SMART FORTWO 3 TO BEAT

Almost five years ago an article appeared in The Chronicle-Herald, something that spawned a freelance writing career that has yet to disappoint in anything but earnings. The test drive had been in a smart fortwo; the article was witty; the editor was accepting; and articles began to frequently appear in the Wheels section over the next few years.

Fortunately, everybody actually reads about cars on the internet now. Unfortunately, The Chronicle-Herald was still interested in catering more to advertising than reality. The Good Car Guy is now readable in a variety of places, including Fuel The Smart, Province House 1819, Alfresco Photo, and even LemonFree.com.

"What's the connection?", you ask. Well, when it came time for the first new car in the family, it seemed both honourable (to that first article) and financially easy to check out the Mercedes-Benz dealership.... for a smart. The numbers were attractive, including an instant $2,000 discount and free maintenance for three years. As downtown dwellers who work inside the building where we live, no car could touch the running costs of a smart fortwo. Including insurance, maintenance, tax and registration, and fuel costs, the fortwo's low price is quickly apparent as only part of its attractiveness. The full Driven review of the '09 smart fortwo pure is here, but there'll be plenty more about this car over the next three years.

For starters, check out the 3 To Beat below. If it hadn't been a smart fortwo for The Good Car Guy and The Good Car Girl, what car would we have picked up?

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FORD FIESTA: Consider the possibility that GoodCarBadCar Towers could have waited until the Fiesta's arrival next year "beyond doubtful". Posit this hypothetical scenario as a summer '09 reality, for just a second. The Fiesta, like the fortwo, is European-developed. The little Ford looks really good - the smart is.... unique. Early reviews lead the rest of us to believe that the Fiesta's on-the-road experience will leave the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit in the dust. Most importantly, the Fiesta's interior atmosphere is spectacular for a small car. At what price? I don't expect the savings, compared with the Ford Focus, to be as significant as they should be.

KIA SOUL: There are no secrets here on GoodCarBadCar. Okay, well there are a lot of secrets. But it's been obvious that the Kia Soul is a favourite around here. The Nissan Cube vs. Kia Soul comparo is part of that favourtism. Excitement over good crash test results is rare, though the Kia was the bearer of the news which brought about such excitement. Kia's box looks modern; drives terrific; and is priced right. Again, the Soul's a whole lot more expensive than the fortwo; but there's also twice as much material.

APRILIA SCARABEO 200 x2: Serious consideration was given to the prospect of two Aprilia Scarabeos, in 200cc form. Combined horsepower is just 25 less than the smart's 1.0L triple. Two Scarabeos provide twice the seating capacity of the fortwo, as well. Double up the $4,000 price tag and the financial benefits are striking. Oh, but we forgot about winter. Yes, winter arrived, endured, and exited the east coast, and the possibility of The Good Car Family purchasing two scooters flew the coop.