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2008 Smart ForTwo - first impression

From Brian Sy, Featured Contributor
Posted on April 9, 2008
Filed under Review

In the past few months, the Smart ForTwo has risen from obscurity to become one of the most talked-about cars.

Probably the most original new ride of 2008, this odd-shaped offering from Mercedes-Benz practically screams efficiency, minimalism, and ease of use -- qualities that make it perfect for its home continent of Europe. Recently, I got a brief chance to sample how well it works in America. We might not be as hard up for space as London or Frankfurt, but having the smallest car on the road still has its perks on the mean streets of Palo Alto, CA. There's always a parallel parking spot with your name on it, and having the corners of your car at an arm's reach makes sliding in and out a stress-free affair. The engine idles more peacefully than expected for a 3-cylinder, and the manual steering (power steering costs extra), while a bicep-busting chore under 15 MPH, feels pretty agreeable once you get going. But at that point, other issues start to fill in. Even with only 1,800 pounds of car to push around, the engine's 71 horses gasp and wheeze if you try to summon even mildly enthusiastic acceleration. The scarce power reserves might explain why Smart chose to equip all American-bound cars with an automated manual transmission (instead of a straight-up automatic) -- but that actually ends up being its Achilles' heel. This tranny stalls on absolutely every gearchange, holding you in place momentarily before lunging abruptly. There's the option of shifting manually, which at least puts you in a position to anticipate the violence, but would anyone really bother? The Smart sails pretty smoothly out on the open freeway (though you're pretty much consigned to the right lane) and on the whole, its quirks don't stop it from being an effective tool for human transportation. Still, what does it say when a car's more fun to park than it is to drive?
Brian Sy is a featured contributor for vLane.
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Displaying 1-4 of 4 comments
  • Flag
    From Stergios
    Commented on April 9, 2008

    Driving my Smart ForTwo across the Dumbarton Bridge last night was a scary experience. I was speaking on the phone with a friend, and the Smart was getting severely buffeted. It was so bad that I hung up the phone, and gave 110% of my concentration to driving.

    Now granted, I am used to driving my F350 quad cab, long bed, dually across the bridge, and I never get pushed around in that truck. But the Smart is a bit Dumb as you go across the Dumbarton late in the afternoon in windy conditions. And the winds over the south bay are usually around 15-20 Knots in the spring and summer, with occasional gusts to 25 knots. I guess I will have to accept this kite like behavior if I want to watch the Warriors make their run into the playoffs!

    Driving back across the bridge at around 10:30pm, I prepared for the worst. I kept my speed under 60mph, lowered the volume to KNBR, squeezed both hands firmly on to the wheel, and wondered how well the Smart might float.

    As for the game against Denver tomorrow night, I am bringing my Warriors Spirit and my life jacket!

  • Flag
    From Anonymous
    Commented on April 9, 2008

    Is there a 30 day return policy on Smart cars?

  • Flag
    From Stergios
    Commented on April 9, 2008

    Actually there is no return policy! The dealership made me waive the 48 hour cooling off period. Does not give you a lot of confidence in the Penske/Mercedes-Benz vision when they insist on that kind of language in the sales contract.

    On the other hand, I put in my deposit 13 months ago, so you could say I have had quite a while to cool-off!

  • Flag
    From Brian Sy
    Commented on April 10, 2008

    Wait a sec, since when has there been a 48-hour cool-off period for any car?

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