Seriously, unless you're trying to save a few $$, the passion and all the possibilities it lends, is worth it. I kind of did the same when thinking about the cabrio vs the coupe, but then I thought to myself that the $$ are worth the investment. The smart still offers the most bang, fun and economy for the buck over any car out there. I couldn't build any other 'vert out there for less then $24K, so I'm happy with a loaded smart for $18K