A small car with a not so small problem. CAR WIZARD reviews a 2013 Smart FourTwo 

Lots of variables. The safety cage structure of this car is essentially a roll cage like those used in NASCAR race vehicles (or the European equivalent). With zero speed limit on some parts of the Autobahn in Deutschland (Germany), German vehicles are often made to go at speeds considered insane here in the USA, and protect the occupants in the event of a collision. These Smart® cars are designed and built by Daimler Benz (Mercedes Benz). Originally these cars were supposed to be a partnership between the Swatch® watch company and Daimler Benz, but IIRC, Swatch pulled out at the last minute. I've actually crashed head-first into a 10-wheel dump truck doing about 40 - 50 mph (approx 70 Km/h) in a 1983 VW Rabbit (Golf Mk1). Blind curve on a 2-lane dirt road. VW bounced off the front of the truck. The front of the VW was slightly askew and obviously the front bumper, grille, radiator, and headlights were no more. Nothing behind the radiator was damaged. The owner of the dump truck claimed the radiator and steering box were damaged. Back in my teenage years. At least a decade later, an 18-wheeler changed lanes into the lane I was driving in. Freeway in downtown Dallas. Vehicles in front and behind and an elevated concrete curb/ridge/flange with a drop-off to dirt to the left. 1995 VW Golf III vs. 18-wheeler. Blowing the horn was futile. I slowed down as much as I could without risking getting rear-ended. Entire right/passenger side of my car got wrinkled by the 18-wheeler. Passenger side mirror and front passenger window were obliterated. Truck never stopped and my wife and I were too shaken up to get the livery/name or license plate of the truck. Certainly not a head-on nor a t-bone by any means, but it was still a 3,000 Lb (1,360 Kg) car vs. a potentially 80,000 Lb (36,000 Kg) truck/lorry. A fender and door from a junkyard and my car kept on going for several more years, albeit with a paint scheme reminiscent of the Harlequin Edition VW Golf. The primary design objective of the Smart ForTwo is to squeeze two of them into a single standard-sized parking spot in dense cities. Alleviate congestion. But, they're capable of 80+ Mph (130+ Km/h) speeds and still have to meet EU, US, Canadian, UK, and Australian crash safety regulations. And, they're built by Mercedes Benz - who are known for making very safe automobiles. If you were sandwiched between a semi/18-wheeler and something else (say, a concrete wall), you wouldn't stand much of a chance of surviving in almost any "passenger" vehicle (from an F-350 down to a Smart ForTwo). However, in a wide open area, depending on the speed, angle, and a long list of other variables, getting hit by an tractor-trailer rig could be VERY survivable, even in a Smart ForTwo. I do NOT recommend deliberately testing this theory. YMMV. I used round numbers instead of exact figures (typing this far too late at night for even the OCD nerd in me to be bothered).

I had a Chevy Equinox hit both my semi and the semi behind me head on, and the 2 teenagers who were in it were unscathed (they were on drugs though). If that's not an advertisement for the safety on that car I don't know what is.

While a Smart may have the best safety cage in the world, as someone already asked, what about crumple-zones? Or are airbags the only major energy-absorbing feature in these cars?

@@velocityraptor9270 I still believe that certain laws of physics tell me I would almost certainly be better off in something substantially larger than a Smart.

@@velocityraptor9270 I never said it was unsafe. I just prefer a much larger crumple zone. The official crash tests are performed using a fixed barrier. Head-on between a small and large vehicle, the large nearly always wins. And I drove a '67 Sunbeam Alpine roadster for many years. Not what most people today would consider a 'safe' car. But way safer than a motorcycle!

That was part fo the reason the cars were a failure. In order to make such a small car safe they had to add a lot of heavy bracing in the car. The result was a much heavier car than you would imagine. Over time they reached a weight of more than a ton. Which when pushed around with the small engine didn't give great gas mileage. If memory serves me it was a couple of years after they first came out that the new Honda Civic managed to beat them on gas mileage, were also cheaper and had room for twice as many people. That was really what killed them. The overly expensive and heavy safety frame led to a car that was simply not smart if gas mileage or price was your main concern.

Good for you. Thanks for sticking up for the smart car

Man if you think that's comfortable just wait until you discover leg room

they also have 7 airbags in addition to the cage. I have the EV version. I want to get a gas model too but I can't find one!

