2008 Smart Fortwo
by Jim Prueter -08/2008

The smart little car comes to America

Since its introduction in 1998, 770,000 people in 36 countries have made the Smart Fortwo their choice of transportation. The Smart Fortwo arrived in the U.S. earlier this year and will be sold by auto giant Penske Automotive Group.

Having gone on a nationwide tour to drum up buzz and reservations for the diminutive two seater, response for “the little car that could” has been nothing short of spectacular, according to Ken Kettenbeil, director of communications for the Penske Corporation. By late 2007, halfway through the tour, there were more than 20,000 reservations for the car.

I first encountered Smart several years ago in Europe. Most vehicles there are small anyway, but Smart stood out — especially when parked nose-in. At just over eight feet in length, two Smart cars can share one parallel space.

Engineered by Mercedes-Benz, the U.S. Smart is larger, with increased trunk space, a wider rear track and longer wheelbase. Kettenbeil says that approximately 90 percent of the vehicle’s parts are different. Overall length is 7.7 inches more than its European counterpart, yet, unless you park the two side by side, you couldn’t tell the difference.

I first caught up with the Smart Fortwo at Mercedes-Benz of Chandler where prospective owners were plunking down $99 for the right to reserve one of the first to arrive from France in January 2008. The fleet of Smart cars on tour was made up of European models. Last fall, I was able to get two days behind the wheel of a U.S. pre-production model, and recently, we were able to spend a week behind the wheel of the Passion Cabriolet.

Smart is offered in three models: Pure ($11,590), Passion ($13,590), and Passion Cabriolet ($16,590). The most basic model, Pure, lacks some basic standard equipment, including power windows, air conditioning, power steering and a radio. Air conditioning ($600), power steering ($450) and radio ($350) are optional. Other options include heated seats ($220), premium radio with MP3 compatibility and six-disc CD changer ($495), alarm system ($160) and panorama roof ($350).

Passion includes air conditioning, alloy wheels, a panoramic roof, leather-wrapped three-spoke steering wheel, power windows, power and heated side mirrors, and AM/FM/CD audio system with auxiliary input jack for an MP3 player such as an iPod. Heated seats, premium radio, premium sound package ($350), power steering, and a comfort package ($850, including power steering, heated leather seats, rain sensor and auto-off headlamps) are optional.

I tested the third model, the Passion Cabrio. It includes all the features of the Passion, plus the upgraded audio system, and a nicely lined soft top with heated rear glass window. Interestingly, the top, which is fully automatic, can be retracted to the open position while driving at any speed. Power steering, heated seats, and the comfort package are options here, too.

All models are powered by a 1.0-liter three-cylinder 70-horsepower engine. It takes 13 seconds to get from zero to 60 mph; top speed is electronically limited to 90 mph.

Driving Smart about the streets and highways of Phoenix for a couple of days elicited nothing but smiles. People loved it like no car we’ve driven. So darn cute is the Smart, we felt like we could get away with most anything and people would still like us. Although, a number of people in bigger cars felt the need to aggressively pass the car on freeway entrance ramps and such, perhaps to prove a point about their vehicle’s prowess.

There were two things that everyone (yes, everyone) wanted to know. First: “How in the world do you fit in that car?” Second: “It’s cute, but it’s so small it doesn’t seem safe.”

First, the size answer. I’m six feet, six inches tall and had absolutely no problem getting in or out, nor with the amount of room inside. Think of it as sitting in two first-class airline seats rather than being crowded in coach. It doesn’t look roomy, but you really have to get inside to believe it. Once you’re on the road, you actually forget that the vehicle is at least half the length of everything around you.

Second, the safety question. Here is what Smart says about it: the car starts with what they call a tridion safety cell – a metal structure that surrounds the car’s occupants and dissipates energy in the event of a collision. Smart has a crumple zone in both the front and rear that collapses to absorb the energy of a collision. The tridion cell then transmits the remaining energy over a large surface of the car, protecting the occupants in the process.

Safety features on the Smart include anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, corner braking control for improved braking dynamics in curves, brake assist, traction control and a hill holder function that eliminates rollback on steep hill stops. There are also four airbags: two front and two side.

In crash tests administered by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, Smart earned the highest possible rating of Good in frontal offset and side crashes, and the second highest Acceptable in rear collisions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave it five stars (out of five) in side impacts, four in frontal driver side impacts and three stars in frontal passenger side crashes and in rollovers.

Driving the Smart Fortwo, as you might expect, is quite simple. There is no choice of drivetrain; all come equipped with an automatic transmission that leaves much to be desired. In theory, it’s an automatic transmission. There’s no clutch, but it feels like a manual shifter with a huge pause between shift points. So much so, that it feels like the vehicle actually loses speed waiting to shift. It feels, to me, like riding with someone who’s just learning how to drive a stick shift — and not doing it well. There is a manual shift mode, but if the vehicle determines that it doesn’t like the way you’re shifting, that you’re letting the engine rev too high, it overrides you and reverts back to automatic shift mode. Which is probably for the best, as it gets a little scary sounding once you get much over 3000 rpm.

At just over five feet tall, Smart is a tall vehicle. Nowhere was that more obvious than when passing or being passed on the freeway  — or if a brisk crosswind comes along, for that matter. While I wasn’t blown out of my lane, there is a significant amount of left to right movement of the vehicle. I wouldn’t recommend Smart as a highway vehicle.

Another problem area I noticed was in bump management. Because of its short wheelbase, you’re going to feel every bump, pothole, expansion joint — and forget about speed bumps. It’s a little like driving on an obstacle course, trying to avoid road imperfections so as not to rattle your teeth. Thankfully, steering is easy and, because of it’s size, Smart is extremely agile — kind of like a golf cart. Parking is a breeze, and I certainly enjoyed the exceptional gas mileage.

In Europe, I noticed that most Smart owners took liberties with the plastic body panels, wrapping them with animal prints, foil, psychedelic abstract designs or advertising. Personalization is a big part of ownership. I would expect no less here in the States.

I expect Smart will enjoy a loyal ownership but it’s expensive for what you get. To me, the only reason you’d own the car is if you like the waves and smiles of fellow motorists. Given the harsh ride, annoying transmission and limitations of a vehicle this size, vehicles like the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris, Nissan Versa, or Scion xB and xD are better choices.