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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  58000mile valve job - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By notsmart - November 17 - 1:14 am

  58000 miles and had to replace fuel injectors..now it needs a valve job. 58000miles????? are they kidding me. every time i bring it to smart they break something. changed a tire and they broke the sensor. had an oil change and they broke the valve. got it back from service and they forgot to put on the engine cover. now it took them more than 2 hours to diagnose low compression in #2 cylinder..remove engine and try to do a valve job. with out changing the guides. now they want to replace the head because they dont know how to redo the heads. is this on the jobs training with my car. also had the no reverse shift problem in the past. smart does not want to help. buy a new one ..yeah right!

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  new type of car - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By keypeds - October 28 - 6:26 am

  Midsized car seating is comfortable , visibility to front and sides is good to the rear it is poor . the interior layout is good as are the basic cd and A/C . Steering and handling are responsive and with a small turning circle as you would expect. Corners well . Winds of 50 mph will nudge the car but you still have control. Engine is minimally audible from inside even at high rpm . The transmission I would compare to a motorcycle being shifted without the clutch but in an excellently smooth manner . so that eventually you basically shift with the accelerator . actually fun and smooth no complaints. Power delivery depends on the drivers ability to master shifting. Can be driven on highways .

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  Cant Compare - MORE FUN than Disneyland - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By DP of Palmdale - October 25 - 4:06 pm

  The dealer went over every page in manual and every detail with me. Disregard reviewer that says it doesnt come with a manual. Transmission is very fun, but like no other - if you try to drive this car like any other car you will either hate it or become frustrated - key is to understand this car is special, but it is very reliable!! I commute 45 miles each way to work, driving through the Angeles Forest Highway - a two lane highway that has many hills and curves. I average 37-38 MPG driving in automatic mode without using the paddles. What I LOVE most - how it waits patiently in the parking lot for me to take it home at the end of each day, makes me giggle every time!

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  smart choice - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By rick - October 9 - 3:13 pm

  Excellent car. Impressive engineering, e. G., abs, electronic stability control, corner braking control, tridion safety cell, etc. Outstanding ergonomics, e. G., comfortable seats w/adjustments, excellent visibility, very fun to drive. Handles very well, and power is sufficient to easily keep up with highway traffic. A manual transmission w/o a clutch, the smart shifts best when you do it yourself, either with paddle shifters or the floor mounted shift lever. In d, the shift points seek the most economical shift point v. More torque, etc. Thus, the engine can lug, e. G., too low rpm. Amazing amount of passenger room, and cargo room in the rear is fine.

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  Teeny Tiny, just my size - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By ~T~ - October 7 - 4:40 pm

  I love my Smart Cabrio. I even get the "motor cycle" wave from passing cycles, Can you believe it? It handles well, the steering is tight and responsive. It is peppy, even going up hill with the AC on at full blast. I couldnt even get do that in my Jeep(V6) w/o some form of hesitation.My Mom calls it a "guy magnet" everywhere I go, they want to talk about the car.

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  Simply a blast to drive! - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By franktracy - October 7 - 3:51 pm

  I bought the 2009 smart passion coupe in September of this year. It drives great on the freeways here in Southern California, including the 10, 605, 57, 60, and 15. It handles great in all lanes and is no problem next to big rigs or in the wind. Also I have never replaced shocks on any car I have ever owned. I have always enjoyed the true feel of the road. This car fits that perfectly. I never drive it in automatic, only in manual mode. Its a heck of a lot of fun to drive, and seats are extremely comfortable. I recently took a bunch of stuff to a local thrift store. The guy unloading it was amazed at how much this little car would hold. Im 65" and Ive got plenty of head and leg space.

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  More smiles than even miles to the gallon - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By c_ster - September 23 - 5:56 am

  It just makes you laugh at yourself. What a pleasant feeling. I live in a town where my immediate neighbors drive Bentleys, Mercedes, Porsches and Ford GTs (and one old Ferrari). BMWs and Audis are banned because they stink of the middle class, (but I did see a democrat once driving a Saab before they ran her out of town). And yet I must get more waves, thumbs-up and smiles from the Cougars (35-40- something divorcees) than when I drove my v12 Benz convertible. Too funny. This thing drives like a go cart, feels remarkably stable, sips fuel, makes me feel like I am at least trying to save our planet (all the body panels are recycled milk bottles).

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  Fun for 2 - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Dagmar A - September 11 - 9:26 am

  We have just got the fun car 10 days ago and a lot of heads turned. We park the car in the drive way and strangers came up to us and wanted to see the car so we showed them the fun car and let them sit in it and they were all surprised how big it is inside and the seats are comfortable they like the color ( red and black trim). When you take the fun car anywhere be ready for extra time because people want to know everything about it. I love to drive it and my husband does to. I think everyone should test drive one. Thanks dagmar

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  SmartCar for Two - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Cassandra Lista - August 16 - 2:23 am

  Ive had my SC for only seven months and I like it more and more. It did have an initial "breaking in" time during during which I got accustomed to its shifting and handling and it "adapted" (according to the dealer) to my driving style. It did take awhile to get used to the shifting. While it isnt a "luxury" car it has many features that I consider luxurious and it has safety features which are extra on many cars, like a built-in roll bar, electronic stabilization, disc brakes, etc. While it is small (which I =love=) it sits high so that visibility is excellent.

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  A little EU in MN - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By GWE - August 14 - 12:23 am

  After seeing the Smart in Europe for years, I was pleased when mine came (as an orphan car). I have never experienced less than 40 MPG in city and freeway driving. Poor Mileage. The upright seating is remarkable. Tested a Honda Fit, the seating was low and uncomfortable. Although not a high performance machine, its very peppy even at freeway speeds. I was surprised at the space behind the seats with the two-way opening rear door lets you put even tall things in upright. Electric top is great, with windows up it has minimal wind whipping around. Very fun to drive. Can go anywhere without people with questions, one person followed me home to ask about it. (yes it was annoying)