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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  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.