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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  Its ok - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Rater - January 6 - 7:46 am

  It drives like a jeep (hard and stiff) and is slow to accelerate. The brake pedal is uncomfortable. I use it to go to work where parking is an issue. This is the only reason I bought the car. In this respect its great. I now compete with motorcycles. But in all other respects it is disappointing. Transmission is slow to shift, a/c not cold enough. Would I buy it again? Yes. Because of the parking issue I have no choice. If I didnt have to go to work and park I would not buy this car.

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  Just bought a new smart - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By smartitis - December 13 - 6:46 pm

  Just picked up my new smart car (passion) yesterday and drove it 300 miles home. How fun! It is the first smart in our little hometown. It handled well and I got 40 mpg. So far so good. It will be a car that I will use for getting back and forth to work. I own a 430S Mercedes, but the smart will be my "run around town car"

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  motor light up - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By roberto - May 17 - 6:13 pm

  The car is fun and economical but I have had the car for 38 days and I have to send five time to the dealer for problems about the motor light up all the time. It is economical and saves gas but you have to spend more time in the dealer. They have to put a record for that or the smart is not ready for U.S.A.

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  Fun runabout! - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By risean - May 15 - 5:06 am

  I find that I get over 40 MPG I have 24,000 miles on the car now and love it. It parks anywhere and I havent had a lick of trouble with it. The car is amazingly stable on the highway and has plenty of space for two and a weekends worth of gear and supplies. I love it and would buy another one.

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  Honest Car - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Greg - February 15 - 2:00 am

  I own a red and black 09 Cabriolet with nearly 30,000 miles on the engine. Overall, I like the car very much. It is an honest car; honest in what it is designed to do and honest in its appeal to drivers who want sensible fun. Granted, it is not a fast car and I usually take my time to get up to highway speed. That being said, most of the lag is in the transmission so once in 5th gear the car easily dominates in traffic. The ride is stiff, not unlike a MINI Cooper and handling is crisp with perhaps a hint of its weight in the steering. The interior is brightly decorated but feels cheap for its price class. Even so, the car is very sturdy on the road, the important parts being solid as rocks.

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  This car is fun to drive - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Bill Turpin - January 15 - 7:03 am

  My smart for two was a demo car and had 3500 miles on it when I purchased it. I now have 6500 miles on it. The car is a blast to drive, I like to get on the interstate highway and pass cars and trucks going 75 miles per hour, they look like they cannot believe this smart car can go that fast and have the power that it does. What is neat is the car will go over 80 miles per hour in 4th gear, ha. I would like Cruise control on the car and arm rests on the seats. And I will probably have Cruise control installed. So far, I love the smart car and am thinking about purchasing another one for my wife. People are very inquisitave about this car and like it, but dont like the 1 year wait.

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  smarter than you might think - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Alan Griff - January 1 - 6:30 am

  Unlike shopping for other vehicles, in choosing a smart, you decide on what you dont need. Do you need to chauffeur people? Do you need to buy fuel frequently? Do you need to spend time looking for a parking spot? Do you need zippy acceleration? Do you need trunk space that will hold more than a suitcase or two? If you answered, "No," to one or more questions, then the smart deserves consideration. Yes, the ride can be poor to fair, but the very comfortable seats make up for a lot. Yes, the transmission doesnt shift that smoothly, but it can be described kindly as "easy going." Its okay in the city, and on the highway, once youre up to speed, does it really matter? I love it.

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  Great Car - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Bill T - October 2 - 7:16 pm

  I have more fun in this car then in any I have owned. Its responsive, comfortable and a joy. It is amazing to me how something that is so small can feel so big when youre in it. The transmission takes a bit to get used to, but as soon as you do, it works great. If youre looking for a race car, this aint it, but if you want something to get you where youre going with a smile Id say you dont have to look further. :-)

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  smart is smart not dumb - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By SB smart - August 16 - 10:13 am

  I wrote this review after reading Karl on Cars evaluation. He complained about the lack of a standard tach, no armrest, and the transmission. If you drive it in the city like youre supposed to, you wont need a tach if you leave it in auto mode. But the $120 I spent for one wasnt too bad. I dont miss the armrest because the Saabs I learned to drive on never had one. And after 2000 miles Ive learned to drive it without the transmission lurching. Once you get used to it, its an impressively fun car for around town and driving by yourself. Its got its faults, but I never drive it without a smile on my face. The naysayers just dont get it. Too bad.

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  Great city cAr - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Chelsey - July 23 - 8:05 am

  Great city car