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2008 Smart fortwo Safety Review

August 1, 2008

SAFETY | 8 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Four stars, front driver impact; three stars, front passenger impact; five stars, side impact
NHTSA

Good," frontal offset impact; "good," side impact
IIHS

High-strength steel allows the Smart car to withstand impacts as well or better than much larger cars
Edmunds

The 2008 Smart Fortwo is, among many other things, proof that looks can be deceiving. One glance at the Smart Fortwo's tiny exterior dimensions will probably leave you wondering if it could withstand hitting a mailbox, much less a full-size SUV.

Crash tests show that the 2008 Smart Fortwo can hold its own in some pretty serious impacts. The 2008 Smart Fortwo coupe was recently tested by both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the two main crash-testing authorities in the United States, and both report impressive results. The NHTSA scores are the lower of the two, but still a respectable four stars for front driver impacts and three stars for front passenger impacts, as well as a perfect five-star rating for side impacts. However, the NHTSA does note that "during the side impact test, the driver door unlatched and opened," which "increases the likelihood of occupant ejection." The IIHS, which typically has a more stringent rating system, awards the 2008 Smart Fortwo a perfect rating of "good" for both its frontal offset and side impact tests. Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com register quite a bit of surprise at the high ratings, which Edmunds attributes to "the Tridion safety cell," which is a "cage of high-strength steel" that "allows the Smart car to withstand impacts as well or better than much larger cars."

When it comes to safety features, the Smart Fortwo is again ready to impress. Cars.com reviewers note "standard safety features include front and side-impact airbags--the latter extending upward to protect occupants' heads--as well as antilock brakes, traction control and an electronic stability system." Jalopnik reviewers add that the 2008 Smart Fortwo "is safe," and "it feels safe, too," thanks to a "full retinue of airbags." Thanks to the Tridion system and the fact that all the safety features come standard on every trim level, Kelley Blue Book testers feel comfortable praising the Smart Fortwo's "impressive crashworthiness."

Despite its small stance, driver visibility from within the 2008 Smart Fortwo leaves little to be desired. ConsumerGuide says that the Smart Fortwo's "upright driving position prevents occupants from feeling dwarfed by surrounding traffic" and affords "great visibility all-around." Car and Driver also praises visibility from within the 2008 Smart Fortwo, proclaiming "the view out the windshield is panoramic."

Conclusion

The 2008 Smart Fortwo may be small, but it's got a full suite of safety features and impressive engineering to boot.

SAFETY | 8 out of 10Expert Quotes:Four stars, front driver impact; three stars, front passenger impact; five stars, side impactNHTSAGood," frontal offset impact; "good," side impactIIHSHigh-strength steel allows the Smart car to withstand impacts as well or better than much larger carsEdmunds The 2008 Smart Fortwo is, among many other things, proof that looks can be deceiving. One glance at the Smart Fortwo's tiny exterior dimensions will probably leave you wondering if it could withstand hitting a mailbox, much less a full-size SUV. Crash tests show that the 2008 Smart Fortwo can hold its own in some pretty serious impacts. The 2008 Smart Fortwo coupe was recently tested by both the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the two main crash-testing authorities in the United States, and both report impressive results. The NHTSA scores are the lower of the two, but still a respectable four stars for front driver impacts and three stars for front passenger impacts, as well as a perfect five-star rating for side impacts. However, the NHTSA does note that "during the side impact test, the driver door unlatched and opened," which "increases the likelihood of occupant ejection." The IIHS, which typically has a more stringent rating system, awards the 2008 Smart Fortwo a perfect rating of "good" for both its frontal offset and side impact tests. Reviews read by TheCarConnection.com register quite a bit of surprise at the high ratings, which Edmunds attributes to "the Tridion safety cell," which is a "cage of high-strength steel" that "allows the Smart car to withstand impacts as well or better than much larger cars." When it comes to safety features, the Smart Fortwo is again ready to impress. Cars.com reviewers note "standard safety features include front and side-impact airbags--the latter extending upward to protect occupants' heads--as well as antilock brakes, traction control and an electronic stability system." Jalopnik reviewers add that the 2008 Smart Fortwo "is safe," and "it feels safe, too," thanks to a "full retinue of airbags." Thanks to the Tridion system and the fact that all the safety features come standard on every trim level, Kelley Blue Book testers feel comfortable praising the Smart Fortwo's "impressive crashworthiness." Despite its small stance, driver visibility from within the 2008 Smart Fortwo leaves little to be desired. ConsumerGuide says that the Smart Fortwo's "upright driving position prevents occupants from feeling dwarfed by surrounding traffic" and affords "great visibility all-around." Car and Driver also praises visibility from within the 2008 Smart Fortwo, proclaiming "the view out the windshield is panoramic." ConclusionThe 2008 Smart Fortwo may be small, but it's got a full suite of safety features and impressive engineering to boot.  2008 SMART FORTWO STYLING | [7 out of 10] Cars.com: "fuses wraparound panels and extended fenders in an extroverted, ultra-chic package" ConsumerGuide: "Controls are simple and well laid out" Automobile: "this street-legal Tonka toy is again very tall, very narrow, and very short" ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The Smart Fortwo is more fun to drive on tight, congested city streets at low speed than even the MINI Cooper. But as soon as the traffic thins out and the roads open up to the beltways and interstates, the Fortwo's cons--a hard ride, a noisy interior, the lack of power, and tense roadholding--become more serious drawbacks. Factor in the middling fuel economy of only 33 mpg city, and the "wow" factor is quickly muted. The Toyota Yaris, the most fuel-efficient small hatchback, with ratings of 29 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, feels downright substantial next to the Fortwo, with a real backseat and the legs for occasional distance driving, and the sprightly MINI Cooper is just as good, at 28 mpg city, 37 mpg highway. Hybrids like Toyota's Prius and the Honda Civic Hybrid get substantially better fuel economy than the Smart, in a much larger package, albeit at a much higher price.

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See the Smart fortwo in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008

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