Smart Fortwo Pure

I live in the centre of Amsterdam and as you can quite imagine, parking space is at a premium. If you take into account that people park rather selfishly and the city centre is jam packed with cyclists, trams, buses, pedestrians and of course, cars,then a special solution is needed.

Enter The smart fortwo. I can honestly say that this is the best and most fun car I have ever driven in my life. When my wife saw it, she thought I had made the biggest mistake in my life, but after 3 seconds of sitting in it, she had fallen in love. Thats the thing with the smart, you always drive with an ear to ear grin and driving this car is tonnes and tonnes of fun.There's also a massive ego boost when sneering drivers in the city see you prise yourself through that tiny gap in the traffic and park your little wonder nose to kerb without any hassle.

The interior is fantastic and is so roomy, its a little bit like the Tardis from doctor who. It's so artsy and high up and with that glass roof its like driving a piece of modern art turbo charged golf cart.

After a week of ownership, I had to drive to the Hague (about 90 KM) on the motorway and I have to admit that i was a little bit unsure of how the little guy would perform. Well, with the turbo charged little engine, it goes from 0-130 kph in the blink of an eye and keeps up with the other guys. No swaying on the motorway, no overrevving, nothing. This car is a mercedes and the quality just oozes from every aspect.

From now on I will only buy smart. The petrol consumption is INSANE. I filled my car with about 12 litres of petrol and I got about 400 kilometres out of it. Thats about 20 Euros a month on petrol. My old mazda 323 took about 20 euros of petrol every 4 days.

In Holland we are taxed on how heavy the car is and I end up paying about 11 euros a month on road tax.This car really cant be beat in terms of economy, luxury and such. The only down point is that the servicing is done by mercedes and is a little bit pricey here in Holland.

If you lose the key, then you are in big trouble. A new one has to be programmed from Germany and it costs anything from 180 euros to 350 euros. But, luckily, Mercedes offer a smart insurance in Holland so if you ose your key, you get a new one free! YAY!

So all in all, if you are a couple or just someone who goes to work everyday on their own, buy a smart. It's a car which will make you smile, laugh, love driving and leave you more pennies in the bank to buy the new ipad2.

wow! wat a car! im 19 and could not get insured on anything else for the money i forked out on with other insurers until i come across a smart car for two! its economical, petrol lasts for well.. ages!!! its fast as is every other car! 60 mpg.. smart cars sell themselves with just that! theyre comfortable and sometimes you have to remember that your not in the bump n rides! your on the m25!!! great car will highly recommend to anyone thinking about getting one! and anyone that slates them drive one and you wont feel the same afterwards and also love the semi automatic, it keeps you doing something as well as controlling the car manually! and all the accessories you can buy also is great! £35 road tax!! cant argue really

If I were to advise anyone on buying a Smart Car it would be DONT unless you are willing to fork out a fortune on repairs then steer clear.. other than that the car is brill but some garages will take you for granted.

The Smart Fortwo is a great car to own, drive and feel good about the environment. It is perfect for big city driving, and driving on the highway. Went to New Brunswick in Oct and I did not have a neck or back ache from the drive. (Always ache when I travel) Seats were so comfortable.

I remember seeing an MCC Smart Car for the first time in Amsterdam, the year after they had been released and wondered what the hell it was. It managed to squeeze through the traffic of larger 4x4's and saloons as though it were a ghost. I found out what it was and then and there decided one day I would have to get one.

Personal Impressions.

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I am not a fair weather driver sometimes clocking up in excess of 500 miles a week. Since I purchased the car in Feb 2004 it has done in the region of 17500 miles.

From day one the car has driven faultlessly, not giving me any reason to feel that I will be letting down anytime soon. This being my first new car and the fact that it was a smart car, took about a week to wipe the smile off my face when driving it.

My first reason to smile was when a passing smart driver waved at me. I had read that this is what a large majority of smart owners do as so few are seen and my comment was "It's true!!!"

