The Smart ForTwo vs The Toyota IQ (an owners perspective)
Saturday, May 12, 2012 at 5:16PM ;)
A bit of a departure this one. I regularly review gadgets that work inside a car.....but up until now I've never reviewed a car itself. People from outside the UK often comment, that to them, I sound like James May....so I thought, why not follow in the footsteps of my sound-alike and attempt to review my new car. After all, a car is probably the most expensive gadget that most of us will ever buy.
Now I must point out that this is not a traditional car review, I'm not sufficiently knowledgeable about cars to do a detailed critique of things like performance and handling, instead I've just concentrated primarily on comparing the general design and practicality of my new car against my old car. One reason for doing this is because both of these cars are targeted towards the same customer, which is very apparent from their names (Smart, IQ... get it?). There should therefore, I assume, be a significant number of people interested in seeing a comparison video of these two ‘City Cars’, from someone who has owned both.
The two cars being compared are a 2009 Smart For Two Coupe Passion 998cc and a 2012 Toyota IQ3 1.33 with the optional CVT (Auto) Gear-box
This was a complicated video for me to put together because I had to trade in one car to get the other. I therefore didn’t have the luxury of doing a side by side comparison between the two vehicles. Instead I shot all the footage for one car and then a couple of weeks later attempted to replicate those shots with the new car.
This video isn’t intended to be a basic, ‘which one is best’ type video because that’s really not for me to decide, I’m just pointing out some of the features of each car. The Smart has a significant disadvantage in a direct head to head comparison due to the fact it was three years older and worth approximately a third of the purchase price of my new IQ. The Smart has had a couple of minor revisions to trim and body panels since the model shown in the video, but the overall basic design and mechanics remain unchanged since 2009.
I still have a lot of fondness for the Smart and like its exterior dimensions, plastic body panels and overall concept. It is more quirky and interesting than the IQ and in some ways it’s more practical. However when it comes to choosing a city car that incorporates all the latest technology, the IQ is currently the best car for my needs.
Now, my requirements when it comes to cars are very unlikely to be the same as someone else, so I wouldn’t dream about telling other people what car they should buy. It really is none of my business. So therefore I really hope that any comments on this video doesn’t degenerate into a slanging match, with people saying things like “this car is ****” and “you should have bought a ”. Unfortunately cars videos, much like Apple product reviews, have an unfortunate habit of bringing out the comment trolls.....so if you see anything like this, please ignore them and they'll go away.
Reader Comments (11)
Very interesting review. You demonstrated there are a lot of things each buyer has to take in consideration for their own purchase. I mean if a car won't fit in a garage thats a deal killer! The IQ is an interesting blend making the small car just a little bigger but still providing small car benifits. Hey one question, You were wearing a head cam while you were driving. What make/model did you use? Do you like that camera or is it still just a compromise until the perfect one comes out? Thanks for these and keep em coming!
John
The POV head camera I used was the RD32II. I stuck this on my head using the mounting kit - which you can also find a video review of on here somewhere. I used this one because the sound from it is acceptable - unlike the Extreme Cam that I attached upside down to the window to take the shots of me driving. Both cameras were in 720p 30 mode to make the footage easier to edit and have a nice wide angle view. I used the sound from the RD32 for the whole video and every now and then used the POV footage from the camera when it seemed appropriate. I wore the cap so that I looked less odd to other drivers, as it helped to disguise the head camera a bit. As far as the perfect camera goes...I am looking forward to getting a Liquid Image Ego camera when/if they come out. I wrote to the company, but didn't get a response, so I hope I can somehow get one of these in to test at some point.
I just contacted Liquid Image on your behalf asking them to send you an Ego camera for review. I ordered an 808 #16 recently after seeing your video but I like your work whether I have use for the product or not. Keep the great reviews coming.
Another great review that I enjoyed with a coffee on a quiet Sunday morning. Don't stop. I have a question if I may, what did do you think of the IQ gearbox ?
Like you I have recently driven a few cars with auto gearboxes and am now wondering why all cars do not have them, albeit I still have a manual until my next car. It is interesting that in the USA you have to pay extra for a manual change, while in Britain you have to pay extra for an auto box. Considering the traffic situation in England where there is much stop start on over crowded roads, I think an auto box and a decent music system is the answer.
@Graham I have it on good authority that the CVT gearbox in the IQ is one of the best auto gearboxes out there. I haven't tried any others so I can't really comment. One thing that I didn't mention in the video is the fact that the IQ will crawl along in D or R using the engine tick over, and this makes it really easy to park because there is no need to use the accelerator, you can just tap the brake on and off. The Smart doesn't do this and lurches forward and back at quite a speed, so when this is combined with the Smart's lack of power steering it can make low speed manoeuvring rather tricky and inch-accurate parking more challenging than you would expect. The IQ has the Toyota VVTi engine which means that the engine likes to rev a lot - the gearbox therefore feels like it's changing up a bit late, but when I look down at the rev counter I can see that it's still only doing 3000rpm and thinks its being driven economically because the eco light is still lit. So this is an engine that likes being revved.
@Tom Thanks. I'll be getting an Ego regardless of whether they send me one or not...if I pay for it myself then I feel that I can be completely honest about it. I just hope I can get hold of one somehow because it looks like it provides a lot of features for the money and has the potential to be the best action camera so far.
I really enjoyed this review Matt. I did laugh when I read people think you sound like James May. To me you sound more like Andy Crane with a cold. And sad as it is I was indeed trying to spot which cameras you were using so thanks for confirming. Can I enquire, when you had to record upside down footage, what software did you use and how did you turn the footage round? I use Corel videostudio but can't figure out how to stop the footage turning back ground again!
Thanks
@Jonny I think the James May thing usually comes from Americans. They only see Simon Cowell, Gordon Ramsay and James May...so its about the closest option. Andy Crane is much more accurate.
I use iMovie on OSX. The rotate options are hidden in the Crop menu....I only spotted them recently.
Thanks for that. I actually just managed to figure out how to do it the software. One other thing I was going to add. Are you sure the keyfob isn't a spycam? It looks suspiciously familiar
Brilliant!! Exactly what I needed. I want a very small automatic so I was stuck between these two and too timid to test drive!! Thank you so much!
Zoe,
I recently had use of a Citroen C1 for a while (aka the Toyota Aygo) and I was so glad to get back in my IQ. The IQ might be expensive for a tiny car, but the quality is so much better than any of the others. Many people associate small with cheap, so it follows that a small car must be cheaper than a large one. There aren't enough people making high quality small cars. I've mostly owned premium small cars, including the Mini and Mercedes A-Class and can say that the IQ is far and away my favourite. The Smart is more fun and puts a smile on your face, but the IQ is the car I want to live with.