SMART Cars, can they be driven on the highway?

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1
Also, what is their top speed? I am not planning on drag racing one, but considering renting one to do several hours of driving in. Any advice?

2
Yes - why not?

Managed to hit 130 kph, downhill with tailwind, on the way to Geneva from Basel once...

Although must admit that it wouldn't be my preferred choice of vehicle for motorway cruising...

3
yes. their top speed is ca. 130, alhough it does feel a bit uncomfortable at that speed, as the smart is tall and short. If you need cheap wheels, smart is the choice. i rented one a few yeas ago, and drove 24km/liter in it.

Doc.

4
Sorry to be so naive. I grew up driving Buicks and a Lincoln Towncar. I also am 1m93. Is my height going to be an issue?

5
I am 1.88, and could sit comfortably in a smart, so you will probably be fine too.

Doc.

6
Be careful of speed bumps.. you wouldn't want to trip over one resulting in the Smart doing a bowling ball impersonation.

7
I do not know if your height will be an issue, but could recomend not to hire one for very long auto route travel. They tend to be very unstable at 120 Kmph and there are cross winds on Auto routes. For a short Autoroute journey it should be OK

If possible consider other smaller cars, Opel Corsa, Nissan Micra or so

8
Don't think so, the car is rather high and while it is small, it has no back seat and just a tiny trunk. I'm 1m89 and i felt perfectly fine in my coworker's smart BRABUS.

9
I might give it a try. So far I have been apprenhensive/fearful of getting into one of those.

10
They are actually quite comfortable, but if you drive at 130kmh they are anything but economic to drive, the gas mileage increases sharply. Your height will definitely not be a problem, they are fairly spaceous inside.

11
The size is not an issue inside - you can be 2m tall and fit quite nicely.

And good news for you is that you can give it back..... Rides a little like a go-kart....

12
A co-worker has one, he says given its extremely short wheel base with its rear wheel drive it's the most frightening thing he's ever driven in the snow.

13
So, SMART Cars...snow...any idea what the weather is like right now in France?

14
In the south, undoubtedly 10 degrees. In other parts, cold and potentially snowy. All-in-all, it'll be French.

Personally, I'd spend a little more and rent a car.

15
I've driven a Smart ForTwo in the snow, blizzard etc, it drives just fine with snow tires.

Being tall is not a problem, the Smart is quite large inside, much more spacious than one would think.

Driving 120-130 on the highway is not a problem most of the time, crosswinds do push the vehicle around a little bit, but nothing forces you to max out the car all the time. Reduce speed to 110 and you'll be fine.

The trunk may seem small, but I've transporter an extra set of tires in a Smart ForTwo and there IS space if you know how to use it.

Anyway, winter driving is all about anticipating your next move. The Smart ForTwo is tall and has a short wheel base. Thus, you don't want to drive into a corner at 50kph (rare is the car you'd want to drive this fast in under icy/snowy conditions in tight corners), so just slow down early and take it easy.

Lots of nasty rumors about the Smart car abound on the internet, most of them generated by people who have never driven one.

16
Smart Cars - is that what those cubic looking roadside amenities are that I cruise past in my German staff car?

17
Though 'smart' is an adjective in English requiring a noun, Smart in relation to the car is a proper noun. Thus the car should be referred to as 'a Smart'. After all, you don't say a VW car or a Mercedes car., but 'a VW' or 'a Mercedes'...

18
My mother had one.

I hated the gear box.

Unstable with any cross wind especially on the motorway.

I found reversing a real problem a first because it being square you had no sense of direction.

I certainly wouldn't want to be in a crash in one (saying that i wouldn't want to crash in anything)

I would pay those few extra francs for hire of a car like a VW Polo/Golf.

19
My advice: bring your motion-sickness tablets. Even in full-automatic mode, the car lurches back-and-forth as it shifts through the gears. Imagine the first time a teenager gets behind the wheel and tries (unsuccessfully) to manage clutch control. I don't get car-sick, but the lurching motion made me very queasy.

I rented one once and absolutely hated it -- worst car I've ever driven, bar none. I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would spend good money to buy one.

If it's a rental around town (eg, a Mobility car), give it a shot. But for anything longer than a day and about 50km, I'd choose something else.

20
can they? of course they can .... have seen dozens.

should they? now thats a good Question.