Going small: A Smart driving experience

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But most car shoppers want to use the Smart's size to their advantage. In a town where finding a parking spot can turn into a 30-minute Tour de DuPont Circle, the Smart offered instant attraction.

The vehicle is so tiny its length of 8 feet, 10 inches is about three feet shorter than a Mini Cooper that it could easily fit tight parking spots. The sight of a fortwo parked in a space marked for "compact only" vehicles evokes laughter.

I could even turn into the curb at a right angle and not worry about the back sticking out into the street.

It gets good gas mileage, about 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. While it lags behind hybrids such as the Toyota Prius and the Honda Civic hybrid, it gets better gas mileage than larger compact competitors like the Toyota Yaris and the Honda Fit, but not by much.

I found the transmission could be sluggish and halting at times, sometimes jerking the car forward as it shifted between gears. It occasionally struggled to muster up the strength to climb hills, and even with its suspension, I could feel practically every bump on the road.

The Smart does have a surprising amount of interior space. I'm about 6 feet tall and had plenty of head and legroom. It sits higher on the road than most passenger cars and the sunroof gave me the feeling of a larger interior.

Even without a national advertising campaign, Smart has sold 11,399 vehicles in the U.S. through June and helped boost Daimler's U.S. sales last month. The fortwo is within the reach of most car shoppers. A basic version will cost more than $12,000. A convertible costs more than $17,000.

The company says it has more than 30,000 customers on a waiting list and about 80 percent are buying when they reach the front of the line.

This is not a family car or the best set of wheels for a weekend trip to Home Depot or Sam's Club. But for people wanting a fuel-efficient second or third car, empty-nesters who no longer need to haul around children or city dwellers, it's worth a look.

If nothing else, you'll certainly spark conversations and maybe more.

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