I'll hate to see our long-term Smart ForTwo go, because if you really love to drive, truly enjoy the mechanics of wringing the last ounce of joy from a bit of rolling iron, the Smart is a hoot. When was the last time you celebrated getting a jump on a Cavalier at a light? And trust me, the slow-motion lead won't last unless you perfectly time the paddle shift up to second gear. Firing off that gearchange would be easier with a tach, but it's all by ear cupcake, and simply keeping up with the L.A. rush-hour grandprix is a satisfying experience in the ForTwo.
When was the last time you gathered momentum for a hill, or worked desperately not to bog the motor after a shift? The Smart makes you earn your automotive thrills and at a speeds that wouldn't stop a peace officer from finishing a yawn. It's also held up remarkably well (inside and out) to our best attempts to hang with traffic. The citrus-shaded fabric coating most of the interior still looks showroom fresh, adding a warm, late-day hue ("...orange mocha cappuccino!!!") cunningly engineered to cheer your ride home. Of course, nothing's cooler to an old Saab guy than an ignition between the seats.
Left in the transmission's somnolent automatic mode, the Smart is a daily commute backmarker. But if you fully commit to this wheeled hightop, take command of the shifts and go easy on the wonky brake pedal, you can make mincemeat of the rush-hour drudgery. Capitalize on the ForTwo's dimensions and you'll deftly slip through partially blocked right lanes and slot into traffic holes just behind your shirt collar. What the first Miata did for backroads, the Smart is to the urban jungle: loads of fun if not terribly fast.
Paul Seredynski, Executive Editor @ 18,543 miles.
dragonflight says:
10:00 PM, 07/22/09
I can see where you're coming from in trying to post this, but no. Just no. Why should I pay MORE money for an admittedly subpar car when I can easily get something like a Hyundai Elantra, Honda Fit, or Kia Forte for the same or less money? The mileage obviously hasn't worked out to what was promised, nearly all of the 109 posts on the Smart have been rants, and I just don't see the point. While it may be fun to sometimes really push your car, I am not ALWAYS involved in my driving, sometimes you need to just sit back and get from point A to B, especially in tough traffic.
I'd even take the SX4 in a heartbeat before this car.
carlisimo says:
10:03 PM, 07/22/09
Nice writing! Who ever expected to see "somnolent" in a car blog?
mjp16 says:
10:29 PM, 07/22/09
...I get what you're talking about. I love my (base) MINI Cooper because I can redline it in first and second and still be legal.
But still... a Smart? Totally different story there--especially when you meet a corner.
merkava5 says:
11:40 PM, 07/22/09
Loved the "just behind your shirt collar" line. In my mind, that IS the maniacal, giggling fun of having such a small car: Sticking your nose into the narrowest of gaps and flooring it, while some rumbling behemoth is breathing down your neck! I can just hear your passenger shouting encouragement, "Go! Go! Go!"
Your post really put a smile on my face. :)
corrodesdafilm says:
02:52 AM, 07/23/09
Too bad the Smart is impractical, handles like crap, and dealership gouging is reaching Mariana Trench levels.
nealibob says:
04:57 AM, 07/23/09
Again, give me a real manual and a diesel and I will agree with you. Otherwise, it is just too dangerous to drive like that, even at slow speeds, because the car is just too slow. I am not talking about personal danger, but the likelihood of a fender-bender, which I imagine would probably lead to a total loss in a vehicle of this size.
Something has to give on this car and, in its current version, I think that is going to be price. I was just at a dealership that includes a Smart dealer, and they had dozens of them hidden in their back lot. A salesperson I talked to said he was talking people out of buying them and putting them in MINIs instead. Admittedly, his audience was recently unemployed Porsche owners, so the Smart is really not a fair trade, but I see a problem when a salesperson is unwilling to sell his dealership's cars. I would be inclined to shell out $5k for this car, and even then I would really have to think about it. The transmission is just that bad, in my opinion.
srlracing says:
08:04 AM, 07/23/09
What you just described Paul is EXACTLY what I love about driving. It is like the old saying "Driving a slow car fast is more fun than driving a fast car fast." (Trust me, I have both) It is that quintessential purity in motoring that was lost with the death of the British sports car (real British sports cars like Austin-Healys, Triumphs, and such) and revived for a brief time with the first gen Miata.
jeepsrt says:
08:47 AM, 07/23/09
I see these quite a bit here in Colorado and can't imagine how slow they are at 6500 ft above sea leavel if they are that slow at sea level.
hybris says:
09:21 AM, 07/23/09
I agree with nealibob you don't have the power or the tranny to go when you need it in this car, I can think several times in traffic my F150's big 5.4L V8 saved possibly my life from being T-boned by a red light runner.
Now factoring in differences in weight and engine power can one honestly say that in a emergency situation can the smart quickly accelerate to avoid danger.
I based off of what I have read here can't say yes to that question.
felonious says:
09:44 AM, 07/23/09
Actually, I think the quote is this:
It's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow.
But anyway... nice post. :)
betaromeo says:
12:37 PM, 07/23/09
repost?
http://blogs.edmunds.com/roadtests/2009/01/2008-smart-fortwo-passion-coupe-promotes-conservation.html
chuckdaly says:
03:02 PM, 07/23/09
Who really buys a SX4, Elantra, Fit, Yaris, to put people in the back seat. Talk about feeling unsafe. If you are looking for a cheap roundabout that is looks cool, gets great gas mileage (Edmunds getting 25mpg on a tank is shameful) and is well optioned out for $15K, the Fortwo can be considered.
"worked desperately not to bog the motor after a shift?" If you fear bogging down the engine after a shift, then you are shifting you too soon. Learn to drive.