Typical American attitude So you'd feel like a moron in any hatchback/supermini, like a Renault Clio or VW Golf? Those are both decent cars, especially in their hot-hatch versions. And I used to a drive a Clio and a Fiat Punto.

Don't worry, I kind of understand what you mean and I understand how you feel about the Smart, it's so small it's slightly daft, I wouldn't have one either (for one thing I couldn't put my dog in the boot). But the original Mini is a true classic and it's tiny compared to the "small cars" on today's market.