2008 smart fortwo Ultimate Test

DESIGN
What type of car do you think poses the toughest challenge for a car designer? Supercar? Sedan? Actually, the answer you'll most commonly hear is the tall, one-box economy car.

One box refers to the overall shape of the car. Sedans are three box shapes. Wagons two box, and micro-cars are typically one box shapes.

Now, if you're thinking that many supercars are also one-box designs, you're right. But given that they are long, low, and wide, it isn't much of a challenge to make them look sexy and sleek, as the proportions do that for you.

But to make a short-of-length, tall and narrow economy car look attractive... that takes skill.

Typically, designers will employ certain "tricks" to make a car appear less long, or tall, or what have you. Similar to wearing a shirt with vertical stripes to appear thinner, a character line running the length of the body will visually lengthen a car. Another example, rounding off the front corners of a car will shorten its overhang optically, if not literally.

In the case of the smart fortwo however, the designers seemed determined to play-up the small size of the car, rather than attempting to make it appear larger than it actually is. We see an example of this in the contrasting "tridion safety cell" that highlights the passenger compartment. It's intended to give you a sense of security by recalling a roll-cage, but it bisects the car vertically, which of course makes the car look taller and shorter in length.

Then there's the character line that runs through the door and aligns with the small engine intake above the rear fender. It could have easily been longer, visually lengthening the car, but it isn't. Certainly it adds a dynamic touch, but it serves as evidence that the smart fortwo isn't pretending to be something it's not. Quiet smart. And refreshing.

In keeping with the small-is-cute theme, the front graphics have a friendly look about them – the car is greeting you with a smile. At the back, a pair of individual pod tail-lights per side continue the fun attitude. And we finally see a couple of design cues meant to widen the smart visually – the wide handle for the lift gate and the engine-heat extracting vent that is nicely integrated between the hatch and the bumper. Ok, they're minor elements, but they're there.

It's refreshing that the fortwo doesn't suffer from an identity crisis - it is what it is, and it's ok with that. And come to think of it, I am too. From any angle, the design of the fortwo is completely honest and fun. It greets you with a smile, and you just can't help but smile back. And as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing.

INTERIOR & USER EXPERIENCE
Never judge a book by its cover. That's what we're all taught while growing up. That saying popped into my head as I reflected on my experience with the smart fortwo - a car full of surprises. I have to admit I had a preconceived notion that this car was little more than a novelty item. At least that's how I thought it would be perceived in the American market. But my time with this smallest of cars completely surprised me.

Walking up to the smart, the first thing you notice is its tiny size and footprint. It's comical really. You knew it was small from the photos, but it's surprising exactly how miniscule it is in person. But as you walk around it, you begin to realize that this is, in fact, a real car, not a glorified golf cart.

Once inside the fortwo, the surprises continue. There's a ton of content. Stuff you'd expect to find in cars costing much more money. Power windows, power mirrors, power door locks - I'm starting to sound like a salesman! The instrument panel even has a gear indicator in case you forget how many times you've pulled back on the up-shift paddle.

Then there are some funky elements you won't find on any car at any price - such as these two bug-eyes sprouting up from the dashboard housing the tach and the clock - neat, fun touches that are in keeping with the smart fortwo’s overall personality.

The most surprising element of the fortwo awaits inside the car. You walk up thinking, "Okay, it's small, so it's going to be cramped in there." And then you find that there's actually a surprising amount of room inside. In fact, there's as much legroom as in a full size SUV, and about the same amount of headroom. They could have called it the smart optical illusion. Amazing.

Still, your reservations about its overall comfort and usability persist - until you drive the car. It's only when you've been behind the wheel that you fully understand that this car is much more than a novelty item. The fortwo works perfectly well as a car. It doesn't drive like you think it should judging by its looks. In fact, if you drive the fortwo around town running errands for a little while, you'll forget you're in such a tiny car. Two things will serve as reminders though; first, you'll notice that everyone will be looking at you - kinda weird initially. Secondly, you'll shock yourself every time you climb out of it and look back expecting to see "the rest" of the car, which of course isn't there.

The only dynamic quality that betrays the fortwo's size is its short wheelbase induced choppiness. You'll mostly feel it over expansion joints on the freeway. Granted, this car wasn't conceived as a highway cruiser, but here in Southern Califonia you can't go anywhere without getting on the freeway, so it's a bit of an annoyance that you'll have to live with unless you live in the city and never venture out of town.

But even forgiving it that minor dynamic flaw, I'm afraid you might be disappointed by another aspect of the fortwo's everyday liveability - its performance at the gas pump. Yes, we know not to judge a book by its cover, but come on - look at the fortwo. You just know the thing is going to get 100 mpg. Ok, maybe 50 miles per gallon. But no, it doesn't. Our time with the fortwo saw us averaging around 37mpg. Not shabby, but just not what you'd expect given its appearance and size.

