Overall, the cabin is reasonably well assembled but definitely not up to the standards of smart's prestigious cousin, Mercedes Benz. Storage within the fortwo cabriolet is primarily restricted to a small trunk accessible from the rear of the car. It offers-up some decent capacity for groceries and such, provided Costco isn't in the foodchain of choice.

Overall, the cabin is reasonably well assembled but definitely not up to the standards of smart's prestigious cousin, Mercedes-Benz.

Puny better describes fuel consumption
Fuel economy is among the chief reasons for smart car ownership. Smaller, lighter vehicles require the conversion of less fossil fuel to energy to propel their modest mass. The fortwo is EnerGuide rated at 5.9 and 4.8 liters of premium fuel per 100K of city and highway driving respectively (48/59 mpg).

With fuel prices climbing to record highs, squeezing great distances out of each drop is rewarding to the pocketbook as well as the environment. EnerGuide assigns an annual CO2 emissions rating of 2,592 kg per year to the fortwo. To put that into perspective, the ostentatious turbocharged Mercedes Benz SL600 (also a two-seater) spews out 7,344 kg of such poison each year.

Smart power
A 3-cylinder, one-liter gasoline engine capable of producing 70-horsepower and 68 pound-feet of torque - thanks in part to its 4-valve per cylinder design - powers the fortwo. The engine resides over the rear wheels and is difficult to access beneath its latched cover. Checking the oil level requires a little more effort than with a conventionally located engine.

The small mill isn't the smoothest powerplant in modern production yet for its size it develops commendable low-end torque as it revs freely to a 6,000-rpm redline. This process can be a fairly noisy undertaking. The most notable objection in the powertrain applies to the car's 5-speed automatic transmission.

This affair is rather unconventional in that it mimics a manual transmission in the way it switches gears, which is quite pronounced. Gear changes - especially first gear to second - occur with a flat spot in between disengagement and reengagement of each cog, causing the vehicle to lose momentum. The result is some forward-and-back head bobbing. Once accustomed to the effect, it fades into the background like a fuzzy memory.

The most notable objection in the powertrain applies to the car's 5-speed automatic transmission.