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:

• 

  Best of no world - 2013 Smart fortwo
  By fazdaz - May 21 - 1:09 am

  My first impression of this car was that it will be fuel efficient which I can now assure you that it is NOT. I had read reviews that this car isnt really efficeint so I convinced myself by telling myself that Im buying a quality product. It has been six months and take my word on this. Its not efficient for its class. Its a tiny car, with very little power, you would think it gives twice as much mileage as a car like Corolla but it gives same result at the gas station. I had a flat tire at 2000 miles from a tiny piece of metal and Roadside assistance took 5 hours to arrive in rural area near a smart center. Inefficient and uncomfortable. I dont know how I got fooled into this.

• 

  Another Daimler product - 2011 Smart fortwo
  By iota78 - May 7 - 8:05 pm

  The only reason I checked the smart car out was the fact that it is made/engineered by Daimler. I have had many Mercedes. still have a 1972 450SL and my current one is a 2009 R350 (yea, the spaceship) For a 75 HP engine it has what i would expect or more with regard to acceleration. The transmission shifting is a little different at first but then reminds you you didnt buy a race car but one that gets you where you want to go with some nice euro style creature comforts. I am 64" 270 pounds and easily got into the seat without any trouble due to the large doors. leg room is ample and the large windows are good to eliminate any chance of feeling claustrophobic.

• 

  Smart 2008 - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By James - April 20 - 3:23 pm

  The vehicle has been a joy to own. It has pep and most of the time you want to pass everyone on the road. The only thing done to the vehicle since Ive owned it is one oil change. It has a good cruise speed of 70 MPH.

• 

  my daily driver - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By smartdriver - April 15 - 10:33 am

  After one year of ownership, I find I still look forward to my driving time in the smart fortwo. The car has peppy performance, and is quite comfortable, even on the long road trips. I find that I can accomplish 99% of my driving and cargo tasks with this excellent car. Initially, I had several of the "smart car gremlins" occur, but the dealership has performed admirably with all warranty work. Here in the desert, the climate can be extreme: the smart fortwo handles the cold, searing heat, wind, torrential rain, uv extreme sunlight, snow and ice very well indeed. I am looking forward to an all- electric smart in my future.

• 

  fortwo Hates Winter - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By UncyHerb - April 4 - 1:26 am

  Skinny front tires and auto trans makes ABS come on with every stop in snow. The rear wheels are always trying to drive forward as you come to a stop, so its up to the fronts to stop the car AND the motor. Ive gotten in the habit of popping it into neutral as Im stopping. I have no confidence in slippery stopping times. Roads made bumpy by frost heaves and potholes make for a punishingly harsh ride. The suspension must have only a couple of inches of travel because it doesnt take much to jolt the whole car on a bump. But when the roads are dry and smooth its fun to drive. Nice around town.

• 

  Smart, well-engineered convertible - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Michael G-S - March 30 - 2:26 am

  Pros: Attention-getting, economical, affordable (for a convertible) Cons: Weak warranty (but I hope I wont need it -- this is a Mercedes!) I challenge you to try to find a convertible so elegantly designed or better engineered than this. And for $16,590. You can open the top from a distance with your key (nice to cool off the vehicle before you get to it). The side rails come off and store in a special compartment in the rear designed just for them. This vehicle is put together with true attention to detail. Some whine about the transmission, but Im used to driving a five-speek stick so this one doesnt bother me at all. In semi-auto mode just pretend it has a clutch and go!

• 

  My Smart Car - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By My Smart - March 21 - 12:23 pm

  I have been waiting 11 months for this car and now that I have it and have driven in the highway for 125 miles, I know I made the right choice. Not only is it fun to drive, its cheap to drive. I did invest in a LOJACK since the vehicle only weighs 1800 lbs - you can actually pick it up with ease, of course not by yourself but with some help you can I am sure (lol). We like so much we have a second car on order.

• 

  Smart all around - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Bruno the Smart - March 4 - 1:36 pm

  I love my Smart Passion. I traded my BMW 5 series in for a Smart car friends and family all called me crazy but I turned 18 and had to start paying for things on my own. This is my only car and I do a lot of driving City, Highway and suburbs daily. I love my Smart and love driving it. I do wish it did a little better on gas but compared to the BMW it rocks. Having a two seater really is not a big deal and there is plenty of storage space. The car handles great and parking is never a problem. I love all the looks and comments I get and I love the design of the car. Overall I would recommend it to any one!

• 

  The Smart Smile - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Larry - March 2 - 11:26 pm

  I love my new Smart fortwo. It brings smiles everywhere I go. I love the comfort and horsepower.

• 

  Ideal Key West Car! - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Tom Lavender - February 27 - 10:00 am

  I have a very early 2008 Passion Cabrio. Really enjoy the car, but its 150 miles to the dealer. Have had many driveability problems. It took Smart 2 1/2 years to figure what the backup problem was. I had cruise control installed, the dealer blamed the backup problem on the cruise. I had the cruise uninstalled still had the problem. I truly love the car but just dont understand Smarts logic as to marketing and service. Im out of warranty and ready to trade cars Smart Weston acts like they dont want my car back. It is a wonderful car, would be even better if the dealer wasnt 150 miles away. They need better warranty and better service centers.