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Are Smart Cars Good On The Highway? (Solved)

Smart cars are produced under the German automotive brand, Smart.

The brand kicked off in 1994 and was halted in the U.S. after the 2019 model year. 

The models, mostly known as “Fortwo” have a uniquely small size that makes them perfect for city driving.

From parking to making quick turns, these models are insanely maneuverable; they are just incredible for city driving. 

However, there have been speculations concerning the performance of Smart cars on the highway.

While some have claimed they can’t handle the highway, others say they’ll do just fine. This article hopes to deal with the questions by looking at a number of important factors. 

Smart Car In It's Right Element (City Parkint)
Smart Car In It’s Right Element (City Parking)

Here’s the Short Answer to Whether Smart Cars Are Good on the Highway:

While there are concerns that Smart cars are too small for the highway, the truth is they have enough strength and safety fortifications to actually get through some highways. However, they are best used for city driving and traveling on street roads.

Are Smart Cars Good for Daily Commutes on the Highway?

Truth is, Smart cars can do short highway drives from time to time. However, daily commutes on the highway with Smart cars is not a great idea. 

They have a short wheelbase, which means shaky rides on bad routes. Neither you nor the Smart car should go through that consistently. 

Another danger of having Smart cars on the highway daily is exposure to strong wind.

As much as there is a weather forecast, sometimes, strong winds just creep up and might unsettle the car. That’s understandable for a car that weighs a little over 2,000 pounds.

Also, the engines on Smart cars just aren’t designed to handle highway trips at all. So, commuting daily on the highway with a Smart car is using the car for what it wasn’t supposed to handle in the first place. Don’t do it. 

If you are going to be commuting daily on the highway, you are better off getting a bigger car. Let smart cars do what they are supposed to do- which is to zip around the city and back home. 

Are Smart Cars Safe on the Highway?

If you ever have to take your Smart car on the highway, you may not have to worry so much about safety. The designers built the car with some safety features both on the interior and the exterior, as we’re about to see. 

One of the most impressive safety features of Smart cars is the tridion safety cell in the passenger compartment. This is designed to keep occupants stable and safe when things go wild. 

Smart cars also come standard with up to eight airbags, which is more than enough, seeing as they only take two passengers. 

They also have a crosswind assist feature that helps stabilize the car during a crosswind by taking over braking and throttle for a bit. There is also the hill-start assist feature that helps them move up a mount without rolling back. 

Other safety features include Anti-Lock Braking System, Cruise Control, Forward Collision Warning, Lane-Keeping Assist and a rear view camera. 

Little wonder, it got an impressive 4-star rating from the NHTSA and “Good” ratings for front and side crash protection from the IIHS. 

So, in terms of safety, smart cars most definitely can hold their own.

However, it’s still a fact that bigger cars are safer on highways than smart cars could ever be. They also do not have any arrangements for child safety since they do not have rear seats. 

Related: Smart Cars With The Most Recalls (Check Before Buying!)

How Fast Can You Comfortably Go in Smart Cars?

According to a statement from the Smart brand, the basic engine can reach 60mph in about 15 seconds. The top speed is, however, pegged at an 84 mph limit because Smart cars are unstable during high speeds. 

The instability varies from seeming loss of steering control to dangerous swerves. The car could also get real noisy, especially when you are speeding on roads with bumpy pavements and potholes. 

CHECK ALSO: Smart Car Owner Demographics

How Noisy Are Smart Cars At Highway Speed?

Consistent noise at highway speeds is one downside to getting a Smart car. If you are speeding on the highway, you can trust the car to get really noisy and it could become very irritating if you have a low threshold for noise. 

Noise in the city is not nearly as pronounced as what you get on the highway. That pretty much sums up everything we have been saying about Smart cars not being the most ideal vehicles for highway driving. 

Related: 11 Cars With A Really Small Turning Circle (With Pictures)

Is Driving a Smart Car Hard?

There is really nothing difficult about driving a Smart car. They are very easy to drive and there are no complications. 

It only becomes hard when you try to make it do what it was not built to do, like off-roading, snow driving and regular highway trips. 

How Stable Are Smart Cars on a Highway?

Smart cars are only stable on highways with smooth pavements and little to zero winds. Once it gets really windy, stability goes out the window literally.

And depending on the intensity of the wind, the crosswind assist feature could help restore some normalcy. 

Also, Smart cars cannot handle potholes and large amounts of mud/snow so they can get really unstable if they have to deal with those. 

How Many Miles Can You Get In A Smart Car?

Most smart cars can last up to 150,000 miles before a major breakdown.

We even found some Smart Car owners who claimed to have crossed the 200,000-mile mark. These owners, however, stressed the role of proper and regular maintenance in reaching that mark. 

An average of 15,000 miles yearly means you can expect over a decade of service from a typical Smart Car with the right maintenance. 

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