CTC Review: 2009 smart fortwo

[PJungnitsch]

Maybe it is a narrow design window that must be threaded here.

That's about it. To design a car this short involves a number of compromises.

Interestingly these are favored second cars of racing drivers:

Sir Stirling Moss: Still Stirling stuff

He retired from racing in 1962, but the veteran driver is on full throttle. Sean O'Grady hangs on tight

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

I was surprised to find that Sir Stirling Moss, a living national treasure, has something in common with a mere mortal like me: "I much prefer having a small car and driving the arse off it."

Which he then proceeded to do, with me as passenger, in a Smart ForTwo. We took it round the handling track at Mercedes-Benz World, at the old Brooklands circuit in Surrey. He pushed it, but Smart stayed out of trouble. He hasn't lost his touch.

Stirling had come to pick up a new Mark 2 Smart for himself and Lady Moss: "The understeer's almost gone, the steering's jolly nice and it's great improvement – but when they make a manual, that'll be fun." I'm not sure, however, that Smart will abandon its idiosyncratic semi-automatic gearchange. We emerged from the Smart with a whiff of warm rubber in the air.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/carfinder/article3199418.ece


Championship leader Jenson Button has put his Bugatti Veyron road car up for sale.

Only 200 Veyrons, boasting an 8 litre quad-turbocharged W16 engine and capable of more than 1000 horse power and 400kph, have been built to date.

Button's, painted all black and with just 1500 miles on the odometer, is being offered by a Suffolk dealership for 900,000 pounds (sterling), or nearly $1.5m, according to Auto Trader.

The publication said the 29-year-old Briton also drives a Mercedes CLK DTM AMG, a Mercedes C63 AMG, a Ferrari Enzo, an Audi RS6 Avant, a BMW M5, a Smart car, a 1970s 600cc Honda and a VW campervan.

The Brawn driver is currently vacationing with his girlfriend in St Tropez.

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090813110529.shtml

[safristi]

..a case of Brawns Ov'r BRAINS...................... ............

[Turbo Bob]

I'm amazed at some of the comments about this car.

in North America a 2 seater with limited cargo space makes far less sense... I have not driven one

No comment

there are far more practical cars out there that are just as fuel efficient

Fuel efficiency isn't everything.

If its impractical it should be for good reason

Why? Why can't it just be fun?

my unrefined 2000 Pontiac Sunfire felt luxurious in comparison

As refined as a floaty rust bucket can be... 

There no need for cars like this here in Canada. I think Euro Cities Yes, But not Canada

?

Yeah, there's really no place for this car in Canada

??

I don't understand why people insist a car HAS to do something, if it's not fast it has to be fuel efficient, if it's only got two seats it has to be fast etc.  Why can't a car be impractical, economical and fun?  So it doesn't WIN at any particular category, doesn't mean you have to choose a car with a spreadsheet, what are you all, accountants?    Live a little.

[PJungnitsch]

The smart in North America for some reason brings out the irrational hater in some people. It would be an interesting psychological study why.

Not just the internet, I was getting out of my motorcycle shop and the salesman, with a disturbed look on his face, excitedly gestures across the street at a smart car, "You like big cars? I like big cars. Like lots of metal around me, feels safe, yeah".

I'm thinking, "Dude, you sell motorcycles for a living".

I really don't know what it is.

No-one has ever come up to me on my motorcycle and felt compelled to tell me:

It gets lousy mileage for it's size (it does)

It can't take a family of 4 (no chance in hell)

It's expensive for what you get (oh yeah)

It's dangerous in a crash (makes a smart look like an armoured truck)

A Yaris/Fit/Accent would be a more sensible buy (of course they would be)

[Angry Chicken]

My doctor brother calls these donor-mobiles.

[TopGun]

.....doesn't mean you have to choose a car with a spreadsheet, what are you all, accountants?    Live a little.

And if they don't use spreadsheets...they use Consumers Reports!!!

Sorry...must off...I must do my once every two week check of the oil in my RX-8.  What a pain...no wonder no one wants one of these...I've gotta open the hood and pull a dipstick...I'm spent!

[tpl]

I'm with Bob on this.  Bob you forgot: This insistence on engines compromised by having to run on tractor gas.

I wouldn't buy a Smart but I would buy a Mini for a few more $$

[toolatecrew]

I'm amazed at some of the comments about this car.

in North America a 2 seater with limited cargo space makes far less sense... I have not driven one

No comment

there are far more practical cars out there that are just as fuel efficient

Fuel efficiency isn't everything.

If its impractical it should be for good reason

Why? Why can't it just be fun?

my unrefined 2000 Pontiac Sunfire felt luxurious in comparison

As refined as a floaty rust bucket can be... 

There no need for cars like this here in Canada. I think Euro Cities Yes, But not Canada

?

Yeah, there's really no place for this car in Canada

??

I don't understand why people insist a car HAS to do something, if it's not fast it has to be fuel efficient, if it's only got two seats it has to be fast etc.  Why can't a car be impractical, economical and fun?  So it doesn't WIN at any particular category, doesn't mean you have to choose a car with a spreadsheet, what are you all, accountants?    Live a little.

