My mother in-law has been on a waiting list for a Smart fortwo for over a year now, and it finally came in. I think she paid about $12.5k for it, but don't quote me on it. She got a white one, pretty much base except it has a radio and a/c. I've only been keeping up with the Smart passively so most of you all probably know more about them than I did to begin with, but I'll review it from my standpoint for anyone interested. She brought it by tonight to let me take it out for a bit so I got a little seat time with it. First a few crappy night time pics:
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Now for my humble opinion
Of course from the pictures and articles, everyone knows it's tiny, but it still really doesn't hit you how small the damn thing really is until you're right next to it. The removable panels thing is a neat idea. Color change on the fly would be pretty nice. Most of you probably know this, but the coolant/fluids are in the front under the "hood". The hood is literally attached by a strap after you pop the panel out. Seriously, it just hangs there. Storage room in the back is minimal, you could get a quick grocery stop to fit, but anything more than 50 bucks worth and it'd be tight. the engine is under a plastic cargo mat.
The inside of the car was incredibly roomy. I'm about 6 foot even and 190 lbs, not a big guy but not tiny either, and I fit in it with my wife with surprising comfort. Plenty of head room, plenty of shoulder/elbow room, plenty of leg room. The cabin to the car gives the illusion of something much bigger. It's automatic with the +/- manushift crap, which was weaksauce when I tried it. Leaving it in D was much better. Speaking of the transmission, shifts definitely left something to be desired. They were firm but sloppy, and the dealer said it was best to ease up on the gas when the car was about to shift. I got used to it after a bit, but I didn't care much for it. The car is cheap, and by cheap, I mean cheaply made. Everything is plastic, the engine putts like a go cart when it's idling, it has some rattles occasionally. Most of this was while sitting still, it was more quiet while driving, and the engine felt smooth while driving. It's not fast by any means, but for regular commuting it did fine. I didn't get on the expressway with it though so I can't comment there. Steering was direct and although stereotypical to say this, it really did feel like a go kart. Not handling wise, but steering wise. I didn't thrash on it so I can't say how well it hugs curves, but it was ok.
The dealer also had a few other limitations, I can't remember them all. A 550 lb weight limit I believe, and premium gas were a couple of big ones that stood out. Thats a big minus for me, especailly since I have fat friends :lol: It also came with a 2 year/24k mi warranty, which she doubled on an extended warranty to 4/48. Servicing is at every 10k miles.
On the plus side, the car turns heads more than anything I've ever been in, and I have family members who own some rare old muscle etc. People were damn near breaking their necks to get a look at it. When I was at a stop sign in my neighborhood learning all the buttons and such, neighbors came to their doors to see what the hell it was. My mother in-law was at a Church picnic before she came over, and she said when she left there was a crowd of people around it.
Between the wtf was that looks and just knowing you're in something so quirky/small, you can't help but at least like the vehicle a little for it's personality alone. But I can honestly say that I was not impressed with the car. For the amount of money you pay, you really aren't getting very much. I know it's supposed to be a small/cheap econo box, but there's better cars out there for the money. My money would go to a Yaris hatch before the Smart anyday. More power, more practicality, better quality, and a similar price. The Smart really isn't that incredibly fuel efficient either, especially since they ask you to use premium (although I've heard others are running lower octane with no issues).
The Smart is a definite step in the right direction, but it isn't the answer right now. I thought that I would love the car, but I was sorely disappointed on most points. If it was half the price it would be one hell of a car, but for 12k+ you could do MUCH better.
Now for my humble opinion
Of course from the pictures and articles, everyone knows it's tiny, but it still really doesn't hit you how small the damn thing really is until you're right next to it. The removable panels thing is a neat idea. Color change on the fly would be pretty nice. Most of you probably know this, but the coolant/fluids are in the front under the "hood". The hood is literally attached by a strap after you pop the panel out. Seriously, it just hangs there. Storage room in the back is minimal, you could get a quick grocery stop to fit, but anything more than 50 bucks worth and it'd be tight. the engine is under a plastic cargo mat.
The inside of the car was incredibly roomy. I'm about 6 foot even and 190 lbs, not a big guy but not tiny either, and I fit in it with my wife with surprising comfort. Plenty of head room, plenty of shoulder/elbow room, plenty of leg room. The cabin to the car gives the illusion of something much bigger. It's automatic with the +/- manushift crap, which was weaksauce when I tried it. Leaving it in D was much better. Speaking of the transmission, shifts definitely left something to be desired. They were firm but sloppy, and the dealer said it was best to ease up on the gas when the car was about to shift. I got used to it after a bit, but I didn't care much for it. The car is cheap, and by cheap, I mean cheaply made. Everything is plastic, the engine putts like a go cart when it's idling, it has some rattles occasionally. Most of this was while sitting still, it was more quiet while driving, and the engine felt smooth while driving. It's not fast by any means, but for regular commuting it did fine. I didn't get on the expressway with it though so I can't comment there. Steering was direct and although stereotypical to say this, it really did feel like a go kart. Not handling wise, but steering wise. I didn't thrash on it so I can't say how well it hugs curves, but it was ok.
The dealer also had a few other limitations, I can't remember them all. A 550 lb weight limit I believe, and premium gas were a couple of big ones that stood out. Thats a big minus for me, especailly since I have fat friends :lol: It also came with a 2 year/24k mi warranty, which she doubled on an extended warranty to 4/48. Servicing is at every 10k miles.
On the plus side, the car turns heads more than anything I've ever been in, and I have family members who own some rare old muscle etc. People were damn near breaking their necks to get a look at it. When I was at a stop sign in my neighborhood learning all the buttons and such, neighbors came to their doors to see what the hell it was. My mother in-law was at a Church picnic before she came over, and she said when she left there was a crowd of people around it.
Between the wtf was that looks and just knowing you're in something so quirky/small, you can't help but at least like the vehicle a little for it's personality alone. But I can honestly say that I was not impressed with the car. For the amount of money you pay, you really aren't getting very much. I know it's supposed to be a small/cheap econo box, but there's better cars out there for the money. My money would go to a Yaris hatch before the Smart anyday. More power, more practicality, better quality, and a similar price. The Smart really isn't that incredibly fuel efficient either, especially since they ask you to use premium (although I've heard others are running lower octane with no issues).
The Smart is a definite step in the right direction, but it isn't the answer right now. I thought that I would love the car, but I was sorely disappointed on most points. If it was half the price it would be one hell of a car, but for 12k+ you could do MUCH better.
