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Coupe
The fact that the Smart car was already a common sight on our roads even before the company started officially importing them is a good indicator that many people love this car. This affinity was largely due to the car's funky looks and hip, eco-friendly image.
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It had other talents, too, but it also had some big failings. On the plus side, despite being two feet shorter than a Mini, there's sufficient room for two six-footers to sit in comfort, and enough space in the boot to stow a small amount of luggage. Safety provision is excellent for a car of this size, and cheap running costs are another big draw. It's also a doddle to park. On the minus side, it's not great to drive, though. The engines are never anything more than sufficient, and the handling is stodgy. The ride is poor, too, bouncing over bumps in an ungainly fashion, while the six-speed semi-automatic gearbox makes for jerky progress. Refinement is poor, too.
Running Costs
Although the Smart is far from expensive, it isn't quite the bargain some rival city cars are. And, most of these also have two more seats as well as a better drive, too. Despite the car being popular, its resale values aren't that great, so there are some good deals on used examples. You'll still be looking at paying more than half of the car's original value for a three-year old example, though. Running costs are very low, though. The older cars will return an average of 57.6mpg or 55.4mpg depending on the engine you go for, and the newer cars can just creep over the 60mpg mark. Even the Brabus version will return a highly respectable 53.3mpg. Insurance costs will be equally meagre. For any mainstream ForTwo, you'll pay a group 2 premium. However, as Smart is a part of the Mercedes stable, costs for routine maintenance are uncommonly high in comparison to other city cars'.