2006 smart fortwo passion Road Test

2006 smart fortwo passion (Photo: Lesley Wimbush, Auto123.com)

And although it's laughingly diminutive in size (it weighs all of 750 kg), once inside it's startling just how much room there is. The sloped windshield is gigantic, side windows are tall and there's lots of head and legroom for even large occupants - all imparting a feeling of being in a spacious fishbowl. The first impression of there being nothing between you and oncoming traffic, thanks to its lack of any nose whatsoever, is totally dispelled once inside by the enormous expanse of dash.

Switchgear is hilarious - think iMac meets the Jetsons. Clock and tachometer mounted on the sweeping curve of foam-padded dash are housed in globes atop swiveling stalks. They don't look to be particularly durable, however. I've seen tougher accessories on a Tonka or Fisher Price truck.

Despite the smart's Mercedes-Benz connection (it's marketed here by
Mercedes) gear shift is more Lawn Boy than Autobahn. It moves to the side and then forward and back much like rabbit for fast and turtle for slow. An optional clutch-free semi-manual is predictably graceless (generally I try these out once, just to say I did, then ignore them) however, the slapstick is infinitely preferable to the lag and lurch shifting

2006 smart fortwo passion (Photo: Lesley Wimbush, Auto123.com)

in automatic mode. This will result in having the back of your head repeatedly meet the headrest, and not in a good way. However, listening to the revs and modulating the go-pedal accordingly encourages smoother shifting and prevents the needle vibrating frantically in the red zone.

Once the tranny and I called a truce I began to have a lot of fun - inciting belly laughs from car-nut passengers when blowing by startled Mustangs and Hondas like a giant mutant high-top shoe on steroids.

Handling and suspension are surprisingly delightful - as if the smart had been bolted down on a go-kart frame. Stiff and square, with a wheel at each corner, there was almost zero body roll and lots of road feel beneath your backside. However, due to its height and slab-sidedness, crosswinds require both hands on the wheel thanks to a ride so squirrely it may as well have had a tall sail.

Once I got over my initial reluctance to be seen in the thing (and trust me, 2 years after its introduction in Canada, it still turns heads) I got a perverse pleasure out of driving it everywhere. It was hugely satisfying bringing it to car club meets and provoking reactions from the stalwart

2006 smart fortwo passion (Photo: Lesley Wimbush, Auto123.com)

hairy-chested-muscle-car guys. Almost without exception though, detractors were won over by it, even if they admitted so begrudgingly.

Besides - a true car nut, whether of the grassroots locost persuasion, or connoisseur of silken engineering - is almost certain to find the smart fortwo compelling and fascinating, even if they would never own one.

And aside from its huge novelty factor - the smart can't help but score huge points with buyers looking for economy, user friendliness, and low environmental impact.