2008 smart fortwo User Reviews

Pros

Park anywhere size, looks that make people smile, gets good gas mileage

Cons

Ride is too rough, gas mileage could be better, tranny is poor.

I've put nearly 9000 miles on my Smart. Thus far it's been an ok commuter. Overall, it's a good car packaged nicely by Mercedes to give you better than expected space inside. The Smart's small stature garners a lot of attention. It performs well, there's enough power for merging and keeping up with traffic. Its small size helps with parking and manueverability but, the Smart's small wheelbase means that you will feel every bump & undulation on the road, which becomes very tiresome after a while. The Smart's tall height relative to its short length and light body makes it susceptable to wind gusts. While not dangerous it will keep you on your toes when wind hits the car. The biggest Achilles' Heel of the Smart is its awful manumatic transmission. It up-shifts with a jerk, often making the car rock back and forth as it shifts. It downshifts very slowly, which proves interesting when you need to pass cars. Even going from 2nd to 1st to get you over a speed bump can create disturbing clutch drag as the transmission tries to hold a higher gear.

For those who commute in cities the Smart is a good choice. For those who spend more time on the freeway you're better off getting a Yaris, Fit, or Accent.