The Fortwo “Smart” Car – Is It Really So Smart?

Since it came out, the Fortwo Smart “microcar” has made a bit of a splash in a world of peak oil and increasing environmental concerns. This tiny vehicle, which holds only two occupants (hence its name), traces its origins back to the 1980s, but the first ones did not roll off the assembly line until 1998. For several years, the car was available only in Europe (where motorists have long paid 3-4 times as much for motor fuel as Americans), and was not legally available in the U.S. until 2008.

Today, the Smart Fortwo has gained a reputation as being the most fuel-efficient vehicle on the road. But is it, really? And what about the trade-off in terms of storage capacity and safety?

What The IIHS Reported

For such a small vehicle, the structure is amazingly strong. The frame is what is known as a Tridon Safety Cell, a specialized structure that activates the car’s very small crumple zones in the event of a collision. Initially, the Fortwo received “Satisfactory” to “Good” safety ratings in crash tests. However, in April of last year, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety subjected the Fortwo to a frontal offset crash test at 40 MPH with a Mercedes C Class mid-size sedan. In this test, the crash dummy did not fare so well. Giving the Fortwo a rating of “poor,” the IIHS said that: “…multiple injuries, including to the head, would be likely for a real-world driver of a Smart in a similar collision.”

Another safety problem reported with the Fortwo is a high center of gravity. Although it is considerably smaller than an SUV, it shares the larger vehicle’s predilection for rollovers – and when the roof is removed, the consequences should be painfully obvious.

Other Issues

For its miniscule size, the Fortwo still only travels about 41 miles on a gallon of gasoline. EPA ratings put the Fortwo at 36 MPG in the city and 43 on the highway. Consider that several much larger hybrids can get between 50 and 60 miles per gallon, and even a Volkswagen Rabbit from the 1980s, equipped with a four-cylinder diesel engine, did considerably better without sacrificing passenger and cargo space.

Several consumers have also complained about the vehicle’s sequential manual transmission (SMT). This type of transmission was designed for use in motorcycles and high-performance racing vehicles. Unlike a traditional manual transmission, it is not possible to skip gears; it is in essence a type of automatic, and some drivers have found it frustrating.