Jalopnik
The 2008 Smart Fortwo is burdened with preconceived notions like no car before it. It's not safe. You can't drive it on the highway. It's too small for super sized Americans. It's Green. It's gay. The car was launched in Europe in 1998, so Americans have had a decade to develop these assumptions. Until now, few have driven it, and never on American soil. Yesterday, we did.
On Monday, we got a call from our friend Nick, who - thanks to a Blackberry and a spirit of adventure - is the first U.S. customer to take delivery of his very own Smart. The company even gave him a plaque to commemorate the occasion. It credits him in part with, "Initiating a revolutionary change in the way Americans think about transportation."
We do need to change the way we think about the Smart. It is safe. Mercedes developed the original version with the goal of making it as safe as their E-class. Bookended by crumple zones, a steel roll cage surrounds the occupants. Not only does that cage resist deformation in even the most severe impacts, in a crash it will actually activate the crumple zones on larger cars, using their in-built protection to cushion the Smart's occupants, too. It also comes with the full retinue of airbags.
It feels safe, too. The size defines the driving experience, but not in the way you might expect. Rather than feeling intimidated in traffic, you feel empowered. Gone is the need to take responsibility for an acre of SUV on a crowded road. Present is the freedom to move down that crowded road as you see fit. Congested urban streets and crowded highways stop feeling claustrophobic and start feeling easy. It's quick to turn, yet feels more stable than most vehicles twice its size.
It's not too small inside. I'm 6'2" and I couldn't reach the steering wheel with the driver's seat all the way back. Compare it to the front cabin of big SUVs like, say, GM's Yukon / Escalade / Tahoe and the Smart is positively spacious, thanks to it's airy design and upright seats.
It's not Green. The problem is, the Smart isn't that smart. The 1-liter, 70bhp engine has to work hard, so it only averages about 38mpg. Less if you drive fast. In Detroit, Mercedes showed off something they called the Micro Hybrid. It wasn't a hybrid at all, but switched itself off below 5mph, resulting in urban fuel consumption of 58mpg. The Smart desperately needs that technology, or a least a diesel engine.
It's not gay either. Sure, if you live in a doublewide and think Budweiser is the height of sophistication, then the Smart probably doesn't fit your Trans-Am ideal of what a manly car should be. But neither does it carry the level of campness of say, a Volkswagen Beetle. Rather, in traffic, the Smart's driver looks, well, smart.
So the Smart is a more complete, practical car than most people assume it to be - but that's also its biggest problem. Most people who stop to ask what it is think it's electric or at least a hybrid. It isn't. Neither is it cheap. The Fortwo Passion Cabriolet pictured here costs $18,500. It'll still get caught in traffic jams. Look at the Smart as a practical car that's easier to use in an urban environment than anything else, and you'll be happy. Look at it as fundamentally altering the way Americans think about transportation though, and you'll be disappointed.
Comments
How did you take that picture from the backseat?
I've been following the company since its inception, thanks in part to Business School case studies and my ongoing interest in auto innovations.
But to me, THE key part of the business model has almost completely faded away. This car was envisioned with endless amounts of dealer-installed options that would allow for a limitless amount of customization. The colored body panels snap on and off, so you could change the color like a cellphone's faceplate. There was even talk of modular transmissions at one point, allowing owners to "upgrade" from manual to auto tranny later on. This was supposed to be the car that lit a fire under the asses of the traditional auto distribution model.
It can take up half a parking spot, but what cop will allow you to park two under a single meter? You can go two-wide in lanes, like motorcycles. It's all the expense and inefficiency of a small car, with even less storage space.
I don't wish failure on this car; I just think it's 8-10 years too late coming to the US.
the pictures of the car parked "sideways" are hysterical, but I cant imagine that any Traffic and Parking department is gonna let that fly.. ..
Sorry, you "can't" go two-wide in lanes. Bad typo.
Trying to run afoul of both the NYC Parks Department and the NYPD in the third photo?
I saw a yellow one last Friday in Bellflower, CA. So, um, nah-nah-nah-nah-naaah-naaah?
Sure, it's safe when striking a fixed barrier. Being hit by a 5500 lb Tahoe is another story. You can't argue with physics.
If only they'd kept producing the Roadster, I'd be a possible customer. And I don't buy new cars, ever.
Not true. This is not the first drive of a FourTwo on American soil. Perhaps the first road test, but there is one in the metro-Atlanta area that I see on a regular basis.
