For The Smart Fortwo Convertible is an easy car to park, with low running costs and emissions.
Against The ride is overly firm, it's noisy and poor to drive, and the price hike over the coupé is huge.
The Smart Fortwo Convertible is worth considering if you don't mind the price hike over the coupe and never venture outside the city limits, but it's compromised and struggles at higher speeds.
Smart usurped the demand for city cars before it was there. Now, in these more environmentally and economically conscious times, the Fortwo has come into its own in both ‘Coupe’ and ‘Cabriolet’ guises.
The Smart works well in the city, where its lofty driving position and tiny dimensions make it easy to spot parking places and squeeze into them.
The ‘micro hybrid’ models come equipped with engine stop-start to improve emissions and consumption even further.
Petrol engines are all 999cc in capacity, with outputs ranging from 70-101bhp – that headline figure for the preposterous Brabus model.
Engines with middling outputs make most sense, and the small 54bhp diesel is also interesting as it brings 85.6mpg capability.
Two seats, a small luggage compartment, choppy suspension and dim-witted automatic transmission mean no version is great to drive, but it’s a clever town car.
I recently bought a Brabus cabriolet 102bhp version as I wanted something practical for town yet fun to drive. Like most people I don't need 4 seats;…