The writer forgets one thing -- these cars are awesome! I have a friend who has a Lotus sports car for fun and a smart for basic transportation, and he actually enjoys driving the smart. I'd buy the car pictured above-left if it arrived here.
They recently got clearance to import them here.
When I was in Europe, I joked I was buying one and getting it back to the USA by checking it as luggage.
It is a fun car for urban driving. It is very nimble and fun to drive. Distances between places to have fun or see are not far in Europe. Here, the Smart Car would just be a toy for town. I could see it as a retirement community car.
I've seen them here, but only once, in New Orleans in 2001. They may be appropriate for city streets, but I don't think I'd want to trust my life to one on the freeway.
I've seen a lot of these in Europe, though...they're so small that they can park perpendicular to the curb and only stick out into the street as much as a regular car would if parked parallel.
9000 have been ordered in the US.