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Up here in Canada, the Smarts were introduced in late 2004, early 2005, and I was among the first to buy one. (They were introduced in Europe in the mid-1990s.) I'm amazed it took so long for them to be introduced in the States — well, maybe not, because Mercedes Benz figured Americans wouldn't want to give up their big-ass cars and judging by some of the posts here, I think they may have been right.
It also seems to me that Smart has made a lot of modifications for the American market that haven't exactly improved the car. Like the original European versions, mine runs on diesel, not premium gas, which is more fuel efficient, tho sometimes a hassle to find in the city. It gets better mileage than anything except a hybrid. Also mine's not an automatic, it's got a clutchless shift that allows for better control. Yeah, it still sucks going up steep hills, esp. on the highway, and it doesn't exactly take off like a rocket, but you just have to drive a bit, er, smarter to accommodate.
Anyway, I love my car. It's a blast to drive. It's not powerful, but it's nimble. The parking is great, of course, and it can weave in and out of situations that no other vehicle can. Plus you can carry a lot more in it than you might think — I've hauled furniture, oversized luggage, crates of booze and water and loads of other stuff. And despite its size, it's a safe car not only because of its egg-shaped crash cage design, but because it forces you to pay attention to the road unlike those big, smooth, quiet automatics that insulate you from the traffic around you.
It might not be the right car for the way most North Americans drive. But then I think most North Americans are startng to realize that the way they drive isn't exactly sustainable, so . . .
