For a guy who’s over 6 feet in height, seeing a Smartcar as a rental car was definitely a head scratcher. We’ve rented small, economy cars before like the Kia Rio but this one was the smallest one yet (at least from the outside).

The interior was surprisingly roomy but did only have space for two people. The dash was laid out efficiently with all the controls within an acceptable reach. There was also space to store your pocket items like iPhone and sunglasses so that was a plus. The mirrors were tiny and your over the shoulder view was straight into the trunk. Speaking of the trunk there was enough space for a Costco pack of toilet paper and not much else.

In terms of driving, the car felt like a golf cart. The seat felt high off the ground, the roof was tall, and the outside seemed closer then it should be. The motor was small and underneath the trunk floor. Supposedly it supplied only 70 HP and it definitely felt weak. The acceleration was slow and the steering felt shaky above 60 mph. Ever bump was felt and strong winds felt a bit unnerving. The brake was floor mounted and definitely needed to get used to.

All in all, the results were mixed. I liked the concept and was pleasantly surprised by the interior space. On the other hand, the drive was pretty crappy and felt unstable. The jerky motion from the gear box shifting and strange brakes were undesirable. It’s probably ok for local putting around to the grocery store but not much else. For guys my size you’ll probably feel like your driving a clown car — not the feeling you’d probably want. Fun for a rental but definitely not one to own.