Overview & Reviews

Usually, Italian exotic sports cars are best at getting other motorists' attention when driving down the road. But the diminutive "Smart car," as many people refer to it, turns just as many heads. But in this case, a Smart is about fuel economy and efficiency, not performance.

Smart began in 1993 as a joint venture between Daimler-Benz and Swiss watchmaker Swatch, creating a company known as Micro Compact Car AG headquartered in Biel, Switzerland. (It would later move to Germany and be known simply as Smart.) Its "city cars" would feature the build quality and engineering expertise of Mercedes-Benz, while Swatch would contribute its funky design philosophy. The resulting two-passenger Smart City-Coupe was designed for a European urban environment, with a specific emphasis placed on fuel economy and parking ease. The City-Coupe could theoretically be able to park perpendicular in a parallel-parking spot. (The wheelbase is the width of most other cars, after all.)

Because it was such a tiny car, Smart created the "tridion" safety cell (the silver or black portion of the body) to assure the City-Coupe could withstand impacts from exponentially bigger vehicles. Made from three layers of steel reinforced at strategic points, the cell was designed to absorb and redistribute crash energy away from the vehicle's occupants. Side impacts are shielded by steel door beams and reinforced axles.

Daimler-Benz bought Swatch out shortly after the City-Coupe's introduction just as the Smart started to generate hype around the world for its revolutionary take on personal transportation. Initial sales began in nine continental European countries in 1998, and the car proved popular with consumers.

This success led to an eventual expansion of the Smart car brand with the introduction of additional Smart models, including the Roadster and Roadster-Coupe in 2003 and the Forfour sedan in 2004. Reaction to these model lines was lukewarm at best, however, as consumers found them to be overpriced. This failure led to a dramatic downturn in Smart's fortunes, eventually putting it on DaimlerChrysler's chopping block before CEO Dieter Zetsche saved it with a new business model built exclusively around the City-Coupe, which had been renamed Fortwo.

More than 770,000 units and 36 countries later, the second-generation Fortwo debuted in 2006. With only a slight size increase, the general look of the iconic city car remained, but the interior and often-criticized automanual transmission received significant changes and safety was improved. The biggest news, however, was that Smart would be expanding into the United States, where rising gas prices had shifted the market toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles. While there is no mainstream vehicle that embodies those two criteria better than the Fortwo, only time will tell if Americans who once laughed at Smart will embrace it the way Europeans and others around the world have.

User Reviews:

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  A bit high strung! - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By gjc - December 23 - 6:06 am

  Very high on the cute factor. Really fun to drive with the top down. More interior room is more than expected for such a small car. Premium radio, not so much. Ditto with the A/C. I dont expect a CVT shift with a AM transmission, but Smartie has been in twice to the dealer in three months for very erratic auto shift patterns. Paddle/manual shifting works well.

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  Two Year Update - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Alan Griff - October 14 - 10:00 am

  After two years, the honeymoon is over, but the marriage is still good. I adapted to the fussy transmission. A relaxed driving style works wonders. The ride actually improved with time. Winter driving is okay, but winter parking after a snowstorm is painful because the smart is so light. In the Summer, the AC occasionally blows hot air or the fan stops, and this is after the fan was replaced, a popular warranty fix, Ive been told. The driver side airbag cover popped a bit. Unsightly. But thats the extent of the bad stuff. Overall, the smart is still mostly a pleasure. Im 59" weigh in the high 200s and the car is comfortable and easy to enter and exit. The ragtop of choice.

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  They almost got it perfect - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Mike Ross - August 22 - 6:06 am

  Had this been a 10,000 car it would have been perfect, but not at 15 grand. Reliability = 1 star for obvious reasons - anybody who sells a car with the worst waranty in America (2 years) doesnt trust their own product. Performance is fine if you dont mind accelerating from 0-60 in 14 - 15 seconds. Certainly something Id deal with for 100 mpg (not even near what this car gets) Gas Mileage - were talking about pushing around a golf cart with a 1 liter engine, and 30-40 mpg on premium gas is all it gets? If this were a 10 grand car, and averaged 80 mpg Id have 2.

