Smart ForFour Instructions 2005 Overview
It was a guide who spoke Italian and English.
The second smart thing I did was to borrow a car economical enough for Rome for $2.50 a liter of gas, and small enough to squeeze through traffic, but big enough to be seen by smoke-spewing trucks and erratic zigzag scooters.
That smart option was Smart.
Created in France and born from a broken marriage between the Swiss watchmaker Swatch and Mercedes-Benz, Smart forfour, that is, designed for four people, is the largest of the manufacturer's four cars.
Smart is probably best known for its miniature fortwo - you guessed it, for two people - which in Perth can share one car bay with another fortwo.
The Forfour is a different beast as it uses the same mechanical components as the new Mitsubishi Colt. It also has four doors and a great interior. That everything is fine.
The road to the Pope's summer residence, Castel Gandolfo, runs high on a hill overlooking the lake, reminiscent of a fortress.
From Rome, the road is incredibly busy, but the Smart forfour worked well through the metal weave.
Surprisingly, the Smart handled more like a sports car than a family chariot.
He was frustrated by rough cobblestone roads, especially at low speeds, but enjoyed the revs on open highways.
I knocked several times on the wooden doors of Castel Gandolfo in the hope that it was the owner of the house, but he was briefly told that he was not there, and let him go.
So I did. All the way to Perth, where I got to ride a Smart forfour in Australian trim.
The four-door is sold here with two engines, a 1.3-litre in test and a 1.5-litre, as well as two transmissions and a body-colored harlequin.
With the usual five-speed manual, the cheapest model was also the most fun to drive.
Unlike the European forfour, the Australian car had excellent driving characteristics at all speeds.
The engine may be small, but it's ready, revs cleanly to deliver spirited performance while being pleasantly economical.
While it delivers excellent fuel economy in the city and even better out of town, the engine is a little under-torqued and requires a lot of gear shifts to keep the performance up to par.
It also starts to drop when there are more than two people on board, so if you're a regular kid taxi driver, the larger 1.5-litre engine is recommended.
But it is clear that Smart 1.3 is designed for those who love to drive. Take a look at it and you will immediately notice the tight chassis.
It was so much fun and so satisfying to drive that getting the car back after the test was one of the toughest challenges.
Like other Smarts, fortwo, convertible and roadster, the car has a fresh styling that, while a bit gaudy and plasticky, is extremely attractive.
The cloth-covered dashboard has bulging air vents, extra gauges growing out of the stems, a cute little steering wheel, and a tray underneath the dash with a glove box.
The CD audio system is clean and simple, like most switchgear.
Visibility is excellent, the seats and steering wheel are many adjustments.
The rear seat slides on skids, increasing the volume of the trunk. With legroom and a headroom for a 1.8-meter passenger in the back seat, trunk space is minimal, though with kids on board it gets deeper to accommodate a lot of shopping.
The base 1.3-liter Pulse is equipped with air conditioning, power front windows, central locking, dual airbags, alloy wheels and a CD player.
An electric sunroof costs $1620, although you can have a full-length smoked glass fixed roof for about $800.
It's a great little car, and if you're looking for a small four-door hatchback, you should at least see it.