@badco-fascism: It's not going to be much worse than in any other commuter car, really. Nothing is going to fair well against a 5500 lbs behemoth smashing into it.
It is funny you mention the New Beetle because the headroom is great in both cars. I'm 6'4" and not exactly skinny and found the ForTwo quite spacious in terms of the seating.
The big turnoff was that transmission. I have to believe a CVT would be better suited to this car and to the MPG than the awful automatic-manual lurchfest.
@crazygutgut: Some cities are permitting the ForTwo to guerilla-park in this manner and it becomes less relevant in pass/permit/free areas. More importantly, the ForTwo will be able to comfortably fit into a half space created by some jerk who can't park inside the lines inside a lot or garage.
@Triborough:
Nah, it's DUMBO.
@Uberdude328i: The first paragraph does say "few," this is definitely one of the first officially-imported vehicles driven on US roads.
I've seen several in the Phoenix area, as well.
Smart cars have been sold in Canada since 2004 and i'm sure many have taken a trip across the border. Why i've even seen parking enforcement here in Toronto tooling around in them. (THAT does look gay)
38 MPG, BIG DEAL, MY HHR GETS 35MPG ON HIWAY WITH CRUISE AND I CAN HAUL CARGO AND KIDS. THE COST ON MY HHR WAS $18900 WITH TAX AND LIC. IT IS TEN YEARS TOO LATE.
@Uberdude328i: @Garebear: The previous model looks pretty much identical from less than 5 feet away and there are plenty of them that were imported from Canada. You might be sighting the prior model.
Then again, you might not...
Uberdude: True, about 1000 '04, '05, and '06 models have been imported to the USA by a company called G&K. They are 8" shorter, and don't meet all US safety laws. This is the first '08, and the first car ever sold by smart USA...
@DWMILLER: Yes, but since you can't turn off your caps-lock no one really cares.
Baltimore is American soil! And they've been imported there thru the gray market going on five years. You see them buzzing around from Mt. Washington to the Inner Harbor. They've filled a void in the automotive landscape there; specifically the small parking voids no other car could hope to fit in.
Potential buyers (mischievous assholes) beware (take note).
We have had more than one case of Smartie tipping in Canada since these turbo diesel mircomachines were shat out of the german war machine a number of years ago.
Seeing one on its side was enough to scare me back into my (at the time) equally gay forester 2.5XT.
Kooooo-Loo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo! Kooooo-Loo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo-Koo!
The leetle car of Smartness has achieved great success in the North of Great Whiteness.
@DWMILLER: I WILL ASSUME YOU ARE OVER 80 AND CAN ONLY SEE CAPITAL LETTERS. WHO CARES ABOUT 35MPG? YOU DRIVE ONE OF THE UGLIEST CARS EVER MADE.
I wouldn't park sideways like that in nyc. You might get boxed in, unless you go for the lambo door kit. Looks fun to drive in the city. I liked driving my little integra around here, fits in a lot of small spaces between suvs...
"...in a crash it will actually activate the crumple zones on larger cars, using their in-built protection to cushion the Smart's occupants, too."
Oh, puh-leeeeaze.
@acx: I just snorked my coffee at that visual. A-thank you.
A surgeon I know has had one for a few weeks. He seems to love it. It has replaced his DB9 Volante as his daily drive!
@eltonito:
In San Francisco all of the "good" parking is pay parking. I cant imagine the DPT letting a car squeeze in between two meters and NOT pay.. just not gonna happen, even if its a good idea, the cars are gonna be relegated to full size spots regardless... yeah it might come in handy in permit parking areas, but I still dont see them letting these cars do this.. after all these are the same guys that ticket motorcycles for parking in between meters and for parking on the sidewalks..
I'd love to see this thing with a diesel, but I'm not that upset about it's mediocre fuel economy. The size is much more important to me. Chicago is doing away with parking meters, going instead to the mid-block electronic pay box. So, without meter-defined parking spaces, you put your car where you can fit it. Neighborhoood parking will be much easier, too.
@dolo54: Screw the lambo doors, that's what windows are for. Didn't Bo and Luke teach you anything??
@crazygutgut: It's my understanding that sideways parking is legal in Europe. Try in America at your own risk. (Though, as long as you're not blocking anyone, shouldn't it be OK in the Land of the Free?)
@eltonito: You're right, I was just being an ass. It had a Mercedes emblem on it...
Cut the price in half and I still wouldn't consider it for an in-town commuter, not with all the decent small used cars on the market with good mileage.
