Smart ForTwo

Smart ForTwo is one of smallest, most frugal cars on sale

Auto Express Car Reviews

Rating:
Latest deal price: from £8,843 to £15,977
For : Ideal city car, efficient diesel, spacious boot
Against : Lacks cabin space, jerky auto, four-star Euro NCAP rating

Instantly recognisable thanks to its unique size and shape, the Smart ForTwo is ideal for urban driving. It's just 2.5-metres long, so it can be parked dead on to the kerb in the smallest of spaces. As well as the standard coupe, a cabriolet version is also available as well as a sportier BRABUS performance edition. The 54bhp CDI diesel is one of the most efficient cars on sale, with CO2 emissions of just 86g/km. With the exception of the slightly bigger Toyota iQ, the Smart has no real rivals. You pay for the compact dimensions with a lack of interior space, and the jerky automatic gearbox spoils the driving experience.

Our pick: Pulse mirco hybrid drive (71bhp) 2dr

Video: watch CarBuyer's video review of the Smart ForTwo

Styling

The compact one-box design of the Smart is very striking and it's an unmistakable sight on the roads. The contrasting roofline sweeps down into the side sills, and the tall shape actually means visibility is better than you'd expect. Three trims levels are offered, but all get alloys wheels as standard. The performance-oriented BRABUS edition also gets a set of twin-exhausts and a mesh grille up front.

Interior

Inside, entry-level Pulse models feel a little basic, with functional plastics on all the main surfaces. Mid-spec Passion trim adds leather to the steering wheel and gearknob, but can be had only with an automatic gearbox.

Driving and Performance

All the cars in the range perform at their best in town, and provide nippy performance up to around 40mph. Petrol versions use a 1.0-litre engine mounted in the boot, available with either 71bhp and stop and start - otherwise known as micro hybrid drive - or turbocharged to give 84bhp, or 102bhp in the flagship BRABUS model. The tiny 800cc CDI diesel is the slowest, taking 16.8 seconds to reach 62mph. Power steering is optional on the Smart ForTwo, but without it the steering is surprisingly heavy for such a small car, so its worth taking. Pulse models come with a self-shifting manual gearbox, which is smoother than the automatic – that can be jerky and slow unless you back off the throttle during changes.

MPG and running costs

Whatever engine you go for, the ForTwo is very efficient, with every version returning well over 50mpg. The most efficient is the tiny diesel, which emits just 86g/km of C02 while managing a combined 85.6mpg. The micro-hybrid is nearly as frugal and both are exempt from road tax and the Congestion Charge, which you'll have to pay if you opt for either of the turbocharged petrols. The BRABUS is particularly inefficient, but with an emissions figure of 119g/km meaning a road tax bill of £90 annually.

Practicality

Despite its incredibly short length, the ForTwo offers more boot space than much bigger four-seat rivals. The 220-litre boot is bigger for instance than both the MINI hatchback and the Fiat 500. If you fill the stubby boot to the roof, it offers as much as 340-litres, but the shortness of the loading bay limits the type of objects you can carry. Handily, the split tailgate opens out into a bench seat, and can be used to carry odds and ends, while the passenger seat back folds down too.

Safety and reliability

The Smart ForTwo performs reasonably well in Euro NCAP crash tests, scoring four out of five stars for adult occupants and two for pedestrian protection. This isn't a bad score in isolation but its way off the class best. Traction control and driver and passenger airbags come as standard, but side impact airbags are an optional extra. While there were some electrical problems with earlier models, no major problems have been reported on the current crop. The manufacturer only offers a two-year warranty at present.

For an alternative review of the latest Smart ForTwo visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

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2 Comments

Really... did you actually drive it?...

This review isn't serious... is it? 4 star rating for a impractically small, expensive, ridiculous looking vehicle which having drivin one I can confirm is truly awful to drive!

The gearbox is incredibly jerky and difficult. The engine makes a lot of noise with very little difference to actual velocity and it really really deosn't like going round corners!

With the wealth of talent in small cars today I'm amazed anyone would consider a smart at all?

By Wheelerdealer on 21 October, 2011, 2:06pm

Politely Disagree: We Love This Car

Wheeler, I completely disagree with your analysis.

My family owns three '08 cabrios and one Pure. We bought these cars for their looks (believe it or not, we were charmed by these fun little cars) and their economy. They run like a top (even my computer-jockey husband can easily do the maintenance), and, while they may not be a Ferrari, or ride like a Bentley, they are fun to drive, eyecatching, cheap to insure, I adore my MP3 hookup, and what's not to love about a convertible?

And above all, they are pocketsized moneysavers. With the money we've saved over the past three and a half years of ownership, we've easily saved tens of thousands of dollars. Yes, I'm in the US. We'd have saved even more if we didn't have to carry a deadweight of catalytic converter equipment to meet some dumb governmental requirement that actually makes our Smarts MORE inefficient.

As far as going around corners, just how fast ARE you going around those corners, buddy boy? I got rid of an SLK when my cabrio arrived. I take corners the same way. I mean, in "real life" when are you going to take a corner on two wheels? My gearbox isn't jerky or difficult. I'd take it any day over the gawdawful Mazda truck my dad has, or the nice but bland Chrysler Minivan I also got rid of.

I easily keep up with traffic on my local interstate highway, which is famed for recognizing the 55 mph speed limit as a mere "suggestion".

Sure, you can't carry furniture in the car, but I have easily put in four fifty pound bags of dogfood, or a car load of plants and sacks of soil improver and and (to the complete amazement of bystanders at our local DIY center). We moved our daughter into a university dorm in two Smarts, and believe me, that was a LOT of stuff. It also, btw, made her an instant celebrity in her dorm.

We were so pleased with the first Smart we owned, we got another, then another, and then another. And you know what? If something came up and we needed another car, we'd get yet another, we've been so pleased.

By springlering on 24 December, 2011, 2:33pm

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Pictures

Smart ForTwo