2011 Smart Fortwo Passion Cabriolet Convertible
MSRP $17,690
The Smart Fortwo looks and sounds like a great product. It is a two-seat convertible built by Mercedes-Benz. Ideally, it would be the best of both worlds for auto-buyers. It is small enough to get great mileage, but as safe as a Mercedes-Benz. But how “smart” is the Smart Fortwo?
The Smart Fortwo Passion Cabriolet Convertible is the higher of two trim levels. It has a 1.0 liter, 3-cylinder engine that produces 70 horsepower. It has 15-inch steel wheels, rear-wheel drive, and a 5-speed “automated manual transmission.” It is rated at 33 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway.
The Smart Fortwo Convertible has power windows, heated power mirrors, a leather-wrapped sport steering wheel, a glass rear window, a power convertible top, keyless entry, and standard air conditioning. The “audio system” has two speakers, a radio, and an audio jack.
There are plenty of safety features here. The Smart Fortwo Convertible has front and rear side airbags, knee-bolster airbags, stability control, traction control, hill-hold assist, and anti-lock brakes. In government safety tests using the 2010 standards, the Smart Fortwo got 4 out of 5 stars for driver frontal protection, and 3 out of 5 stars for passenger frontal protection. It got 5 stars for side impact protection. It also got the highest ratings of “good” from the Insurance Instutite for Highway Safety.
Conclusions and driver feedback:
The Smart Fortwo seems bigger on the inside than it does from the outside. It has plenty of both headroom and legroom in both seats. The cabin style is modern, and the “Passion Cabriolet” upper trim benefits from a choice of “Passion” color schemes. There are 7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the seat, and you can fold the passenger seat for another 5 cubic feet for a total of 12.
The engine has enough power for decent acceleration, and the Smart Fortwo is very easy to maneuver and park. Those are the positives. On the surface, it looks good so far, but there are a lot of negatives here.
First of all, the engine isn’t powerful enough to sustain even reasonably high speeds without a lot of labor. This would be bad enough, but it is matched with a transmission that is even less smooth than the engine. The closest experience to riding in a Smart Fortwo is the “low” setting on a mechanical bull.
The biggest problem, though, is that the Smart Fortwo just doesn’t make sense. There are about ten four-seat cars that get better mileage right now, and are a lot safer. Also, the Smart Fortwo’s size makes it difficult for other drivers to see. Why sacrifice size for mileage if it isn’t necessary? In addition, with a high center of gravity and a convertible top, the risk of a fatal rollover is extremely high.
The verdict: “Smart” in name only. Friends don’t let friends drive golf carts in traffic.
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