We have one here in the UK and there are loads of them here. It’s tiny by the gas guzzling American cars that’s for sure. It’s definitely not the best gearbox in the world but they are fun to drive and nippy on British roads. I once owned a Toyota IQ3 with a multidrive and that was a better car than the Smart.

I miss the days of the standard cab truck.

Boom

I was just about to write the exact same comment.

and the Corvette C5 coupe

My first thought, then remembered I have a mega cab.

I laughed at the hesitation in Mrs Wizards voice when he suggested it.

Unpopular fun fact there are Brabus Versions in Europe for the Fortwo :D But in the end it's a Mercedes product so they are suuuuper exensive for what they are..

Usain bolt would have covered nearly 50 meters in that time!

"And he's coming out....of the fourth turn!"

Good job Mr. Wizard! I think you'll be surprised if a bad sensor is your only problem with your Smart Car. These actuators are notoriously not maintained properly during their 10,000 mile scheduled servcice

I’m about 6’2” and I sat in a Fiat 500 with a similar size to the Smart car. I fit perfectly in it, was comfortable too. I fit better in it than my wagon actually

So is it more like a motorcycle transmission? Which would make sense. Nice simple setup to make computer controled

Although I'm aware of it, the smart 451 sold here in the USA did not have this option (I forget what it's called) that shuts the engine off at stops. It seemed to me from what little I know of it, that it would severely shorten the life of the starter motor, especially in city driving.

Yeah ok, A 148 mph. Right 👍

@@abbysapples1225 The obvious implication is that the smart is slow. But, at 92 MPH (148 kph) it'll do the highest speed limit in the country all day long without complaining. Although, its driver might grumble when slow pokes hold him/her back on the entry ramps.

@@Vector_Ze dang that sounds fun! I was looking into buying a used one.

It is very safe but the heavier vehicle will always win, provided it has structural rigidity. But around the city unless you are T-boned by a truck this thing as safe as any other modern car

Frames are made by Magna they are bullet proof. you do not need much steel to make a safe frame it how you engineer it. door handles window regulators fall off

Absolutely! I did my homework before buying one! This car saved my life after being broad sided by a car going 55-60 in my driver door!

They also tend to skid easily and roll over.

@@Commentator541 No actually it isn’t and proves how clueless you are. Shorter the wheel base the easier it will skid and lose control.

🤣

The look on his face was priceless.

The Smart Car is a Disposable Garbage Car, which only makes sense in a city if you legally park sideways. Since only San Fransico allows that as sideways parking has resulted in many accidents in Europe, the main feature is not something you can use...

@@davidhollenshead4892 Yeah, it's also way too expensive for what it is.

@@davidhollenshead4892 exactly why would you get this car there's plenty of fantastic small cars out there like Micras Clio's ford focus Honda civic ect so many I can't think of them all

In Australia they're 600CC and its a Mercedes BADGED engine. Might be the same engine, could be different

Yep thats correct,@@OffGridInvestor the 1.0L Petrol was a 3b20 from 2006-2014 and the 3b20t both were Mitsubishi motorbike engines. Which were the 999cc motors. The 599cc engine you speak of was the first gen sadly not available in the states which was the M160 and OM660 *diesel. Then in 2014-2019 they offered a M281 898cc and turbo made by joint operation of Ford and Mercedes and now as of 2019ish currently offering the vehicle as an electric only car.

Doug is a joke where Car Wizard is the real deal.

i highly doubt that. a passat 2014 cost about 11k while one of these from the same year cost about 10k and whe i had my passat i uded to get over 30 mpg which is pretty close to this.

Yea im a bean counter too, but used prices are still way to high for used bmw reliability and fuel economy isnt that great, you can pick other cars with comparable fuel economy with 4 seats. You are buying it for the looks and attention...which is okay i guess..

@@robertdlew it’s a Mercedes with a Mitsubishi based engine, no bmw components. There are no major issues with reliability. Conversely every Vw I ever had (2 rabbits, a mk5 gti and a scirocco) have all had major issues.

Darren Griffith VW US is a total mess because of the lack of quality control. In Europe they are A)Affordable thanks to their Skoda sub brand and B)Are known to be reliable and the parts are cheap. Smart is realiable, the only real issues are motor mounts which can get loose and a leaking aircon but these are minor things. Other Mercedes products are hit and miss. Burn Money W is just not a reliable car.

Ohhh snappp

Pre-PENSKE, I worked on the Marketing plans for the SMART with Daimler. Too bad Penske got the rights. Once again an American dealer got an import they didn't know how to market. PENSKE doesn't have all the answers.

