Two significantly similar cars, no doubt about that. Still, each one has something different to offer. Having both cars powered by diesel engines and utilizing the 3-door hatchback body style within the same 'Micro car' segment, the only major difference here really is their wheel drive configuration (rear for the Smart and front in the case of the Volkswagen). The first one has a Smart-engineered powertrain under the hood, a 3-cylinder, 6-valves 41hp unit, while the other one gets its power and torque from a 3-cylinder, 6-valves 61hp engine designed by Volkswagen.

Both vehicles got tested by European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP), with the Volkswagen being a slightly better choice apparently. That aside, let's consider some other aspects which affect safety. Both vehicles belong to the micro car segment, which is generally a misfortune safety-wise, still it doesn't help us solve our dilemma, does it? On the other hand, if we'd like to consider vehicle mass in this context too, which we definitely should, Lupo offers a considerable difference of 29% more metal.

I don't like generalizing things when it comes to reliability, although it does seem that Smart does have a slight advantage, all the models observed together. That's the official data, while our visitors describe reliability of Smart with an average rating of 4.3, and models under the Volkswagen badge with 4.2 out of 5. Some independent research have also placed ForTwo 23% above average, and Lupo those same 23% below the first one. Above it all, drivers of cars with the same engine as ForTwo rank it on average as 4.7, while the one under the competitor's bonnet gets 3.0 out of 5.

Volkswagen is way more agile, reaching 100km/h in 3 seconds less than its competitor. In addition to that it accelerates all the way to 157 kilometers per hour, 22km/h more than the other car. When it comes to fuel economy the winner has to be ForTwo, averaging around 3.4 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers (83 mpg), in combined cycle. We can't ignore that 29% difference compared to Lupo.

Smart is apparently more reliable, not too much, but just enough. The most important thing when deciding between any two vehicles should always be safety, both passive and active. In my opinion, everything taken into account, Lupo beats the other contender by far, making it the best choice without even considering other things. It all continues in the same direction, with Volkswagen outracing its opponent in any situation possible, making it better choice for boy racers. It does come at a cost though, and that's the fuel consumption... I believe that, when we take all into account, we have only one winner here - the Volkswagen. In any case that's my personal view, built upon all the data available to me. What should decide here though is the way you feel about the two vehicles, and I hope you'll find my guidelines useful in the process. I suggest you spend two more minutes in order to find out which car, based on your needs and budget, would be picked by the virtual adviser™, among thousands of similar, yet so different vehicles.