Smart cars....

I have not bought a new car in many years. That said, I have driven many new cars as rentals - primarily in France and a few here in the US. One of my favorite cars in France is the Smart car, made by Mercedes.
Today, I was able to drive one for the first time in NC. Smart had several cars at Streets of Southpoint today (and will have them there tomorrow, too).
The model that will be sold here is very impressive. They are predicting an average of 40 MPG, less than what I think has been the case in France, but I need to check on that. How does that compare to other cars now on the US market starting at 12,000?
I have reserved one for purchase in the spring ... refundable deposit of $99.
None of the insurance companies have yet said how they will look upon this little fellow, and I plan to talk with my insurance company before making a final commitment.
The car here has an dual automatic and manual system, with the latter clutchless.
The convertible model is very tempting....metallic blue with silver or black (still reflecting on this) "wings" if you are familiar with the design of the car.