If you think driving a two-door, 73.5-inch wheelbase car powered by a 70 horsepower 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine seems about as exciting as a leisurely stroll over burning coals, think again. The Smart ForTwo Pure coupe makes driving around city streets fun. There are virtually no parking constraints. That’s because the car is so small, a mere 5.1 feet wide, 5 feet tall and 8.8 feet long. The car is also packed with safety features like anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, cornering brake control, and a reinforced steel cage. (Its NHTSA side impact safety rating is 5 stars.) Both a 5-foot-4 woman and a 6-foot-4 man had generous head and legroom, but stow space is minimal. Although groceries and other goods can be packed in the rear compartment, there’s only so much that fits into 7.8 cubic feet of space.

While the car handles fine in the 60 mph zone, a driver needs to keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times as coming alongside larger vehicles occasionally creates a draft that can ignite a noticeable side-to-side sway for this 1,808 lbs car. Merging onto freeways is not a quick jaunt as the 5-speed automated manual transmission takes a bit of time to go through the lower gears. The rear-mounted engine does generate some heat, making the backend hot to the touch especially after a sustained drive at highway speeds. Options include air conditioning ($600), power steering ($450) and heated seats ($220). MSRP of ForTwo Pure Coupe is $11,990. Estimated mpg is 33 city/41 highway.