2008 Smart ForTwo
The 2008 Smart ForTwo is dynamically excellent in almost all respects compared to its predecessor. It rides well, it holds the road, it maneuvers as if it’s controlled by a video-game joystick, and its performance is quite respectable. The U.S.-spec model we drove in Madrid is powered by a 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that produces 70 hp and 68 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to push the 1654-pound featherweight from 0 to 60 mph in about 13 seconds and on to a governed top speed of 90 mph. Smart expects the car to earn EPA combined fuel-economy ratings of about 40 mpg.
Smart have increased the ForTwo’s trunk space, widened the rear track by 1.2 inches, stretched the wheelbase by more than two inches, and replaced approximately 90 percent of the vehicle’s parts. But when you first encounter the 2008 ForTwo in the flesh, you still need to park a 2006 model alongside to spot the differences. The ForTwo has grown some 7.7 inches in length, but its proportions are as gawky as ever: this street-legal Tonka toy is again very tall, very narrow, and very short. In some European cities, it can be parked nose-in, which is a good thing until the day your fellow parkers don’t leave enough space for you to open the Smart’s extralong doors. Theoretically, two Smarts can share one parking spot, but that scenario rarely occurs in real life.
The Fortwo’s interior is dressier for 2008, with more space for both passengers and cargo, though occupants still sit arm to arm. Its distinctive periscope-like air vents return on the new model with a new dash design meant to satisfy the safety and style tastes of Americans.
Of course, a natural concern for many of us involves the safety of driving a car with mere inches of cushioning space between the bumpers and the occupants they are intended to protect. DaimlerChrysler claims that the Fortwo’s safety rating matches that of the Mercedes C-class sedan, a remarkable claim that we hope we never test ourselves.
MSRP: $16,590.00
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Car and Driver Smart ForTwo Review
