I was already impressed by my own 2009 ForTwo, but was it capable of driving from Indianapolis to the Smokey Mountains and back without clogging mountain traffic? With a few vacation days to spare, I had to find out.
The mission was simple. A friend and I would leave on Saturday morning, drive from Indianapolis to Louisville, KY for a huge auto swap meet, and then rock it down to Gatlinburg, TN, at the entrance to the Smokey Mountain National Park.
I took a tour bus from Pisa to Florence during a trip to Italy two years ago. Before the trip, I had only ridden in one Smart at the Detroit auto show courtesy of DaimlerChrysler, on the way to my car. Riding the bus, huffing through high-speed mountain passes, we were seemingly swarmed, then passed easily, by Smarts. The tiny tikes were holding their own amongst Alfas, Mercedes, and Opels. That was in Italy, but how would the little car hold up in Appalachia?
Driving on flat Interstate lined by cornfields was easy. The morning was calm and traffic was light. Heated leather sport seats were supportive and comfy. Legroom was plentiful with a wide dead pedal, and there was plenty of luggage space for two large carry-on roller bags, two computer bags, and snacks. We listened to iPODs with the quick connection and rocked ourselves happy with the subwoofer. I loaded the six-disc changer to insure a constant stream of groovy tunes.
Even amongst car people, the Smart is a celebrity. Most of the Kentuckiana showgoers were bred on a steady diet of SUV and street rod. They had a hard time digesting the Smart, staring at us from every angle like Amish in Manhattan. We stayed at the swap meet for less than an hour, taking time to rummage through brochure stands and taking home $15 worth of Mercedes literature from the ‘60s and ‘70s. I found one with a ’79 Mercedes 280E like the baby blue one my grandmother once owned.
Back to my baby Mercedes for the afternoon run through Kentucky and Tennessee. In less than an hour from Louisville, we barely touched Lexington, before heading south on I75 towards Knoxville, TN. People stared and waved, but the Smart cruised happily at 80 mph – powered by a small 71-HP three-cylinder engine. There was no resisting the pull on the steering wheel when signs for the birthplace of KFC in Corbin, KY came into view.
The place is darned cool, even if it is the high mecca of fatty foods that have helped make America obese – the exact opposite of the Smart Effect. Sanders Court was originally a café and motel run by Harland “Colonel” Sanders. From a small kitchen, Sanders developed his famous herbs and spices, eventually franchising into one of the world’s largest fast food chains. You can still eat your KFC (a more modern restaurant has been attached to the original dining room) in Sander’s Court.
The Smart looked so small in the parking lot – like it could garage in one of the Colonel’s famous buckets, or better yet, get totaled by one. Hurried by my passenger’s irritated look, I quickly took photos and moved on towards the mountains.
To tell you I was nervous about driving the Smart through mountains is a misuse of the English language – I had visions of being swallowed in whole by Freightliners pulling logs. I owned a 1989 Geo Spectrum that I had to flatfoot through almost any acceleration, so that doesn’t bother me too much. A Smart looks tall, but all of the weight is low in the chassis, with the engine in the rear, allowing it to handle surprisingly well with its tight electric steering. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes with brake force distribution, cornering control, and electronic stability control (ESP) stood by if things got crazy. They never did – the car handled like a champ.
Stepping into the left lane at 80 mph requires timing, because there isn’t much power in reserve. The car will eventually surpass 90 mph, and you can keep a good head of steam, but you don’t want to try accelerating up a mountain with a semi (or Escalade) on your tail. Driven sensibly, the Smart is more than capable of taming mountains – in America, or in Italy.
In Gatlinburg, cruising the strip at a crawl, we caused heads to flip like flapjacks. Apparently, East Tennessee locals hadn’t seen may Smarts (although, we spotted about five while there including one with a motorized toy crank on its rear hatch). We drove up to the Microtel in our micro car then loaded up on pancakes, rummaged through shops of “Ye Ole’ Tourist Crap”, sent postcards, rode the ski lift, and otherwise gorged ourselves on vacation.
I really had fun on the curvy roads to Cades Cove and up to Clingman’s Dome within the Smokey Mountains National Park. I left the car in manual mode and paddle-shifted through every corner. The car’s short wheelbase and quick wit served up a load of fun. I had been working out so I wouldn’t huff and puff the nearly 1-mile hike to the dome in thin air. I didn’t huff or puff, and neither did the Smart.
Heading home, we started out in snow that worked the automatic windshield wipers like an exercise video and kept stability control on high alert. Going was as easy as coming except for strong crosswinds in Indian that whipped the Smart half a lane sideways at times. It can be a handful, and downright scary, but that’s part of driving a 1,800-lb. car with a high profile and small footprint. Of course, driving at a reasonable speed would have helped as well.
No matter where we stopped, the Smart absorbed attention. At one rural gas station in Kentucky, a cute little 75-year old cashier-man kept staring at the car, then at me as I paid. He asked the typical questions, “Is it electric? What is its fuel economy? Can you drive it on the Interstate?”
Then, he asked, “Can I come out and look at it?”
“Of course,” I said.
My friend looked at me with a concerned look as I was tailed by the little guy to the gas pump.
He took one more look, giggled, and said, “I’m gonna have to get me one of those to play with!”
With about 3,400 miles on the odometer, my Smart has already made highway trips to Illinois, Dayton, OH, Gatlinburg, TN, and as a daily commuter. It is a real car, capable of doing 98% of what you need a car for, and will be available as an electric model eventually (around 2011). But, how does a Smart handle Appalachia? Well, it turns out. Given calm days, there is truly no destination too far.
2009 Smart ForTwo Passion
Two-passenger, RWD Coupe.
Powertrain: 71-HP 1.0-litre I3, 5-spd. auto. trans.
Suspension f/r: Ind./Ind.
Wheels: 15”/15” f/r.
Brakes: Disc fr/rr with ABS.
Economy (MPG): 33/41 city/hwy.
0-60 mph: 12.8s
Top speed: 90 mph
Must-have features: MPG, Style.
Manufacturing: Hambach, France.
As tested price: $16,400.
By Casey Williams
MyCarData
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