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smart fortwo winter expedition

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Mathieu St-Pierre
Day 9
February 6th 2010


It is done! We have pulled it off! I can scarcely believe that the event has come and gone. It seems only yesterday that I was jumping on the plane, skipping through Vancouver on my way to Whitehorse. Now, it is all behind me.

Even as we approached North Vancouver, seven smarts weaving through traffic, it had not dawned on me that there were only and handfull of kilometers left before I would say goodbye to both fortwos (653 and 746) that have litterally taken me accross the country. We were warmly received by the local Mercedes/smart dealer where the full reality of what I had accomplished hit me: in a smart fortwo, I had driven to Inuvik, one of the northern-most points of our great and vast country from Whitehorse and then negotiated my way all the way south to the beautiful city of Vancouver.

The final day of the journey consisted entirely of paved roads; certainly not a dauting obstacle for the fortwo. What was challenging was going up against full-size SUVs and pickups on the highway where we were all fighting for the same limited amount of lane. Unfortunately, the smart is much like Rodney Dangerfield; it can't go no respect.


This has nothing specifically to do with the province of BC, I'd venture to say that this is a North American issue. Where bigger is better has always the mantra, it is understandable then that the "larger and more powerful" assume that the road belongs to them. Every time I road test a smart or any subcompact for that matter, the feeling is the same. Fortunately, most of the journos on hand had some driving skills and together, the smarties, made short work of Vancouver-olympic traffic.

A few supplemental notes about the car. The audio system is quite impressive; Miles Davis has never sounded so good coming from two speakers. Also, the seats (no need to specify which...) are quite comfortable; thigh support is more than adequate and whatever aches I may have experienced had more to do with the sheer distance and time spent at the wheel than a poor design. Perhaps most importantly, the fortwo is surprisingly roomy. The trunk never failed to swallow all our gear and never were we short on head or legroom.

And lastly, the diminutive 3-cylinder engine will never let you down in normal driving conditions; it's no worse than many 1st or 2nd generation hybrids. The gearbox remains the car's sorest point however it's a matter of adapting ourselves to the way it functions. Best thing to do is pretend that it is a manual transmission and when a shift point approaches, gently release the throttle and then re-apply in the same manner.

This entire event has become the most unforgettable trip I have ever undertaken. The circumstances and the challenges seemed foolish: drive a smart fortwo beyond the Arctic Circle! The Mercedes-Benz crew had no doubts but I will admit that I had mine. No longer! I'm at a loss for words at this point so all I can say in conclusion is that I'm a believer in the "little car that can" and that I warmly thank Mercedes, smart and the fortwo for the experience of a lifetime.


photo:Mathieu St-Pierre
Mathieu St-Pierre
Mathieu St-Pierre
Automotive expert
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