Smart fortwo: road test (From Community Newsgroup)

Smart fortwo: road test

12:46pm Friday 5th September 2008

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SMART caused a stir when it launched in the late 90s.

Here was Mercedes no less having a crack at the small, budget car market.

It's been something of a sorry tale thus far though, the enterprise falling pretty much flat its face, so much so, in fact, the company refused to release sales figures in the past to hide what one can only assume made shockingly bad reading.

They've recently re-launched their most famous brand - the 'fortwo' - at a time when, small, cheap, fuel efficient cars with ultra low C02 emissions are becoming increasingly popular. Is the market now ready for the quirky Smart brand?

Robert Downes takes a look at the range.

Performance/engine:

All Smarts get a 998 cc petrol engine now, but power outputs are either 64, 71, or 86 bhp. The mid-range one is the pick of the lot and has more than enough 'oomph' to get it around town briskly - zero 60mpg in 13 seconds - and should you dare take it on the motorway it'll happily truck around at over the limit - in fact top speed is 96mph. The 64bhp model is pedestrian-like and best avoided, unless you find 0-60 in 17 seconds acceptable.

Handling:

Not the kind of car you'd want to put through its paces on a fast B-road, and not one it'd be much fun to do it in, either. It grips urban roads well enough and feels almost spritely, although this is largely down to the sheer size of the thing, and it really is just that, a 'feeling'.

The steering is devoid of any feedback and is dead in the hand, failing to elicit any confidence in the car's ability. That said it's pretty quick to respond to steering input, and there's an electronic stability programme to reign in any untoward driving.

Drive refinement:

Precious little refinement in a car that's both short on length and thin in body. Couple that with bone shaking suspension, no damping to speak of, and the stability of a drunk, you've got a car that really's only good for short sprints rather than long hauls. The switchgear feels cheap too - I've heard cupboard doors close with a more satisfying clunk.

Quality:

The cabin is pretty spartan, but it looks pretty enough if 'cutesy' is your thing. The higher spec models get brightly covered cloth dash which looks much better than the standard plastic but get garish after a while, but all models get the low rent central dash complete with flimsy switchgear.

It's worth bearing in mind the manufacturers warranty is only two years, and Smart haven't earned themselves a name for reliability in the past: there's a reason it's not three like all other cars!

Space and Practicality:

For such a small car the Smart conjures up a fair bit of space. It'll seat two in relative comfort, even widthways, and 220-litres of boot space is about as good as any other city car.

Motorway work is possible, but even medium strength side winds blows the car about and makes driving a tense experience.

But you'll be getting excellent fuel consumption circa the mid 60s if your nerves can stand it.

The doors open wide, so getting in and out is easy, and even six footers won't be taxed.

All fortwos fall into the lowest tax band, and cost only £35 a year for a year. In addition, you'll be getting about 70mpg on the motorway, or 60 odd combined.

Equipment:

Base models get little other than a CD-player, windows are DIY jobs, and there's no air-con. But if you're prepared to dip into the extras there's the likes of Sat-Nav on the higher spec models.

Safety:

It's so small that even a tangle with a Mini and you'd likely come off second best. No NCAP crash test score yet, but all models get four airbags.

Prices:

£6,905 gets you into the entry Smart with the pip-squeak engine, but you're into super-mini prices there already. The mid-range models start at £8,295, but that kind of cash would get you behind the wheel of the new Seat Ibiza - which is a whole lot more car for the cash. The top end model is £9,025 - and that's just silly.

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