Smart makes sense as gas prices soar

Pump prices have risen nearly 35 percent since the last time I drove a Smart car. And that was just seven months ago.With gasoline now averaging more than $4 per gallon, automotive impresario Roger Penske's decision to import the micro car looks increasingly prescient.The Smart is not just an affordable form of transportation. It's also a fashion statement and surefire way to meet like-minded people.I had just pulled into a restaurant parking lot the other day when I suddenly became aware that another Smart For Two was parked right next to me."Yours is the first one I've seen in town since I got mine in January," said the driver, Charlotte Perez of Dallas, whose appropriately tiny dog rode shotgun. "My husband and I ordered it before we even drove it."Perez said she and her husband, empty nesters, fell instantly in love with the Smart Cabriolet, despite the car's awkward automatic transmission, its minimal cargo capacity and the inordinate amount of attention it attracts.After they joined 30,000 others in putting a $99 deposit on the car, the Perezes went to San Antonio for a Smart demo drive in 2007, then were first in line for a similar event in Dallas, which Penske called one of the company's most successful.It's never safe to generalize, but you can be pretty sure that anyone driving a Smart is fairly outgoing, fairly adventurous, somewhat interested in fashion, environmentally conscientious and generally positive in outlook. Clearly, I was the exception.The last time I drove a Smart in October, it was part of a press tour around Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay area. In addition to adjusting to the car, I was also trying to follow a course map on unfamiliar streets.On my home turf, I knew what to expect and could pay closer heed to the car without worrying about making a wrong turn. Knowing that the little coupe would pause between shift points on the "automatic manual" transmission, I found myself anticipating the sensation a little bit better.The experience proved a lot of fun, particularly on a lightly trafficked toll road late at night, where the Smart had no trouble cruising at 70 mph. The top speed is electronically limited to 90 mph. Yeah, you really have to restrain that 3-cylinder, 1-liter engine.Drivers whose top priority is safety will probably not even consider the Smart, but the little two-seater has scored well on some crash tests. Safety engineers at the parent company Daimler-Benz compare the Smart to a walnut -- small, but tough enough to protect its contents from harm. It feels a little bit like a motorized football helmet.In recent Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests, the Smart For Two earned the top rating of "good" for front and side crash protection. Its seat/head restraints earned the second highest rating of "acceptable" for protection against whiplash in rear impacts.Weighing about 1,800 pounds, the Smart is the smallest car on the American road, more than 3 feet shorter and almost 700 pounds lighter than a Mini Cooper. It weighs about a third as much as the BMW X5, a midsize SUV and one of the heaviest vehicles the Arlington, Va., institute has tested."The big question from consumers is, 'How safe is it?'" says Institute president Adrian Lund. "All things being equal in safety, bigger and heavier is always better. But among the smallest cars, the engineers of the Smart did their homework and designed a high level of safety into a very small package."The most affordable Smart, dubbed the "Pure," is priced at $11,590. They call it the Pure because it hasn't been tainted by features such as air conditioning and power steering -- until you add them as options.This time, I drove the "Passion" coupe, which at $13,590 is loaded with luxury amenities such as a radio, air conditioning, rear window defroster and remote keyless entry. Throw in the $850 comfort package and you get heated leather seats, automatic headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.Despite the minimal storage behind the seats, you can make a reasonable run to the supermarket. I also wouldn't hesitate to take the Smart on a road trip with a couple of small suitcases or duffels.Unlike the hybrid Toyota Prius, which gets better mileage in the city than on the highway, the Smart cruises most efficiently at highway speeds, covering 40 miles per gallon. In town, the rating falls to 30 mpg, which is very good, but not astounding.The little fuel tank only carries 8.7 gallons, so you might want to keep an eye on the posted prices and be ready to top off when you see a good deal. Things are sure to get worse before they get really bad. How's that for optimistic?WHAT'S NEW: First year in U.S. for micro car introduced in Europe 10 years ago.PLUSES: Fuel economy, adorable design, maneuverability.MINUSES: Safety, capacity, shift pattern.BOTTOM LINE: Unique transportation for the Smart set.(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)