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Smart Car Reviews & Smart Car Facts to Help You Decide

Drill Down Page from ... (Stage 2)

A written smart car review can bring the smart to life for you. With the right smart car facts, your decision gets much easier!

I have 5 different written (text) reviews of the smart car to help you today. Of course, you'll hear my opinion (hey, it's fact-based!), but I also found a few other experts to share their assessments with you. Here's what you can choose from:

• Smart Car Guy's review
• Edmunds.com smart fortwo review
• Car & Driver review
• Motorweek smart review
• Cars @ About.com review

1) Your Smart Car Guy's Review

A big shout out to all the smart car fans!

My personal smart car review began when I took my 1st test drive this past March 2008 at the Round Rock smartcenter in Texas. I want to give you a general overall review of the smart fortwo car, since I only took a short test drive around the Dealership. I plan on taking my second test drive in Pittsburgh, PA during the first week in July 2008.

First, let me give you some background about my driving habits and needs.

• I drive a 2000 Dodge Quad Dakota pick-up truck with a 5 speed manual and love it.

• I also ride a 1992 Yamaha Seca II motorcycle with a 600cc size engine.

• I live in Boise, Idaho which is a small city/suburban community.

• With rising gas prices and doing a daily commute of 20 miles a day, I began to evaluate my driving habits and what I could change. I felt I could use a commuter car to meet most of my driving needs. But, which car? and then...

• I saw my first smart car last fall in Boise and simply fell in love with it and what it represented, mainly a commuter car.

• The more I analyzed my driving needs, the more I realized the smart car would best meet them, namely higher MPG and a fuel-efficient vehicle that meets about 90% of my commuting needs around Boise.

Next, here's my list of features I like about the smart fortwo:

• I love the exterior looks of the smart.

• It is very roomy inside for two people.

• The cargo space in the rear is big enough to carry 4 or 5 bags or several suitcases.

• The fortwo has great safety features, such as the tridion safety cell, four airbags and great braking system, so I feel very safe in one.

• I felt very comfortable in the bucket seats and loved the layout of the dashboard.

• With the engine in the rear, the smart gets around in the snow. Kinda like the VW bug I drove in college back in Pennsylvania, never had a problem.

• Getting an estimated MPG of 34 to 41 is much better than my 20 MPG from my truck.

Now, here's my list of features I don't care for about the smart fortwo:

• The transmission needs to be improved to get rid of the sluggish shifting. I feel I could live with it driving around Boise but I have a funny hunch that the 2009 model will have fixed this problem.

• Wish it did not need more expensive premium fuel.

• Would like to see cruise control added along with tilt steering. Boy, am I spoiled or what?!

• I would seriously consider buying the 84 horsepower turbo engine if it was offered in the U.S. (maybe this will happen).

• I loved its riding ability on the commuter highway after my Pittsburgh test drive!

In summary, I think the smart is the car of the future and it makes a statement that I want to make. Which is: "I can drive around in a small fuel-efficient car that satisfies most of my driving needs and uses less gas, pollutes less and takes up less space. This fortwo is good for U.S. and is good for the environment!"

Bottom line: I put my $99 reservation on the Passion Coupe model and hope to get a call next spring when the 2009 model will be available.

2) Edmund's smart Car Review

This smart fortwo review was posted back in November of 2007 just before the the smart fortwo landed in America. His main comment about the smart: The chief selling point is its small size, and the biggest drawback is its small size.

The reviewer test drove the fortwo in San Francisco and around Silicon Valley. Between him and his passenger (503 total lbs.) they pushed the maximum limit of 507 pounds and did fine getting around. He liked how it handled corning freeway ramps and all the safety features the fortwo has. The transmission was sluggish shifting between gears.

Pros:

• Small size
• Pleasure to drive
• Absorbs bumps and potholes well
• Great package efficiency design for 2 passengers and cargo
• Good mileage

Cons:

• Small size
• Sluggish automated 5 speed manual transmission
• Only a two year bumper to bumper warranty
• Power isn't a strong point

Click below to read the review and take a look at the slide show on the right-hand side.

Edmunds.com review

3) Car and Driver smart Car Review

Car and Driver posted two smart fortwo reviews; click below to get two different perspectives about the smart.

The first posting was also back in November 2007 and has some interesting highlights that will make you laugh!

• Like an energy bar: Lots of nutrients in a small package.
• Clever engineering and intelligent design.
• It may look like an egg, but just try to crack it.
• I thought I ordered this well done.
• Did they make you a pie when you moved in?

Overall, this smart car review liked many of the smart car engineering and design features, but was not favorable about smart car performance, AKA the transmission.

C&D November 2007 Review

The second of the smart car reviews is a very short article posted this past April 2008 and gives a brief description of the fortwo along with specs that are useful to get a grip on the smart car.

Don't forget to click on the smart car photos section for both postings. They provide great close-ups.

C&D April 2008 Review

4) Motorweek smart Car Review

This is an excellent, concise smart fortwo review. Overall, they liked the smart, thought it had a niche to fill despite having a sluggish transmission and being slow on the road.

Listed below are the key points from the review:

• Loved all the safety features.
• Described the fortwo as "cute".
• Was impressed with the roomy interior and layout of dashboard.
• Despite the sluggish transmission they were able to find an acceptable rhythm in using it.
• Managed 34 mpg during mixed driving.

Click below to evaluate for yourself what Motorweek has to say about the fortwo:

MotorWeek Review

5) About.com Review

Aaron Gold, the Cars Guide from About.com, posted this excellent overall smart car review and gave it a 4/5 star rating.

Here are some of his viewpoints:

• First glance: Let's get small!
• In the driver' seat: Not so small.
• On the road: Drives nicely, but stay out of the wind
• Journey's end: I want one... or do I?
• What I liked about the smart fortwo:
• What I didn't like:
• Who should buy the smart fortwo:
• Who should not buy the smart fortwo:
• Details and specs:

This is a good review of the smart car's strong and weak points.

Aaron stated that the fortwo struggled going up hills and in strong winds. Also he did not like the sluggish transmission. However, he was impressed with the tridion safety cell or cage and it was fun to drive.

Finally, check out the 24 picture photo gallery provided by clicking on any of the blue hyperlinks after:

Click below to get a unique point of view about the smart.

About.com Review

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