Absent of what bigger cars offer and maybe missing some of the creature comforts many American's have become familiar with, smallish automobiles are coming to your neighborhood dealership, and are coming not soon enough, for many of us. Alternative sized cars signify our future, and cars that amalgamate the best in fuel economy along with the latest technologies can help our planet be a better place, while helping us save money.

While lacking the muscle of larger vehicles and anything resembling sporty exterior, smart cars are here to stay. These cars represent the wave of the future, much to the chagrin of those who adore the smell of burned rubber and the roar of powerful engines. However, smart cars are more than just an oddity on the road, more than something to stare at as you power past them. These cars combine the best of modern technology in a futuristic, if odd, design. Here are the top competitors for the title of Smartest Smart Car.

The Smartest Smart Cars

While lacking the muscle of larger vehicles and anything resembling a sporty exterior, smart cars are here to stay.  These cars represent the wave of the future, much to the chagrin of those who adore the smell of burned rubber and the roar of powerful engines. However, smart cars are more than just an oddity on the road, more than something to stare at as you power past them.  These cars combine the best of modern technology in a futuristic, if odd, design.  Here are the top competitors for the title of Smartest Smart Car.

The Toyota Prius – Long the car of choice for tree huggers and Gore supporters, the Prius packs a whopping 76 hp in its gasoline engine, while the electric motor is capable of 67 hp. Don’t think that the Prius is slow off the mark (well, comparatively, that is).  Electric motors can pack quite a bit of torque.  The Prius gets around 60 mpg in town, while that drops to around 50 mpg on the highway.

The Toyota Yaris – The Yaris is more powerful and larger than many other smart cars, though it suffers from low mpg ratings. 34 mpg in the city and an estimated 39 mpg for highway driving make this non-hybrid a good choice for those that don’t want the bother of hybrid-centric performance and maintenance problems.

The Mini Cooper – While not technically a smart car, the Mini offers small size and great style.  However, it comes in even worse than the Yaris in terms of fuel economy.  An estimated 23 mpg for in town driving and 32 for the highway make this a choice suitable only for those who want the smart car size, rather than any other benefits.  However, those beguiling looks are hard to beat and the Mini packs more power than many other cars in its class.

The Smart4two – The Smart4two is possibly one of the strangest looking vehicles around.  It’s been featured in Nintendo Wii commercials for some time now.  It seats only two passengers, which almost excludes family ownership.  The low-end model is available with a 50 hp engine, while the other two models are only available with a 61 hp engine.  For those who dislike manual shifting, the transmission offers clutch-less shifting.  In town driving gets an estimated 47 mpg, while the 69 mpg highway fuel mileage is the most impressive yet seen in the class.

Source [www.autospies.com] [www.easycarblog.com]