A smart Ride

I took a smart fortwo for a test drive last week.  Overall, I really enjoyed driving it.  The salesperson was upfront with various concerns:  the steering wheel is fixed (no vertical adjustments); when the fortwo shifts gears, you can sort of feel it (sort of a pause between gears); and, yes, you really need to use premium fuel.

However, none of these things really bothered me.  For 99% of my driving, I am the only one in the car.  An economical two seater makes a lot of sense for me.  The mileage is great (at least 40MPG), and that is thanks, in part, to premium fuel.  You could technically use regular gas, but you won’t get the same mileage.  It is worth the cost difference.  I don’t think noticing the shifting is really much of an issue (I used to drive a stick once upon a time anyway - and with the fortwo, you can drive as an automatic or as a clutch-less stick).

Of course, after the test drive is done do I think of any further questions. 

• Is there a spare tire (if so, where?) or are the tires run-flat tires?
• Can just anyone perform routine maintenance (oil changes, etc.), or do you need to take it in to the dealer?
• There is only a 2 year warranty; what options are there to extend that?
• How responsive is the transmission if you really need to floor it?