Automotive Reviews
Posts tagged Smart
North American International Auto Show 2012
Jan 16th
It’s practically a tradition that the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is accompanied by the worst weather of the season. The second week in January in Detroit is rarely a pleasant place, but this year’s show was preceded by unseasonably warm and sunny weather. All thoughts of global warming aside, it seemed to indicate a subtle change in the climate of the automotive industry as well. No-shows included Mitsubishi, Suzuki and Jaguar/Land Rover, but all of the major industry players were present.
Several years of economic hardship (and more than a few casualties) have left the auto industry cautious; the wild abandon that characterized auto shows past is long gone. In its place, there’s a pragmatic realism–but for 2012, that realistic outlook is also optimistic. In addition to the upcoming products that are useful refinements of existing vehicles, Detroit also saw the debut of some honest-to-goodness concept cars, showing that the industry may have scaled back on the wildest flights of fancy, but it hasn’t forgotten how to dream. More >
2010 smart fortwo cabriolet
Jan 1st
Isn’t it amazing how simply removing the roof can transform a car? The smart fortwo is a clever little transportation pod; it’s not for everyone, but it gets the job done. Add in a three-stage folding canvas roof, however, and suddenly you’ve got a tiny little barrel of laughs on your hands.
They’re the good kind of laughs, too. Top up, our smart fortwo cabriolet garnered the usual sidelong glances of drivers surprised to see the tiny thing on the freeway, and not much more. As soon as the sun came out and we dropped the top, our fellow drivers were all smiles and thumbs-up. A gaggle of teenagers went completely insane as we drove past the high-school fundraiser car wash, begging the little smart to pull in for a wipedown.
Of course, this might have been because the fortwo cabriolet would’ve required about a third of the effort that washing a regular car would. The much-publicized cube of a car only takes up about half the space of a regular car, after all, and that’s not very much sheet metal. In fact, it’s even less sheet metal than it looks like, as the smart’s high-strength tridion “safety cell” means that many of the body panels are non-structural (and dent-resistant) plastic. When you step out of the smart, you’re practically behind it. This car was designed to be parked nose-in to the curb in parallel parking spaces, so it’s about as long as the average car is wide.
Letting the sun shine in is a simple affair, requiring a push of a button. The canvas roof slides back to create an extended sunroof, and a second stage folds it down across the rear, blocking visibility in the spirit of small, cheeky convertibles from the Volkswagen Rabbit to the Mini Cooper. With the top completely retracted, the roof’s side bars can be removed and stowed in a recess in the tailgate for a complete open-air experience. The folded top doesn’t encroach on cargo space, and when it’s stacked to the gills the smart cabriolet will carry up to 12 cubic feet of stuff, just like the coupe.
The smart cabriolet is quiet on the freeway, with very little of the additional noise traditionally associated with convertibles. This is partly because of the canvas roof, and partly due to the smart coupe’s already above-average freeway noise, however.
So here’s the thing; the preconception is that the fortwo is too small to be a “real” car. It’s only natural to assume this, given the thing’s size. In truth, though, the only serious skill the fortwo lacks when compared to a Toyota Yaris or Chevrolet Aveo is that it’s a bit too small to avoid being nudged around by crosswinds on long freeway trips. But, to be honest, the Aveo and Yaris aren’t all that stable in strong crosswinds either. The fortwo makes up for its physical shortcomings with attitude and real-car fitments. The speedometer is centrally mounted, and the unique “eyeball” air vents help to increase the interior’s apparent room. Air conditioning, front and side airbags and a decent sound system are part of the package as well. The smart is only a two-seater, but and the cabin is snug but comfortable enough for two. The passenger seat has an additional six inches of legroom compared to the driver’s seat, and the handsome cloth upholstery and funky interior trim prevent the smart from being saddled with the “cheap” stigma that many small cars receive. Of course, you’ll be exchanging that for a “weird” stigma, but a lot of buyers aren’t bothered by that. On top of that, the convertible makes it fun.
