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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  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)