Bill T - October 2 - 7:16 pm

  I have more fun in this car then in any I have owned. Its responsive, comfortable and a joy. It is amazing to me how something that is so small can feel so big when youre in it. The transmission takes a bit to get used to, but as soon as you do, it works great. If youre looking for a race car, this aint it, but if you want something to get you where youre going with a smile Id say you dont have to look further. :-)

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  Its just smart....... - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By autooracle - September 19 - 6:30 am

  Fantastic turning radius, great handling ability. The rain sensor works perfect, the heated seats roast you like there is no tomorrow. They should have focused eking a bit more fuel economy out of it. I am getting an average of 42.

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  Best Car I have ever owned! - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Dave - September 11 - 11:56 am

  I bought the Smart Car fortwo a year ago. I love it. Easy on gas and drives great. I wished I would have got AC added. Other than that, its a great little car!

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  smart is smart not dumb - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By SB smart - August 16 - 10:13 am

  I wrote this review after reading Karl on Cars evaluation. He complained about the lack of a standard tach, no armrest, and the transmission. If you drive it in the city like youre supposed to, you wont need a tach if you leave it in auto mode. But the $120 I spent for one wasnt too bad. I dont miss the armrest because the Saabs I learned to drive on never had one. And after 2000 miles Ive learned to drive it without the transmission lurching. Once you get used to it, its an impressively fun car for around town and driving by yourself. Its got its faults, but I never drive it without a smile on my face. The naysayers just dont get it. Too bad.

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  Great city cAr - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Chelsey - July 23 - 8:05 am

  Great city car

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  smart fortwo - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By BumbleBee - July 2 - 7:06 pm

  It is a very well designed car with some quirks. The herky-jerky transmission goes away after you get used to what it wants to do versus what you want it to do and understand how to take control. There have been some teething problems as can be expected with a totally newly designed car. That does not take away from the fun of driving it and the savings in gasoline that goes along with it.