Great Smart Car Road Trip:, Will It Make It Up the Hill? Options

[smart142]

By Jonathan McGrew

July 20th, 2010


Previously, I talked about the 2009 Smart ForTwo Passion Cabriolet and the mpg performance that I experienced on this 850+ mile road trip (more here). After filling up in Wild Horse, California, we trekked the rest of the way up to San Francisco. Since, it was just about lunchtime, I decided that heading over to Columbus Avenue would be the perfect lunch spot, especially with all the great Italian restaurants to pick from. The challenge of course with this is parking—did I mention it was lunchtime?


Now by this point my companion and I had traveled some 430 miles in the little Smart car and both of us were impressed by how well it handled the trip. Sure it was a little noisy, but what small, inexpensive cabriolet (that is convertible in layman terms) isn’t a touch on the loud side. The thing I was a little concerned about is whether the 70 hp and 68 foot-pounds of torque would be enough to get us up and over the hills in San Francisco. If you haven’t been to this great city by the bay, then you must drop everything you are doing, rent a small car and zoom over the hills that have been the fascination of chase-scene producers for decades. Just watch out for those trolleys because they can’t stop on a dime.

As far as parking goes, I feel like the Smart car has mixed results. Why do I say mixed? The trick with the Smart car is that you need to be hunting for a parking space where there aren’t pre-marked spaces, otherwise you could park just as easily with a Fiesta or Versa sized car. However, we found a free spot above Columbus Avenue on a ridiculous hill that only a Smart car could fit in and the picture above proves it. This type of unregulated inner city parking is where the Smart car really shines and I can think of many places in my home-base of Denver where this type of size and agility would come in very handy on a Friday night. So as I said, it is a mixed review, but if you need to park in tight places, the Smart is definitely the car to drive.

As for the hills; I decided to go over the to Geary on Divisidero, which for those unfamiliar, requires going over a very steep hill. If I were driving a Town Car I have no idea how you would see what was coming on the cross-streets. All that said, I had to make a complete stop at the top of one of the inclines. So it turns out that the 68 foot-pounds of torque could really use a boost. Since the Smart has a semi-automatic transmission it exhibited some roll back on the hill—not something you expect when there is no clutch pedal. The good news is a judicious application of the accelerator did get us up and over the hill.

Bottom line—the Smart was a pleasant car to drive in the city, especially with the sunshine and tourists taking our picture as we made our way down Lombard Street. However, unless you do a lot of parallel parking, you might opt to have a little more space. Tune in next time for our last installment of the Great Smart Car Road Trip where we discover how sporty the Smart is in the hills of Topanga Canyon.

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[smart142]

Great Smart Car Road Trip: The Final Verdict

By Jonathan McGrew

Contributor

July 30th, 2010

Over the month of July I have been posting my account of driving a 2009 Smart ForTwo Passion Cabriolet from L.A. to San Francisco and Back in what I have dubbed the “Great Smart Car Road Trip” series. If you have missed them, be sure to look back and check out my account of how safe they are on the highway, what kind of real gas mileage achieved on the journey, whether it can conquer the hills of San Francisco or tame the curves of Topanga Canyon. It was quite an exciting ride with the mini car, but now it is time for the Final Verdict.

Looking back on the trip now and after driving several other types of cars, including a loaded Nissan Maxima SV, I have to say that the Smart car still holds its own. The thing about the car is that it is perfect…for certain situations. The best situation for the Smart car is a large urban setting that has unregulated parking where you can capitalize on the small size. The thing about the Smart is that it doesn’t really make sense from a gas mileage perspective because there are new cars in showrooms like the 2011 Ford Fiesta that not only come close to the entry price of the Smart car, but also achieve similar mpgs. The thing you can’t beat the Smart car at is its diminutive size.

Other situations that would make the Smart car a viable solution is for someone who is traveling with an RV and wants to bring a car along. The small size means that you could tow it behind and use it as a little run about. Heck, some trailers have the ability to haul ATVs, instead you might be able to haul a Smart. Talk about instant transportation. The final reason to own a Smart is because they are just so darn cute and you like to get attention. It isn’t often that I get as much attention in a new car as I have in the Smart Cabriolet. In fact, I am pretty sure there is a bunch of tourist with Smart as the subject of their pictures from when I drove through San Francisco.

Bottom line—If you get a chance to experience a Smart car, you should
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[Leadwing]

AT LAST ! .. A report that doesn't have a lot of negative remarks from the nay-sayers, rednecks and other morons who drive those gas-guzzling monsters.

The writer obviously had a very positive experience in general. We all know that the smart isn't for everyone, but he certainly seemed to enjoy driving it.

Edited: for spelling

This post has been edited by Leadwing: Jul 31 2010 - 06:41 AM

[Leadwing]

OK, I typoed...so sue me

This post has been edited by Leadwing: Jul 31 2010 - 06:42 AM