If you’re going places that have marked delineated parking spots, then a Smart car isn’t going to be any help. But there are lots of places where marked spots, either in a lot or on streets, are uncommon, and unmarked street parking is the norm. Particularly in dense urban areas.
My parents have one and LOVE it. They’re retired and live in a small, sunny community, so they do things like daily grocery store runs, drive their little dog to the park and make little tourist runs up and down the coast.
I found the transmission to be brutal and it’s way overpriced. It is functional as a little runaround, but there’s far better choices such as the Fiesta, Fit and Yaris that get similar mileage, have more space and are cheaper.
As stated, street parking is a breeze in it, but that’s about the only thing it does better than its competition and that’s not nearly enough.
Don’t hate on Scions too much.
My xB I got in 2008 just rolled over 100,000 miles last week with only a single problem that was taken care of under warranty and was no big deal. The dealership was fair and transparent on pricing, I love the room I have in it (I’m 6’4") and I can fit a whole bunch of cargo when needed and still get above 30 mpg on trips, 28 minimum around the city. I have been highly satisfied with my car, so much so that I bought my wife an xD when we needed another car.