2018 Honda Metropolitan

The Metropolitan scooter may look like it belongs in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but its true home is on the street. Snarling (not!) performance comes from a fuel-injected 49cc four-stroke single that returns an advertised 117 mpg in urban duty—impressive stats even for a 179-pound machine riding on wheelbarrow-sized 10-inch tires. In reality, the elegant design will probably sell more people on the Metropolitan than will its data points. Decidedly Italian-looking, the rounded lines begin at the front fender, and then sweep upward and rearward in a graceful array of forms that are, well, almost feminine. But we’ll just call the styling “classic” instead.

Honda didn’t forget functionality when designing the Metropolitan. Useful features include 22 liters of underseat storage, a bag hook located on the cowl ahead of the rider’s knees, and a combined braking system that operates both front and rear drums when the rear brake lever is activated. Adding a Honda accessory rear rack and trunk further expands the Metropolitan’s usefulness.

Likes: Elegant looks, fuel-injected efficiency

Dislikes: A bit sketchy for mixing with fast-moving traffic

Verdict: A gorgeously designed, budget-friendly commuter