The Galveston County Daily News

The way people gawk at John Mitchell, you’d think the Santa Fe math professor was Brad Pitt.

People stomp on their brakes and yell at him, like crazed fans at a concert.

One teenage girl leaned out of her driver’s side window — on the interstate — to wave at him.

A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper once pulled him over just to ask: “What is that?”

That, officer, is a Smart car, one of the tiniest street-legal cars on the market. And Mitchell is one of only 1 million people in the world to own an 8-foot, 8-inch Smart ForTwo.

Mercedes-Benz, which manufactures the gas-sipping Smart ForTwos, started selling the cars in the United States last year. The company has since sold only 36,000 Smart ForTwos in the United States. Despite common misconceptions, the Smart cars are not electric. But they do get great gas mileage, with some Smart car owners claiming they can get up to 45 mpg on the highway.

That’s why Chris Cotto, a student at Texas A&M University at Galveston, dropped $22,000 to snag a black convertible model.

He often goes two weeks, sometimes longer, before he has to refill the car’s 8-gallon tank.

Though, he admits, functionality only partly influenced his decision to buy a Smart car.

“It’s actually the cheapest convertible you can get,” he said. “Its’ like owning a little sports car, except it doesn’t go fast.”

And, like flashy sports cars, the Smart ForTwos certainly turn heads.

When people aren’t pointing and laughing, they’re snapping photographs of Cotto’s tiny two-seater. And Cotto and other area Smart car owners say they are perpetually flagged down or stopped on the street by people who want to know more about the compact coupe.

“Everybody talks to you,” said Denise Tholen, a San Leon resident who has owned a Smart car since November. “I get a lot of: ‘Where do you get that?’ ‘How much was it?’ and ‘Is it safe?’”

It’s hard to believe at first glimpse, but Smart cars are actually pretty safe, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The institute gave the 2008-09 Smart ForTwos its highest rating — “good” — on three of four safety tests. The car had the most crush-resistant roof of any car in its class, and it performed well in side- and front-impact tests. However, the institute gave the car an “acceptable” rating, its second highest, on rear-crash protection.

“It’s not a coffin going down the street, although it looks like you’ll be crushed in an instant,” Mitchell said.

The car’s steel “tridion safety cell,” which looks something like a roll cage, is specially designed to prevent the car from being crushed in a crash.

Tholen said not only is the car built safe, but she she drives safer when she’s behind the wheel of her Smart ForTwo.

“You’re a lot more cautious than you are in a regular car,” she said. “You don’t dare get an attitude, because there’s not much of you.”

Owning a Smart car is a little like being part of an exclusive clique. Smart ForTwo owners have their own social networking site. They can buy their own customized T-shirts, key chains and coffee mugs, stamped with the phrase “Open Your Mind.” Smart car owners even have their own language. A car ordered by someone who never picked it up is called an “orphan,” and people who don’t want to wait around to order a customized Smart car can sign up on a waiting list to become a proud parent of one of these orphans.

When Mitchell went to pick up his orphan — a red convertible model — the Sugar Land dealership hung a banner in the window that read: “I’m going home with John Mitchell.”

For Tholen, its not about being exclusive or different, she said. She bought the car because of the good gas mileage and its safety rating. And, oh yeah, it’s adorable, she said.

“We just thought it was cute as a button,” she said.

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Where can I buy a Smart car?

There are 70 dealerships across the nation, including two in the Houston area. You can visit the dealership or place a $99 reservation for a Smart car that is customized and shipped directly to the dealership. There is a dealership in North Houston at 7510 Interstate 45 North and another dealership in Sugar Land at 15625 Southwest Freeway.

How much does it cost?

Smart cars range from $11,990 to $29,990 before taxes and added accessories, including air-conditioning and radios.

How fast does a Smart ForTwo go?

The top speed is 90 mph.

What kind of gas mileage does it get?

The car is destined to get 33 miles per gallon in the city and 41 miles per gallon on the highway, but the gas mileage will differ with drivers. The car can only be fueled with premium gas. The tank holds 8.7 gallons.

Is it safe?

The Insurance Institute for Safety gave the Smart ForTwo its highest scores for front and side crashes and its second highest score for rear-end crashes. The car is equipped with a steel “tridion safety cell” which is designed in such a way to protect occupants of the car in a crash.

How big is it?

The Smart ForTwo is 8 feet, 8 inches long, 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide. You can typically fit two Smart cars in an average parking space.

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For more information, visit: www.smartusa.com.