Consumer Reports seems not to enjoy testing sub-compact cars such as the Scion iQ and the Smart ForTwo, or at least that’s how it looks.
Of all the new cars the publication has reviewed, the Smart ForTwo is at the very bottom with a rating of 28 and the Scion iQ is well, not much better at 29. This is a little surprising considering when we reviewed the Scion iQ, we found there was plenty to like about the model and certainly there are things it does well compared to its competitors.
Undoubtedly Consumer Reports didn’t review the Scion iQ with city driving in mind, which is evident when it said the vehicle’s powertrain was “barely enough to stay up with highway traffic.”
There’s a reason the iQ is referred to as a city car for urban environments such as those found in San Francisco, New York, or Boston. Perhaps it would have done a little better if Consumer Reports reviewed the model through the perspective of a city-dweller, and not trying to cruise the highway at 70 mph.