Lezlie Culver continally cruises the streets of Fort Worth in Sophie, her yellow plaid Smart car.

Culver, who lives in the109, resident, purchased her Smart car almost three years ago. She says she initially wanted it because it got such great gas mileage. At the time of her purchase, gas prices were through the roof, so it seemed like a perfect time for Culver to buy one.

Smart cars, built with plastic panels, are 95 percent recyclable. Designers of the cars report that only the batteries and tires are not recyclable.

“I’m all about the environmental green thing,” Culver says.

“The longer I have had it the more I love it just because it’s so cute, Culver says, but I also love it for the parking. I can park it anywhere.”

She says she knows if you have a large SUV, a lot of times you have to pass up multiple parking spots because your car won’t fit. She says she definitely never has that problem. Culver said she has parked her Smart car in many different places, even on sidewalks. She says she has never had a problem when she parks Sophie on sidewalks.

Culver says the car never feels too small. Since the car is raised it makes it not feel like driving a tiny car on the inside.

“I’ll see other Smart cars driving around and think to myself: “Am I really driving that?” Culver asks.

The unique thing about her Smart car is that it is not a solid color. It is yellow plaid. When she bought it, the car was white. During the summer after Culver bought it, Smart car contacted owners to tell them about a special promotion called “wraps.”

With the “wraps” idea, Culver was able to choose what kind of design she wanted for her car. She says the wrap is almost like plastic wrap over her car. Culver had no problem choosing the design because her favorite color is yellow and she loves plaid.

The wrap cost $1,400 and she is so glad she bought it. She has had it on her car for almost six months.

“Some people think it’s crazy, but I love it,” Culver says.

If she ever wants to go back to her white car she can remove the yellow plaid wrap, but that means she would have to purchase another “wrap” if she wanted something fun again.

Smart cars are not painted a color. The color of the cars are in the plastic panels. This means that if owners want a red car, they can purchase the red panels. Culver says she has heard of Smart car owners getting together and trading their different colored panels. Usually Smart car owners meet in a parking lot to see if there is a color they would like to trade. Owners usually will trade panels for about six months, Culver says.

She says the only drawback she has found with driving a Smart car is that she has to hand wash it. She has tried taking it to professional car washes and the employees all say the equipment does not fit a Smart Car.

Overall, Culver says she is more than pleased with her purchase. She says she gets asked about her car a lot, especially now that it has the plaid wrap on it. She believes the cost of wrapping her Smart car is worth it because she loves to talk about Sophie.