Dan Neil of the LA Times recently got a chance to spend some time with the new Smart ForTwo and came away less than impressed. The performance of the little three cylinder works fine in city driving but is barely adequate for getting on the highway. The tiny two seater was designed to get around the narrower streets of old European cities but apparently doesn't get much benefit on the wider streets of Los Angeles. Dan wasn't thrilled with the fuel economy either, failing to crack 40mpg.
While the ForTwo may not be well suited to Los Angeles, there are plenty of places in the country where the diminutive size would be a big benefit. Having spent some time in Manhattan recently, I would much rather have a Smart than a Tahoe or even an Crown Victoria. Even if you can't park it perpendicular to the curb, it would certainly be easier to squeeze a ForTwo into whatever space is available in a place like Ann Arbor than even a Yaris or Fit.
While the ForTwo may not be well suited to Los Angeles, there are plenty of places in the country where the diminutive size would be a big benefit. Having spent some time in Manhattan recently, I would much rather have a Smart than a Tahoe or even an Crown Victoria. Even if you can't park it perpendicular to the curb, it would certainly be easier to squeeze a ForTwo into whatever space is available in a place like Ann Arbor than even a Yaris or Fit.
[Source: Detroit News]
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