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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Upgraded To Cabriolet! - 2009 Smart fortwo
By realsmart1 - July 30 - 8:46 pmI originally bought a blue with silver tridian coupe back in July... had issues with water retention in rear hatch...was given a cabriolet smart loaner during repairs...fell in love with convertible...immediately upgraded to a red with a black tridian convertible because of 1.2% APR financing promotion, despite $3000 depreciation for trade-in . I have no regrets...LOVE the convertible. Read my other review for coupe, same applies to this car.
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Fun to drive - 2008 Smart fortwo
By Tom Dall - July 27 - 11:20 pmI have had for two weeks now. Extremely spacious great little car. I love to drive it on side streets or highway.
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Smart - 2008 Smart fortwo
By tampaliquors - April 16 - 11:00 pmSeems like a good car, have several really cool cars to choose from in the garage, but I keep going to the smart. Peppy, nimble, seems huge inside. Valets love it, makes everyone smile. All for 15k out the door.
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What a great little car - 2009 Smart fortwo
By sampbris - April 2 - 11:56 pmI have owned many many vehicles in my 62 years and this is the first car ever that I have kept for over two years. I have enjoyed my smart for almost 4 years now. I have never had a problem with the car. When I bought it I had a Mercedes ML550 and a Toyota truck...I soon found that I didnt enjoy driving either one of those anymore (especially the "repair hungry" Mercedes) and I sold them....the smart has been my only vehicle since and the car has remained solid, reliable, economical and fun. Everyone wants to know about it and you can never get gas without ending up in a conversation about it. The outer finish never gets nicks or stone chips and looks as good as the day I bought it.
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Love my smart car - 2008 Smart fortwo
By Frank - March 31 - 7:30 pmPlan and simple, this car is a blast. I find myself looking for reasons to take it for a drive. I like the statement it makes-consume less-have more fun. Roomy, all manner of safety features, smiles from everyone that sees it. What is not to like.
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Fun to have your arrival announced - 2008 Smart fortwo
By gitlaw - March 3 - 12:40 pmWherever you go, you can hear people announce your arrival ("Smart car!"). That aside, the car has unexpected power on the highway. This car, like a small dog, doesnt know its small. Love the convertible top, though, which can open and close at any speed. Mercedes technology makes the car very quiet with the roof up compared to other convertibles (like the noisy Miata, for example). You get used to the upshift from 1st to 3rd, although my spouse prefers to use the paddle shifters for a smoother transition.
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impossible to get repaired - 2008 Smart fortwo
By sasha - February 26 - 5:20 amOur smart car got hit in an accident. The authorized repair center did not have any of the parts in stock. We waited 6 weeks for parts to come in from Germany. I have never gotten such bad service or waited so long for repairs on a car. I would never buy another Smart Car. They are not yet prepared to enter the American market
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Most fun car ever, take it everywhere - 2009 Smart fortwo
By tcfrank - February 25 - 11:36 pmThis car is solid, fun to drive and great in the snow - with engine over the driven wheels and traction control. Its so much fun to drive that I have sold my BMW motorcycle in favor of this car. My wife and I take the car everywhere and can ALWAYS find a parking spot that nobody else can get in! The transmission in full auto mode does take a little getting used to, but the paddle shifters are available to give you what you want when you want it if you dont like the auto shift program.
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The Killer Bee - My smart car and Me! - 2008 Smart fortwo
By PegMcC54 - February 19 - 6:00 pmI reserved a smart car as soon as I heard that they would be imported (and after a little research.) I love this little buzzing bee! I fold down my passenger seat for my service dog, a golden retriever and still have plenty of room to carry dog food and groceries! People will gather round where ever we go. Even have folks track along side to ask questions at stop lights and such. The local TV station WTOV9 Wheeling/Stuebenville ran a piece on it. They were driving by, spotted it in front of the house (I live right on old Route 40/ National Road) banged on my door and asked for a demo and interview. I love to wave at the gas stations as I buzz by. Maybe next week, fellas!
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The Best Ive Ever Owned - 2009 Smart fortwo
By Happy Guy - February 9 - 6:30 pmThe car has 5 star crash rating front sides and a 4 star for the rear. The car is great to drive it makes you fell that you are always in control. It handles like its on rails. Its small size makes parking a dream. I can park vertically up to the curb in NYC and protrude no further into the street than a conventional car. The convertible top can be opened and closed at any speed. The fuel economy is incredible.
