Smart ForTwo 1 - not always cheap, but convenient in the city

Small town cars, city cars, are not popular in Russia. The Japanese are crazy about them, although, rather, it is forced - they have little space. In our country, small cars have firmly earned the nickname "women's".


But among them, too, there are exceptions. Take, for example, Smart. A funny little car escaped the fate of everyone. The main reason is Mercedes. That's what we're going to tell you about today.

History of the model

Mercedes would hardly have decided to launch such a strange car into a series, if not for Nikolos Hayek. This Swiss businessman founded the watch company Swatch.


Once Hayek decided to create his own car. But, being an experienced person in business, he understood that it would not work just like that to make a car. There will definitely be some flaws - because there is no experience. And buyers are unlikely to rush to buy cars of an incomprehensible brand.

Therefore, it was decided to create a joint company. Interestingly, the Swiss businessman was disappointed in his idea even at the design stage of the car. The joint venture was dissolved and sold to Daimler-Benz AG.

Mercedes, interestingly, has already managed to imbue the idea and consider the potential in a specific key car. Therefore, in 1998 he made his debut on the market. Despite the strange appearance, the car suddenly became popular with buyers.


By 2002, the Smart ForTwo was offered in several body styles:

✅ Three-door hatchback
✅ Convertible
✅ Speedster Crossblade

The cars received petrol and diesel engines, all turbocharged. Among them, even sometimes comes across a version from Brabus.
By the way, the name "Smart" includes two abbreviations and one word. "S" is from the watch brand Swatch. "M" is reminiscent of Mercedes-Benz. "Art" is art translated from English.


The first generation Smart ForTwo managed to get into the Guinness Book of Records. Inside this compact car, designed, by the way, for two people, there were 20 girls involved in cheerleading. So Zaporozhets is not alone in its strange record.


The Chinese from the Shuanghuan company were the most successful in this. In 2007, they were not afraid to show their Noble, outwardly almost completely copying Smart ForTwo, in Europe. But representatives of Mercedes-Benz opposed this. They were able to achieve a ban on the sale of Shuanghuan Noble in most countries.

Benefits and prices

Despite its age and modest size, the first generation Smart ForTwo is still in demand in the secondary market. For this, you need to thank a number of features that are not found in this class. However, "Smart" is rather a fashion car, it has never been cheap, even on the used market.


Since we touched on the cost, it starts from 250 thousand rubles. It's expensive for an old two-seater. For restyled copies, which were produced from 2003 to 2007, they want already from 350 thousand.

The car has a powerful power frame of the birdcage-type body. It calmly withstands impacts on concrete blocks and does not deform. All of this has been crash tested. Yes, and Russian car owners have repeatedly been convinced of the strength of the Smart ForTwo design.

Plastic exterior panels allow owners of older cars not to worry about corrosion. Of course, plastic is far from eternal, but if it is whole, then even the oldest cars still look decent.


All engines that were installed on Smart ForTwo are turbocharged. Once an advantage, now it's more of a problem with older cars.

Engines

Basically, the first generation Smart ForTwo found on the Russian used market are equipped with gasoline engines. Their volume is modest - 0,6 or 0,7 liters. Power units of 600 cm3 have a capacity of 45 to 61 liters. With.

More modern engines with a volume of 0,7 liters give out from 50 to 82 "horses". Of course, Smart ForTwo will not become a sports car with such engines, but for a weight of 800 kg, a power of 82 hp. With. enough for the eyes.


For the most economical, the manufacturer offered diesel power units with a volume of 0,8 liters. Their power is not enough - only from 41 to 45 liters. With. But economy pleases.

By the way, diesel engines have a higher resource. True, Russian statistics on this subject could not be collected. Too few of these cars are in the hands of our compatriots.

Features of the model

There are usually no questions about the body of the Smart ForTwo - it does not rust thanks to the plastic outer panels. But the material fades in the sun, is damaged by impacts, changes its structure when exposed to prolonged high or low temperatures.


When inspecting, close attention should be paid to the integrity of the plastic. It will be difficult and expensive to solder it beautifully. In some cases, it is easier and cheaper to immediately replace the element. By the way, this is easy. Some compare Smart ForTwo with a modern smartphone, where the body panels are like interchangeable covers.

The car's engines are located at the rear, like the Zaporozhets. The gearboxes are robotic only.

Externally, Smart ForTwo looks like a toy car, but in fact it is quite multifunctional. For two, there is more than enough space in the cabin. Immediately striking view from the driver's seat, and the passenger too. The car differs in maneuverability and ease of management.

And the most important thing is compactness and minimization of problems with parking in a big city. The car easily becomes across, while not protruding from a number of cars standing along.

On the go

Riding the Smart ForTwo is fun. The car is like a compact capsule, and minimal overhangs front and rear add to the impression. Smart is a "crazy stool" among machines.


Although a 0,6 or 0,7 liter engine seems frivolous, it accelerates a light two-seater quite intensively. At least that's how it feels inside. In fact, acceleration to “hundreds” here can be in the region of 20 seconds.


The robotic gearbox is “thoughtful” and works with delays. You have to get used to it and get used to it. In any case, it is difficult to overtake someone on the Smart ForTwo on the track.


Suspensions in the car are rigid. They don’t like bad roads - they shake hard, like in a budget small car. But Smart is a fashion model, so you have to be patient.

The main problems

The main disadvantage of Smart ForTwo is the engines. They are not high resource. The power units themselves are sensitive to the quality of the oil, and the consumption does not please him. If we neglect replacements, then the piston rings will only last for 100 thousand kilometers.


A motor with a timing chain, but this unit does not differ in reliability. The most problematic spare part is a plastic damper. It becomes brittle and breaks from old age and high temperatures.


The layout of the engine is dense - it is difficult to repair it. There is one strange feature - this is an oil change. No drain plugs are provided - you literally need to suck it out with special equipment. You can do it yourself using a car syringe.

Smart ForTwo pendants are not liked by Russian roads. If you operate the car only in the city, then they "live" longer.

Should I buy Smart? If you want to stand out and need a compact vehicle for a big city, then yes. But if you need an economical option, it is better to look for something simpler. After all, Smart ForTwo is still a Mercedes, albeit a small one.