2008 smart ForTwo consumer reviews

My wife has had hers for a year. She's averaging 42 mpg mixed driving. I just bought one for $14,400, including cd plaayer, a/c, ower steering, heated seats and a few accessories. We can fit the two of us, three small dogs and two bags of groceries. Yes, I feel every bump on the road. It's not a Cadillac. I used to own a Kia Sephia. The Smart is easier to get in and out of. At 71 hp the car is a little sluggish compared to my 18 mpg 6 cyl Ford Ranger, but once you get past 1st gear I have no ttrouble keeping up with traffic. By the way, the dealership we went through offers excellent service.

I get 49mpg in town and 55 on the highway. But the best thing its fun to drive and very safe. It's top speed is over 90. I live in the mountains of West Virginia and on hill I drive up on I64 is 5 miles at 7% grade. I pass most other cars in fourth at 70mph. I was rammed by a full size pickup three times, (on purpose) and the only damage was a couple of holes in the plastic tail gate cover. $300 in parts, and two hours labor. Its a great car.

If you want an appliance...get something else. If you want a unique driving experience, the smart fortwo is a hoot. I don't understand why it gets so many bad reviews. I've been a car guy all my life and find this little thing great. I drive it around town and have driven it on the highway all around the state of Florida. It cruises fine at 80 - 85 mph, but only gets about 34 mpg at that speed. At 65 mph I get around 46 mpg. But it's not just about gas mileage. If that's all you want, get an old 3 cylinder Geo Metro or any of the new subcompacts, none of which has the personality of a smart. This is just one cool little car that makes people perhaps think differently about transportation. (How many back seats are actually really used? How many times do you actually see more than one or two people in a car?) It's not for everybody. When our four kids were growing up, our daily driver was a 15 passenger Dodge van which we loved. Now, we love this! We do have a Honda minivan also for more people and traveling. But the smart is the car we go with the most! And it's driving quirks (transmission) just add to it's character. It's not a bad thing to have to think a little when driving to get the most out of what you're driving.

No serious issues. Reliable with 11,000 miles on it. Most used car in our household. I save the big car for schlepping others around. It's safe to drive and it has many safety features that the competition doesn't even offer.It's a little speed demon and with a quick zero to 30 will keep anyone at bay in heavy traffic, at 90 mph the mileage drops for sure and the car settles down to a good 75mph on its own As for a head turning reaction... it's better than driving a Maserati or some other exotic vehicle for a fraction of the cost. Highway speeds are easily attained and it will stay in it's lane as asked. It's not meant for highway driving as much as it is for urban or suburban needs. Yet I wouldn't hesitate driving long distances e.g., 100's of miles. As for truck's and wind, well it's a small car and up to now big rigs never caused the smart to involuntarily change lanes yet. Suffice it to say that the smart driver needs a bit more input into the steering wheel than a large Chevy would. It covers well over a 300 miles distance on a 8.7 gallon tank. My complaints are... only 2 year warranty and no spare tire included. It has a NASCAR type safety cage that has proven to keep the occupants safe when merging with a larger car and the end result dumbfounds the police and fire fighters when they reach the scene of an accident. The smart may sometimes have less damage than the other vehicle. The outside plastic panels are made from recycled material and can be changed to another color within 2 1/2 hours by any dealer. How many other cars can claim this...?

you dont feel small once your inside the car...inside its actually alot more comfortable than some high end 2 seaters. the convertible top works great and its a total blast to drive. i highly recommend it as a second car to play with!!!

I have been familiar with the Smart car since it was called the Swatch car- it is a proven platform in Europe and was only reluctantly configured for the States. I have an "orphan" - which I only drive in manual mode - which is fun-it gets great gas mileage and is agile enough to move in and out of traffic. The interior is acceptable- the 6 CD changer is nice and the speakers operate very good for such a small car. The car does not travel well on rough roads - over bumps - with the short wheelbase it is difficult to ride smooth ---however it is tolerable- noise level is o.k. - but also tolerable. Overall - it is a fun car to drive - ad has enough space to bring home the groceries and run the errands and unbelievably easy to park!

When so many auto manufacture's sales have been in a slump, there's a reason Smart Car sales have been up-WAY up! Yes, it takes premium gas. You'll be leaving the gas station when everyone else is STILL filling up. Fun to drive. Not a race car, but will keep up fine, even with AC on. Great in snow. I know many think gas is down & will go back to the "tanks" Americans love so much (Suburbans, Hummers, etc). If you think gas is going to stay down, better think again. Keep the big car home for special occations & trips. Use the Smart Car for the back n forth stuff.

To rate the smart by the above categories doesn't really fit. This car is one unique little ride. I've had mine for about 6 months, and have driven it about 8,000 miles. I love it! It's not just an appliance like most cars today. You need to think to drive it and get the most out of it. Most of the criticisms are probably true (choppy ride, although compared to my Geo Tracker, it's a limo; quirky transmission, hey, get used to it! It's that way for a reason; you can get different economy cars for the same money, but 'yawn', when it comes to them; premium gas, if you use less by using premium, isn't that better for the world, even if it's not as cost efficient?...and the list goes on.) If someone wants purely cheap, reliable transportation, get a Fit or Yaris or Versa, or any of many really good little cars. Or if you want really cheap, get an old 3 cylinder Geo Metro. They're great also! But, there is nothing like a smart. It's unique, it's fun, it's in a class by itself, and it's so called negatives only add to it's charm. Not for everybody, but certainly loved and appreciated by a lot of us who own them. By the way, I drive it around town, on the highway, everywhere and love it all.

Ordered my SMART Passion in October 07, still have gotten that one, but was able to pick up an "orphan" (a car ordered but not taken by a customer). Drove it home 67 miles on the interstate - I25 and was very surprised at how it held 80 MPH, as I did not buy the car other than in city driving. Now have about 2000 miles on the car and my wife has kept detailed mileage records...we are getting 42 miles to the gallon in town!! Typical commute is about 10 miles at about 45 MPH. We have parked our other cars whenever we are running errands. Between the gas savings and the insurance savings we are paying for the car from the savings. The other SMART is to be delivered in late December or early January...and we are taking it. Changed the order to the Cabriolet. Great car if you don't need to spend but 15 to 30 minutes per drive at speeds lower than 60 MPH. It's adequate if you occassionally need to get on the interstate. By the way did drive it at 75 MPH for over 150 miles twice in one week and it got about 36 MPG, but seats are a bit hard for two hours. FUN car to drive and it gets lots of attention

After owning this car 6 days a deer hit me, at 40 mph. destroyed the front windshield but no body damage to me or the car. This is a fun, safe car. Pictures of deer damage on Smart Car forum, under " a very very sad story"I'm glad I bought it. I average about 43 -47 mpg on regular,