The Smart choice

Agile, easy to park, fuel efficient, it doesn’t take long for Ian Bond to realise the benefits of driving a small city car.

Compact and quirky, the external appearance of the Smart takes some getting used to, with its ‘cut-off-at-the-back’ design. That said, once inside my next impression was ‘wow’. The interior design of the Smart is very pleasing. It is a comfortable car with a clear and easy‑to‑read dashboard display. The rev counter and clock are positioned separately from the rest of the display and there is a touch screen for radio/CD display, sat nav and DVD. On first inspection you might wonder where the CD actually goes in but once you press the eject button the whole screen cleverly comes forward and tilts revealing the CD/DVD and SD card slots.

Feel good factor
The ignition key slot is positioned unusually next to the gear stick which I found a little hard to get used to initially. Although automatic you do have to change up the gears too, either by gently pushing the gear stick up or by using the ‘flippers’ on the steering wheel, which personally I found much easier.

In fact, it does feel a little different when you first start driving but after just a few minutes you realise that not only is it easy to drive but also very enjoyable. There is something about driving this car that makes you feel good about it and even the passengers I had at times commented about how much they liked the car. There are various menu options on the display to give you your instant and average fuel consumption. For this size of car it also comes with a number of ‘extras’, including air conditioning, touch screen navigation and Bluetooth. Another interesting feature is the panoramic roof with sunblind which makes a massive difference in the comfort and enjoyment of the drive, and gives the feel of more space.

The rear window is released via the key remote and the back opens up to reveal the boot, which although not big is more than adequate for average loads. What’s more, the passenger seat folds right down for extra loading space. It also contains a storage compartment in the tailgate which contains a first aid kit and a few items you may need (even an ice scraper).

Safety first
Safety wise it comes with a number of features you’d expect in a far bigger car, such as hill start assist, crash sensors, belt tensioners, and automatic door locking when the vehicle is in motion. Although you’re in a small car it doesn’t feel like it when you’re driving. But you do of course notice the benefit when squeezing into those small parking spaces.

I found that petrol consumption to be excellent; bearing in mind most of my journeys were short ones with a number of stops I still achieved just over 50mpg.

As far as driving is concerned I found it to handle the road well. For a small car it was remarkably smooth with the exception of going over speed bumps, which you soon learn to go over slow. In fact, for a one litre, three cylinder engine, once you’ve moved away and get into second gear it is nice and nippy and has the feel of a bigger car. A very enjoyable driving experience.

All in all, I would recommend this car for fleets that do a lot of ‘running around’ and with average loads (obviously smaller if a passenger is being carried). For me, definitely the ‘smart’ choice.