2008 smart fortwo User Reviews

Pros

42mpg, unique, fun to drive, decent stereo system, cool colors

Cons

No cruise control, no arm rest, no tilt steering wheel, quirky tranny

I've driven my Smart for over 10,000 miles in four months. Even though I have an Audi and a Harley Deuce, I prefer driving the Smart. It's a blast to drive with the paddle shifters. You can park in anywhere. It gets a lot of attention (too much at times!!!). For the money, I don't think you can find another car with the same combination of "fun-to-drive" and fuel ecomony. It also has suprisingly good storage capacity behind the seats....read morehide

Pros

Great fule ecnomy, a fun filled car to drive and very attention getting

Cons

the transmisson shifting can be a little on the "obvious side" but liveable

Thi s is one fun car to drive. Most cars in it's class are generally boring, yet practical. The Smart is a fun car to drive, and you can park the little thing unlike any other car out there. Although the cars transmission shifts diffferently than the average tranny, but it takes little getting used to, well for me anyway. This is my only car, and i have nothing but great things to boast about it, and i get really fantastic gas milege on this car, which on the average is 38-42 miles per gallon for me. Best part is, the Smart has all the joy of a two seater roadster, but without all the hiked insurance cost of one....read morehide

Pros

Easy to park, center of attention, I've received more invitations to go out on a date.

Cons

Have to get use to the transmission. Insurance is high for this car.

Happy to report that I still love my Smart Car. I finally took it to a hand wash car wash. Got a lot of laughs and whoo hoos. Parking attendants have told me No Charge!!
So I'm saving on parking. I've been asked by several people where they can get one. When passing trucks on the Fwy the trucks shake. LOL. I have no problem with the wind. You get use to it. This car is not for everybody and you will find pros and cons on any car....read morehide

Pros

Very stable at cruising speed (60-70), surprising comfort

Cons

A little sluggish when merging, don't take on any BMWs at the entrance ramp to the freeway

We got our Smarty in August. We get 42 mpg, have switched back to regular gas from premium and have kept the same mileage. A great commuter car. Don't try to go to Home Depot to haul sheet rock but perfect for the daily trip to work, quick stop at the grocery store, etc. We take it downtown for events for the obvious parking convenience. We are happy to have it, will keep it until the wheels fall off....read morehide

Pros

Good fuel economy, available features for price, attention grabber

Cons

Ride can be bumpy due to short suspension, a little difficult to drive on windy days

I have been driving my Smart Car for a couple of months and love it! It is a great city car - peppy, tight turning radius, easy to drive, consistently averages 40+ mpg, and is easy to park in small spaces that an average car would not fit into.

I recently took it on a road trip and was impressed by its roomy feel and speed on the highway (easily cruised at 75 mph). Although it does slow down a bit going over the passes (try turning off the AC on big, long hills).

It's not designed for rough roads so on hiking trips we still use my old Subaru Outback to get to the trailheads.

Don't buy one if you don't like attention. This little car is a serious head-turner that attracts a lot of questions. I get the same list of questions every time (often several times a day) - is it gas or electric?, what kind of gas mileage does it get?, how much does it cost?, do I feel safe driving it? It gets a lot of smiles and an occassional laugh.

All in all it is a very fun car and I am very pleased I bought it....read morehide

Pros

Excellent fuel economy, the amount of standard features are awsome, peppy engine, fun.

Cons

transmission, read below.

The car has great fuel economy, however you have to use 91 octane fuel which cost a few cents more, but remember you are driving a car made by mercedes benz so 91 octane is to be expected. The engine is very peppy, it is not like a go cart at all as some describe in the other reviews. It has great performance for a inline 3 cyl engine. I mean you can't go 60 in 5 seconds, but you can in 10-12 which is better than many four cylinders on the road. I find the car to be very comfortable not a lot of space for storage, but a lot of space for you. I am 6'1 and I weigh 295 lbs. There is an abundance of head room, that I'm sure could accomadate a person 6'7 tall. The leg room is also great, you don't fell cramped at all. I think the value is great considering you get Mercedes type features and quality with this one. It has great visability and the full panorama roof is a plus. Gauges are well presented and easy to read. The only thing about this car that take some getting used to is the transmission. It is an automated manual transmission which gives you power to shift or use is automatic mode, however the car still shifts a little jerky like a manual transmission. For some people this may be difficult and not for them, but I got the hang of it before the end of the test drive. I would have to say if you have doubts, test drive one for yourself. Overall the car is great. By reading some of the reviews it appears that some do not even have the car and may not have even test drove it. Drive it for yourself and see if it is for you....read morehide

Drove this car in Europe & loved it. It was easy to go up & down hills in Spain & getting around town was a breeze as well as parking...
Love it.

Pros

Great Fuel economy, Great standard features, Great fit and finish, Attention grabber

Cons

No tilt steering wheel, No vertical seat adjustments, bumpy ride.

For the money, it is tough to beat. You can have great amenities such as heated seats, leather seats, etc. For a car that gets an extra 4-6 mpgs better than other subcompact vehicles with such fit and finish, and low price, what else can you expect? The car does not have a rear seat, and the ride isn't butter smooth. The car is also quite slow in acceleration, but that is to be expected. Despite the lack of a rear seat, it does have good storage space....read morehide

Pros

Attention getter, everybody knows you are the biggest fool in town

Cons

Extremely poor fuel economy, premium gas, drives like a (slow) gokart

Saw it on the street a couple of weeks ago, went to test it the next day without any web-research. Mistake ...

So, while the sales guy delivers his 'small is beautiful and great 40MPG' routine (what??? 40MPG, you must be joking!) I get down in the thing (why has not nobody mentioned how difficult it is to get in and out?) and take it for a quick, that is, very slow, spin. This is very much like a slow gokart. And I am not comparing to a 125cc shifter kart! You feel exactly like you are in a underpowered rental gokart, sitting low to give the impression of speed, turning quickly but accelerating slowly.

I was expecting that it would get something like 60-70MPG, I mean, a scooter gets 80MPG, a Prius gets up to 60, you can get a Corolla to do 40, a Honda GX same mileage at half the fuel price, and I seem to remember that a Mitsubishi i could get +80MPG (looks exactly like this one, but clearly with superior engine technology).

So, this small toy should at least get 60-70MPG to make any sense.

At the current price and fuel economy, this toy makes no sense whatsoever. Use a few thousand extra to buy a car, like a Corolla, with same mileage, or, if you want to do something to save the world, consider paying an extra 10k for a Prius or a Honda GX....read morehide

Pros

Comfy seats, Safety features, easy parking in urban areas, handling

Cons

no remote start or cruise control available, 91 octane gas requirement

I just drove my Passion up to Boston on I-95. Ride is very tight on the bumps but corners remarkably well. Roominess inside is suprisingly well thought out. Not much room for cargo but plenty for me (6'1" 215LBS)The NASCAR cage design explains why it did so well in the crash testing and I love fitting into the parking spaces that all the other cars have to pass up on. The transmission will take you a little time to get used to but it's nice to have the option to drive it in manual mode when you want to. Radio/CD player is decent but dissappointed they didn't put a bluetooth option on it for the cell phone. Definately order yours with the Heated leather seat/ lighting, etc. option as it's well woth the extra. Be sure to order the fog lights and alarm from the factory as it's hards to find on the order form. The huge glass sunroof and wide windows give you a fantastic view when driving and the excellent headlight design makes night driving much easier. Overall, this car has exceeded my expectations but I wasn't looking to do 0-60 in 3 seconds flat ( it's more like 3 minutes LOL). That's why I didn't opt for the tach....read morehide