Smart Cars Reshaping Urban Streetscapes

While the micro-sized Smart Car is not exactly the first vehicle to come to mind when we think about "family transportation," we do know some mothers who have opted to get around town in this tiny vehicle, so we decided to spend some time examining this interesting new option.

Can it work for families? How does it compare to the growing number of other fuel-efficient rides, many of them sturdier-looking than this one? Are they safe enough that we can feel responsible driving one? And so on.

On October 31, 2008, Smart USA delivered the 20,000th Smart since the tiny vehicle's long-awaited launch in the US in early 2008. That's an impressive number. Just as impressive is the visual impact the Smart fortwo has begun having in urban neighborhoods and downtowns. Back in the spring of 2008 we'd see one or two in a day. Now we often see two in a single city block!

The Smart fortwo is showing up everywhere in big cities

First, here are some basic stats: The Smart "Fortwo" is for – you guessed it! – two. According to the manufacturer, it is 8.8 feet long, 5.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide and has "8 cubic feet of storage space – 12 feet if you load up to the roof line" – in other words, enough for lots of groceries and even such cumbersome items as golf clubs (one set, anyway). The passenger seat can be folded down to increase the cargo area and accommodate even harder-to-fit items, such as skis. Now we'll turn to some pros and cons – cons first.

Cons
While it seems a little unfair to start with the "cons" for this little vehicle – it seems a little like picking on The Little Engine That Could – there are some that need to be mentioned. Then we'll turn to the "pros."

1) At least one reviewer complaints that the Smart Fortwo is significantly underpowered in comparison to other great small cars on the market like the Mini Cooper and is not enjoyable to drive. To read the full review, click here.

2) Fuel efficiency. That's right, at 33 city/41 highway mpg seems unimpressive to us considering how small this car is. It's not nearly as good as the leading hybrids, the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic only modestly better than several non-hybrid four-seaters, the Mini Cooper, the Honda Civic, the Honda Fit and the Toyota Yaris. We have a hard time believing that Daimler couldn't squeeze 10% more mpg out of this micro car.

3) Uh . . . no back seat. It's a two-seater and that means no back seat. Again, this may seem a bit unfair but we are an organization devoted to clean and safe transportation for families. No back seat means no kids under the laws of many jurisdictions. The Smart fortwo's website does address the installation of child car seats in the passenger seat and explains that the smart air bag turns off when a sensor in the seat detects the weight of a child.

Pros
1) Parking. Clearly, this is the most compelling practical reason for getting a Smart car: the huge edge it gives you in finding a legal on-street parking space in dense cities in which parking is a challenge. In San Francisco, we have literally thousands of short sections of curb space too small for even a subcompact car. Not a problem for the Smart fortwo.

This Smart squeezed neatly into this stub of curb space between two driveways

2) Safety. Well, it's safer than a motorcycle or motor scooter, certainly. And, while safety-conscious motorists tend to shudder at the thought of a collision between a Smart car and . . . almost anything, it earned impressive ratings from the leading safety-rating organization, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). IIHS rated it "good" (their best rating) for front and side impact collisions. View the ratings here.

Here's what the manufacturer says about the Smart's safety success: "The highlight of the safety management system is the tridion safety cell. The safety cell is made from steel, half of which is high-strength material, especially in highly stressed areas. The cell is designed to keep occupants protected. The reinforced steel and the design of the car, including the wheel bases, allow the distribution of the crash energy." The Smart fortwo comes standard with four airbags, electronic stability control, brake assist and anti-lock brakes are also standard."

3) Positive attitude. What we like most about the Smart is something intangible. It repudiates the SUV ethos of the past fifteen years which told people their ride should look aggressive and scary to other motorists and that driving was a Darwinian experience in which only the strongest would survive. The consequence of that shift in automotive tastes was millions of gas-guzzling, oversized vehicles that were unnecessarily dangerous to their occupants and other motorists as well as pedestrians and bicyclists.

The Smart fortwo represents a totally different transportation culture which we whole-heartedly embrace. Intentionally cute and friendly-looking and available in an array of fun colors, the Smart fortwo seems to say: "In cities we live close together and have to share crowded streets. Let's make getting around fun and efficient. By taking only the space I need, I'm making our cities better and safer for everyone." That's a lot for a tiny car to say, but it says it with style and we like it.

Fun fact: in August, a Smart fortwo owner used the internet to convene a Smart car rally at the top of the famous, scenic twisty block of Lombard Street in San Francisco. Over 130 Smart cars and their owners showed up and they drove two abreast down the photogenic block. View press release and photo here.

back to top