Smart ForFour auto 2004 review
Of course, older motorists can't hurt to work harder. It's just that mature drivers may feel like they're trying to regain their youth by riding one of the colorful rides.
The smart car entered the market as a two-seater, then a two-door roadster was added.
The two-seater concept was attractive, allowing the designers to cut the length down to a couple of steps. But this proved to be a hindrance to those who knew they would want to carry more than one passenger.
The appearance of the four-door greatly influenced the concept and model range.
The original two-door car is now called fortwo, and the four-door is called forfour.
The introduction of the forfour required competitive pricing, which in turn meant that the fortwo coupe and convertible had to be lowered to keep the separation reasonable. As a result, prices were $19,900 and $22,900 and $23,900, respectively. The Forfour has an exceptionally good price of $70 for the model with the 1.3kW 25,900L engine and $80 for the version with the 1.5KW XNUMXL engine.
The Forfour is built on the same principle as the fortwo, around a rugged alloy roll cage fitted with color-coded, interchangeable plastic body panels.
This allows the forfour to weigh less than 1000 kg, which, considering the standard specifications, provides a remarkable power-to-weight ratio.
So, although the power of two engines will not allow you to send a rocket to the moon, a very decent performance is achieved. And be open-minded about a car with plastic body panels. Independent crash testing gave good ratings.
The Smart range was designed and engineered by Mercedes-Benz. As a result, the new brand obtains spare parts from Silver Star's inventory, reducing costs.
The style of the four-seat smart is both cute and attractive. It has extremely short front and rear overhangs, just like the original BMC Mini.
As a result, despite the diminutive external dimensions - 3.7 m long and 1.7 m wide - the interior space is surprisingly large.
All smart models have electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, electronic brake force distribution and can be equipped with a range of audio, navigation and telecommunications features common to Mercedes models. So while prices may seem a bit high for a small car with 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre engines, the whole package needs to be evaluated to get the true picture. And remember, Smart is Merc's niche brand, so consider that the fit and finish is commensurate with a premium product.
The Forfour comes with a conventional five-speed manual transmission as standard. A sequential six-speed automatic is available as an option.
The 1.3-liter engine ran clutchless on test, which is good for those who like tiptronic-style shifting.
It has a fully automatic mode, although it doesn't run as smoothly as a regular automatic transmission. And the race car mechanism, in which the selector moves forward for upshifts and backwards for downshifts, is easy to operate. Another feature of the automatic transmission is the kickdown function, which allows the driver to spontaneously change one or two gears using only the accelerator pedal.
The car is not particularly fast, it takes 10.8 seconds to accelerate from zero to 100 km/h. The 1.5-liter engine accelerates in 9.8 seconds. But it feels nimble and moves around town with incredible ease. And it seems that if you see daylight between two cars, then there is a parking space for you.
With electronic stability control keeping everything under control, the car stays good in corners, and the 15-inch alloy wheels minimize the harshness of the impact found in small cars with small wheels.
Buyers can choose between a plastic roof, a panoramic glass roof, or a power glass sunroof that comes with a two-piece sunshade.
And finally, the interior is a beautiful embodiment of new design thinking that matches the character of the car.
At a glance
A smart car can't compete on price with a $13,990 economy. This is a well-defined niche model aimed at young drivers who are looking for something different.
Models in this range are not particularly fast, but can be used for exceptional savings. The Forfour drives well and handles well. Visibility is good and they dream of parking.
The main element when considering the car is that it is a baby Merc. And there's plenty of evidence for that in the fit and finish, the quality of the components, and the standard features.
