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Road Test — June 2008

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Written by Tonya Kerr Friday, 13 June 2008

Kerr is a former TV news anchor and congressional press secretary. Contact her at roadtest@impactnews.com.

Just climbing into a car that’s only 8-feet and two inches long took some getting used to, but after I got behind the wheel of the 2008 Smart Fortwo subcompact city car, I was sold.

Round Rock has one of only four Smart Center showrooms in Texas where you can actually touch, feel and even test drive the car that we’ve all been hearing about. Ten years ago it began as a concept between the Swiss company Swatch and Mercedes-Benz, later christened Smart as an acronym for Swatch Mercedes Art. Smart Car

Although Smart Cars are already widely sold abroad, 68 Smart Center distribution centers and showrooms opened in the U. S. in January. There is a 12 to 16 month waiting list, but the Round Rock showroom exhibits three display cars and a couple of vehicles for test drives. Prices upon delivery range anywhere between $12,000 and $17,000, depending on the model and extra options.

When you walk into the Round Rock showroom, be sure to put your name on the waiting list for a test drive, as the wait can be more than an hour on busy weekends. But I went at 9 a.m. on a Wednesday and had the place to myself.

Big on safety

As a mom, my first impression was that these cars looked more like toys for my kids than a vehicle I would trust with their safety. However, I was shocked to learn that the U. S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the Smart Fortwo the highest rating of “good” in both front-end and side-impact crash tests.

The 1,800-pound car is surrounded by a high-strength steel safety cage and four standard air bags, including two in front and two on the sides. The Smart Fortwo also has anti-lock brakes and standard electronic stability control, which is designed to stop the car from swerving off the road.

Three models

The steel safety cage (always silver or black) is finished off by multiple and interchangeable colored body panels, which give buyers numerous choices in design. In the U.S., the Smart Fortwo comes in three model choices: Pure Coupe (basic features), Passion Coupe (added amenities) and Passion Cabriolet (convertible). And whether it’s a fender-bender or just a whim, all of the body panels can be popped off in the service center in just under five hours at a cost of about $2,000 for the whole car. So far, no new car owners have needed the service at the Round Rock center, and because the Smart cars only need oil changes every 10,000 miles, the Smart car service center hasn’t had any business yet.

The convertible Cabriolet also has removable parts, depending on your “top-down-style,” which owners can change in and out on their own. And I was surprised that the interior of the Smart Fortwo was so much roomier than it appeared from the outside. Everything was squeezed together for maximum utility such as the 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine in the back under about two feet of cargo area, an extra storage compartment inside the tailgate, and the passenger seat that folded down flat for more room when driving solo.

I test drove a mid-priced, bright yellow Passion Coupe with standard features including what they call a “panoramic roof” with a retractable sunscreen, which is basically a moon roof that doesn’t open. The five-speed automated transmission was quirky, but easy to get used to. My co-pilot, the Brand Specialist, said that “feathering” or slightly letting up on the accelerator as you hear the gears shift would optimize the car’s performance, and sure enough it did. The Smart car had good get-up-and-go at traffic lights, however merging onto IH-35, I couldn’t help but stay in the slow lane, just in case.

I had expected the tiny Smart Fortwo to sound and drive like a little tin can, but it is much more solid than it looks. Even on a rainy day, I never heard any unusual outside noise or felt uncomfortable bumps or jolts. The steering was solid, and there were plenty of comforts like power windows, a decent stereo and plenty of other typical new car gizmos and gadgets.

And while I enjoyed the short test drive, I don’t think I could ever get used to the gawking and constant questions. People were literally swerving out of their lanes and stopping at green lights to get a look at our Smart car. And I’m told pulling over at a convenience store or gas station is out of the question, unless you have an extra half hour to answer everyone’s questions. Of course, that doesn’t happen too often, since the 8.7 gallon gas tank averages about 40 miles per gallon.

Unfortunately, I’d ruin the fuel economy anyway, since I’d have to strap my three children on top of the two-seater Smart car. But whether or not you’re in the market to buy one, a spin in the 2008 Smart Fortwo is well worth your time, if only for the bragging rights.

Round Rock’s Smart car center one of four in Texas

It’s unique to Round Rock, serves the entire Central Texas area, and it’s only one of four locations in Texas. The new Smart Center Round Rock showroom opened its doors in January and has already delivered more than 80 vehicles and put hundreds more customers on a 12-16 month waiting list.

“Launching this new product here in Central Texas has been phenomenal,” said Marty Banks, a Smart Center Brand Specialist. “Customers from all over walk in to touch and feel and test drive our showroom cars. They understand we’re a distribution center with no inventory, so it’s zero pressure and a whole lot of fun.” Map showing location of Smart Car Center

Banks said business is booming with only word of mouth. In fact, don’t blink or you’ll miss the little yellow and black “C-Smart” sign on the northbound feeder of IH-35 just south of FM 3406/ Old Settlers Boulevard. The showroom is tucked away in a back corner of a strip center along with businesses like a dollar movie theater and Goodwill. With no inventory, there’s no big parking lot of shiny new cars.

“I’ve heard people say they thought we were a computer store or a learning center,” Banks said. “But we’re here to stay, and we try to accommodate requests from community groups to take the Smart car out to events like South by Southwest (SXSW) or places like Sun City as an event attraction.”

Banks said that novelty keeps his employees and new car owners bombarded by questions about the tiny subcompact car, so they print hundreds of tiny business cards with fun facts printed on the back. They read “I am Smart,” and “I run on gas.” Another reads, “800,000 have been sold worldwide since 1997, but there’s a waiting line in the U.S.”

Most people shop online, Banks said, but the Round Rock showroom assists with about 60-70 “reservations” and an average of 40 deliveries each month.

“About 50 percent of our customers have been empty nesters,” Banks said. “The others have been Baby Boomers looking for a third car and the rest first-time car buyers. Customers put $99 down for a reservation and a build to order. There’s no sales contract, and they get their money back if they need to cancel for any reason.”

And that’s where the Smart car’s “Orphan Program” comes into play. Marty said many customers don’t want to wait more than a year for a specific make or color, so they can opt to take a vehicle that someone else ordered but did not buy. These cars can become available in just a few weeks or months.