The Oddities of Driving a Puny Car

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For the same 14k a Smart costs you can buy a used Civic, hold 4 people, have a trunk, get close to the same mileage, and have more room in case you get in an accident. A car like this should get better mileage. This is a car, like the Prius, that many buy because they get to look different than everybody else... there's nothing new about that.
And as for the 'waiting list' there are plenty of orphan Smart cars around that people ordered but never picked up... just ask your local dealer.

Maxton Parsons of CA 6:48PM June 27, 2008

What's so smart about these cars. EPA combines 36 mpg ? That is a truly pathetic number for a car of this size. More like Brain-Dead... I'd expect 60-80 mpg from a car like this.
The only practical use is for urban couples with one parking space and the need for two autos.
Smart ? Unbelievable.
Buy a Civic if you want to be smart.

PulSamsara of IL 3:40PM June 27, 2008

I agree with the author: 40 mpg in such an underpowered car with only 2 seats is appalling when for just a tad more money, you can get a FAST mini cooper that holds 4 people in a pinch and can easily achieve average 40 mpg with manual transmission.
if you like the look of the smart, then by all means get one - they're adorable cars. but if you're buying strictly for fuel economy and can afford the mini's higher base price, do the "smart" thing by buying the cooper.

Jason of PA 5:04PM June 21, 2008

I've seen really small cars in China, some made in India. I'd rather wait for the Smarter car, that gets 60 MPG. I don't even care if it has a passenger seat and I don't care if the body is made of recycled yogurt container plastic. This smart car isn't much more fuel efficient than my rusty 1990 honda civic.
I have an old Toyota van that I use when I need to haul big stuff, but I really want to replace my errand car. I was hoping that the Tata Nano for $2500 would show up in this country... but I guess they don't have plans to do that.
Cut the weight in half, lose the passenger seat, double the MPG, even if it means a 20HP motor!!!
The old Citroen "ducks" only had about a 14HP motor, and students in europe loved them. Cheap and basic.

Buster of WI 7:28PM June 19, 2008

Flintstones, Meet the Flintstones
They're a modern stone age
family,
From the town of Bedrock
They're a page right out of history.
Let's ride, with the family down the street
Through the courtesy of Fred's two feet.
When you're with the Flintstones you'll
Have a yabba, dabba, doo time
A dabba doo time,
We'll have a gay, old time!

Fred Flintstone of HI 2:28PM June 19, 2008

I read the same review over and over. Americans are too fat, dumb and lazy to like the smart. (BTW, the 's' in smart is lower case. Just ask them.)
Well, welcome to 2008. There are 200 million cars in the US, and you only have to appeal to a very small percentage of the market to sell a car. Which should make you REALLY wonder how automakers have managed to make cars that don't sell. I mean, with 15 million a year sold, one half of one percent of the market is 75,000 cars! Looking at crap like the Dodge Nitro, the Ford Explorer and the Buick Rendezvous makes me want to heave.
I know the Billy Bobs out there are having trouble wrapping their heads around driving to work without two extra tons of worthless sheetmetal wrapped around them, but this is all coming to an end. When gas hits $8 a gallon in the next five years, they'll get the message. And people 'smart' enough to buy a smart now, will be laughing all the way to the bank, as they sell the cars for more than they paid for them after driving them 50K miles. This is already the case with the Prius.
SUVs and pickups as family cars are history unless you are rich. Take a look at what they drive in Europe. That is what we'll be driving here.

Real Ist of FL 11:54AM June 19, 2008

Rick Newman here, writer of this story. Rick of FL is correct, above, with regard to the transmission. The fortwo has an "automated manual," much as he describes. For the sake of simplicity I didn't get into details on this, since most American drivers will equate this with a typical automatic transmission, i.e., one which does not require the driver to push a clutch manually in order to shift gears. Yes, there will be some enthusiasts for whom the distinction is important, but in my view, most drivers won't really care what kind of automatic transmission it is, they'll mainly care about how it feels when they drive it.
~ RN

Rick Newman of NY 9:16AM June 19, 2008

My 2002 VW Golf TDI (turbo diesel), a 4-door car with room to spare, gets 50+ miles per gallon of fuel, so I'm absolutely not impressed by a tiny car thtat gets only 40mpg. My Golf has manual transmission, A/C, electric windows, DVD player. I paid $18,000 for it and, a the time I bought it, the salesman was delighted beyond words to be selling what at the time ammounted to a small, diesel powered car. Ha!

Mark of WV 6:52AM June 19, 2008

The most disappointing thing about my fortwo is that when people ask me where they can buy one I have to say "you have to get on a waiting list."

Maj of MA 3:54PM June 18, 2008

Saw one, loved it. Drove one, loved it even more. Manual vs Auto/Man, experienced it and loved it. I was a truck driver and for a long time would not drive anything other then manual transmission. I like the feel and control, drove the smart and the first time it shifted I was in heaven cause I can feel like a manual shift while relaxing and enjoy the drive.
My order is 8 months away and I am chomping at the bit to get one. I am on the "orphan" list and hopeful. I am a Marine, Martial Artist, older, wiser, and looking the the smart car as a great step toward saving the planet short of riding my bike, walking, and running.

Charles of CA 12:52PM June 18, 2008