No Problems on motorways except getting overtaken by cyclists

@@des1458 If only cyclists were allowed on motorways that rather weak attempt at humour might have worked . . .

I can hit 90 in no time at all and can hold my own on the interstate with my little smart car. Absolutely love it!

They're great, until the engine wears out before 50,000 miles, rendering the car poor value for money.

@@matthewking5612 I've got 110,000 miles on mine right now and only changed the oil. This is a very reliable car, and fun to drive.

But Swatch was smart & bailed out of the project...

Next up: a car made by Adidas and MaltOMeal...

Almost all Citroens prior to the BX had only 3 wheel studs

Yes, the Renault LeCar used only 3 lug nuts.

Even peugeot

Citroën

@@cambridgemart2075 The early low power versions of the Saxo had three.

If you were to buy a used one today what year would you choose? Or just buy a Honda fit or alternative?

@@Miley_00 Year not as important as getting the "passion" model (451). Electric power steering, "glass" roof, paddle shifters (a must) and many other goodies. base model not near as fun

If you have the money for a fit, but were debating getting a SMART, I'd get a Scion IQ if I were you. They have even better turning radius, same size, and holds 4 people@@Miley_00

That's a lot of diapers 😳

Sounds like a good time LOL

Exactly, funny how it´s safer than most old SUVs.

I don't care what the data or crash data says, I'd choose my fuel hog F250 over this in a motor vehicle accident.

Trucks are so damn easy to flip, are you sure?

Oh sure, the steel cage will successfully contain the liquified remains of its occupants, but crumple zones are cool too.

Fifth Gear tested one at 70mph into a Concrete block! I'll let you make your mind up whether it is considered as "safe"!!!!

They couldnt make it open like a normal hood these things werent cheap when new

@@CRAPO2011 Why make it open like a normal hood when simply unclipping it (by using the extremely simple 2 catch release levers that Wizard was clueless about) removes it completely out of the way in seconds.

@@DiscoFang in the freezing cold i rather pull a prop rod than thave to carefully remove the hood

@@CRAPO2011 bc youre used to use a rod

Yes, thank you. What the heck was all that yanking for - google it or read the manual.

Yeah, it took me a while to work that out on our smart!

I was laughing at this guy when he ALMOST damaged the front hood by opening it the wrong way !! He will not be be MY mechanic !!! READ UP on a car before you touch it, buddy !!! hahahahahaha !!!

@@haukepowers8491 you a 🤡

@@haukepowers8491 no problem you can glue it back, it that would be an upgrade

But what about crumple zones?

Was on fifth gear uk tv show

Have you seen the video of Shaq O'Niel driving a new Smart car?

@@samuelbaird4983 In a SMART car, YOU are the crumple zone. The Smart marketing people said the SMART car activates the crumple zones of the OTHER car... but what if the other car is another SMART car? Doesn't sound SMART to me.

@@CareyHolzman that would be a problem. I saw a smart car crash a VW Golf and there was a hole where the left foot of the driver would be.

Good one..lol

Pretty sure I could get the car all the way in the air with just my floor jack.

@@1337penguinman They aren't quite as light as they might look due to the thick steel in the "tridion" safety shell.

@@ferrumignis two flips and you can play 'Spin the SmartCar'

He would..hahahahahahaha !!!

The tiny engine is under the same load ;-) compared by size so

Do they have oil drain plugs in the US? Early models in the UK had no oil plugs for a spill & fill. You had to vacuum the oil out via the dipstick tube which took 45 minutes cos it was so damn thin! 🤪

Yep 3.5 qts

Yes drain plugs.

got a srt8 and thinking of getting these as a daily 😌

Oh yeah. Absolutely

Never watched that channel, but a quick search shows it has triple the subs this channel has....they got beef?.....I love this channel btw just never heard of the other one so I was just curious.

No, but Hoovie's Garage has been around longer. The Wizard is Hoovie's main mechanic. Sometimes he goes to The Ninja. The Wizard is featured in a lot of Hoovie's videos. Usually telling Hoovie how much it will cost to fix his cars.

@@danhall6791 hoovie literally brought the wiz to us.

@@colliemayfill4234 and for that, we are eternally grateful.

Nope. 2019 was the last year it was sold in Canada. If you still have a dealer in your city, they are selling used ones or NOS 2019s, which is doubtful since it's 2021 in a few weeks.

