From Toyota MR2s to Porsche 911s, Jerry Oliver is used to driving two-seaters. His latest set of wheels, however, offers something a little different.

Oliver, distance education coordinator at College of The Albemarle, recently became the owner of a smart fortwo. Manufactured by Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG, the fuel-efficient smarts have been cruising the streets of European cities since their introduction in 1998. The car made its U.S. debut this January.

Brett A. Clark/Daily Advance (ENLARGE)

Jerry Oliver, distance education coordinator at College of The Albemarle, sits inside his smart fortwo, on the COA campus in Elizabeth City, Monday. The small car, manufactured by Daimler AG, gets more than 40 miles to the gallon on the highway.

"I saw the time was right to get one," Oliver said. "Not only is this small, but it's economical. It travels well."

Powered by a three-cylinder, 71 horsepower Mitsubishi engine, the smart is rated at more than 40 miles per gallon on the highway and more than 30 in the city. Oliver said the eight-gallon tank costs under $30 to fill.

"It's very highly safety rated," he added. "Insurance companies are very happy with it."

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's top-rated vehicle for 2008, the smart contains a race car-like safety shell and crumple zones to absorb impact.

The top speed is also limited to about 80 miles per hour, but Oliver said the car is deceptively quick. He said he and his wife have done longer, highway-laden trips to Richmond and Wilmington without any problems.

Despite the vehicle's small size, it is able to provide enough headroom for Oliver, who stands over six feet. He said he also has enough room to stow his golf bag and a suitcase or two.

"It's not for everyone," he cautioned. "It's not a car for a person who's going to Lowe's to do a lot of home projects and stock up on lumber."

Nevertheless, Oliver said he thinks its inevitable the car will gain in popularity as gas continues to grow more expensive.

Currently, there are about 80 smart dealers in the U.S. (the closest one is in Virginia Beach) and demand far outpaces supply.

In fact, anyone interested in a smart could end up waiting months before their car arrives. Oliver ordered his smart, a silver cabriolet, in October 2007. It arrived two months ago.

The yellow-on-black coupe was not the car he ordered, but an "orphan" which became available when another customer backed out of an order. Oliver said he will likely sell or trade the "bumblebee" when his preferred smart fortwo becomes available.

"You get the Mercedes quality work without the Mercedes price," said Oliver, who paid $15,500 for his smart.

For more information on the smart, visit www.smartusa.com