Yup, there were a few of those around Redmond, WA. Some rich dude from microsoft had brought them in.
@DWMILLER: Not to throw fuel on the flame, but why does it not surprise me that the Venn diagram of HHR owners and all-caps typers has plenty of intersection? But the point is well-taken.
@theeastbaykid:
no this is the land of parking ticket quotas and strapped city budgets...
That was certainly a non-review if I've ever seen one. Just how slow and herky-jerky is the transmission? The 2007 model I test drove was awful - the worst ever. Have they fixed the touchy, grabby brakes? Is it possible to drive this car smoothly?
I like the concept of smart; it's their execution that gets a big, fat "F".
@Garebear: Be careful with that hood, it is woefully inadequate for the patented "Duke Slide."
@crazygutgut: Let's be honest, there isn't really any parking in San Francisco that won't get you ticketed. "Parking" is just a cruel illusion there...
A good car for car sharing fleets in big cities for sure. But until Smart puts out a model with a second row of seats it's just not gonna take off here. This model is going to be relegated to niche uses. Not that that's a bad thing. Just like with alternative fuel technologies, there is no silver bullet. We need more creativity in Detroit and more of an open mind in the U.S. car buyer.
I've always been shocked at how expensive this little sucker is. The available, more practical, options at that price point are many. A base Civic starts at around $15,000 for one example.
The car is a good idea but placing it strictly up market always seemed like a bad idea to me.
After a few hundred miles in it, I've figured out the ingredients.
1 interior of an A-class
1 suspension setup from a z4 M roadster
1 motor of a Cobalt
1 fun-loving spirit of the original xB
Bold it all together then pour formula 86 delayed-action mousemaker in the gas tank.
It is such a fun car to have, and the only car worth considering for Manhattan-Manhattan trips.
I too kind of doubt whether it will wind up being legal to park like that. I'm hoping there is a ruling saying it is legal on non-metered streets.
It is fantastic on the highway- Totally composed at 80mph (its natural gait) and fine when you go faster than that too. Not scary when you pass trucks. Although it does have a speed limiter in reverse (so no reverse-flicks, I suppose).
The roof is dope- you can flop it up and down whenever you want.
Oh, and you can actually open the roof remotely with the key fob if you get boxed in :)
The last gen has been on sell in the US by specialty dealers in Florida, Arizona and porbably other places for years. So it pretty much has been driven on American soil.
It's a crazy high price for what you get. I was actually considering driving one after I test drove it but you can get so much more car with just slightly less mpg. They ought to slash the price by at least 5g.
Obviously this car is not for everybody, or even that many at all. But I know a lot of people that would like it. It's all abot choices people, now we Americans have one more option in the stable, whether you like it or not!
I also think pricier small cars will become more of the norm for people wanting quality "stylish" cars such as the MINI, smart or Fiat 500 (oh, that's right, we can't get that here).
The transmission is shocking when you first get in. It feels like when you drive a manual with your friend shifting. Except in the smart, your friend controls the clutch too.
But after 100 miles or so, you learn the patterns, and then it ceases to become an issue. It keeps the playful verve of a manual (and doesn't do the annoying torque converting thing), and you learn the shifters habits (and I imagine it learns yours too).
It is a great transmission when you're used to it. It just doesn't do well on test drives.
@JanTheMan: That's not from the back seat, it's from the front seat of the chase car, it's just that close!
"Look at it as fundamentally altering the way Americans think about transportation though, and you'll be disappointed."
That's only because the Segway has already fundmentally altered American transportation.
@theeastbaykid: I think we've been getting more than a few people straying over from Autoblog lately. That's just the way they roll.
@dolo54:
Although the HHR is no prize, and all caps are internet screaming, this Smart is very ugly as well. Further, the milage is much less than I'd expect given all the sacrifice in size of this thing, not to mention the price.
The only thing it seems to offer is rogue parking ability. Even that seems suspect for real world use in most areas. I guess I just don't "get" this car. When it truly gets great milage, or does something special, maybe I'll get it then.
Here's an equation:
Smart - (MB safety) - (Swatch style) - (poor exchange rate) = Tata
@eltonito:
I think thats the point. this car wont be any easier to park here if cities dont make exceptions to them (I believe they wont, well Berkeley might) so you dont get any advantage there. for the price you can get better equipped safer feeling civic or corolla. It is an MB after all so i cant imagine that this car is cheaper to repair than any other MB.