After spending the last few days in the AMG, I approach the Fortwo with a bit of trepidation. I've seen them on trips to Europe, but this is the closest I've physically been to one. And it doesn't look anymore substantial when you're up close. In the Mercedes it's pretty easy to feel invincible, but taking this tiny little car out on the SUV-choked Southern California streets seems a chancy proposition at best.
According to Smart, my fears are unfounded. Being that it is a Daimler product, like the S65 the Fortwo has been designed and engineered by Mercedes-Benz safety experts. Its basis is what they call a "tridion safety cell" with longitudinal and transverse members designed to activate the crumple zone of whatever vehicle hits you and distribute the impact energy over the car's body. To illustrate just how much thought has gone into making the Fortwo safe for its inhabitants, even its front wheels have been designed as part of the crumple zone during frontal impacts. I particularly like the fact that it's been designed to make an extra effort to wad up the car that hits you-bonus points.
When you're finally sitting inside the car, it's actually pretty amazing how spacious the cockpit is. There seems to be a lot more room than other small cars like, say, an Elise or a Mazda MX-5. There are only two seats of course. The seating position is fairly high, you don't really sink down in it like in the Benz, but overall the interior is comfortable, ergonomically sound, and provides good visibility whichever way you point your head.
Despite my initial reservations-I always thought these cars were just the slightest bit ridiculous-driving the car is actually a lot of fun. The steering is sharp and fairly communicative, and overall the car feels more nimble around town than most anything else I've driven. Although 70 hp isn't a lot, it's adequate in a car that weighs less than 2,000 pounds. My only real complaint is an exquisitely mushy suspension-generally not an issue, because this isn't a performance car. It also makes for a comfortable ride over some of the crappier streets around town.
Possibly the most remarkable thing about the Smart is the attention it attracts. Unlike the much more expensive, much more powerful Benz, the Fortwo Cabrio turned virtually every head it passed. Many of them more than once. Cruising the affluent streets of Orange County, Calif., I may as well have been driving an Enzo Ferrari.
Of course there's also the fuel economy. The EPA reckons the Fortwo nets a combined figure of 36 mpg. That isn't quite as good as a Prius hybrid, but let's face it, the Smart has a hell of a lot more character, and it costs anywhere from $5,000-$10,000 less.
In the end, I guess cars like the Smart Fortwo exist to make us feel better about lusting to drive cars like the S65. If you had the wherewithal to afford to buy both, they'd actually make ideal stablemates.
Note: Special thanks to Al & Ed's Autosound and 4smartcar.com for sourcing the Fortwo Cabriolet for this story.
The Fortwo's entire length fits comfortably inside the S65's wheelbase-with about a foot and a half to spare.
At the current going rate for premium fuel in Southern California, around $4.70 per gallon, it costs roughly $112 to top off the S65's tank. It costs about $40 to gas the Smart.
According to Smart, the Fortwo reaches 60 mph in 12.8 seconds. In 12.8 seconds, the S65 is well on its way to its electronically limited 155mph top speed.
The front brake rotors on the S65 measure 15.4 inches across, a half-inch wider than the Fortwo's standard 15-inch wheels.
For the S65's $194,000 asking price, you could purchase 11 Fortwo Cabrios and walk away with $11,000 in your pocket.