2008 Smart ForTwo Detroit MI

November 3, 2009   By David Vespremi, DriverSide Contributor



2008 Smart fortwo
DriverSide Overview
The 2008 Smart ForTwo made its official U.S. debut in January of this year following more than ten years of Smart sales overseas. The Smart car began as a joint venture between Mercedes and the Swiss watchmaker, Swatch, and was designed as hip urban transport for crowded European cities with narrow roads and limited parking. With congestion in several U.S. cities now making car to parking spot ratios of 5:1 not unheard of, and private parking spots rivaling the monthly payment on a BMW 3 Series, finding a parking spot in San Francisco or New York City is every bit the challenge of finding one in Rome, London, or Paris. As the U.S. has seen gas prices skyrocket, and concerns around global warming continue to make headlines (the Smart is built in a world-class eco factory in France), the Smart seems, well, smart.








What's to Like
Mini-Mercedes looks and build quality, which means it’s surprisingly safe. The ability to park in spaces between driveways and perpendicular to the curb is, in crowded San Francisco, a big plus. The Smart also features lots of creature comforts, like a power convertible top, heated leather seats, a six-disc stereo with subwoofer and rain sensing wipers.

What's Not to Like
Although zippy around town and capable of cruising at 90 mph, the Smart is by no means a sports car. It’s not even really sporty, unless your definition of “sports car” is a lightweight, open top, rear-wheel drive two-seater – oh wait, maybe it is. Nonetheless, it certainly won’t be trouncing muscle cars at the drag strip. Also, thanks to its tall profile, short wheelbase and skinny tires, buffeting in windy conditions can be unnerving to say the least. A 2-year/24,000 mile standard warranty is among the shortest offered in the marketplace, for shame. And, this may be just us, but there should be a diesel option offered in the USA like in the rest of the world.

The Drive:
DriverSide Driving Impressions
The ForTwo’s driving feel belies its diminutive size. Once inside, the up-high driving position and expansive view give the impression of being behind the wheel of a more substantial car. Visibility is great both fore and aft with the top up, although there are C-pillar blind spots in the cabrio with the top up, and with the top down, the view out the back is limited. Steering feel is direct and responsive, but has a little numbness at center (no doubt, to keep the car from feeling too darty at speed). The floor-hinged pedals, like an older Beetle or 911, can take some getting used to, but pedal feel on both throttle and brakes is exemplary. Handling is marked by moderate to severe understeer to prevent any tail happy antics with the combination of rear mounted engine and rear wheel drive.

Engine and Drivetrain
The paddle-shifted manual transmission, while painfully...

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