It was a long road for me to get here. I’m sure I was sitting in high school study hall, wearing my “Columbus Sailed The Ocean Blue in 1492” Swatch watch, inhaling car magazines as usual, when I read the Swiss watch company was developing a car. A Swatch car! How cool. The long story of how Swatch founder Nicolas Hayek got way over his head trying to bring the car to market, teamed temporarily with Volkswagen, and eventually lost control of his car company to the great Daimler-Benz ended happily – for the car. Mercedes lost money on the venture for a decade after the first-generation rolled forth in 1998 and Hayek is still hocking chic watches.
If the Mercedes 190 had been a huge risk for the benchmark luxury maker, then the 1998 Smart (stands for Swatch Mercedes ART) was a calculated leap into the crazy zone. Nobody had ever built a car like this. The spec sheet reads like an exotic: Rear drive, mid-engine, two seats, tight steering, and compact dimensions. In reality, the Smart is small even by European standards at just 106” long, 61” wide, and 61” tall – able to fit end-to-end with my Corvette on one side of the garage. This presented some real safety and space challenges.
To achieve an array of 4- and 5-star crash ratings, engineers created the tridion safety cell, which derives its name from the three pieces of sheet metal that come together to form a protective cage. You can see the cell from the outside as the black or silver trim that outlines the passenger compartment. In an accident, the front and rear give way like an Indy racer, but do not allow destructive forces to crumple the safety cell. It’s perhaps the most creative crash cell design from the company that pioneered the concept on luxury sedans fifty years ago. In internal and federal tests, the tiny Smart protects much like a mid-size sedan. So, to answer friends’ most popular question, it is safe.
Interior space surprises everybody who rides in the Smart. Given the minimal footprint, you might expect a cramped cabin. Instead, the tall profile lets passengers enter and exit easily and provides command-of-the-road sightlines very similar to a mini-van. Even while cruising on the Interstate, you don’t feel like you’re about to be squashed by Freightliners. Designers allowed the passenger seat to sit slightly further back than the driver’s seat, freeing up shoulder room for both positions. A clear polycarbonate roof (comes with a retractable cover), like on a Corvette, provides an airy feel.
I planned to order just a basic Pure-grade coupe, but ended up choosing the uplevel Passion coupe for a couple of thousand more. Then, I proceeded to check all of the options including heated leather seats (fit for a ‘Benz SLK), rain-sensing wipers, six-disc changer, subwoofer, foglamps, dash-top “bug eye” clock and tachometer, and rubberized floor mats (cheaper than carpet and much better for winter). The car comes standard with a perfectly sized leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather-wrapped shift knob, exterior thermometer, trip computer, and tire pressure monitor. A tailgate and fold-forward passenger seat allow longer items to enter. Passion models are upgraded with a three-spoke sport steering wheel and paddle shifters on the steering column for the sequential transmission. As I found out late one night, it has an alarm system that will wake Lincoln. The dealer will be happy to install as NAV system. It’s loaded like a C-Class Mercedes and went out the door for $16,400.
I use the paddle shifters to get maximum use of the 71-horsepower Mitsubishi engine with three hamster holes. That doesn’t seem like much, but when it only has 1800 lbs. to move about, is more than adequate. As in uplevel BMWs, the five-speed transmission is an automated manual. Shifts can be abrupt, but talented drivers learn to let off the power a little when a shift is imminent. Otherwise, put it in full manual mode and use the paddles at your pleasure. Fuel economy is rated a frugal 33/41-MPG city/hwy. European diesel-powered models do considerably better.
Last weekend, I drove through a snowstorm to visit my relatives two hours away. All of the electronics and balanced chassis handled the poor weather like a pro, but the 30-mph crosswinds nearly cramped my arms. Passing semis in the left lane, at 75 mph, took nerve - A maneuver like that should be undertaken with the same concern and precision with which Mario Andretti should have passed Danny Sullivan.
Odd little floor-pivoting pedals work like the original VW Beetle, but are connected to electronic stability control, traction control, four-wheel ABS, emergency brake force control, brake cornering control, and hill start control (holds the car momentarily on hills as you lift from brake to gas). In calmer conditions, the coupe is long-distance comfortable and can swallow more luggage as a sports car. Even with excellent fuel economy, a tiny 8.7-gallon tank requires a stop every 200-250 miles at full till.
Only buy a French car if you in fact live in France. We’ll have to see if I made a huge mistake or spit in the face of destiny. So far, I’m pretty happy with my German-engineered, French-build micro-car. It isn’t for everyone, but is perfect for some. A ten-year history and Mercedes engineering go a long way towards building my confidence. I’ve followed the car from the start, saw them in Europe, and now have one in my American garage. I’ll let you know how it goes.
By Casey Williams
MyCarData
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