Smart Tour Aims To Make Believers As Tiny Two-Seater's U.S. Sales Falter

Smart Tour Aims To Make Believers As Tiny Two-Seater's U.S. Sales Falter

By John O'Dell September 3, 2010

Struggling to reignite interest in its only model, Smart USA is taking the diminutive, 40 mpg Smart Fortwo on a multi-city tour in hopes of exposing the tiny car to people who are not going to its dealerships, as dramatically sagging sales show.

Contributor Rob Calem caught up with the tour late last month in Hoboken, N.J., and interviewed a few of the people who drove the Smart during the event. Mainly, he reports, they came away impressed.

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By Robert E. Calem

It was, of course, a completely unscientific survey, but one we thought interesting to field.

The results?

Most of our respondents reacted favorably to the car, and expressed some degree of surprise that they did like it.

A number of people even said the test drive had made them think of possibly replacing their current rides with a Smart. We also heard positive comments about the vehicle's safety - a story pounded home to the drivers by the two Smart specialists who were there to coax anyone with a driver's license into taking the car for a spin around Hoboken.

Those spins, however, also resulted in a few negative assessments of  the Smart's driving dynamics.

"It's not a chick magnet, but it would make a lot of sense for where I live, and would save me a lot of money on not having to pay for a parking garage," said Brett Sikora, 24, a Hoboken resident and real estate agent who currently drives - and garages for $250 per month - a 2009 Honda Accord Coupe.

The Smart, he said, "felt like a regular car once you were in it. You forget that you're in something that's that small from the outside,"

Sikora liked the Smart's $12,000 base price tag. "It's $10,000 less than my car and [the Smart is] way more practical." He said he'd consider leasing a Fortwo, but noted that a two seater could be impractical for the few times he needs to take more than one client on tours of local properties. "That's actually my major concern, but, it's a trade-off," he said.

Mike Bohan, a 19-year-old student from nearby Cliffside Park, said he thought the Smart would be great for handling the area's nasty traffic. "We have a lot of double parking, we have a lot of traffic, and this is far easier than any sedan or coupe in getting around those obstacles,"  he said.

The Smart's ride also impressed him with its "rock solid feel," After almost half an hour behind the wheels, he said, he forgot that he was in the smallest car sold in the U.S.  "I enjoyed the ride a great deal. It's very peppy, very spunky, it's incredibly easy to handle in terms of getting around other cars."

Bohan said he also enjoyed the acceleration and what he described as the motorcycle-like sound of the engine, commenting, "I found it to be sort of a fun sporty drive for such an economical, inexpensive car--not something I expected, actually."  He's car-less now, but said that when he was ready to buy he would "definitely" consider a Smart.
 "Out of all the $10,000 MSRP cars, this has the most character, and it gets the most attention, the most smiles," he said.

Not from Akash Abraham, though. The 29-year-old Hoboken resident who works in business development said he found the Smart to be "a little funky, I thought," on both takeoff and stopping.

He described a sluggish "drag" upon hitting the gas pedal and brakes that were not responsive enough, but said the ride was "reasonably comfortable" for such a small car. 

Still, Abraham also expressed his willingness to replace his 2006 BMW 325i sedan that he drives regularly with a Fortwo or some other highly fuel efficient car, because his commute to work is only 20 miles.

"For me an electric car, or a Smart car, or something like that, it makes sense," Abraham said, although, "I would obviously be giving something up in performance."

Hmmm. Maybe he should wait. Smart's introducing a battery-electric electric Fortwo in the U.S. next year.

Peter Bonastia, 45, a Hoboken resident and advertising professional, was least enthusiastic. "I wouldn't worry about feeling unsafe in it even though from the outside it looks like it would be a deathtrap," he said, noting that he presently drives a Ford Escape SUV. 

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Peter Bonastia was not persuaded by his drive or the marketing pitch.

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After driving the Smart for only three blocks, he declared that  "if you're looking for fun to drive and comfort for long trips, I would not look in [the Fortwo's] direction."
He said there was a noticeable hesitation when he pressed on the accelerator pedal and complained that the folded-down roof of the convertible he drove sat high in the rear and obstructed his view behind the car.

One passerby who sat in the Fortwo but didn't drive it - Bobby Brancazio, a 25-year-old civil engineer and Hoboken resident who is 6-foot-1 - expressed surprise at the car's "decent headroom [and] a lot of legroom."

He also said he was impressed by the value for the price and thought the car would be "pretty cool" for commuting to the city.

But he also declared the Fortwo too small to accommodate both him and his skis or his friends on road trips, called it "kind of weird" and said he probably would not buy one. He currently drives a 2008 Acura TL.

Peter Prepiak, 39, a medical researcher who also lives in Hoboken, was even taller, at 6-foot-3-inches. He tried the Smart out of curiosity and said he found it comfortable and more spacious than a Mini Cooper he drove a couple of years ago.

Nevertheless, he said it would be impractical for him to own one because he has a family and needs the interior volume afforded by his current vehicle, a 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML350.

In all, about 20 people took test drivers during Smart's two days in Hoboken, said Keith Gaytan, one of the two Smart product specialists who were there.

"Some people love it. Some people hate it," Gaytan said.

He seems to favor those who love it.  Smart, he said, "is one of those brands that is about forward thinking and opening your mind."

The tour continued with a stop in Allentown, Pa., followed by stops this month in Fairfield, Conn., and Portland, Ore. A Smart spokesman says future dates and stop sites remain to be determined.

John O'Dell:  is an AutoObserver Senior Editor. Follow @AutoObserver on Twitter.