Going small: A Smart driving experience

Sometimes, I guess, timing is everything. When DaimlerChrysler AG announced in 2006 that it planned to bring the Smart fortwo micro car to the United States after nearly a decade in Europe, gas prices had reached about $2.80 a gallon. Now, Americans are paying more than $4 a gallon at the pump, SUV sales are plummeting and consumers are hungry for smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.

The little Smart has been riding a wave of consumer interest, attracting thousands of car shoppers willing to put down $99 and wait about nine months for the two-seater. So when I sat in the driver's seat of a blue Smart fortwo last week, turned, and touched the back window with my finger tips, I had to wonder: Do Americans really want to go this small?