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 quick comment about photos - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Smartie - June 20 - 4:30 pm

  Love, love, love my car! I average about 38 mpg over my 30 mile round- trip commute, and Ive gotten 47 on the highway. I feel very safe (drove 80 mph this weekend). I have the upgraded stereo and it is great for me. I drive to work with a smile on my face every day.

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  Love my Smart Car - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Trace1979 - June 10 - 7:26 am

  I love my Smart Car. I have had mine for 3 months now and my husband just picked up his Smart Car 3 weeks ago. We love them !

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  Not for everyone, but perfect for some - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By franklambert - June 3 - 3:06 am

  The SMART is not the best car for some, but, if you understand what it offers, it may be the perfect car for you. It delivers great gas mileage, fits two tall people very comfortably, can be easily towed behind an RV and is a great around town car. Dont buy the smart if you are expecting the manual transmission it comes with to shift smoothly (it is not an automatic, but a manual that can be driven in automated mode). It shifts just fine if you drive it in manual mode. If you are a baby boomer with no kids at home, or someone looking for an around town car to go to work or run down to the grocery store, or even to commute a reasonable distance to work, this may be your car.

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  First smart delivered in Oklahoma - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By Okie Boy - May 28 - 5:13 am

  The smart is a fun car to drive, it is roomy inside, power is good, and the automated five speed manual transmission works well but takes a little time to adjust to. The fuel econmy in mixed driving is about 38 mpg. Every where we go people want to know about the smart.

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  smarty pants - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By HGB - May 19 - 12:43 pm

  Have waited for this car for many years and am delighted to finally own one. Ordering a car online prevented me from test driving it, yet I am enjoying it everytime I get into it. Still dont know if I needed power steering or not. So I got it with heated seats too. I strongly suggest not to save on some options as I did. Get the $895 package and factory alarm. Its the better option. Enjoy the cabriolet if your climate is favourable. Mileage is pretty good. Accept the fact that you need hi-test, yet its only 7-8 gallons per refill. Transmission is quirky, yet its still fun to drive. The clutch has a limited life apparently. I resent the fact that the extended warranty is so expensive!

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  Meets and surpasses all expectations - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Markos - May 16 - 7:40 am

  This is not a sports sedan. It is a small, efficient urban two passenger transport that has a small footprint but a spacious interior. Being a Daimler product it has the safety and quality expected. Having a small Mitsubishi engine, it is no surprise the performance and reliability it has. Being a European design, it has character and head turning style. Over all this little car has fulfilled and surpassed every design objective and it is fun to drive around town. It is priced well for the market.

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  2 year old smart passion - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By mech_pe - May 12 - 5:09 am

  Best car I have owned for commuting to work. Fun to drive like a go-cart. My wife loves to drive it on the weekend. Roomy with upright seating like a pickup. Flying rocks will not dent the car. 10,000 miles between oil changes. Gas mileage consistant 42 mpg in Minneapolis. Worst was 38 mpg in the deep slushy snow plus warming up in driveway. My commute is freeway at 80mph to downtown congestion at 60 miles per day. Easy to park and manuever. Some states allow straight into the curb (no parrallel) and sharing of parking spaces with a motorcycle or two smart cars. Plastic panels resist rust and you can change the cars color in about 4 hours. Very tough little car with good acceleration.

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  Brilliant design and practicality! - 2008 Smart fortwo
  By david wayne - April 28 - 2:16 pm

  Drives great on the highway. Gas economy and driving capacity is under rated on car reviews. Averaging 44 mpg in town and speeds up when needed for highway traffic. Comfortable and luxurious inside and much more space than I expected for storage. Brilliant and well thought out design. Love that I will never get a dent on the plastic panels too.

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  High on the fun meter - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Ken - April 24 - 10:03 am

  Well, I have had many cars in my life and I can not think of any that is more fun to drive, including my wifes Z-4. It just cruises down the road at 70 to 80 with the big boys. My first tank of gas I averaged 37 MPG.

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  I love it on the highway! - 2009 Smart fortwo
  By Angela - March 31 - 3:26 am

  But it is the most fun in a city. I regularly drive my smart fortwo on the NY thruway, and the garden state parkway, up to the Catskills from Philly. Yes, the handling takes a while to get used too. But for the 2010 review to state it gets tossed around on the highway is ridiculous. Perhaps people need to learn how to drive again? Steering a huge SUV is different than driving a smart. I prefer the smart. Where it excels is when I am in my row home in Philadelphia. I have never had to hunt for a parking spot, maneuverable in the city, and awesome handling makes it easy to get out of tight situations. I save $200 a month on parking. Get smart!