The smart fortwo is a non-conformist and charming car designed to make driving relaxed for urban dwellers. This beautiful compact car measures eight feet from stem to stern and offers superb maneuverability. Such dimensions are extremely suitable for navigating tight parking spaces and bustling city streets. But of course, there are a few limitations one needs to deal with. Here’s a detailed and unbiased review for those planning to buy a smart fortwo. 

smart fortwo
This car has two trims: a cabriolet and a coupe. Beyond the retracting, sliding top of the cabriolet, the two models are more or less identical in their configuration.

Powertrain
The smart fortwo is not just impressive in its aesthetics; its layout and engine size are just as unique. Being an urban, two-seater car, it centers itself on being compact but useful for general purposes. It comes powered with an 898cc, three-cylinder engine capable of generating 100 lb-ft of torque and 89 horsepower. In its launch years, it came out with a five-speed automated manual transmission, which was contentious because it was unreasonably short. Hence, the driving dynamics and the ride were not very smooth.

Fuel Economy
Irrespective of its compact size, the smart fortwo is not the best on gasoline, with the cabriolet gives at 34 miles per gallon (mpg) overall, 38 on the highway, and 31 on city roads with a five-speed manual transmission; with dual-clutch automatic transmission, you’ll get 35 mpg overall, 38 mpg highway, and 33 mpg city. If you need greener options, there is an option for electric versions, curtailed to only a few areas. 

Safety
Sadly, we do not have an overall crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the smart fortwo. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) did rate its predecessor with good marks in the front and side-impact crash tests. 

We cannot deny Smart ForTwo is a nice-feeling, upscale car, something rarely said of cars in this price range. It is one vehicle that appeals to the upwardly mobile, style-conscious urbanites who need a car to make short trips. But, if you reside in an open space, smart fortwo does not make much sense. Despite its small parking footprint, its lackluster gas mileage does not save it. 

Given its long 0-60 mph time, it is anything but quick, but compared to the predecessors, it is almost smoldering, courtesy of its 100 lb-ft of torque and 89 hp from its turbocharged 898-cc three-cylinder. This model is also relatively smoother than the first and the second generation, thanks to its six-speed automatic, dual-clutch transmission, a marked improvement from the semi-automatic gearbox standard in the earlier models.

Its three-cylinder engine guarantees excellent power for displacement, but sadly, it vibrates more than necessary, particularly during the automatic engine start and stop modes. All of this combined resulted in the decline in the sales of the Fortwo as time went by. The launch of the electric model did work as a saving grace either, but the short 58-mile range was a handicap compared to the other class competitors. Lastly, the ability to accommodate only two people had already restricted its market from the start, resulting in its fading from the market over time.