@@OMGWTFLOLSMH Your right the last ones were sold this year BUT parts and service are still available

is it so difficult to order parts directly from europe?

@@mmkuyt With covid, shipping costs have really ballooned.

If you're in Vancouver, BC all the Mercedes Benz dealership's here sell Smart parts.

There are actually smart sports cars based on this flat form :)

"It's just like a supercar, other than the looks and performance." :)

@@markh.6687 I really like the smart roadster...I only saw one in the US, someone imported it but I don't think it is road legal

@@CarlsGarage1 It may be possible to import those as "grey market" vehicles, and get them legally titled, but from what I read a while back it can be a real headache.

The wizard completely fills up that car when driving it to the lift, hilarious.

They're actually much stronger than they look. But, of course, you would still come of worse if hitting a truck.

False

@@alexanderdrago7166 ?

@@alexanderdrago7166 Stupid.

I agree! Love mine 🚙💨

@@alexanderdrago7166 he likes driving it. Got a problem with that? Jerk!

Or just buy it online? A stupid sensor like that if you have the partnumber shipped from Germany is still cheap! At this size of a car other micro cars burn you pocket much harder. Smart a though and cheap I am a A/B class driver owner still as the interior is much nicer

Rock auto seems to have that sensor

@@mrpepper45 yes, they do, I just checked it, it costs $18.78 ... plus tax and shipping, of course.

You still have the deer or the car?

@@mrpcb2566 still have the car, no idea where the deer went.

If you blinded it is it a noeyedeer?

@@pbysome and if he paralysed it, it's still noeyedeer.

The Citröen 2CV and AX and the Renault 4L also have 3 lug wheels.

Italy has some of the smallest and coolest cars I’ve ever seen. I’m from Canada a small car here is massive there

In a country that has such stylish vehicles I cannot and will not understand why these would be a top seller. These things look like they belong in Korea.

@@DarkFilmDirector simply because we have literally no parking spots available since our cities where built when cars didn’t exist, and therefore a smart here will be parked anywhere possible ( sidewalk, crosswalk, on a tree stump) ahaha anywhere it fits

As an American visiting Rome, I will never forget all the tiny cars that just back up into spaces on the street, instead of parallel parking!

@@bandguy360 Paris can be the same

Kinda' makes me wonder why Daimler decided against selling the turbo here...

I don’t think he was embarrassed at all. Maybe you were, for some reason, but the Wizard wasn’t.

What kinda MPG do you get? How much is insurance?

@@matt23727 between 35 and 50, depends on how and where I drive. Insurance is about the same as a subcompact car. Love it

Personally, I’d feel safer in a Lexus barge than this lol. They’re safe until an article lorry comes from behind; just need to search Smart car and artic lorry to see the impact and then you’ll never buy one again. If you literally just do city meals it might be a good buy; I’d still prefer a Toyota Yaris or a CT200h

@@AP-kl3tf litterally everything would get crushed by a lorry, ok maybe not military tanks. you just doesnt like small cars and that is okey. but don't use that black hole down there in your bottom to talk with..

Can it float 👩‍🎓in water?

They protect the passengers body's for autopsy. There's no ability to absorb crash forces, very little crush zones.

@@matthewking5612 It has a 4 star NCAP rating

How else are we going to know how big the car is!

Pretty soon, he'll look like Hoovie, with a beard.

😂😂😂

@@qx4n9e1xp ....and talent.

next car: 1959 Imperial, wizard collapses.

I was thinking the same thing!

I have one and they are decently made cars. The main issue is the clutch in the electrical gear box wich is damn hard to change and the flex pipe of the exhaust due to it being all cramped up in the back. The engine is solid, no issues with rust and very resistent to vandalism and old people driving due to (on my white one at least) unpainted plastic for most of the exterior. Very bad off-road though :)

I think the engine compartment acts as a crumple zone. The engine is so low it wouldn't be pushed into you and I think the front suspension is designed as part of a crumple zone mechanism as well.

“In great shape” occurs frequently too.

They actually don't get very good mpgs.A Prius gets better. I'll have to double check but it was only like 35mpgs

My Dad had a Tr7. Didn't have a rear window though, it fell out.

my 1969 Corvette did also. I had a TR7 but it was a Convertible. Had the GM 3.8L and 4 speed 700R4 auto in it. ( from a Buick I think )

@Anthony Stafford What about the TR8?

And if ur dad got into any wreck he would be dead in one of these vs a full sized car

@@somersetlax nope, it gets top marks in regular crash tests

@@somersetlax clearly you don’t do your research.

