Smart vehicular passion for two

My first test drive in 2005 was memorable not only for the novelty of the car itself, but for the attention it garnered. As a tool for attracting and initiating conversation with people, the Smart was better than a basketful of puppies.

While the Smart Fortwo has been around Europe since the late ‘90s, it only made its way to our shores in late 2004. The first Smart introduced in Canada was powered by a three-cylinder diesel engine delivering only 40hp and was notable for its fairly lacklustre performance and primitive, lurching gear shifts.

Search for a used Smart Fortwo

It didn’t seem to matter - the Smart’s faults only added to its cachet with urban dwellers and the eco-conscientious, who piously revelled in its drawbacks as a symbol of sacrifice and awareness.

Now a more common sight on our roads and highways, the Smart is no longer the object of open-mouthed stares and pointed fingers.

And if the first generation Smart was an envelope-pushing experiment in a market that traditionally idolized horsepower and speed, it really wasn’t a very good car. It was however, an important one. More than just a quirky novelty - the Smart helped us to re-think our personal transportation needs - moving away from gigantic gas-guzzling, rolling rooms, towards more economical and environmentally responsible choices.

Eager to see how the latest model had evolved (particularly welcome was the news of a completely updated tranny) I set forth from Smart headquarters in downtown Toronto embarking on a 100 km journey on Canada’s busiest multi lane highway.

Most people are now familiar with the Smart Fortwo’s formidable crash test ratings, made famous by television’s Top Gear and featured in many Youtube videos. And yet - several friends questioned the sanity of driving a Fortwo on the 401.

Although negotiating six lanes of high velocity chaos flanked by forty-foot semis, in a cartoony glorified golf kart sounds like vehicular suicide - really, inside the Smart you feel no more vulnerable than in any other small car. One huge improvement is the increase in horsepower - the new conventional gas engine puts out 70 horsepower - nearly double the output of the old model. Merging and passing are executed with far more confidence, and it’s now entirely possible to get a speeding ticket in the new Fortwo. Unfortunately - that increase in horsepower adds up at the pumps too, with the new Fortwo requiring premium fuel.

My tester is a “Passion” model Fortwo - which has all the standard equipment of the base “Pure” (15-inch wheels, keyless entry) and adds power steering, air, glass roof, sport steering wheel with paddle shifters, power heated mirrors and CD player.

It’s amazing how much room there is inside this motorized fishbowl. The sloped windshield is vast, the side windows are bigger than a widescreen TV and there’s plenty of head and legroom for the lofty of height. The overall feeling of open airiness is greatly enhanced by the panoramic glass roof. The initial impression– that there’s nothing between you and oncoming traffic– is eventually dispelled by the enormous expanse of foam-padded dash twixt wheel and glass.

The upholstery on dash, door insets and seats is a vivid red – striking, but firm enough to bounce a quarter. The passenger seat now folds flat to increase cargo space. The instrumentation is hilarious; think iMac meets the Jetsons. The clock and tachometer are housed in globes atop swivelling stalks.

The Fortwo handles well, with firm suspension and good (if a trifle numb) steering. As luck would have it, my initial journey home was plagued with high gusting winds and keeping the tall Fortwo tacking straight required both hands on the wheel.

As for the new and improved transmission ... new it may be; improved it surely ain’t. Dropping from six speeds to five, the gearbox still features autostick, and in my tester - paddle shifters. Drivers will surely want to initiate their own shifts, since the transmission still displays the horrible lag n’ lurch automatic upshifts of its predecessor. Using the autoshift to hasten the delay between 1st and second somewhat alleviates the lurching, but it’s still highly irritating and is the biggest Achilles heel of this car.

I still have a fondness for the Smart Fortwo despite, or maybe because of, its quirkiness. As the second car for a downtown dweller, the Fortwo makes a lot of sense. It’s a snap to park, and highly manoeuvrable in heavy traffic. But during my week spent with it, I was frustrated and inconvenienced by its lack of versatility.

Bringing home a newly acquired office chair meant busting my pickup truck out of winter hibernation. A trip to the gym with my best gal pal required that we stuff our gym bags, and our purses - out of reach in the tiny trunk.

In comparison - competitor Honda Fit not only ferried me and three friends with copious quantities of food to a Christmas potluck - it endeared itself mightily by easily swallowing my mountain bike. And though there’s little cachet to driving a Hyundai Accent, it’s far more versatile, shifts gears better, and is almost half the price.