Smart Fortwo - Passion coupe

Since the stubby little things first hit U.S. streets just over a year ago, I’ve heard the same question over and over again: “Have you driven a smart car yet?” And I had to reply that no, I hadn’t. The waiting list for media test drives was almost as long as the waiting list to purchase the actual cars. Now, however, the moment of truth has arrived, and I’ve taken to the streets in a smart passion coupe.

So what do I think?

Well, like so many automotive decisions these days, it boils down to style. If you’re smitten by the smart’s carnival-ride styling and the prospect of being able to park in the smallest spots you can find, the smart coupe is for you. If you’re looking for a truly pragmatic way to save fuel on your commute, there are better alternatives.

That’s not to say the smart isn’t economical. The EPA rates it at 33 in the city and 41 on the highway. This economy comes courtesy of a 70 horsepower, 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine and exceptionally light weight. The engine is rear-mounted, just ahead of the rear axle. A surprisingly industrial engine note makes the smart sound not unlike a tiny FedEx delivery truck when underway. The smart’s transmission is a five-speed “automated manual” gearbox. As the little engine grumbles along, the smart shifts like it’s still learning to drive a stick; the leisurely up- and downshifts are great for fuel economy, but not particularly smooth. Acceleration is leisurely, and the smart will eventually get up to freeway speeds but it’s not particularly happy there. The car’s extreme light weight works against it at high speeds, where crosswinds can lead to spooky handling.

At lower speeds, the fortwo is delightful to maneuver. You’re practically sitting on the rear wheels, so parking lots and tight urban spaces are navigated with ridiculous ease. The suspension uses MacPherson struts in the front and a DeDion axle mounted with coil springs at the rear. Electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes are standard.

So, with all that said, the smart is, in fact, a real car, albeit a somewhat crude one. Vehicles like the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa come close to matching the smart’s accomplishments, and offer four doors, five-passenger seating, and a great deal more cargo space.

There’s one thing you won’t get from any other car, however, and that’s the smart’s adorable packaging. Designed around the idea that the average commuter spends the majority of his or her time as the vehicle’s sole occupant, the smart has been penned with single-person occupancy in mind. Rather than create a featureless road pod, however, the smart’s got style. The two-tone exterior styling emphasizes the car’s safety-cage structure, with high-strength steel visible and accented by colored dent-resistant plastic body panels. The wheels are pushed out to the corners--they can’t help but be--and the nearly vertical rear end features four distinct taillamps and a gently sloped rear window. The smart’s face seems to grin, as if the car itself were amused at the way it looks. Hardtop and convertible versions are available; the coupe is available with a panoramic roof made of clear polycarbonate. If you live near a college town, let the inebriated pranksters know that the smart weighs in at a surprising 1800 pounds. This way, they won’t injure themselves attempting to carry it off, a fate that befell many a Lilliputian Fiat 500 and BMW Isetta in the 1960s.

In spite of the looks, the smart is not a regular car that’s been shrunken down to child’s size. Think of it as a regular-sized car with everything but the front seats removed, and you’re a bit closer to the truth of the interior. There’s plenty of room inside the smart, and delicate styling coupled with large windows and a high roof makes it feel even airier. The passenger seat is mounted six inches farther back, for additional legroom on that side, and folds flat for cargo carrying. With both seats up, the trunk will hold about 7.8 cubic feet of cargo--a few grocery bags or an overnight bag. There’s more storage space in nets in the doors and inside the bottom section of the two-piece tailgate. The interior quirk doesn’t come so much from the smart’s size as it does from the styling; the dash is covered in cloth, rather than cheap-looking plastic, and the auxiliary gauges are mounted in eyeball-like stalks on the das. The key is located in the center console, Saab-style.

What about safety? What’ll happen if your smart gets creamed by a Chevy Suburban? Based on two-vehicle crash tests that Mercedes has done, it’ll bounce off and go tumbling over and over like a die in a back-alley craps game. Fortunately, smart passengers stand a good chance of coming up with sevens, despite the wild ride a crash with a larger vehicle will send them on. With ten years of real-world development under its belt already, the smart knows how to protect its passengers. The body is one big safety cage, with most of the exterior features--including the front wheels--engineered in as crumple zones to keep the passenger cell intact. The smart also sits about eight inches higher than the average passenger car, so many impacts strike below the passengers rather than at shoulder level. Smart has added 2.5 inches to the “crash box” to compensate for the larger vehicles in the U.S., and the engine and fuel tank have been designed so that they won’t penetrate the passenger compartment in an accident. Front and side airbags are standard.

In the end, this is what I think: the smart is an adorable and extremely economical, but also very rudimentary car. For that, it’s also rather expensive. Prices start at $13,590 for the fortwo passion coupe, and my tester stickered for $14,980. It’s hard to ignore the fact that that kind of money will buy a number of much larger and more comfortable vehicles. If the smart calls to you and you want one, by all means, get it and love it, but if you’re just looking to save gas, there are more satisfying ways to do it.

By Chris Jackson
MyCarData