@@Ty-vq1jy clearly you’ve never seen a smart car in a wreck. Please educate yourself before making stupid comments

@@somersetlax The keyword is "if" along with how. You're more likely to be in a car accident in the first place the larger the vehicle you drive is. He would have been toast in this situation if it was a full size sedan. I wouldn't drive one down the interstate but bigger doesn't mean safer because of something called accident avoidance. Easier to avoid an accident or at least be in a less severe accident in a smaller car while it is harder for another car to hit a smaller car.

i have two 451s in the Bahamas. as remote as i am, i have never had trouble finding parts in the USA. a few MB dealerships still stock parts. also Rock Auto, Smart Madness, Amazon, Ebay have made it easy to find parts.

Wow that's sounds like a long drive lol

Never understood why they felt the need to do an "economy" engine version of something that already returns 60mpg.

@@andrewlaw Like so many things...because they CAN. :)

@@oliverdelgado6952 it was torture you can't sleep cause the seats don't recline and the passenger actually has less leg room than the driver. Both my passenger and I are 5'6".

walmart service for cars sucks ass

Changed the oil filter on a 2013 Smart Fortwo 1.0l the same day as we did a 03Toyota tacoma 2.7l. Oil filters got mixed up as we soon realized they were interchangeable between the two. I figured it was a smart move on Mercedes not to make their parts that difficult to inventory, just use what else works that's already in use.

We have a 2008 and love it.

Same here, I have an 08

Does it not bother you in the least when you drive around much larger vehicles in that you literally have zero crash protection?

We have a 2013 that has worked flawlessly for 52k miles. Just maintenance done on it so far.

You are single?? Do you have kids??? Where do you put groceries. E.t.c..does it snow where you live.? How does it handle in rain or snow???

@@rickj1983 You might check the NHTSA crash ratings on thi9s before you make a silly comment. They were built like a vault; the safety cell suffered almost zero deformation in almost any accident. Stability control was better than most conventional cars. You might have a good argument that a smaller lighter car of barely over 2000 lb probably gets bounced around more so its occupants may have more injuries from getting bounced around, but the vehicle was very strong in a crash.

Must have been for a political debate! Bada-Bing!

With Trump behind the wheel, making America great again?

First generation yes, second generation no.

@@mercedesclasnic3263 We used to have a third gen and always parked sideways. But you be right they are 20 cms longer

That's not how physics works.

@@Gandalf721 - that's a bit harsh. So you don't like the way it looks. OK- your opinion. It's not meant to haul things. It's perfectly fine for what it is suited to do. It holds plenty when I go to the store. I have a 13 year old Smart and an 8 year old Smart that my wife drives. I also have a 13 year old Ford Escape that is a terrific vehicle. I wish Ford still made their 2nd Generation Escape with the 3.0 V6. Since 2013 the Escape is not worth having. My two Smart cars have never given me any problems. I've regularly maintained them and they have both been great. They zip around my town easily, are fun to drive and are really good on gas. I've had both on numerous long trips up and down the east coast. Are they as comfortable as my Escape? No they're not, but they're great at what they do and that is to get you from point to point easily and inexpensively.

I know right?

@@thereissomecoolstuff I have had a Smart since they came out in the UK.. At the moment I own a Smart electric Drive and a Smart Brabus Roadster. I also have a Volvo V70 and an Alpine A610, but the Smarts are my favourite cars. Drove the roadster all over France.. Very safe cars.. the safety Tridion roll cage, I believe, is based upon the shape of an Egg! just try and break an egg from the pointy ends...

They get scary quick at motorway speeds, the auto box gets confused and doesn't know how to shift at times, but damn. Just pulling a u-turn on a single lane road is awesome. As a city car, they are perfect. Reasonably quick and nimble, you can get your shopping for two or even three into one of these easily, and as a 6'1 person I have more than enough leg and headroom, which with other microcars or subcompacts is not always the case.

Yes I thought he was going to break the bonnet off!

Yes, but manual. My friend had one (and before he had the fortwo like this in the video). The transmission was damn slow as in the fortwo :(

@@AlessandroGenTLe You have to get some time to learn, how it works in manual mode. In auto mode it is hopeless when cold, but warmed up it works ok. In manual mode there is still some auto functions, as when stopping, it will go in 1st gear, and if over revving, it gears up. Using manual ( gearstick/flappypads), not the doubleclutch fast, but fast enuff.