You immediately get the idea that the smart fortwo is out to save you money—check out that all-lower-case name. Everyone knows capital letters cost more! Another clue is its “half-a-car” size. I’ll tell you one thing, though: Prepare to be looked at—big time—when driving this fun little car. For once people were looking and pointing at me without my fly being down.

I picked one of the coldest days of the winter to head over to smart center Buffalo (on Main Street in Williamsville), where Brand Specialist Dave Frank showed me the ropes of the light yellow smart fortwo passion cabriolet before turning me loose on the street. He pointed out the engine (which resides in the rear, under the floor); the transmission (a five-speed automated manual which drives the rear wheels—more on that in a bit); and most importantly, on this day anyway, the control switch for the heated seat! And I was on my way…

If you’ve seen a fortwo in person you were probably struck by its small size. The overall length is a mere 106.1 inches (by comparison, the Mini Cooper coupe is a whopping 145.6 inches long); lest you think that may cramp the interior, the fortwo is only about five inches narrower, and, surprisingly, about five inches taller than the Mini. The fortwo is, I hope you’ve figured out by now, a two-seater, and its first generation went on sale in Europe in 1998. But it’s really only tiny on the outside. I’m not a huge guy by any means, but I am a six-footer. Standing outside looking down on the fortwo can be intimidating for anyone on the tall side. But opening the door and sliding in is a surprisingly easy maneuver. And once you’re in you’d never guess that you’re sitting in the smallest passenger car in America. Headroom and legroom are excellent. Controls fall easily to hand (how far away could they be? really?). Turn the key in the console-mounted ignition switch, put it in gear, and you’re on your way.

Now about that automated manual transmission. It sounds like an oxymoron, but as Dave pointed out, anyone who can drive can operate this transmission. It’s a manual, yeah, but you don’t have to do the shifting—an invisible little man somewhere under the car can do it for you. There’s no clutch, so to speak; but as the car goes through the gears you feel just like you’re in a car with a stick shift. Or move the gear selector from the drive position over to the side and you can go through the gears yourself manually (still without a clutch) either utilizing the shift lever or the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifter (shades of Ferrari!). This ingenious transmission is mounted to an in-line three-cylinder engine which is rated at 70 horsepower, and, although official EPA figures aren’t available yet, expect to get in the 30s miles per gallon range for city driving and maybe into the low 40s on the highway.

Pricing? The base, or pure coupe, starts at $11,590, with the passion coupe going for $13,590 and the passion cabriolet at $16,590. You expected it to cost less, right? Consider the technology you’re buying though (and it’s built by the Mercedes-Benz folks). The smart, although tiny, is definitely safe according to smartusa. The tridion safety cell is designed to protect occupants in a crash with the use of high-strength steel and specially designed structures to help absorb impact energy. Crumple zones, an elevated seat position, air bags…even the wheels’ positions are designed to act as shock absorbers in a crash. I never felt intimidated in the fortwo, even when staring up at 18-wheelers’ wheels on Transit Road.

The fortwo might be a tough call as your only car (unless you’re a loner), but it’s the perfect second car, commuter car, or just the thing for people who like to make a statement.

For more info: smartusa.com.