2016 Smart ForTwo looks to outmaneuver the competition

The 2016 Smart ForTwo(with Car DVD Player) is nimble enough to pirouette within its own tiny shadow and make U-turns in spots that would have other economy cars gasping for air.

But is this highly maneuverable city-car clever enough to save the Smart brand?

Many auto journalists have berated previous generations of the Smart ForTwo, usually for the car's lack of speed, minimal storage space, or the wheezy automatic gearbox that had noticeable – and extremely annoying – pauses between each shift.

Then again, not many auto journalists can claim that a Smart ForTwo is good for their marriage. That’s because my husband has a charmingly optimistic way of seeing parking spots where none actually exist, or at least nothing that comes close to matching the proportions of the test car I'm piloting.

"Oh, there's a spot," he'll exclaim, usually one half-block after we drive past it, and often on the opposite side of the street. The spot in question is usually about 4 feet long, or about big enough for a typical clown car.

In a Smart, not only is parking much easier, it also eliminates those awkward “please let’s stop arguing before we meet our friends” moments caused by the joys of parking in a big city.

But grateful as I am, even I'll admit that being shorter than the competition was starting to become the previous generation Smart ForTwo’s sole advantage over competitors that were more refined, more comfortable, and often less expensive, too. Can you image that there is an Android Car Stereo in the car? That’s great!

That's why so much is riding on shoulders of the 2016 model which, at 106.1 inches in length and 65.4 inches in overall width, means the new ForTwo isn’t any longer than the previous model, but it is significantly wider (by about 4 inches) than before.

This stouter stance is immediately noticeable when behind the wheel, or even from the passenger’s seat. In the city or on the highway, the 2016 ForTwo has more planted feel to it, an extra sense of stability that boosts confidence in all driving conditions.

Zipping around Portland, Oregon, the scene of my ForTwo test drive, the ForTwo was a perfect traveling companion when it came time to make many (!!!) wrong turns. The turning circle of 22.8 feet is hugely entertaining, especially when you rapidly turn around in places that would require a cumbersome, multi-point K-turn in any other car.

Power from the 0.8-liter, 89-horsepower turbocharged 3-cylinder engine is fine, for city driving. It's okay on the highway, too, so long as you're not determined to enjoy life in the passing lane. And yes, the optional 6-speed automatic is vastly better than before. A manual transmission is offered, too, but I spent all of my time with the auto.

Fuel economy is good but not phenomenal, however; I really wish the subject of MPGs was a stronger bragging point with this car. After all, when you drive a Smart, people ALWAYS want to know about the fuel mileage. The 2016 model has an EPA estimated economy average of 33-mpg city/39-mpg highway. That’s right on target with the likes of a Mini Cooper, Fiat 500, or Ford Fiesta. The problem is, most people think the Smart’s extra-small size should automatically translate to hybrid-like levels of economy. That’s not really the case, unfortunately.

Thankfully, Smart paid plenty of attention to another area that competitors had well and truly outmatched the previous ForTwo. The new car’s cabin is a much brighter and livelier place to be, thanks to a combination of higher quality materials and different surface textures on the dash and door panels. Just be certain to pick the more vivacious color packages, because you can still make the 2016 ForTwo cabin a surprisingly dour place if you chose nothing but basic black or grey trim. The split-opening tailgate promises to be more convenient than a one-piece hatch, at least when loading in something small and light through the upper glass portion. If installing an Android Car Gps, that would be great!