First Drive: 2008 Smart fortwo - Motor Trend review

spdickey · 11-21-2007, 12:00 PM

GREAT REVIEW, but the red car looks orange in the pics.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...wo_first_drive

Quote:

Originally Posted by motortrend.com

Smart USA president Dave Schembri acknowledges that alternative powertrains such as diesels, hybrids, and particularly pure electrics are being studied, and that the location of the fuel tank in the center of the chassis makes all sorts of options possible.

The front end employs conventional MacPherson-strut suspension, but there's a massive deDion tube at the rear that also helps in side-impact situations.

Acceleration is leisurely at best. Smart claims a 0-to-60 time of 12.8 seconds, although driving the car in manual mode and shifting via the steering-wheel-mounted shifter paddles makes it feel zippier than that. In automatic mode, the transmission is calibrated for lazy, smooth shifts (not nearly as fun).

Wow, Motor Trend likes they tranny!

lhoboy · 11-21-2007, 12:04 PM

There's that orange color again.

MicroNut · 11-21-2007, 12:23 PM

I'm surprised, but delighted, that a major motoring journal gave the smart such a positive review. It's like they got it (and this knowing that PAG isn't going to drop any serious advertising revenue their way anytime soon).

Color looks to me exactly how it looked in person on the tour. I'm not going use the "O" word, it'll get me in trouble. But definitely more tomato than fire-engine.

arthur634 · 11-21-2007, 12:26 PM

Looks close to that Clemson orange....can not stand that Tennessee orange

spdickey · 11-21-2007, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by arthur634

Looks close to that Clemson orange....can not stand that Tennessee orange

The pictures look more to the orange side than what I saw at the LA Auto Show and the smart House.

There was a fire engine red truck parked nearby in Venice. The smart was a brighter red than the truck. Firecracker Red, Chinese Red, not sure what to call it. It is a very flashy bright red car, for sure.

There are orange flecks in the red interior.

lhoboy · 11-21-2007, 12:49 PM

As I have said in a couple of other threads, of any of the motor rags, MT's opinion aligns the most closely with mine. I will be interested in seeing the results of their first true roadtests. If that goes well, I can imagine that the Smart may be a contender for their car of the year (if the tranny doesn't stumble).