No need to rewrite what I wrote before. See http://priuschat.com/forums/freds-house-pancakes/74095-considering-smart-car-2.html#post1030695.
It also was very disliked by Consumer Reports and score very poorly (see http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/buying-advice/best-worst-cars-review/overview/best-and-worst-ov.htm). It also very slow, see http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/buying-advice/best-worst-cars-review/best-worst-acceleration/best-and-worst-acceleration.htm.
It also made it on http://www.forbes.com/2011/04/13/mercedes-gm-chrysler-nissan-business-autos-worst-cars_slide_13.html
Listed Among: Consumer Reports Worst Cars, Consumer Reports Least Reliable
gkalexdc said:
with 5 star IIHA crash ratings.
You talking about IIHS crash test ratings? If so, per http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=937&seriesid=632 "Important: Frontal crash test ratings can be compared only among vehicles of similar weight." This is true of all frontal crash test results I've seen (e.g. NHTSA and Euro NCAP), not just from IIHS.
Read http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr041409.html and look at the video in the upper right to supplement the Mercedes C300 vs. Smart ForTwo crash test.
How many other mass market cars are currently (or have been very recently) sold in the US have such a low curb weight (~1800 lbs)? None. Even a Honda Fit weighs over 2400 lbs (http://automobiles.honda.com/fit/specifications.aspx?group=dimensions). A Camry 4 cylinder automatic weighs 3307 lbs (http://www.toyota.com/camry/specs.html).
Although I'm not in favor of buying the biggest, heaviest vehicle or bloated ones, per http://www.epa.gov/oms/cert/mpg/fetrends/420s10002.pdf (from http://www.epa.gov/oms/fetrends.htm), the average curb weight of MY 2010 "light duty vehicles" was 4009 lbs.
Since almost every other 4+ wheeled vehicle is substantially heavier and larger than a ForTwo, in a multi-car accident, it's almost certain the ForTwo will lose, possibly quite badly.