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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  My little red mobile - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By bbuddha - May 18 - 2:00 pm

  I almost got side swiped going 65. My smart dodged the other car without being out of control. Thats when I could sense Mercedes technology was in this car. For a micro car, it is superbly made. The car started to drive even better when I reached the 2,000 mile mark. My partner is 6 foot 4, and he rides comfortably in the passenger seat. I am more satisfied than I thought I would be.

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  Comfort - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Kate - May 1 - 5:23 pm

  This was to be my husbands car. I have a Toyota Highlander because low passenger cars are difficult for me to get into because I have bad knees. But I drove it for a day until he sold his truck, then another day, then he wondered why the FOR SALE sign kept disappearing from his truck! I LOVE IT! We compared and the seat is almost as high as the Highlander! It is very easy to get in and out of for me. A review we read said that it was built higher than Hondas and Camrys. It will be a very sad parting after a week of zipping around the town with our big Golden Retriever "Cruzer" riding shotgun! He thinks everyone is looking at him so he is a proud guy too.

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  Thought they would never get here! - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Hal - April 18 - 9:20 pm

  Started driving them in Europe over 7 years ago and they were a delight, cute , very maneuverable, and fit in all the very small places in Rome,Paris, and London. Tried immediately to buy one (they were 60,000 lire/$6000 US in Rome) when I first tried. They would not sell me stating that the U.S. would not allow me to import them. My wife and I ordered one each in late 2007 and they arrived in May and July 2008. They are a delight to drive and have plenty of pep, a delight to merge onto the freeway and can easily go 90 mph or higher if some SUV gets testy and aggressive. They are very safe & stable weighing in at more than a ton, have ABS and ESP, 4 airbags & a 5+ crash rating. Go for it!

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  Not a smart decision - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Steven Sound - April 17 - 12:33 pm

  Yes this car will get you attention but once this fad wears out, it will be nothing but a joke. After driving this car for 4k miles I have gotten mixed reviews, some laughs and some positive remarks. I average 31 MPG but when I drive on the highway at 70 MPH it drops to about 26 and it has zero power for passing. The transmission shifts very hard and abruptly from 1st to 2nd gear. The ride is rough but it is fun to drive a small car. The 2 year warranty is a joke. Every trip to the dealer costs $100 just to look at the car. As I said the car is fun to drive for a few weeks but exhausting to own and no worth buying if you need a reliable, fuel efficient car. A Honda Fit is a better value.

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  first car Ive ever truly loved - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By robert hardaway - April 3 - 6:40 am

  The is the first car Ive ever truly loved. I had six requirements in buying a car, all of which were satisfied by this car: 1)buy new at less than 12 K, 2)increase in value rather than depreciate, 3)five star safety rating (and I saw the video of them smashing a smartcar into a brick wall at 70mph with virtually no damage to passenger compartment, 4)plenty of room on inside, especially head toom, 5) lots of pep, 6)good in snow, 7) good at high speed, 8)incredibly fun to drive. 9) I have averageed 41 mpg since purchase. Now, why cant we build a car like this in the U.S. so I can buy American?

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  Involved in an accident - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Laney - March 30 - 12:31 am

  Ok, I had someone broadside my smartcar! He hit my driver door going 55-60 MPH! If I had been in any other car, I doubt I would be here to talk about it! Totaled my car, but I survived!

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  2010 smart fortwo passion - 2010 Smart fortwo
  By AmsoilGuy - March 23 - 12:16 am

  Had been researching this car for months and finally bought one. Shifting is not too bad. Did a lot of highway driving and my first top off yielded only 32 MPG. Hopefully the car just needs to be broken in. At 70 MPH, its just like many people say, the wind rocks the car back and forth on a windy day. In the city, the car is a joy to drive. I love running errands around town in it. I love the ease of parking. This vehicle is not for everyone. Think of it like a motorcycle. Its great as an "extra" vehicle as it has no real utility. It is our 2nd vehicle. 95% of the time all you need to do is carry 1 person around. I dont need a 3500-4000 lb gas hog to do this. I love this car.

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  the little car that could and does - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By mcasdc - March 21 - 7:13 pm

  Wanna be really popular - get one! Its an automatic smile generator plus easy to park, good gas mileage for city use. It isnt a BMW so dont expect that type of performance. Quick starts and at one week ownership - gas mileage looking great. Beats the gas hog MBenz that I was driving and required $65 to fill up after giving me 20 miles per gal.

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  Super Fun - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Super Smart - February 28 - 12:53 am

  Come on! People are comparing this car to a restored 85 civic for fuel economy. It may be true that the civic gets better mileage but how much fun is a 1985 civic to drive? I first saw this car in Italy and could not wait to get one. I have seen, studied, drove and read all the available info. This car is designed well and is fun! Sure, it could use better gas mileage, a smoother transmission and longer warranty , but what car is absolutely perfect at this price level? As stated: "The smile factor" is what makes this car a pleasure to own. This will be a second runabout vehicle for me in the city. Cant wait to get mine.

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  Makes Life Easy - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By HiBeamsOn - February 26 - 6:56 pm

  I love my smart, and it makes my life in the city easy! I live where people will pay 30K for a parking spot, but why do that when for half the price you can have such a wonderful car! I NEVER have parking issues any longer! Drives great in the city and the freeway, holds lots of groceries, plenty of luggage for a weekend jaunt to the country, and enough space left over for those cant-live-without-it purchases. People have said that they cannot see themselves in a smart. I tell them that they are missing out. NOTE: The transmission is a manual that is designed to shift automatically. It is not an automatic. If you are used to the way a manual trans feels, the smart will feel very normal.