Anyone ever driven or been in a Smart ForTwo?

Question

Are they as small as they appear?
What are they like to drive in and would you recommend buying one ?
Pro's and con's?

And people who have been in one, but not driven it, how was the ride and space?

Thanks

Answer 1

I've riden in the Smart, for two and the new for four. The two felt like the same amount of leg room as my Volvo s60. Dash didn't feel like it was on my lap. I didn't feel especially cramped. It felt like a smaller VW beetle. Cons: There was no room for my luggage. (No brainer, there). Pros: Quite a zippy little car and if you have a difficulty securing parking, this car makes it so much easier. We parked in motorbike spots, even. What are you driving now? Your comparison of the two will make the biggest impact.

Answer 2

I drove a very early model - a LHD version from before RHD versions were manufactured (probably about 1998 or 1999).
There was plenty of space for the driver and passenger, and the cabin was comfortable, bright and airy - you forget how short the car is until you look in the rear-view mirror, and see how close the rear screen is.
However, the gearbox was poor (very slow to react to changes, smooth changes are an art), the steering was very low-geared, and the ride rather bouncy. Make sure you take a long test drive, and can live with these shortcoming before you buy. Apparently the new model (due in the UK in September) is much better in all these areas.
Also, it may seem obvious, but there is not much luggage space, and you cannot carry more than one other person - not a good car for someone who goes camping, or buys flat-pack furniture, or has a lot of friends.

Answer 3

I test drove one a few weeks ago.

They are actually BIGGER in person than they look in photographs. They're still tiny though.

Once you're inside, you quickly forget that the car is as small as it is. For the driver and passenger, there is PLENTY of room. The car actually feels more roomy than many cars twice its size. The dash isn't crammed right up aganst your knees, there is TONS of head room, and the windshield is very far away from the passengers, so there's a spacious feeling. Because you're always looking forwards, you quickly forget that there's only a couple feet of car behind you. Although not cavernous, the cargo space was at least as good as a new MINI (if not better). In a pinch, the passenger seat folds flat and you can carry larger things.

Driving: The only time you notice the car is small is when you go over a speed bump. The wheelbase is so short, you feel the bump much stronger than in a longer car. You just have to slow down more to go over it comfortably.

One weird quirk about these cars is the transmission. Smart calls it an "automated manual". Basically it's a manual transmission, but instead of having a clutch pedal, there's an electric motor that does it for you. It feels really weird sometimes - it feels like you're driving, but somebody else is shifting the gears. The gear changes were my biggest disappointment about the car. The car will shift out of one gear and into another, and there's a long pause in between. This makes the ride a little uneven. But after driving the car for a while, you learn how to drive it more smoothly. It's very smooth in 'manual' mode.

The car has 2 driving modes - automatic and manual. Automatic is basically like a regular automatic car. In manual mode you use the stick to shift gears, but there's no clutch pedal. You just bump the lever forwards or backwards to shift up and down. There's a little thumb button on the gear lever that lets you alternate between modes while driving.

Another weird thing is starting from a stop. You press down the gas pedal, and there's a small delay - what's happening is the car is automatically 'letting out the clutch' to get the car rolling. It is a completely different feel from an automatic car - there's not a direct connection between pushing the gas and the car moving. It's like there's a little leprechaun inside shifting the gears, pressing the gas, and operating the clutch for you. Pushing the pedal merely taps him on the shoulder, letting him know that you want to eventually start moving forwards. Then he does it for you, at his pace - which is sometimes slow and jerky.

The brake pedal is very stiff (strong resistance spring). But the brakes are very powerfull. After you press the pedal hard enough to get the brakes to work, they kick in hard and slam you towards the windshield. Eventually you get used to it.

Safety is definately an issue with these cars, but I believe they're safer than they look. On youtube there's a video of one being crashed into a wall at 70mph. The car didn't really get smashed much at all - in fact the doors still opened and closed. Despite the car not being completely destroyed, anyone inside the car probably would have died - just from stopping so quickly. You would die in any car if you go from 70 to Zero in less than a second. These cars DO have crumple zones, but they're not very large. The car makes the best use of what it does have. Strangely enough, on a car this small, it's actually safer to have the engine in the back (where it is). If the engine were in the front, it would enter the passenger cabin during a front end collision. So basically on a car with the engine up front, the true length of the crumple zone is the length of the hood minus the lenth of the engine. Smart expects to get a 4 star crash rating. 5 is the best.

Another quirk - there's no spare tire. A spare would eat up most of the cargo space, so it makes sense to do without. My entire life, I've NEVER had to use a spare tire. They seem like a waste of space. If a Smart DID have a spare, you'd actually need TWO - the front wheels are a different size than the back wheels. Instead, they give you a kit with tire sealant and an air compressor that 'fixes' the tire. The kit stores very small.

For being as tiny as they are, 40-50 mpg is kind of disappointing. The diesel version is much better, but wont be available in the USA because of exhaust emission laws. Too bad.

Currently there's no cruise control option.
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In conclusion, the only thing I was slightly disappointed about with was the unusual shifting. Even so, I still plan to buy one. There were lots of positive surprises. The build quality seems good - the car doesn't feel cheap at all. Despite being so small, it 'felt' like a regular sized car while driving. Although tiny, I think it's adequately safe. The price is a little high for such a small car, but it's a bargain when you consider the style you're getting. You could buy a bigger cheaper Kia, but they just don't have the same appeal. Forty years from now nobody is going to show their grandkids pics of their Kia. Kias are so boring, they probably never took a picture in the first place! Owning a Smart Car is something I'll look back on fondly when I'm 90. I can't wait to get mine.

Check this out, this guy does a really good describing his experience while driving a Smart:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4eVR8Xk9p4

Answer 4

I drove one, was amazed at the driver and passenger space, there is a little bit of room behind the seats, enough for some grocery shopping or a couple medium duffel bags. This car was intended for city use and is perfect for that. The driver and passenger are surrounded by a large aluminum cage which is supposed to disperse crash forces and protect the passengers, obviously you can get hurt in any vehicle if the accident is bad enough. When I was driving the Smart it did not feel any different than any other car its just when it comes time to back up you can go really close and when you get out you will still have 3 feet to go before you touch the back bumper.

Answer 5

Yes i have driven one was not impressed very little space for luggage easy to park in a city.The ride is ok but remember it has such a short wheel base in the event of an accident not many crumple zones so scores low on safety.

Answer 6

if u get in an accident with those you can die pretty easily since it doesnt have any crumple zones and therefore the force you experience is much greater.

Answer 7

i saw a video on you tube about a crash test on the smart car and i wouldn't be caught dead in one cause in a crash in one you would be dead for sure

Answer 8

I seen them and would not consider owning one

Answer 9

space fine, scary next to lorrys, good in town, crap on motorway!

Answer 10

they look cool but i wouldnt like to be in a crash in one,