When I first saw our Smart Fortwo, I thought, "Boy, that fabric on the door and the dash is a really bad idea." Didn't seem like it would be very durable. I could see the cloth getting soiled and perhaps even torn as the car shuttled from one manhandling editor to the next. Epic fail in the making.
The Smart's been in our possession for almost a year now, with over 16,000 miles under its belt. And guess what? I was wrong. The fabric looks as good as new. In fact, it seems to be almost magically impervious to dust and scuff marks. I grazed the door panel with my grimy sneaker as I was getting into the car this morning. No problem -- the cloth remained pristine. This incredibly resilient fabric is probably the most interesting and efficient thing about the little coupe.
Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 16,113 miles
bloodyr says:
02:39 PM, 04/27/09
The cloth was probably developed by NASA. Makes the 15K golf cart seem like a good bargain, doesn't it?
jederino says:
03:43 PM, 04/27/09
That fabric did appear remakably fragile when I took a Smart for a spin. Good to know the durability test-monkeys employed by editors at Edmunds to pull and scrape at interior odds-and-ends have not exposed a weakness!
stovt001 says:
04:11 PM, 04/27/09
We now are up to precisely three good reasons to get a Smart:
1. Can be parked sideways in a parking spot.
2. Gas cap can be tightened from the passenger seat.
3. Durable cloth trim.
Now if only it weren't for the 562 good reasons to avoid this car like the plague.
stephen987 says:
04:43 PM, 04/27/09
Yeah, that upholstery would work really well if you could get it in an actual car.
dougtheeng says:
06:38 AM, 04/28/09
The interior in general is very durable. My gf has a 2006 smart and I daresay she hasn't always treated it the best. Still, though, the interior is in pristine condition and just needs a bit of a vacuum.
cwc1 says:
06:42 PM, 04/28/09
Stovt001, ROFL!
Monocrom says:
12:37 AM, 04/29/09
Most interesting would be the heated CLOTH seats.
The only truly smart thing about this car.