Bah!
In my driving career of nearly 40 years i've owned:
MGB-GT
Triumph Spitefire
Sunbeam Alpine
Austin-Healey 3000
Simca 1204 Gt (whadda piece of ****)
22 different VW bugs...the ORIGINAL bug
BMW 325i
And several I'm probably still trying to forget. I've got lawn mowers that are bigger than the Smart!
So please, don't even try to tell me small cars are 'safe'.
Not in any way. Shape. Or form.
No matter how many 'crush' zones, airbags or 'active' restraint systems they put in those death traps...they are nothing but tin coffins when they meet something bigger. Like a Ford F550 Super Duty 4x4, crew cab, lwb with sooper-soccer-mommy at the wheel applying makeup with one hand and yacking on the cell phone with the other while merging into 75mph traffic without so much as a glance at the mirrors while worrying if little Debbie strapped in the fifth row of theatre seats is going to be late for her piano recital...if you get my drift.
Quick? Anything with 80 hp (and I've owned cars with both less and more) is NOT quick by any stretch of the imagination unless it has two wheels and a Ducatti decal on the gas tank.
Sorry. The 'Smart' car is dumb for American roads and traffic.
Oh, I'm guessing the optional bike rack makes a rear-end collision almost and order of magnitude safer.
I'm not buying it. The car or the 'safety' bs.
Campy(the been there, done that, got the t-shirt)bob