It's hard to believe that it took until the middle of May for Chicagoland to have a day warm enough to really enjoy the Cabriolet with the top down and the side rails stored. I've driven with the top down a number of times recently, but always had to had the heater blasting to stay warm (commuting early a.m. and late in the evening). But today was INCREDIBLE! Sunglasses on, windows down, and stereo blasting (is it considered blasting if it's opera?)... I didn't even mind the traffic!

If you haven't picked out (or up) your Smart yet, you should go to a dealership and test drive a Cabriolet before you do. This is the most enjoyable convertible I've driven... even more fun than my CLK430 because I'm greeted with smiles everywhere I go instead of snarls. And, as gas prices climb (as high as $2.79/gal here in Lake County, IL) I'm enjoying my 41 miles-per-gallon, in-town, fuel economy. I don't know what others are finding, but once we got past the winter formula gasoline, I've been getting 2-3 miles more per gallon.

And I know there are people who seem to doubt it (from reading some of the online forums), but I too have experienced 50 miles-per-gallon on the highway when I've been able to avoid traffic while keeping my speed moderate. On the other hand... the manual shift is awfully fun, and it's also rather entertaining to toss it around a bit. It's all good.

I love my Smart... I suggest everyone buy two. They're small!