2008 smart fortwoAt this point in my life, I’m used to the short jokes. That did not, however, stop the barrage of witty repartee from my auto-writing colleagues during the smart fortwo press preview in San Francisco.
I know they meant to be funny when they elbowed me in the ribs and slyly commented that this is a car that’s finally my size, but when I thought about it, I discovered it was utterly true. It is my size. Ironically, it’s also the right size for a 6-foot, 7-inch auto writer from Car and Driver. While we are pretty much the two ends of the driver spectrum, we each managed to find comfort behind the wheel of a car that is 106.1 inches long.
smart cars
Engine: 1-liter, inline three-cylinder engine that delivers 70 horsepower
Transmission: automated manual five-speed
Wheelbase: 73.5 inches
Length: 106.1 inches
Height: 60.71 inches
Width: 61.38 inches
Turning circle: 28.7 feet
Cargo volume: 7.8 cubic-feet (up beltline), 12 cubic-feet (to roof)
MPG (city/hwy): 33/40
Fuel tank capacity: 8.7 gallons
Recommended fuel: Premium
Max speed: 90 mph
0-60 mph: 12.8 seconds
Web site: http://smartusa.com/
The totally surreal thing about the smart fortwo is how big it felt when I was sitting behind the wheel. The driver’s cockpit is no different than any other compact car I’ve encountered. From shoulder room to legroom, everything felt remarkably normal. Even the sit height in the fortwo put me at eye level with all the other cars out on the road.
The interesting thing to note is that the driver’s seat is not height adjustable, and the steering wheel does not tilt or telescope. So, basically what you see is what you get. And yet, I still managed to find a comfortable position for the two days and several hours in a row that I spent behind the wheel. Everything was within easy reach without too much of a stretch, and the gearshift was in the perfect place for me to rest my right hand during a long drive. I did notice that the passenger seat was a little too close to the gearshift, however, as I kept grabbing my driving partner’s knee when I meant to grab the gearshift. Not that he seemed to mind.
For such a small car, the fortwo has surprisingly decent road manners. During the two-day trek, we encountered the entire spectrum of traffic conditions, and I felt very confident in most situations. I did not feel dwarfed by the other cars, SUVs and semis on the road – at least no more than I would in any other car.
For general city driving, the fortwo has decent acceleration and keeps pace with the average sedan. On the highway, up to about 75 mph, the fortwo performs nicely as well. I felt very confident driving in the fast lane and even passing slower traffic. I did feel the crosswinds pushing against the fortwo when we were in gusty areas, but the steering is tight enough that the car stays in its lane well enough. Problems really only started to show up when I crept toward and past 80 mph. At that speed the fortwo shudders just a little bit, and I had to take a tighter grip on the wheel to guard against shimmies and wind gusts.
The best moment during the drive occurred when we were stuck in stop-and-go traffic. I was trying to sneak over three lanes to get to the carpool lane, yet no one in the middle lanes was giving an inch. I finally saw an opening that was about 6-feet wide. Since the fortwo is about 5-foot, 1-inch wide, I was able to nose my way into the lane virtually at a perpendicular angle. I was amazed at the turning radius and sheer maneuverability and immediately had visions of this car on the Kennedy during rush hour.
The fortwo is equipped with a 1-liter, inline three-cylinder engine that delivers just 70 horsepower. But rather than feeling like an underpowered golf cart, the fortwo somehow feels just right. The transmission is an automated five-speed manual transmission, which can operate both in automatic mode and manual mode – all without a clutch.
The engine power combined with the transmission will require a different kind of driving than most Americans are used to. The shifts in the automatic mode are not seamless, and in fact, you will feel a definite lurch every time the car shifts.
My partner and I discovered that the shifting was smoother in the manual mode. The fortwo gives the driver the option of using either the gearshift or steering wheel paddle shifters to change gears in manual mode, and we decided that shifts happen more quickly if you use the lever rather the paddle shifters. But, when it comes down to it, it’s all about timing. The shifts are not immediate. There’s a 3 to 5 second lag, so you must anticipate a shift to ensure smoothness and engage the shift a couple clicks before you think you’ll need it.
According to the 2008 EPA mileage estimates, the fortwo should get 33 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway. While the highway number is nice, it’s the city number that interests me the most. Outside of a hybrid, there aren’t many cars that can obtain these numbers. The downside: smart “recommends” that the fortwo be filled with premium fuel. Eek.
The interiors of the smart fortwo will also take some getting used to for Americans. They’re a bit wild with the option of charcoal, beige or red surfaces. The dashboard is actually covered in a tough, easy-to-clean cloth, which is the same color as the seating surfaces but has a different pattern. I didn’t really notice the mix-and-match patterns until my partner pointed them out to me, so it didn’t really bother me, but it’s definitely different. Those who are a wee bit more conservative should opt for the charcoal interior and spend $850 on the comfort package and get luxurious and attractive black leather seats.
In terms of pricing, there will be three fortwo models brought over to the United States: the pure, the passion and the passion cabriolet. The base pure starts at $11,590, without destination. This also does not include air conditioning, though you can add it as a $600 option. If you’re going to do that, though, I’d recommend upgrading to the passion, which has a base price of $13,590 and adds air conditioning, a panoramic roof, the steering wheel paddle shifters, electric and heated side mirrors and a CD player. The cabriolet bases at $16,590 and adds a retractable, canvas top and an in-dash, six-disc CD changer.
At this price point, the fortwo is an awesome car for what you get. Standard features include an auxiliary input jack, full-size driver and passenger airbags, side curtain airbags, electronic stability control, antilock brakes and a lockable glove compartment. Not to mention the tridion safety cell.
The one question I invariably get from anyone who asks me about smart is: But did you feel safe driving the car? Yes, I did. During the preview, they showed us crash test video of a smart hitting a large Mercedes-Benz sedan at 50 mph. The rear end of the smart was totaled and the engine started to move forward underneath the driver and passenger seats, but the tridion safety cell was completely intact, protecting the passengers. In case you’re more visually oriented, I’ve attached a related link at the left to a YouTube video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=QbBo1UPbloI) of the smart car being crashed into a concrete barrier at 70 mph.
The safety combined with the compact size will make this an excellent car for the Chicagoland area. It’s easy to drive, and easy to park. And with highway speed limits in the 55 mph range, drivers in this area won’t expect the high-speed shudders and shakes unless they’re breaking the law. I don’t see people buying this car over, say, a Toyota Camry. But I do see this as a second car for those seven-passenger SUV owners or as a single car for those Chicago apartment dwellers who don’t need to own a car because they are close to public transportation.
Smart says that there are more than 30,000 pre-orders for the fortwo, and though I didn’t manage to get any specific numbers, they did say a significant portion of the pre-orders are coming from Chicago.
To be honest, a city like Chicago is what this car is made for.
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