'09 SMART FORTWO PURE REVIEW

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by SATO on July 21, 2009 at 11:28am

very good and well balanced...

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Walter Johnson on July 21, 2009 at 2:31pm

i thought your article was well done. A smart is not for all, but it has many great features, its fun to drive, and creates a lot of reaction as you drive it around. People should judge them based on what they expected. I'm happier than I thought.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mr bad example on July 21, 2009 at 3:43pm

"Attention: shift into second when the time comes, lift off the throttle and get back on it as if you'd disengaged and engaged a clutch. Repeat for third gear; fourth; and fifth, although you'll be able to do so more quickly at higher speeds. "

WRONGO MARY LOU!!!!

you don't have to lift off the throttle while accellerating or shifting, the smart lifts by itself, it's THAT smart!

also, just cuz the smart is tall doesn't mean it can't corner, there's no weight up there! all the weight is below waist level, there's just a bit of tridion cell, glass and plastic up there! the engine, gas tank and mechanicals are tire height or lower. i'll have people riding my ass going into a turn or exit ramp and they are far away when i complete the curve/turn (i'd prefer larger front tires, the standard hard, skinny donuts don't inspire confidence, but i have pushed them harder than i thought them capable of, all without triggering the ESP system!)

outside of the few little gaffes, i found the review fair and honest.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Timothy Cain on July 21, 2009 at 3:50pm

The point wasn't suggesting the fortwo couldn't shift with the throttle floored but that manually tinkering your own style results in smoother operation. and centre of gravity or not, taller cars aren't supposed to be as stable cornering as shorter cars. this theory is disproved by vehicles like the smart, however, as well as some tall SUVs like the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne amongst many others. How? Not only by placing major components low, but by stiffening the suspension.

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by mr bad example on July 21, 2009 at 4:26pm

the thing is, you can drive the smart with the throttle floored, never lift your foot and still shift, lifting the throttle tells the smart you aren't wanting to accelerate. also the smart has the stiffest suspension of any car i have driven in the last 33 years. (it is painfully stiff, i'll fix this by replacing the front tires with 185/60-15's sooner or later, this will also add more gripping power in the turns, i replaced 155/80-13's with 195/50-15's on my old geo metro with great results, the smart is much lighter in the front end than a metro)

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by rick bogdan on August 6, 2009 at 10:13am

excellent, balance review.

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion