| Just in case you’re looking for something to fill out the “shop” in your toy hauler RV, HighOnAdventure.com found just what you need — the smart fortwo — an ATV-sized car, made to be towed with all four wheels on the ground. But why not carry it inside, away from prying eyes and inclement weather? | ||
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| The smart fortwo has plenty of headroom. The driver actually sits higher in the smart fortwo than in most passenger cars. |
Sitting tall in the saddle
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Worldwide sales of the smart car are closing in on two million vehicles, and the US just became the 37th country to sell the smart fortwo. The company presold 30,000 of the little pups before the dealerships had any on the floor. While everything about the car’s looks seems overstated, it’s odd that the company refuses to capitalize the car’s name. We don’t get it. The car comes in three models — smart fortwo pure coupe (entry-level starting at $11,590), the smart fortwo passion coupe (well-equipped, starting at $13,590) and the smart fortwo passion cabriolet (well-equipped convertible starting at $16,590). |
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The smart fortwo passion cabriolet starts at $16,590.
The rear window is glass and the top is fully automatic. Here the side
roof bars are stowed in the tailgait compartment. Full trunk storage is
behind the tailgate lid.
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"Oh, it's so cute!" That’s what we heard at the arrivals lanes at the airport. The car got a lot of smiles and two-thumbs-up. It IS cute, no argument there. But we're here to tell you there's a lot more to this "cute" car than looks. We liked it — it’s a fun little roustabout that handles city and freeway traffic just fine. It steers true and quick. Acceleration is quite acceptable and it brakes just right for its size. Inside, it feels very big, and you sit higher than in most small cars. Hitting potholes, however, felt like our old Datsun pickup truck with the overload springs, without the camper on back. You’d swear the wheels turned square for a second. The no-clutch 5-speed automated manual transmission takes some getting used to. It has two modes ¬– automatic and manual, and you can switch back and forth on the fly. Auto mode responds to your acceleration, but there’s a bit of a lag during each shift. It feels as it would if you were depressing a clutch, slowly. In manual mode, you nudge the nob when you feel like it and the shift takes place faster. Little gear shift paddles on the steering column do the same thing. |
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| The smart fortwo's trunk has 8 cubic feet of storage space – 12 feet if you load up to the roof line. The passenger seat can be folded forward to carry skis. The engine is directly under the trunk, over the rear axle. |
Seats are positioned at a higher level than most passenger cars so both driver and passenger have more visibility than it would seem from the size of this car. You actually have to climb down out of it rather than haul yourself up and out of the cab. This feature also is a safety measure as a side impact would hit a leg and not the body. Two of them can fit sideways in a standard parking spot, but if the sign says “parallel parking only,” don't risk a ticket. All US models come equipped with the 3-cylinder, 1-liter, 71 HP gasoline-powered engine, EPA-rated for 33 mpg city and 41 mpg highway. The diesel engines available in Europe and Canada do quite a bit better, but smart figured that 0-60 in 18 seconds was a tad slow for the US market. The gas engine gets you 0-60 in 12 seconds. It requires premium gasoline. |
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| Home of the 1.0 liter, 71 HP, 3 cylinder engine
and the 5-speed automated manual transmission. The smart fortwo is classified
as an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) on account of its extremely low
exhaust emissions. The catalytic converter is positioned close to the engine for a quick response. An electric pump blows fresh air into the exhaust port when the engine is cold to almost completely oxidize the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) and render them harmless. |
The top speed of the smart fortwo is electronically limited to 90 mph. It weighs 1,800 pounds and is designed to achieve a 4-star crash rating in the US. It comes with two front and two side air bags, and the passenger compartment is surrounded by a reinforced steel cage designed to absorb and displace impact energy. ABS brakes on all wheels are standard. Most of the smart’s weight (engine and transaxle) is over the driven wheels resulting in better traction overall. Wider rear wheels and tires allow for better grip and traction in marginal weather conditions. Narrower front wheels and tires allow for less traction loss by penetrating into snow and ice deeper for improved steering control. All smart fortwo vehicles come standard with all season tires, 155/60 R15 in the front and 175/55 R15 in the rear. The smart fortwo is also classified as an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) on account of its extremely low exhaust emissions. The catalytic converter is positioned close to the engine for a quick response. An electric pump blows fresh air into the exhaust port when the engine is cold to almost completely oxidize the carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) and render them harmless. |
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| Two cuties in a row, smarts fortwo have fun curbside appeal.
For traction and stability, the rear tires are wider and farther apart than the front tires. |
The smart is a member of the Mercedes Car Group, a Daimler AG Company, and is distributed by Penske Automotive Group. One is on display at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City, the only car there which is still in production. The smart was originally a collaboration between the Mercedes Benz and Swatch companies. |
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