And the MB dealership down the street has a smartcar in prominent display. I was going to go in, ask questions and take a picture so I could blog about it, but they are closed on Sundays...

The URL they had on the side of the car is:

http://www.smartusa.com/

At this point I don't know much more than what they say on the website. They claim >40mpg - I was wondering if they would bring the diesel over as an engine choice.

Personally I would prefer an electric for my next vehicle, but I am inclined to say that any new offering that gets >40mpg is progress of some sort.

My Jetta TDI gets over 40 mpg...and it's fast, has four seats and an enormous trunk. I'm on the smart usa list, paid my $99 reservation fee, but from what I understand the first round is going to be gasoline rather than diesel. Hardly any improvement over the Jetta, and such a compromise of space.

Heh. I also have a Jetta TDI, so I understand your point. Maybe if you had a small parking spot, or had too much stuff in the garage you could make a stronger case for a smart...

The diesel smart is supposedly in the 70mpg range - that would raise the bar a little bit if they ever bring that over..