WINNIPEG – “Wow! What a great adventure,” enthused Stefani Angelopoulos, our host at our semiofficial starting point at Pier 21 in Halifax Harbour.

It was June 21, the first day of summer. My daughter, Olivia, had just wrapped up her Grade 9 final exams. To celebrate, we were embarking on a nine-day, 6,000 km drive from Halifax to Vancouver.

My thought bubble was, “Woo-hoo! Yeah! Great!” But I had doubts.

Like, given the threat of summer storms across the country, would we make our scheduled flight back home in time to celebrate Canada Day in the nation’s capital with our family?

How would our transportation, a 2006 Smart ForTwo CDI Cabriolet, hold up? This, a vehicle designed to dish it out with putt-putt Vespas at 60 km/h in European cities, not barreling along with full-size pickups and 18-wheel logging rigs on Northern Ontario two-lanes.

And finally, what would it be like having my daughter, 14, ride shotgun?

First off, as I write from Winnipeg, we’re actually on schedule. Forecasts of potential prairie tornadoes awaiting us may alter our best-laid driving plans, but we’ve already successfully navigated our way from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, and Ontario.

“Gee, Dad, Ontario was really tough,” piped in the navigator.

“’Continue on Highway 17’—like forever!”

Granted, She didn’t need to be a road’s scholar to get us to this point. At least our turbo-diesel Smart has been running like a freight train.

OK, with only 40 hp and 74 lb.-ft. of torque from its 0.8-litre three-cylinder mill, the ForTwo’s personality has been akin to the children’s classic, The Little Engine That Could. Regardless, the microcar has been surprisingly capable doing what it was never intended to do: long distances.

No one doubts the Smart’s urban capabilities. But with us averaging 750 km for each of the past five days, how does the Mercedes-Benz microcar stack up as a cross-country cruiser for two?

The navigator would like her own cup holder and more stretch-out room for catnaps. Particularly when the driver finds the ‘80s stations on the radio.

“But the sound from those little pod speakers under the windshield is awesome. And I like the all the glass. It’s easier to see the moose so we can dodge them in time,” she added.

As the driver, the Smart’s supportive seats and thick-rimmed steering wheel get the thumbs up. On level ground, the car easily lopes along at 110 km/h, with the little puffer of an engine sounding not unlike a turboprop airplane. Our Smart came with paddle shifters (as any car with a manumatic should), which aided being in the right gear. Trust me, when passing an 18-wheel logging truck on a steep uphill climb in the nether regions between Thunder Bay and Dryden, you don’t want to be caught in the wrong gear in the Smart.

The big appeal with the ForTwo is low fuel consumption ratings: 4.6 L/100 km in the city, 3.8 on the highway. It’s also why our optioned-up $22,945 Steam Green 2006 Smart ForTwo CDI Cabriolet qualifies for a $2,000 ecoAUTO rebate. Keeping up with regular highway traffic, we’re averaging 5.18 L/100 km.

There’s a 22-litre fuel tank, but diesel’s not available everywhere. So we try not to dip into the Smart’s 5.0-litre reserve too much. This means plenty of stops, and plenty of free focus group time with our unique car.

Most of the people we’ve met know about the Smart. But they’re still surprised it’s a diesel.

Laurie, at LeClair fuels, near Wawa, Ont., mentioned her husband thinks she should ditch her domestic brand compact for a Smart.

“I just live near by, so it would make sense.”

Out of the city, the majority of traffic is transports, pickups or SUVs. So it’s understandable when Laurie asks if the larger vehicles blow around the comparatively small car.

Yes, Laurie, it does, but not as much as you would think. Between the trucks and the bumps, you get into a rhythm, like riding a horse or a jet ski. Over time, you adapt your driving style.

As per having your teenage daughter as your sidekick, from the Maritimes to the Prairies, there have been plenty of discussions about the choice of route, music, food and when to stop (which, I seem to be losing the majority of). Thankfully, Olivia’s managed to choke back the urge to scream, “THIS IS SO BORRRING!!”, the dread of any parent.

To get to Vancouver by Friday, we still have one province per day to cross. And by the time you’re reading this, we should be on a flight back to Ottawa. No doubt, this year we’ll be waving the flag on July 1 with much more meaning.