2008 Smart FourTwo Passion Cabriolet

Peter Bleakney

SPECIAL TO THE STAR

"Honey, I'm just running out to pick up some beer."

"Where are you going?"

"Ellicottville, N.Y. Don't wait up."

Every now and then, I get a hankerin' for Rolling Rock beer, and since it's only available at stores Stateside, a run down to western New York is the only way to restock the empty shelf that's in my beer fridge.

And what better car for a chilly mid-winter trek than the 2008 Smart FourTwo Passion Cabriolet?

Sure, I could have taken some cushy leather-lined SUV with the security of all-wheel-drive, but where's the fun in that? Besides, this would be a great opportunity to assess the new 2008 model's performance over some highway driving and winding hilly roads. And with this slightly larger and more powerful Smart soon to be available in the U.S., perhaps I could raise a few eyebrows in this trendy New York ski town.

Surely the bunnies would be all over my metallic-blue ski-boot-on-wheels like marshmallows on hot chocolate.

While negotiating the on-ramp to the QEW, the first thing I noticed was the Smart's improved cornering. Dive into a bend with the old Smart and it would push like your Aunty Edna at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not so with the 2008. The steering may be a tad slow on turn in, but once past that, the Smart takes a decent set and resists the urge to run wide.

Merging on the highway brings about another revelation: the new 999 cc naturally aspirated 70 hp three-cylinder gas engine imbues the 2008 Smart with something that resembles actual acceleration. The previous car, with its anemic 40 hp 800 cc three-pot turbodiesel, could barely pull the skin off a rice pudding.

On this day, I found myself cruising at an easy 120 klicks (3500 r.p.m.), and there was even a little margin for passing. It's quieter, too. The car is electronically limited to 145 km/h, which says something for the little engine that lives between the rear axles. Most important, it makes for safer merging and the ability to get away from trouble. You're less of a sitting duck, as it were.

Of course, this enthusiasm must be tempered by the fact that the Smart is still freakin' slow by any other standard.

Like in the old car, the seats are comfortable and supportive, the driving position spot-on and the tall greenhouse offers panoramic forward visibility.

That said, the Smart's ride remains choppy, and crosswinds and passing trucks still push the diminutive doorstop around. This was a very blustery day, and I experienced a couple of white-knuckle moments while crossing the Burlington Skyway.

The semi-automatic sequential transmission now has five gears – down one from the previous Smart. This is a good thing. It means one less lurching gear change to endure as you putter your way down the road.

The Smart has a mechanical clutch that disengages between gear changes. Engine torque drops off, too, so there's a brief moment during a shift where all forward thrust vanishes into the eco-ether. Then the power comes back and you're on your way. It's weird at first, but you get used to it. Which pretty much describes the whole Smart experience.

The smoothest way to drive these is by using the paddle shifters (Passion models only). You can hang on to revs longer and modulate the throttle during shifts.

While the new interior has lost the Jetsons-like funkiness of the old car, it is better built and better equipped. Standard across the line is a foldable passenger seat backrest for through-loading, passenger-side makeup mirror, exterior temperature indicator, speed-sensitive wipers, heated rear window, power windows, multifunction display and auxilliary jack in the glovebox.

My Passion Cabriolet tester adds a lovely three-spoked leather steering wheel, A/C with auto temperature control, heated seats, heated mirrors, retractable luggage compartment cover, fully automated retractable soft top with glass rear backlight, and a six-CD in-dash audio system with subwoofer that actually sounds okay. Anyone who has experienced the old car's alleged sound system will recognize this as a breakthrough tantamount to the discovery of cold fusion.

The optional $160 dashboard-mounted rev-counter and clock are essential – it just wouldn't be a Smart without those googly alien eyes staring back at you.

At the Peace Bridge, the female customs officer was visibly stifling a laugh as I handed her my paperwork. Was it my car? My hair? Did I have a piece of Egg McMuffin on my chin?

Once across the border and into virgin Smart territory, the grinning, gawking and pointing started. I pulled into a Burger King in Ellicottville and was swarmed by teenage ski bums.

"Awesome car, dude!"

"Thanks."

"Is it electric?"

"No."

"Is it fast?"

"No."

"Can you drift in that thing?"

"Maybe with another 200 horsepower."

"Is it safe?"

"Apparently."

A girl pulled out her cellphone, took some pictures and made a call. "Guess what? I'm standing beside a Smart car!"

So it was a hit with the kids. The adults mostly kept their distance. Of course this is western New York. In L.A., the Smart will surely become the next "it" car of the in crowd.

I went to the grocery store, picked up my beer, did a few additional laps around town to garner some more stares, then pointed the Smart's stubby prow north toward the Big Smoke.

Yes, the 2008 Smart ForTwo is a big advance over the previous model. It's faster, safer, better equipped, quieter, more commodious, has sharper handling and costs less. The base price of this Passion Cabriolet is $21,250, and with a couple of options (metallic paint and googly gauges), it came in at $21,840. A 2007 model, equipped as close as possible to this car, would have set you back about 26 grand.

But here's the rub. While the 2008 Smart is rated at a combined 5.4 L/100 km, I only managed 6.4 L/100 km. Plus, it requires premium grade gas instead of cheapo regular.

So, all of a sudden justifying the Smart's shortcomings on the basis of its parsimonious use of fossil fuels is a tad more difficult. There are a few "real" cars that will give you that kind of mileage – on regular fuel.

Still, my run to the beer store barely put a dent in my wallet. And would the trip have been as much fun in a Honda Civic Hybrid? Not a chance.

Freelance auto reviewer Peter Bleakney can be reached at pebleakney@sympatico.ca

More videos from Wheels.ca and our partners