I don't disagree. The FIAT hits a few of the highlights of each the Smart and the Mini. It is NOT as much a performance machine like the Mini is, and the price reflects it. It is a good economy car with a lot of nice features compared to the Smart, and again, the price reflects it. I think it does a great job of combining the driving experience of both; the Smart in my opinion is a great idea for a car that was horribly executed. The boat motor, the mentally-challenged robot transmission, and bizarre lack of options (no standard assisted steering? no A/C standard? wtf?) made for a poor reception here.
On the other hand, the Mini is a much more performance oriented drive. They are INSANELY fun to drive and I can't knock much about them, save for the price and cost of ownership. Also I fucking hate run-flat tires, but that's personal opinion and not a fact. Still, you experience the performance orientation of the ride whether you want to or not, something I find undesirable for a DD.
I really hope FIAT and Mini can build on each others' success so we develop a market that is more friendly to small car manufacturers. I want Renault and Citroen back in this country. We need the FIAT Punto Abarth here. We need the Benz A-Class here.