But from what I read and hear the Smart is NOT FUN. That's my whole issue. Yes a 1st generation Mini is small, loud crude and kind of impractical but its FUN!. My RX7 was thirsty and impractical but it was FUN.

The smart is small, noisy, rough slow and from what I read understeers like a pig and isn't "FUN". Miata or S2000 shifters are fun. Cluncky autoshift manual transmissions in a smart do not sound fun.

If its impractical souldn't it at least be fun? We'll see what WING says but I don't hear many people buying a Smart for "fun"

I have nothing against impractical cars. I've owned some but I just don't get what the redeeming quality is in a smart..doesn't sound fun to me.

I'd rather have one very impractical Raptor than 5 smart cars .

[ovr50]

It is my opinion based on the Smart car drivers I have seen around here, that the car is not bought to be "fun" car. The City bought a bunch of them, to give the appearance of being "green" I suspect. Others that I know that have them believe they are doing it for the environment and their our own pocketbook (as in, screw the oil cos). I have not seen a Smart car driven by any young ppl, most drivers are older.

Just my observations around here. 

[tpl]

Toolate.    "Yes a 1st generation Mini is small, loud, crude and kind of impractical but its FUN!"

They were very practical.  In fact when one thinks of the abortions that were foisted on people in NA in 1959.... the Mini was probably better than any of them.

[HeliDriver]

I always understood that the main impetus for the design of the Smart was to be able to park it sideways on a city street. It wasn't designed to be small for reasons of fuel efficiency, economy, or environmental concern, but simply because finding a space to park a car in much of Europe is truly a .

If your only concern when car shopping is that finding parking spaces will be easy, well then, I guess the Smart is the perfect car for you. To me, it's just the ultimate transportation parking appliance.

[safristi]

..Methinks that SPONGE CAKE birfday melange rotted Bob's brain.............when does Alzenhummers strike?......31...32...!!!!...................... ....SUV & Smart Kar....quit clowning about BOB and join the CIRCUS.................

[Turbo Bob]

I always understood that the main impetus for the design of the Smart was to be able to park it sideways on a city street. It wasn't designed to be small for reasons of fuel efficiency, economy, or environmental concern, but simply because finding a space to park a car in much of Europe is truly a .

I find it pretty difficult to park in Toronto on the street.

Toolate you are misinterpreting the word fun.  It's a fun car to drive once you get used to the sequential shift, it's fun to look at, it's fun to be inside, the whole design ethos and language is fun, it puts a smile on your face.  And yes it's fun to turn into a tiny space and park front on against the kerb and still be smaller lengthwise than most north american cars are widthways.  And it certainly doesn't understeer more than any other mainstream car set up for safety.

[HeliDriver]

Is it even legal to park a smart 90 degrees to the curb in Canada?

I remember people complaining of getting tickets for doing that when the cars first came out, but maybe cities have changed the bylaws to allow it now.

[PJungnitsch]

But from what I read and hear...

And that is exactly what is so strange. People with no practical experience with the car will have very strong negative opinions, almost as if they don't, the government will force them to give up their own vehicle.

Not going to happen.

On the fun part, it's obvious (to many) what the attraction of these are if you actually drive one. Smart's USA introductory ad campaign money was almost totally spent on getting 'butts in seats' in a traveling test drive show, and was a huge success for Penske in selling the car.

[rrocket]

But from what I read and hear...

And that is exactly what is so strange. People with no practical experience with the car will have very strong negative opinions, almost as if they don't, the government will force them to give up their own vehicle.

Not going to happen.

On the fun part, it's obvious (to many) what the attraction of these are if you actually drive one. Smart's USA introductory ad campaign money was almost totally spent on getting 'butts in seats' in a traveling test drive show, and was a huge success for Penske in selling the car.

For me, some of the luster wore off when they ditched the diesel.

[PJungnitsch]

I have not seen a Smart car driven by any young ppl, most drivers are older.

Same reasons oldies bought 90% of the motorcycles I saw on this last trip.

[toolatecrew]

I always understood that the main impetus for the design of the Smart was to be able to park it sideways on a city street. It wasn't designed to be small for reasons of fuel efficiency, economy, or environmental concern, but simply because finding a space to park a car in much of Europe is truly a .

I find it pretty difficult to park in Toronto on the street.

Toolate you are misinterpreting the word fun.  It's a fun car to drive once you get used to the sequential shift, it's fun to look at, it's fun to be inside, the whole design ethos and language is fun, it puts a smile on your face.  And yes it's fun to turn into a tiny space and park front on against the kerb and still be smaller lengthwise than most north american cars are widthways.  And it certainly doesn't understeer more than any other mainstream car set up for safety.

Well I guess that's why I am not the target for the Smart. I have never and will never consider parking a car "fun".

[Rupert]

As a low gas consumer is it low enough considering it's size and comparing to other vehicles available now. If cities omly allowed this size of vehicle to commute into the limits it would be a different story.

[ChrisG]

A major attraction of a Smart for me would be the diesel engine, and they've gone and dropped it.  Yes, fun is important, but if I were to buy a Smart, it would be for fuel efficiency.  The move to the gasoline engine not only increased fuel consumption, but it forces you to use premium fuel.  No wonder sales are down.