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Technology

Aside from its miniscule dimensions, the Fortwo doesn’t break a lot of new ground from a technology perspective.  Still, it does have a few interesting details that will likely be new to many American car buyers. Topping that list is the Fortwo’s auto-manual transmission.  What sets this manual gearbox apart from more traditional designs is its complete lack of a clutch pedal. 

Instead, a computer handles the clutching chores, which allows the driver to motor along in a fully automatic mode or run up and down through the gears manually via the shift lever or steering wheel-mounted paddles. There’s also much more to the Fortwo’s greener-than-thou claims than just good fuel economy.  From its manufacturing process to its extensive use of recycled and recyclable materials—including the use of natural materials like the flax that goes into the car’s dashboard—the Smart folks have gone out of their way to build a environmentally-friendly car.

Driving: Test Car, Location

We picked up our Smart car outside our hotel on San Jose’s ultra-fashionable Santana Row shopping district. Among the most notable names in luxury retailing, this little car made a big impression on the crowds of well-to-do passersby.  While it was admittedly kind of fun being the center of this kind of attention, things got a bit uglier after we left the beautiful people behind for some one-on-one time with the Fortwo.

Performance

In the interest of full disclosure, we should state that we really wanted to like this little car.  Wanted to be as thoroughly charmed by the experience of driving it as we were the first time we saw it on the streets of Europe some years back.  But before we’d even left the zip code, we were quickly turned off by one aspect of the car’s performance. While the tiny three-cylinder engine felt surprisingly spunky, we found the Fortwo’s appeal was limited by one of the most disagreeable transmissions we’ve encountered in recent memory.  In fully automatic mode, the auto-manual gearbox exhibited an infuriating lag time between shifts.  On more than one occasion, this lead to some heart-stopping moments as we pulled out into a gap in traffic and put the pedal to the floor, only to have to wait an unacceptably long time for the car to get up to speed.  All we can say to the folks at Smart is, please, give us a traditional manual gearbox.  This single change would make this a great little car.

That said, after spending the rest of the day whipping the little car down highways and winding country roads we began to feel a bit better about the Fortwo.  We had no trouble whatsoever keeping pace with the fast-moving freeway traffic, and found that—once we learned a few tricks—it was actually more fun to drive than you might expect. 

Because of the engine’s small size and the transmission’s quirks, it’s necessary to adapt your driving style to get the most out of the Fortwo.  Rolling along at, say, 55 miles-per-hour in automatic mode and mashing the accelerator brings a sluggish response.  Nudge the gearshift lever over into manual mode and downshift with a flick of the left shift paddle, however, and the car will scoot rather enthusiastically. 

We also found that lifting off the gas pedal before shifting—much as you’d do with a traditional manual gearbox—helped smooth out the transmission’s operation somewhat.  This technique had little effect at slower speeds, however, giving the overall driving experience a slightly jerky feel you’d expect from someone with limited experience working a clutch pedal.

We were also somewhat disappointed by the little car’s EPA fuel economy numbers.  While 33 miles-per-gallon City and 40 miles-per-gallon Highway isn’t bad, we—and, we suspect, a lot of potential buyers—were expecting more.  When you compare the Smart’s fuel economy to both other cars in the price range and to the best of the admittedly more expensive hybrids—all of which offer room for five passengers—the Fortwo’s raison-d’etre begins to look more questionable.

Ride and Handling  

The Smart Fortwo’s greatest strength—its diminutive size—is also its principle weakness from both a ride and handling perspective. Like all super-small cars, the Fortwo’s short wheelbase gives it a somewhat bumpy ride quality.  The firm suspension tuning only adds to the effect, making this a car we wouldn’t recommend for your next cross-country driving vacation. Handling, on the other hand, is quite good for such a small car.  With its relatively wide track and wheels pushed out to the corners the Fortwo manages to deliver a surprisingly sporty driving experience.  While a slightly longer wheelbase would give the car a greater feeling of stability, we found the Fortwo was actually kind of fun to hustle down a curvy stretch of asphalt.