Smart Cars Are Ugly

The other day, I parked next to a Smart, and had a chance to look it over up close. One thing that stood out to me is that the thing didn't look well put together. In the front, the plastic panels didn't fit together tightly. Body gaps were large, and various seams and lines were not well aligned. Maybe it was a pre-production unit? Or a Canadian on a visit? I'm not sure. But it was no Mercedes-Benz.

When Saturn used plastic body panels as a trademark feature, many reviewers commented that they had large gaps. For some reason, Smart seems to get away with it.

The Smart ForOne

I guess I'm just not a fan of Smart's design overall. The small wheels and shapeless body don't generate any desire in me at all. Small cars don't have to be ugly, look at the interesting shapes of the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, and Scion xD.