There is a sense of camaraderie not seen since the mini was in its heyday. It seems to have found a new sense of identity in the smart car and this combined with such a great little car has fired many people to ask the question, why do I need 4 seats and a large car, when only I drive to work.

Space and Seating.

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The first thing you notice when sitting in a smart car is the feeling of space that is available and how well designed it is. The leg room is very good for anyone up to 6'4" and your visual position in regards to other sedans and saloon cars is considerably higher.

The seats themselves are at a very advantageous height for people to feel they can climb into rather than get down to. This is more akin to a people carrier seat position that a mini or other small four seater. The passenger seat has the option of being folded forward to give more space for transportation of larger objects and the driver seat has an adjustable back that can cater for most tastes.

Heated leather seats are optional until the cold weather sets in and these become a superb requirement.

The space behind the seats acts as the boot and is well thought out with minimal clutter. A small pocket at the right hand side can be used to hold loose items. With the whole back opening out in a similar fashion to an estate car, large items can easily be placed in the space provided. I personally have fitted all my scuba diving gear inside the car.

Under the seats they have included both space for a CD multi-changer on the passenger side and a lockable draw under the driver side. The foot well of the passenger side can hold a compressor and emulsion for small punctures on the tyres.

Design of interior.

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The layout of the interior looks more as though it has been designed by thinking artists and not by a committee, thinking about it as an after-thought. Everything in the car has a tactile look to it, with special mention going to the rev counter and clock being on stalks. If you see something in the car if begs to be touched and manipulated, without needing idiot instructions to tell you how to use it.

Controls are easy to understand and very visual and clear. Nice touches include the lane changing indicator, that requires only a slight push to flash the indicator 3 times.

Colours inside and outside of the car can be ordered at the time of purchase. From flashy, abrupt colours all the way to subdued and stylish make-over mean this car can be personalised more than most.

Exterior.

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Almost 50% of the exterior of the car is covered with interchangeable plastic panels. These are completely recyclable and are quickly interchangeable if damaged or you're bored with the colour. The panels are also resilient to dents from careless drivers who don't seem to worry about the consequences of slamming their door against your nice new car.

No door key holes are visible on either passenger or driver doors but one is present on the boot. If the battery should fail on the remote you are still able to enter the vehicle from the tailgate and get at any spare battery that may be in the glove compartment.

Technical Aspects.

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The car drivers marvellously. After the initial teething troubles MCC smart faced when they released the car and after the inclusion of the ESP system that had been borrowed from the larger Mercedes cars they have improved the handling and stability in poor road conditions. With the addition of a larger engine and McPherson struts the handling has been improved still further.

My personal car has both cruise control and power steering that in my view make the driving of long distances on motorways, both bearable and in some ways a complete pleasure.

Air conditioning is standard with the higher models and is recommended as a option that should be purchased.

The glass roof problem they had has been address and with the inclusion of a soft nylon sheet added to the front, just above the windscreen, and has all but eliminated the problems that plagued some cars in 2000.

The tiptronic gear box can be sluggish when changing in a boy racer kind of way, but with a bit of intelligence you can pull away without too many cars beating you. The only complaint I have about the gearbox is that when you come up to a junction, The car will down shift the gears as you slow down and not always select the best gear, but then it cannot see the traffic. When you are aware of this then it is not such a problem of the car but the driver.

Additionally the car does not have a spare wheel, but this in itself is not a problem if you order the compressor kit.

It also comes with 2 years breakdown assistance from Mercedes.

Conclusion.

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After driving this car for the better part of 10 months and having completed a great many miles in it I have to say it is the best car I have driven for many reasons, some of which are listed in the review. If you like them go an have a test drive, if you don't like them, give them a go, you may be surprised at your reaction to the driving experience.

The car is not for everyone and it would be foolish to say it is the best car in the world. BUT, I have to say that for my purposes it is the best car in the world for ME, and Yes I do have a family with one child and my 3 year old son thinks its great to.