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  Fun, but weak in power - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Xraypilot - June 6 - 2:26 am

  I have owned this for 2+ months, 2,300 miles. Take the reviews that are from new owners or "100 miles, just picked it up last week" with a grain of salt. Its a new car; of course they are going to love it. I am 64", #225. I have driven with a 66", #260 passenger. TONS of room. It has pep and we even climbed hills with it. You will not see acceleration records with it. But then again, it is not touted as a sports care. Contrary to what it was built for (city), I live in the country and really do like it. I have parked the Tahoe & use this for work: 30-50 mi round trip/day. Very comfortable for a little car. It gets you from pt A to pt B economically & relatively comfortably.

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  2009 Finally - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Robert - May 18 - 11:30 pm

  Well after 18 months I finally received my Fortwo the day before Christmas. Although I have only been driving it a few days, and the weather here in Chicago has been, shall we say, rotten, I find myself smiling and waving to all my fellow motorists. On my trip to the local mall for post-holiday shopping I encountered my first triumph when it came to parking. I found a "space" that no other car would ever fit into.

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  Fairly smart car - 2013 Smart fortwo
  By partymarty - May 9 - 1:31 am

  I just purchased a Passion coupe for my wife, as she has been very interested in this car ever since it was introduced to the US in 2008. She was driving a 2008 New Beetle Convertible, but reliability issues were making this car a real hassle to maintain. As has been pointed out in countless reviews, the smartfor2 is equipped with a rather bizarre 5-speed automatic transmission which can also be shifted manually via steering wheel mounted paddles or the floor shifter. My wife tends to keep the car in the auto mode and it seems to constantly be shifting; even on relatively small inclines. When I drive the car, I usually use the manual mode. It actually gets better than advertised mileage.

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  Cant be shy if you own a Smart Car - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Terry - February 2 - 8:03 am

  I awaited my Smart car with great anticipation. Ordered it online in late April of 2007 and took ownership May 1 2008. The room inside is amazing. This summer I drove all over Boston, usually 40-60 miles a day. I had a minimum of 5 full conversations with strangers about this cute little car. When in stop in go traffic I realized that using the car in manual provided a much smoother ride. I now prefer to drive that way and I find I get 10 more miles per gallon. Having the option of shifting on the stick or on the steering wheel is a great choice. Beware of potholes, railroad tracks and road work going over these too fast- scares the wits out of you. Easily driven at 70 mph with no problem.

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  Fun, but be careful - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By CyberSpiff - August 24 - 1:50 pm

  I drove the Smart for 14 miles each way to and from work for 6 months, enjoying the good mileage and fun handling. Parking was easy and it was a comfortable ride. The problem I ran into was a lack of stability in windy settings. I had a scary incident when I was blown into the lane next to me as a result of driving on a windy day and having a truck drive past me, which moved me over to the next lane. Thankfully there was no one in that lane, but it could have been a real problem. As a result I sold the car the next day. I dont think this is a typical situation and in no way blame the design. Its something to keep in mind when you are considering the Smart.

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  Great Fun - 2010 Smart fortwo
  By gwe - April 18 - 1:30 am

  Great commuter car! Dont think I would take it for a long trip,no cruise control available. Great upright seating not the low slung seats in other small cars. Ride is good but can rattle your teeth over rough streets. Above average road noise on highways. Experiencing 40 MPG give or take a couple miles. Surprisingly peppy performance. Much better shifting since dealer performed a free electronic systems update on the automatic transmission. Very fun to drive.

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  2008 Smart hatch - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By smartguy1 - January 18 - 10:30 am

  My wife and I purchased our smart in 2008, paid way to much. The original dealer dropped it,(like no one knew that was coming) and then went to Mercedes. Other then being treated like a red headed step child by the dealer, probably because this thing is so cheap the car is not bad. It took me a while to get the hang of the herky jerky response, and the A/C stop when you really stomp on the accelerator, which other cars I have had did, so no big deal. I now have 25K miles on it and drive it like you beat a rented mule. No real problems to speak of. I use Royal Purple in it and find that seems to work best for oil. I run with the big dogs on the highway and like it a lot.