The Smart is a blast to drive. Is there some reason we're keeping this a secret?
For all the comments recorded so far, you'd think that the Smart is some kind of high-fashion Trabant, a crude auto-troglodyte dressed up in a snappy marketing campaign. But instead it's a city car for people who like cars.
You can tell that you're in something good as soon as you take a seat. The whole cabin is a masterpiece of ergonomics and style -- expansive field of view, superior driving position, supportive seat, great steering wheel and simple, intuitive controls. The Smart shows you what a horror of bad manga animation the cockpit of the Nissan GT-R really is.
Yet it's the driving where the Smart really makes its point. The controls feel perfectly European -- direct, communicative and lively. And the Smart asks you to drive it. If you want to go fast, you must use the throttle pedal and then the triple behind you answers with a smooth, motorcycle-style growl, as if it's turbocharged.
You can also work the single-clutch automated manual transmission pretty effectively with the throttle pedal in Drive, without any thrashing about with the shift paddles on the steering wheel. The drivetrain gives you so much advance warning of its intention to shift a gear that it practically sends a semaphore signal, so it's simple to ease shift shock with a lift of the throttle at slow speed or instead just put your foot down to hold a gear for uninterrupted acceleration. Kickdowns are slow (although quicker than the Ford Edge's six-speed automatic), while upshifts are quicker than almost anybody (including many in this office) can work a clutch-type transmission.
As a result, you find yourself hurtling around town in the Smart at top speed without any thought to fuel economy, making a pest of yourself just like those early adopters in the 1950s who drove the VW Beetle. In fact, the Smart is the VW Beetle of the 21st century. It's a car with a simplicity that can be mistaken for crudeness, and it tests your attitudes about transportation as well as your driving skill.
If you like to drive, the Smart is your kind of car. If you like to be carried around in a coma-like state by some kind of transportation pod -- one of those sad little entry-level cars like the Toyota Yaris that begins to apologize for its cheapness as soon as you twist the ignition key -- well, good luck to you.
Michael Jordan, Executive Editor, Inside Line @ 10,844 miles
carmizvi says:
09:11 AM, 11/13/08
Thanks, Michael, for sharing a different perspective on this car. I almost stopped reading the Smart updates because they seemed to mostly stick to the same mantra. This is a refreshing change.
I can't help but wonder about reliability in this thing. The Toyota Yaris may be a sad-little entry-level car by comparison, but I wonder how sad it'll be when compared to the Smart's long-term repair history.
mikeolan says:
09:13 AM, 11/13/08
Ok, maybe not the Yaris, but how about the Fit? It's got two extra doors, but it's still plenty compact. If you want a 'premium' two door experience, why not a Volvo C30? The gas mileage on the Smart is a little better, but my guess is it's got a way higher cost of ownership.
And what about it feels 'direct?' the numb, sloppy steering? The jerky transmission?
dougtheeng says:
09:36 AM, 11/13/08
Thanks for the differing perspective. I have never really hated this car like others do. I like to think that I 'get' it, even though the transmission sounds unfortunate. I'd rather have this over a yaris any day. But then again, I drive a MC so some would argue that I threw away money there too.
karjunkie says:
09:40 AM, 11/13/08
The Smart's problem is that it costs as much as the Fit and in a side by side comparison, including fuel economy which is what it is all about, just doesn't represent good value. If the Fit didn't exist, the Smart might make sense and isn't really an awful car.
mazdaspeed_jon says:
10:03 AM, 11/13/08
"use the throttle pedal and then turbocharged triple behind you answers with a smooth, motorcycle-style growl."
I thought the Smart had a Naturally Aspirated 3-cylinder.
ragtopp1 says:
10:31 AM, 11/13/08
mikeloan: It's not a C30 equivalent simply because it's about the same length as the C30's cockpit, minus the backseat and half the cargo area.
The "little Volvo" is made on the Mazda3's frame so it's not exactly a micro-car. It's much bigger than the Fit and Yaris, for example.
lvranger says:
10:34 AM, 11/13/08
You just related the smart to a motorcycle and a drivers car in the same post. Great, now i'm going to be cleaning vomit from my keyboard for the rest of the day.
blankfocus says:
12:16 PM, 11/13/08
I rented a Yaris hatch(4-door) in Ireland and I thought it was a decent little car. Tons of room in a small package. The seats were nice too. To each their own I guess.
phybenz says:
01:00 PM, 11/13/08
AMEN, Michael. Finally someone that looks at this car for the purpose it was built, not trying to compare it to cars that are incomparable because of it's size, engine and other things.
texases says:
01:26 PM, 11/13/08
You would buy a Smart instead of a Fit? Really?? Not a chance here.
stingray454 says:
01:36 PM, 11/13/08
Mike - You're surely joking with that entry. Right?
ahightower says:
02:08 PM, 11/13/08
The Executive Editor likes the smart??? I'd have thought you only hired car guys... ;)
Seriously though, I'm surprised His Airness can even fit in this thing.
sxty8stang says:
02:11 PM, 11/13/08
I read through that whole thing, expecting a sarcastic punchline and never got it. There's only two reasons to buy a Smart: 1. to stick out from the crowd 2. if you live in a big city with huge parking issues (NYC, Chicago, San Fran, Boston). Otherwise, you'd be far better served in a Mini, Fit, Yaris, etc. until they make this thing get 70 mpg like it should, given its size.
extremebigdog says:
02:37 PM, 11/13/08
Now that was worth reading twice, nice blog!
mbtech208 says:
05:47 PM, 11/13/08
I know you wouldn't seriously buy a herky-jerky Smart over a 3-door Yaris. I wouldn't even choose a Smart over a 3-door Hyundai Accent.
firstwagon says:
06:48 PM, 11/13/08
I agree completely with the blog. I've driven a few Smarts now (all diesels which do get 70 mpg), one quite a bit and they are fun little cars.