In congested urban areas and on the car-choked Los Angeles freeways where we sampled the fortwo cabriolet, the car fit right in. It’ll run eighty with the rest of traffic when the situation allows it, and then the anti-lock brakes will bring it to a halt when traffic inevitably backs up. Electronic stability program (ESP) stability control is standard equipment. It’s also easy to find a gap large enough to change lanes when your car is barely nine feet long.
The “automated manual” transmission’s hesitations will stymie drivers who expect it to behave like a traditional automatic. Once you get used to the long shifts, which are just like economical shifts in a manual transmission, the car’s weird behavior makes sense. Basically a manual transmission with an automated clutch, the gearbox is smart’s answer to maintaining decent economy in congested stop-and-go urban situations without forcing the driver to endure the hassle of dealing with a clutch. In traffic, it’s best to slip the transmission into manual, paddle-shifted mode to avoid gear hunting, as the economy-geared transmission is always seeking the highest gear possible. In fourth or fifth gear, the 70 horsepower, one-liter three-cylinder engine is not exactly a torque monster, and sudden throttle applications will result in…nothing at all. In its powerband, the tiny three-cylinder puts out enough twist to urge the smart into motion rapidly, and fears of being run over while trying to enter the freeway are unfounded.
Taken in the right spirit, the smart cabriolet is a delightful little vehicle. Don’t ever expect it to be normal, though. The smart cabriolet is available only in “passion” trim, and pricing starts at $16,990. Optional equipment on my test car included power steering, a clock/tachometer gauge combination and two-tone paint, and brought the final price tag to $18,205. That price seems a bit steep–the smart costs about $10 per pound–but when I asked onlookers what they thought it should cost, most responses were in the $16,000-$18,000 range.
Having no top definitely makes a big difference.
Specifications: All specs are for the 2010 smart fortwo passion Cabriolet
Length: 106.i in.
Width: 61.4 in.
Height: 60.7 in.
Wheelbase: 73.5 in.
Curb weight: 1852 lb.
Cargo space: 12.0 cu.ft.
Base price: $16,990
Price as tested: $18,205
Engine: 1.0 liter inline three-cylinder
Drivetrain: five-speed automated manual transmission, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 70 @ 5800
Torque: 68 @ 4500
Fuel capacity: 8.7 gal.
Est. mileage: 33/41
2009 smart fortwo passion coupe
Aug 7th
Since the stubby little things first hit U.S. streets just over a year ago, I’ve heard the same question over and over again: “Have you driven a smart car yet?” And I had to reply that no, I hadn’t. The waiting list for media test drives was almost as long as the waiting list to purchase the actual cars. Now, however, the moment of truth has arrived, and I’ve taken to the streets in a smart passion coupe.
So what do I think?
Well, like so many automotive decisions these days, it boils down to style. If you’re smitten by the smart’s carnival-ride styling and the prospect of being able to park in the smallest spots you can find, the smart coupe is for you. If you’re looking for a truly pragmatic way to save fuel on your commute, there are better alternatives.
That’s not to say the smart isn’t economical. The EPA rates it at 33 in the city and 41 on the highway. This economy comes courtesy of a 70 horsepower, 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine and exceptionally light weight. The engine is rear-mounted, just ahead of the rear axle. A surprisingly industrial engine note makes the smart sound not unlike a tiny FedEx delivery truck when underway. The smart’s transmission is a five-speed “automated manual” gearbox. As the little engine grumbles along, the smart shifts like it’s still learning to drive a stick; the leisurely up- and downshifts are great for fuel economy, but not particularly smooth. Acceleration is leisurely, and the smart will eventually get up to freeway speeds but it’s not particularly happy there. The car’s extreme light weight works against it at high speeds, where crosswinds can lead to spooky handling.
At lower speeds, the fortwo is delightful to maneuver. You’re practically sitting on the rear wheels, so parking lots and tight urban spaces are navigated with ridiculous ease. The suspension uses MacPherson struts in the front and a DeDion axle mounted with coil springs at the rear. Electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes are standard.
