Category: Convertibles 
Price Range: No data available
Novel concept, unquestionably fashionable, easy to park, fabulous interior design, economical, reasonable starting price.
Poor performance, absence of rear seats, limited dealer network, harsh ride, expensive higher-spec models.
A great concept, becoming truly accepted, but still a flawed reality. Saved from obscurity more by its status as fashion icon and cult car than as a finished product.
No power steering? No problem - it's light enough around town. Look behind you and you see the back of the car. Look in front and you see the front of the car. Look out of the ample side glass and you see the sides. There are a couple of difficult things - the windscreen pillars can restrict the view, and you have to lift the throttle conscientiously to smooth the gearbox's shifts. Early models were all left-hand-drive, but as you won't be doing much overtaking, that's only a minor irritation. In fact, given that the latest, right-hand-drive models mean you have to exit the car on the road, rather than pavement side, perhaps early models are even more user friendly. The gearbox's operation is a bit clunky, though, and less than smooth when manoeuvring. Not fun in the accepted sense. There's not much grip and the front end washes harmlessly away quite soon in corners - a result of trying to stop the car falling over while swerving around obstacles. More fun comes from winding up the rorty little three-cylinder engine and snicking through the sequential gears, listening out intently for the turbo's wastegate chattering and whistling on the overrun. Plus there's all that posing ability if you buy the Cabriolet - although, really, given that you've still got the large B-pillars by your head and the windscreen surround in front of you, it doesn't leave you feeling much more exposed than a big-ol' sunroof would.
Not really what the Smart is about. The base version (Smart & Pure) has only 44bhp, while the top-spec Smart & Passion has 54bhp, and the mid-line Smart & Pulse a whopping 61bhp. Pulse and Pure models come with a six-speed sequential clutchless transmission, while the Passion model has automatic operation too. Truth be told, all versions bound around town with enthusiasm, and aren't too hard to punt on the open road. Really not meant for motorway work, though. Plenty of downshifts on the transmission are required, and the bouncy ride can be pretty disconcerting.