So the story isn't all rainbows and butterflies, but at least it's a real story, not a fantasy. The fact is the smart fortwo is a usable car that is both fun to drive and fun to share with onlookers. Sure, it has its shortcomings (pun intended), but every car has its compromises.

PERFORMANCE
How smart is America?

With gasoline prices hovering around $4 per gallon, and the number of cars on our freeways seemingly unaffected, it makes you wonder.

And of course, the subject that has pundits, politicians and even average citizens scratching their heads at the moment is how to save the environment.

Everyone seems to be jumping on the green bandwagon. But if you look around while sitting in traffic, what do you see? Lightweight, efficient vehicles? I don't think so. What I still see on a daily basis are big seven- and eight-passenger SUVs. And usually with only one person on board - the driver. Are Americans ready to do more than just pay lip service to fuel efficiency and environmental responsibility? Just how far are we willing to go to turn our good intentions into action?

To answer that question, we decided to drive America's smallest car, the smart fortwo.

The fortwo attracts attention from nearly everyone who sees it. People want to stop you and ask questions about it. "Is that thing electric?" "Does it get good mileage?" "How fast does it go?" "Do you feel safe in it?"

The answers are:
- No, it's not electric. It's actually powered by a three-cylinder gasoline engine.
- Yes, it gets decent mileage, although not quite as great as you might expect - 35 to 40-some miles per gallon.
- It'll go fast enough to get you in trouble - just over 90 mph.
- And concerning safety, you certainly feel a bit vulnerable at first.

But when you learn that the smart fortwo has passed more crash tests than most cars are subjected to, you start to feel a bit more secure. In smart's words, the tridion safety cell protects its passengers like the hard shell of a walnut. But lets not kid ourselves, you can't beat physics. In a land of 5000-pound-plus SUVs, the smart is a little minnow swimming among a bunch of whales.

Being a small fish does have its advantages, of course. The smart fortwo is super-nimble around town. See a parking spot you like? Slide 'er right in.

The smart feels very stable around corners, with the electronic stability program kicking-in if you get too frisky.

It's only when you venture out of the city and onto the freeways that the fortwo starts to make you question its real-world usability. Being so light-weight - just over 1800 lbs. - the fortwo is more susceptible to cross-winds than most cars. And while its acceleration feels adequate around town, it leaves you wanting a bit on an onramp. But let's be fair, this car wasn't designed to go from city to city, it was design to live in the city.

So, smart car or dumb car? I'll tell you why the smart fortwo is aptly named.

For starters, it makes people smile - like the New Beetle did in its day. And you can never have too much of that.

Also like the New Beetle, it alters our automotive landscape by presenting a shape that is out of the ordinary - and that too is a good thing.

But more importantly, the smart fortwo foreshadows elements of our automotive future; light weight, intelligent packaging, and generally out-of-the-box thinking.

Where the New Beetle was a nostalgic nod to the past, the smart fortwo offers us a sneak-peek into the future. It's much more than a novelty, although unfortunately, that's how it will be perceived by many in the United States.

So, you'll smile at the smart fortwo as it goes by because it's cute, or because it's funny, or perhaps just because it's unusual. Whatever the case, it won't be perceived as a real car by most Americans.

But what if it is reality. What if the smart is not just "the future" but in fact, "your future?" The question then is, will you still be smiling?

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2008 smart fortwo

Performance
- Acceleration: Just adequate around town - Lacking everywhere else
- Handling: Very active stability control is welcomed for once
- Braking: A little unstable when used aggressively, but effective

Design
- Exterior: Fun, honest, makes people smile - a lot
- Interior: Best aspect of this car - clever, fun, useful

Utility
- Comfort: Legroom and headroom equal to full size SUVs
- Space: Huge for a two door, rear-engined car with a tiny footprint

Safety
- Dynamics: Stability control relieves your fears, but physics cannot be denied
- Technology: Every airbag, rollbar-like safety cage, aggressive stability control, ABS, etc.

Value
- Price: You pay for its funkiness factor - there are better values out there
- Mileage: Hard to argue with high 30s, low 40s, but looks suggest more

Emotional Appeal
- Heart thumpin' factor: Makes you want to hug it every morning
- Fun to spank: Fun to get reactions, but not to hustle

SPECIFICATIONS

Layout: Rear engine / Rear wheel drive
Engine: 1.0 liter, inline 3 cylinder
Power (SAE): 71 hp @  5800 rpm
Torque: 68 lbs-ft @  4500 rpm
Redline: 6000 rpm
Gearbox: 5 speed automated manual
Curb Weight: 1808 lbs.
0-60 mph: 14.5 sec.
1/4 mile: 20.0 sec.
Top Speed: 91 mph (electronically limited)
Mileage: 33 city / 41 highway
Base Price: $14,235
Competitors: Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, Vespa moped