Smart Fortwo Earns Top Marks in U.S. Crash Test
Smart’s Fortwo minicar received top marks in a U.S. government side-impact crash test, despite the car’s driver-side door opening during the simulation.
The Fortwo scored five out of five stars for side impact crashes, while earning four stars for drivers and three starts for passengers during head-on impacts. While the problem of the opening door wasn’t enough to mar the perfect rating for Smart, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did note, “A door opening during a side impact crash increases the likelihood of occupant ejection."
Smart has been selling the Fortwo about as fast as they can bring them into the country, with the American public seeming more and more receptive to small, fuel efficient vehicles. Roger Penske of the Penske Automotive Group recently said that he could sell as many as 15,000 more units than the 25,000 Fortwos he has been allocated for this year.
+ Automotive News: Smart car aces U.S. crash test despite door opening (subscription required)
Comments
Jeb
I saw what I think was the first one in the Richmond area this morning coming to a stoplight. The newspaper yesterday actually had a photo of the woman with her car. Ironically, this was two days after Car & Driver's review of the Smart ForTwo, and the only thought I had when I saw it this morning was "Pleaaaase don't get in front of me on my way to work."
David J Corcoran
I saw one of the first non-grey market ones in Seattle a few days ago. It was illegally parked.
William R. Walling
Only in America!
Said vehicle door opens during crash testing and our Government gives it 'Top Marks'.
Appears 'compensation' is alive and well in Washington!
Forthcoming IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) testing should prove interesting.
MJK
I sat in one at the NAIAS and liked it, but thought.."there is no way anyone would survive a wreck in this". The doors are about as thin (and heavy) as a piece of paper. How could they get enough strength out of it in a side impact? I get the whole skeleton shell but we have Hummers and Excursions here...lots of them!
Scratch
3 stars for passenger in head-on tests is not what I would call "top marks".
G-Man
MJK - The FAA is proof on its own that 'compensation' is alive and well in D.C.
Garfield134
There were 3 (I think) hardtops at the NYC autoshow last weekend. There were lines about 7-9 people long at at ech car to get a test sit. Mini was located on the other side of the wall and looked positively HUGE by comparison. Somehow, safe did not cross my mind...
I saw one last summer on I-295 heading south just outside Portland, ME. The car had Quebec plates on it so it was a turbo diesel (the Canadian ones are all diesel, for now). My wife's Honda Fit looked and felt enormous as the Smart passed us. We decided to give "chase" and get some pictures, paparazzi style. My son had his Nikon SLR and was taking pictures out the windows as I drove. The Quebec guy and his wife were a little disturbed having a lens pointed at them and tried to get away. I was going about 75 mph. They must have been flogging that thing for all it was worth trying to get away. I think the Canadian models (diesels) top out at 80 or so. They couldn't run away from the Fit. After several pictures, I decided to let them be and backed off. Quebec drivers are usually quite agressive don't like losing "races". I thnk that guy was at little PO'd.
Nick
I bought a 2008 smart and it would cruise along at 85-90 all day long. Yes, it wouldn't do a wheelstand, but if you are flooring any car when you merge onto the highway you probably aren't the smoothest driver.
I think a lot of the issues that people have with smarts stem from the fact that they change lanes with the brakes rather than the accelerator, and don't look far ahead. Seriously, these things are more than quick enough to get around. In my 1000 miles with the car I never felt like it was underpowered.
Ducati Minor
William, next time you have a thought...let it go.
The ForTwo is more than adequate for road travel. The bitching here is just typical whiners demanding high-powered coupes or oversized trucks to compensate. The Smart isn't a populist wonder, but it's a hell of a lot better to see than another Chevy or Ford SUV.
Ducati Minor
William, next time you have a thought...let it go.
Ducati Minor
I had to repeat that because the moderators were restricting my previous post.
Kal
Huh, CNN Money saw the same crash results and posted this story...
http://money.cnn.com/2008/04/03/autos/smart_crash_test/index.htm?postver...
Not quite as glowing, and I would agree.
I've seen a number of these around town and can't help but giggle. They're a fine car for the money, but the gas mileage is dissapointing at best and I can't help but think that a Mini or some small Japanese car would be a better buy.
Jeb
The funny thing is, I don't live in what you would call an urban environment. It's not like we're hurting for parking spaces, and it's twenty miles to downtown. So buying a Smart here...not so smart.
mo
the car is not made for long commuting and highways. yet, it is perfect for the city. if you live in downtown manhattan get one. If you cross country travel (as part of your job for example), get a midsized sedan, full sized sedan, or even an SUV. I don’t think I will be happy with an H2 if I am living in London (or any crowded city). That is the point of the smart, not for highway but for the city.
If you are in the city, I don’t think you will go even at 60 mph. a crash at 20 mph could never hurt.
The only problem with this car is fuel economy. Seriously for a 0.6L 3 cylinders engine, that is a lot.
mo
guys i made a mistake it isn't 0.6L it is 1L (like it matters)
Ramolap
Spotted a blue one in San Francisco in the Sea Cliff area.
mo
@ ramolap, good for you!!!
so what is the big deal of seeing a smart car??
Patrick from Astoria
It didn't just bounce off the barrier?
To go with the spotter's guide, I saw one here in Queens-actually last year, late summer. It was parked next to a phone booth, to which it looked distantly related.
Ducati Minor
mo, don't be a d*ck.
Mark
Change this deceptive title. Top Marks in one crash and marginal ratings in one does not mean Top Marks overall.
SAAB95JD
This kind of safety information should be taken with a grain of salt. Check YouTube for some crash test videos of bigger cars. Even the E-Class Mercedes of the late nineties didn't do so well. And for even more fun, check out how a Ford F-150 looks during the same crash. How safe do all of you truck guys feel after that?
scot
Think back to the 1970's and the pinto-vega-gremlin. Protection? Some just blew up! The smarts have nimble handling that allows them to avoid collisions altogether. Toyota is making the IQ, a smart copy, more will follow, some as hybrids, and become even safer. Smarts are a fine start, and besides, when fuel reaches $6 per gallon, which it will, how many Humvees and Suburbans will be still be rolling daily anyway? It's all relative.
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