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Owned by Mercedes-Benz and with a reputation for making small, clever cars, Smart offers a striking, upmarket alternative to more conventional rivals.

It currently has a two-car line-up, the smaller of the two being the distinctive Fortwo, which, as its name suggests, is an ultra-short two-seater that uses an unusual rear-engined configuration to deliver the sort of turning circle that even London taxis can only dream of. It's a doddle to park in small spaces, too.

Smart's 'family car' is the Forfour, which is little more than a stretched version of the Fortwo, with a second row of seats and a larger boot. It's more of a natural rival for cars like the Hyundai i10 or Kia Picanto.

On paper, both cars come at a considerable price premium when compared with rivals, something it says is justified by its badge appeal and the technology in the cars.&nbsp;However, sales have been slow and there are often keen Target Price deals to be found.

SMART

FORFOUR

It's the best car Smart has made, but it's expensive and not as good as its rivals

Used Smart Forfour Hatchback 2004 - 2007

Forfour ownership isn't cheap. It was pricier than most competitors as a new car, and even though residuals aren't all that strong, used examples are still rather expensive because the car is too new for depreciation to have really taken its toll. As a result, prices haven't really come down all that much.

It is cheap to run, though, and most Forfours will better 50mpg. Only the 1.3 and 1.5 petrols fail to achieve this, but both get close. Even the fiery Brabus gives an average of 41.5mpg, which isn't bad considering its power and performance.

The Brabus doesn't fare as well on insurance, though, being in group 16. However, the rest of the range is more sensible, with classifications ranging from group 4 for the 1.0 to group 7 for the 95bhp diesel.

Smart owners will also pay plenty when it comes to servicing, because the costs for routine maintenance are significantly higher than for most competitors.

It's the best car Smart has made, but it's expensive and not as good as its rivals

A wide range of engines means there's a lot of choice. Petrols include 1.0, 1.1, 1.3 and 1.5 versions, and they all give decent performance, with outputs ranging from 64bhp for the 1.0 to 109bhp for the 1.5. The 95bhp 1.3 is the one to avoid. While performance is fine, it sounds too coarse.

There's also a Brabus performance car, which uses a tweaked 1.5 to give 177bhp. It's very quick, beating a Volkswagen Golf GTI to 60mph, but it's also very expensive.

Diesel fans can choose from two versions of the same 1.5-litre turbodiesel, one giving 68bhp and one giving 95bhp. Both are pretty good, but we'd choose the more powerful one. It's a bit more expensive, but worth it for the extra power you get.

Whichever you choose, try to find one with a regular manual gearbox, because the semi-automatic 'box is too jerky in full auto mode.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Spacious enough for four adults to sit comfortably</li> <li>Logically laid-out interior that doesn’t</li> <li>feel too cheap</li> <li>Mature driving manners </li> <li>Decent-sized boot</li> <li>Competitive buying and running costs</li></ul>

Small cars, or superminis as they’re also known, used to be bought almost exclusively as first cars or by people with no children – but the likes of the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/fiesta/hatchback/review/n106">Ford Fiesta</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/seat/ibiza/hatchback/review/n17359">Seat Ibiza</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/polo/hatchback/review/n83">Volkswagen Polo</a> have grown to the point where they can be considered all-round family transport, albeit with the odd compromise.

Small

The Forfour came out in July 2004, so it's still too new for a fair assessment of its reliability. Being a fairly minor manufacturer, Smart is rarely included in the majority of reliability surveys, so details on this are also fairly sketchy.

Our own experience of the Smart has been disappointing. We ran one on a 12-month test, and during that time, it suffered two severe breakdowns in the space of 1000 miles, along with a few other niggles.

One thing we can say with confidence, though, is that if any non-warranty repair work needs doing, it will probably be costly. Because Smart is part of Mercedes-Benz, most main dealers are tacked onto Mercedes outlets, meaning you'll be paying close to Mercedes prices for labour.

These are extremely expensive, certainly much more than most supermini owners will pay. Finding a good independent garage can cut these rates by half.

The Forfour is the best car Smart has built. Its four-seat layout makes it more practical than the rest of the company's range, which only have two seats. In addition, it's the best Smart to drive, with composed handling, plenty of grip and accurate steering. It also has all the style the Smart brand is famous for, both inside and out, and the build quality is very solid.

However much better the Forfour is than other Smarts, though, it still lags behind its best competitors in a number of areas. The firm suspension that makes for such good handling makes for a jiggly low-speed ride, and while most of the engines perform well, the 1.3 is best left alone.

The big problem is price. The Forfour is significantly more expensive than most competitors and, because the car hasn't been out that long, it'll take time for used examples to come down in price.

Used Smart Forfour Hatchback 2004 - 2007 review

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The Forfour is the best car Smart has built. Its four-seat layout makes it more practical than the rest of the company's range, which only have two seats. In addition, it's the best Smart to drive, with composed handling, plenty of grip and accurate steering. It also has all the style the Smart brand is famous for, both inside and out, and the build quality is very solid.,However much better the Forfour is than other Smarts, though, it still lags behind its best competitors in a number of areas. The firm suspension that makes for such good handling makes for a jiggly low-speed ride, and while most of the engines perform well, the 1.3 is best left alone.,The big problem is price. The Forfour is significantly more expensive than most competitors and, because the car hasn't been out that long, it'll take time for used examples to come down in price.

Read the definitive used Smart Forfour Hatchback 2004 - 2007 review from What Car?. We tell you what you need to know before you buy.

Used Smart Forfour Hatchback 2004 - 2007 review

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