SMART FORTWO COUPE REVIEW

My car

My partner and I have owned this car since new, and have loved every journey in it. It's a fun car to drive, very nippy to drive in traffic, and also great on the motorway. Luggage space is more than ample - we've just come back from a camping trip in France, where we took everything that we would have crammed in to a bigger car. The seating is comfortable, offering plenty of room for the both of us (6'0" and 5'9"). As it's a Smart, parking is never an issue, and I'd disagree that the car needs power steering - that's surely a joke. The car has been cheap to insure and tax, although that's to be expected, and even a new set of tyres was pretty reasonable (although not as cheap as expected, due to their oddball size).

With every car, there must come a few negatives As the Smart is purchased through Mercedes dealers, of the three I've been into, I only felt one of them actually wanted to spend time trying to sell the Smart. It also means that servicing can be quite expensive, although you can barter with the dealers (we managed to get over £100 off our 10K and 20K services). Rear visibility is poor, and the position of the rear view mirror restricts some of the forward visibility, especially round left hand bends. The ride is harsh, making speed bumps feel like a mountain expedition. Most of all though, the car is far thirstier than expected - we've managed a disappointing 40mpg at best. The automatic gear change is very slow, with the manual gear change being faster.

My car

Think seriously before buying. I borrowed one for a 24hr extended test drive & it was an absolute hoot, great fun. Day to day ownership is very different, don't be fooled. The new engine is harsh, handling poor with serious understeer, unrefined & noisy. The auto box is harsh and hangs on to each gear too long making manual shifts almost compulsory to maintain smooth progress. Practically these cars are next to useless and the overall design is severely compromised. You may think I'm missing the point here and to an extent I am, but, unless you need to park on your nose there is no logical reason to buy one. I never managed more than 42 mpg in any conditions, 60+mpg in the petrol is a myth. I bought mine from Smart of Newcastle for £6k, they offered me poor service & £4k just 8 months later blaming the end of scrappage and great deals on new ones, perhaps they are not selling so well! If you do buy negotiate hard and buy at rock bottom or you will lose a lot of money, beware! Yes they look great as a package & are fun in short bursts, but don't try & live with one. For example, we own a diesel Renault Modus. It seats 5, is more refined, quicker yet more economical, has better handling and is nicer to drive. Dealers tell me that many punters would rather spend 2-3k on the old shape car which is more in keeping with the Smart ethos. I wish I'd done the same. Save your money & buy a proper car or you'll regret it.

My car

I think Mr Clemence should stick to driving his S class Mercedes.

The driving experience behind the wheel of my Smart Passion CDi is excitement and enjoyment.

One must remember the Smart was not designed to outgun a Ferrari but even owners of Smarts with the Suzuki Hayabussa engine installed can outsprint most supercar.

It's the build quality by owners Mercedes that shnes through in the Passion model especially.The seats have that firm supportive Germanic feel to them, and they prove extreamly comfortable over long journies.

Equipment levels are excellent with air con,a superb Pioneer in car entertainment system with combined sat nav aswell as those funky revcounter and clock on the dashboard.

It may only be a two seater but how many people actually need or use a four seater vehicle on a daily basis.

The CDi trump card is it's incredible fuel economy with over 90mpg a realistic target for carefull drivers.

It may not be fast but afterall it is a city car at heart and in most major cities it's almost quicker to walk.

Parking is incredibly easy in a Smart and even a Toyota IQ cannot navigate through a congested city as well as a Smart due to it's incredible girth.

The Smart Cdi is plenty quick enough to loose you your licence being able to cruse happily at over the legal limit.

With both fuels now quickly approaching £6 a gallon Smart CDi owners can only laugh at other owners who are struggling with thirsty cars.

Smart by nature and by name.

My car

Interesting that What Car rates this car poorly but all of the reader reviews disagree. Without wishing to be rude, there are times when one wonders if motoring journalists get the point, for example, the fact that there is only room in the boot for two is perhaps forgetting that it is only a two seater.... I test drove the old 45 BHP diesel and the MHD petrol. I found the petrol a little jerky and hated the cut out feature.

The car I purchased was the new 2010 54 BHP diesel and I am afraid that I have to disagree with What Car's comments over performance. It cruises happily between an indicated 70 mph and 80 mph for long distances on the motorways and is very nippy around town though it struggles against Porsches and the like but, hey, why do you need a fast car on London Streets? It doesn't slow down on the hills, (indeed, you have to be careful to protect your licence), and the engine noise is well and truly subdued as the engine is so low revving; but then I like diesels. The tyres are noisy but, as with all Mercedes products, they are low rolling resistance and hard and, as with all Mercedes that I have owned, they will be changed for something more suitable.

I commute an average of up to 80 miles per day, 50 or so on fast dual carriage ways and motorways and for these purposes it is great. Clearly though, my wife and I will be taking the other Mercedes on holiday. If you haven't tried it, take a test drive, you will be pleasantly surprised.