New to the United States for 2008, the Smart Fortwo’s predecessor has sold more than 770,000 units in other parts of the world since 1998. Not practical for highway driving, the Fortwo is primarily for city driving, achieving 33 miles per gallon. Only a foot longer than an E-Z-GO golf cart and 3 feet shorter than a Mini Cooper, this compact little car is just a little too long to park perpendicular to a vehicle like the Ford Expedition.

Seating two people with modest cargo space, the 2008 Smart Fortwo comes in two body styles; Pure and Passion. The convertible Cabrio is only for the Passion trim. The standard Pure has 15-inch wheels, a leather steering wheel, keyless entry and an electric rear window defroster. Optional for the Pure are power steering, alloy wheels, power windows, air-conditionings and a radio. The Passion adds on power heated side mirrors, a panorama glass roof, sport steering wheel with shift paddles and a CD player. The Passion Cabrio convertible has an MP3-contabile in-dash six-CD changer for its upgraded stereo and a manually operated canvas roof.

Most remarkable for the 70-horsepower, 1.0-liter I-3 engine is the Fortwo’s safety features. The Tridion safety cell, which is the car’s cage of high-strength steel, allows extreme impacts equally to or better than much larger cars. Other safety system features include antilock brakes, brake assist, side airbags, stability control and traction control.