So, with all that said, the smart is, in fact, a real car, albeit a somewhat crude one. Vehicles like the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa come close to matching the smart’s accomplishments, and offer four doors, five-passenger seating, and a great deal more cargo space.
There’s one thing you won’t get from any other car, however, and that’s the smart’s adorable packaging. Designed around the idea that the average commuter spends the majority of his or her time as the vehicle’s sole occupant, the smart has been penned with single-person occupancy in mind. Rather than create a featureless road pod, however, the smart’s got style. The two-tone exterior styling emphasizes the car’s safety-cage structure, with high-strength steel visible and accented by colored dent-resistant plastic body panels. The wheels are pushed out to the corners–they can’t help but be–and the nearly vertical rear end features four distinct taillamps and a gently sloped rear window. The smart’s face seems to grin, as if the car itself were amused at the way it looks. Hardtop and convertible versions are available; the coupe is available with a panoramic roof made of clear polycarbonate. If you live near a college town, let the inebriated pranksters know that the smart weighs in at a surprising 1800 pounds. This way, they won’t injure themselves attempting to carry it off, a fate that befell many a Lilliputian Fiat 500 and BMW Isetta in the 1960s.
In spite of the looks, the smart is not a regular car that’s been shrunken down to child’s size. Think of it as a regular-sized car with everything but the front seats removed, and you’re a bit closer to the truth of the interior. There’s plenty of room inside the smart, and delicate styling coupled with large windows and a high roof makes it feel even airier. The passenger seat is mounted six inches farther back, for additional legroom on that side, and folds flat for cargo carrying. With both seats up, the trunk will hold about 7.8 cubic feet of cargo–a few grocery bags or an overnight bag. There’s more storage space in nets in the doors and inside the bottom section of the two-piece tailgate. The interior quirk doesn’t come so much from the smart’s size as it does from the styling; the dash is covered in cloth, rather than cheap-looking plastic, and the auxiliary gauges are mounted in eyeball-like stalks on the das. The key is located in the center console, Saab-style.
What about safety? What’ll happen if your smart gets creamed by a Chevy Suburban? Based on two-vehicle crash tests that Mercedes has done, it’ll bounce off and go tumbling over and over like a die in a back-alley craps game. Fortunately, smart passengers stand a good chance of coming up with sevens, despite the wild ride a crash with a larger vehicle will send them on. With ten years of real-world development under its belt already, the smart knows how to protect its passengers. The body is one big safety cage, with most of the exterior features–including the front wheels–engineered in as crumple zones to keep the passenger cell intact. The smart also sits about eight inches higher than the average passenger car, so many impacts strike below the passengers rather than at shoulder level. Smart has added 2.5 inches to the “crash box” to compensate for the larger vehicles in the U.S., and the engine and fuel tank have been designed so that they won’t penetrate the passenger compartment in an accident. Front and side airbags are standard.
In the end, this is what I think: the smart is an adorable and extremely economical, but also very rudimentary car. For that, it’s also rather expensive. Prices start at $13,590 for the fortwo passion coupe, and my tester stickered for $14,980. It’s hard to ignore the fact that that kind of money will buy a number of much larger and more comfortable vehicles. If the smart calls to you and you want one, by all means, get it and love it, but if you’re just looking to save gas, there are more satisfying ways to do it.
Specifications: All specs are for the 2009 smart passion coupe
Length: 106.1 in.
Width: 61.4 in.
Height: 60.7 in.
Wheelbase: 73.5 in.
Curb weight: 1808 lb.
Cargo space: 7.8 cu.ft.
Base price: $13,590
Price as tested: $14,980
Engine: 1.0 liter 12-valve inline three-cylinder
Drivetrain: five-speed automated manual, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower: 70 @ 5800
Torque: 68 @ 4500
Fuel capacity: 8.7 gal.
Est. mileage: 33/41