At 106 inches long, 61 inches tall and wide and 1,800 pounds, it's not a lot of car to hug. A two-seater, the cockpit has plenty of leg and head room, with a small baggage compartment in the back. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gives it the highest ratings for front and side crashworthiness. It has a roll-bar cage and front and side airbags.

"The car is built very much like a walnut shell to keep the inside safe," said Jessica Gamarra, a spokesperson with smart USA in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the smart fortwo gets 41 mpg on the highway and 33 mpg in the city, the third highest-ranked car overall, behind the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic gas hybrids.

The Hlebechuks got their smart car through a dealer in Bloomington, Minn., shipped it to Seattle and then had it sent up by barge to Anchorage. Clint Hlebechuk said they ordered through Minnesota because of the shorter waiting list. They can get warranty service through Scruggs Automotive, he said.

Smart USA doesn't have a dealer in Alaska yet, but expects one within two years, Gamarra said. Gamarra said 10,000 smart cars have been delivered in the U.S. since January, with 30,000 customers having placed $99 reservation deposits. There's about a 12-month wait, she said. A rear-wheel drive car, the engine sits over the back axle, giving it good traction for a winter car, Gamarra said.

Smart cars run from $11,590 for the fortwo pure to $16,590 for the fortwo passion cabriolet. Simyra Hlebechuk bought her smart car for $14,300, including options.

"You feel very much like a rock star when you drive it," Gamarra said.

Clint Hlebechuk said on the drive down, his wife and a friend got noticed everywhere.

"They had more fun with that thing," he said. "People were surrounding them everywhere. ... If a single girl wants attention, get one of those things."

For more information, visit www.smartusa.com.

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.