If you would prefer a Yaris or an Accent over a Smart then I feel sorry for you. While perfectly practical, they are two of the dullest ways to get around these days.
Every trip in a Smart is interesting, you can't help but smile.
Easy parking and great mileage is just a bonus.
mbtech208 says:
07:58 PM, 11/13/08
"If you would prefer a Yaris or an Accent over a Smart then I feel sorry for you. While perfectly practical, they are two of the dullest ways to get around these days."
Well, you're entitled to your own opinion. The Yaris is fairly mundane, but I think the Accent SE three-door is a decent little car. It has a back seat, uses regular gas, has a longer warranty, has a true manual transmission, and is more stable on the highway than the smart.
"Every trip in a Smart is interesting, you can't help but smile."
Smile? Or laugh, because the transmission is so awful?
firstwagon says:
08:30 PM, 11/13/08
I didn't like it at first (should have a true manual) but after a few tries you get good at it. Likely beyond the skill set of the average automatic driver these days but that's adds to the fun.
mercedesfan says:
10:52 PM, 11/13/08
I fully agree with this post, but I must admit that I have never driven a US-spec Smart. The only one I have ever driven was a ForTwo with a manual transmission and diesel engine. It was a fun little car with tons of low-end power and remarkable gas mileage (at one point during a motorway stint it reported nearly 80mpg). The handling was direct and light and the suspension tuning was remarkably good for an "economy" car.
I think the US version is just poorly packaged, this car makes far more sense with a manual and a diesel. Having said that would I buy one? Heck no, but should I ever find myself in Freiberg again I would be happy to have it.
sgude says:
07:13 AM, 11/14/08
While some are praising this post (anything is better than that whiny ramble about the M3's shifter), they're missing a point -- the Smart is "direct" in that its tranny induces such shift shock that it snaps your head back like a bad shift with a manual. I would hope the one I drove was not representative of the breed, but if you have to smooth out the shifts by lifting before they happen, uhh... isn't that telling you this car is not refined at all?
I agree with sxy8stang -- this is a car for city dwellers who want to be seen or those who truly have parking issues.
cruiserhead1 says:
08:22 AM, 11/14/08
MJ forgot the to add the last sentence to his blog entry,
"You got punk'd!"
milt721 says:
08:42 AM, 11/14/08
^^
That's funny, cruiser. I kept wating for the punchline, too.
lvmanbag says:
06:00 PM, 11/14/08
As someone who has owned as Smart I can not disagree more with this post.
Communicative Steering. Yes after 25 mph. Before that there is Cadillac like over assist making parking harder than you think. No feeling
Ride is horrible. Hit a pothole and the whole car gets sucked in. Smooth roads or small bumps it is fine.
Transmission is not so bad in steady cruising but in Stop and go it can be a little embarrassing as your head swings back and forth
Good Points. Interior quality is superb. More than enough room for SIX+ footers. Gas Mileage was over in 34mpg in very heavy city rush hour traffic. The cross winds don't affect this car as much as you think.
This is a rich persons toy unless you live in a congested city where parking is at a premium ie SF, NY Boston...
cariboutwo says:
07:43 AM, 11/23/08
As a smart owner, I wonder if the cranky commenters here have ever actually driven one?
The transmission is only jerky if you're a sloppy driver, to be honest. It's a manual -- let off the accelerator when you shift, and it's as smooth as any other manual.
Direct comparisons to Fit, Yaris etc. are misleading. Fits can't park where smarts park; Fits can't merge half as easily, and Fits are overkill for a single commuter. The smart isn't the right car for everyone, but it's a great car for the right person.
epbronw says:
06:05 PM, 01/ 3/09
Since buying a Smart, I've been *amazed* at how many people feel comfortable bad-mouthing the car without any firsthand knowledge of it. There's always some of this in car forums - tons of people praise the latest 911 turbos that haven't driven so much as a clapped-out '74 targa - but people don't want to even hear about the smart being a decent car from people that have actually driven it.
I'm known as a car nut, decent shadetree mechanic when you need some work done, and belong to a couple of car clubs. My last 7 cars have included 1 classic Rolls-Royce, 3 Porsches, and 3 BMWs (I've still got the M Coupe). But if I say my Smart's "not bad, actually" - suddenly I'm a know-nothing attention whore that will die in a flaming pile of crumpled plastic any second? That's like saying mere ownership of a Carrera GT or Ferrari Enzo makes me a driving god, and we've had ample evidence that's not true.
Do all the experts here know what the slogan for Smart is? "Open your mind."