Five Days Later: What the car forsakes in the backseat it makes up for in a spacious front seat and trunk space.

FORBES: Car of the Week: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250

Once aboard the German carrier's A346, he was led to his first-class suite, where a spacious leather seat and ottoman ran the length of four airplane windows and various compartments overflowed with noise-canceling headphones, menus, pajamas and slippers.

CNN: Amazing first-class air cabins

Still, from the driver's seat, the iQ feels relaxed and comfortable, even spacious, with a 37.7 inches of headroom, 40.9 inches of legroom and 53.1 inches of shoulder room, figures comparable to those of that obscene leviathan, the Toyota Corolla.

WSJ: 2012 Scion iQ Review: Slow, Whiny, Tiny��but Great to Park | Rumble Seat by Dan Neil