The Smart ForTwo's diminutive dimensions - more like a kitchen appliance than a Real Live Car - are meant for slicing through narrow inner-city alleys and perpendicular parking outside the cafe, right?
There's no doubt this half-a-car can wriggle through Jozi's busyness with the best of the delivery bikes but how does it fare out on the open road?
The Easter long weekend provided a perfect opportunity for my lady friend and me to pack a pair of tog bags and head into the hills in the second-generation ForTwo to check out its highway behaviour.
So off we went to Schoemanskloof, north of Pretoria, via the long, straight, fast-paced N12 and N4 with the GPS co-ordinates of our overnight destination punched into the (aftermarket) Mio navigation device.
But first let me get a couple of issues of my chest. At its recent SA launch the second-generation ForTwo immediately (re)gained a reputation with local media for its exorbitant pricing and uncomfortably clumsy gearbox.
This Smart starts at R135 000 and the Passion Cabrio I was driving goes for R163 000 - a tad excessive considering you can get a Mazda 2 or Citroen C1 for that with similar spec and twice as many seats.
But I'm going out on a limb here: I don't really see a problem, especially with the drop-top. All Smarts are niche vehicles and the Cabrio we drove offers a driving experience that can't be found elsewhere.
If you can come up with a new car that offers this much wind-in-your-hair fun at this price, let me know.
It felt so cool to be a carefree, middle-class, up-and-coming couple for that weekend with the confidence (or cheek) to drive something unconventional - 163k seemed like a bargain for that feeling.
With an i-Pod wired into the factory system's speakers and Bill Withers' blasting out "Just the Two Us", our trip was almost surreal. Priceless.
Now that gearbox: it's unfortunate that Smart persists with this robotised semi-automatic, especially after its ill repute in the first ForTwo.
Local Mercedes-Benz PR's say the new Fortwo's box is a huge improvement on the old - but that's like saying the new Spice Girls' album is better than the first ones. It's inherently flawed.
It takes a long-winded breath between each gear, like go, go, go in first, then pause... then go, go, go in second, then rest... and so on. Using the flappy paddles to change gears manually makes no difference whatsoever.
First-time Smart passengers think something's broken every time their heads lurch forward between gear changes but you soon get used to it in a throw-your-head-back-to-counter-the-jerk way.
Smooth sailing
But here's the thing: cruising at 140km/h plus negates the gearbox maladies completely. Once in top gear it's smooth sailing; I'm starting to think the Smart is a better tourer than the city car it was designed to be.
After a few hours on the highway I really started to appreciate the work the Smart designers put into the steering system and suspension geometry.
There's none of the speed wobbles or suspension chatter normally associated with short-wheelbase cars. Its weight (or lack thereof) does, however, become quickly apparent when a big rig passes in the opposite direction, blowing you from the cosmos side of the road to the "dis mos mielies" on the other.
But that's it, really. Once inside and moving you can't tell how small the car is; you could be driving an E-Class Merc - as long as you don't look over your shoulder at the rear window right behind you. It's that surreality again.
You might also think the Smart's power is proportionate to its size but you'd be wrong again. The Passion Cabrio has 10kW more than the entry-level 52kW Pure Coupé; 62kW will get you smartly (sorry, couldn't resist) where you need to go and then some, as long as you don't intend on participating in the local drag wars.
Can't say what little brother's like but considering it weighs only 750kg (800 for the Cabrio) I'm sure it's acceptable.
VERDICT
If Smart's latest ForTwo has made your shortlist of possible replacements for your aged Tazz, despite its pricetag, you're looking in the wrong place. It's a nice toy, however, for young couples with bigger cheque books than responsibilities.
I wouldn't consider one as a primary source of transport, however, rather as a garage filler strictly for sunny weekends. Park it next to your quads and golf clubs