People stop and stare when they see the Smart car zipping around Grand Junction. The Smart car is made by Mercedes Benz and is slowing making its way across Colorado.

Gene Scheve of Orchard Mesa decided he wanted one last year. And that is how long it took him to get one. He first had to place a $100 down payment on the car. That just put him on the waiting list. Scheve picked up his car in Denver just under two weeks ago. Him and his wife Linda drove the car back to Orchard Mesa. Scheve says one of the main reasons for the purchase of the car was to save gas.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released the safety rating for the Smart Car Wednesday giving It a good rating for frontal crash tests, also good rating for side impact protection, and an acceptable rating for rear crash protection.

As of yet the Smart car is not available for purchase here in Grand Junction. A basic model will cost around $12,000 and the convertible version up to $16,000.