A Smart Review

The first load of Smart cars arrived in Baltimore last week. To your left is a snapshot of them lined up at the dock. Thirty-five were shipped to the Twin Cities. On Saturday, I was one of the first 10 people to take one out for a spin at Smart Bloomington.

The experience was one in a lifetime.




First impressions:

• The handling was more than adequate, no doubt helped along by the electronic stability control.


• The automated clutch on the manual transmission was a bit unnerving as it paused between gears.


• The acceleration left a bit to be desired, but wasn't frightening like that of the Hyundai Accent I drove the week before. (No intentional slam to the diminutive Accent is intended here. Since my test car died while trying to leave the dealership lot, I suppose it might have been defective in some way.)


• The interior headroom and leg room was exceptional.


• The seats were hard and barely adequate in the base Pure coupe. The Passion and Cabriolet models provided a softer, more supportive feel.

Everything about this car is strange, from the rear-mounted engine to the swappable plastic body panels. The ignition is centered between the two front seats instead of on the steering column. To jumpstart the car, the driver pops off an access panel beneath the passenger side floor mat to reach the battery. The panel on the inside of the tailgate pops open, revealing a tiny hiding space for an integrated safety kit that includes an assortment of convenient items, such as an emergency jacket, orange triangles and an umbrella.

The clear Plexiglass roof on the Passion coupe provides a sunny ride, even when it is 5 below outside. The heater is excellent. The heated seats are as quick to warm your buns as the ones in the Audi Quattro we borrowed last week.

Road noise inside the Smart is minimal. Mercedes quality shows in this aspect of the car, allowing you to forget you are whipping past a tractor trailer in a 3-cylinder go-kart. I was not afraid at any point during the test drive, and even honked at a darn slow-moving mini-van that was driving 30 miles an hour up the freeway entrance ramp.

To hear about the softer side of Smart, check out my upcoming column in the Farmington Independent on Thursday, January 31. You'll experience all the emotions of this exciting test drive!