Smart Car For Two 2005-6 diesel Are they worth buying

[trying59 0]

I considering buying a 2005 or 2006  diesel the Canadian models.   I m seeing them for 3500 to 5 grand with 75 000 to 110 000 K .   I ve done my reading up on them but having pulled the trigger due to the common issues of turbo , cdi etc going .   Really how common are the break downs ?   I want a something I can drive and keep for at least 40 000 k or about 3 years or so without forking out mega cash for parts.  

Edited July 14, 2017 by trying59

[MikeT 744]

SAM problems are very common and should be checked before buying.  Other problems are less common.  Keith (smartzuum) in Abbotsford is selling a super rare red on red Canada 1 coupe with 100K for $6K, it's a good car.  Check the classifieds.

[Henry 40]

Hi trying59  

Welcome to the club.

If you are drawn to be smart because they are unique and stand out from the crowd and you are ok with the same acceleration as a fully loaded semi then a smart could be for you.

The truth.
Please be aware that the car is not very forgiving if you don't look after it, and can be costly to repair.  They hold 2.7 litres of oil and running low on oil or over filling can harm your engine.  The 800cc engine works quite hard to push the little car around so after a hard run give it time to catch it's breath before shutting it down, the turbo gets very hot and receives it's lubrication from the engine oil, so after a run idling in the driveway for a few minutes will bring the turbo temps way down and prolong its life.  My opinion is most turbo problems can be traced back to the operator not observing this step.  The ride is a bit harsh and hitting a large pothole at speed will set off the airbags. They are not as reliable as a Toyota, the passenger seat does not recline, there is no spare tire, and they have a habit of burning out headlights.  If you like to do your own or know a good mechanic that can do the maintenance there really is no problem with desiel fortwos. 

More truth

The smarts are fun to drive.  Get around town quickly and safely.  They carry the same 5 star safety rating as a Corolla. Two of my three daughters drive them. Third daughter used to ,but now has a daughter of her own.  You can park almost anywhere.  The cdi uses between three to six litres per hundred kilometres dependant on how you drive them.  I've seen 2.6 litres per 100, some have done much better, my norm is around 5, or 60 miles an imperial gallon.

They quickly become more a part of the family than a mode of transportation.  You will quickly start taking it everywhere, I live in the Vancouver area and I have had mine down to Palm springs and across to Saskatchewan. 

Sorry didn't mean to write a book here.

Welcome to the club

Alan

 

 

 

 

[Leadwing 565]

to the club!

 

Buying an eleven or twelve year old car of any make is a crap shoot at best.

 

That said, if your driving is mainly stop and go city driving, then I would say no.  Better off buying a gas or electric model.

 

My 2005 has only given me trouble with an alternator due to a lack of use because I used my 2006 Cabrio in the summer and the coupe sat from about March to October.. It had about 94,000 km. on it when purchased and now has close to 190,000.  NO turbo issues but one stuck waste gate (cleaned and now working fine)

 

The 2006 Cabrio was purchased with approximately 4,500 km on it and it is currently pushing 65,000 km. with no issues at all (except for contact with a deer last summer)

 

The car mentioned above (in Mike T's post) has been well cared for and should be a good buy, but if $6K is too much for your bank account, you could try looking into Kijiji, Auto Trader or other classified ads.

 

The novel just posted (above) by "Henry" covers a lot of good information, particularly on the subject of the turbo.  BTW, a big plus 1 on the fun to drive.

[MikeT 744]

Road trips, yeah.  We drove our smart from Toronto to Vancouver Island in February 2010.  We drove it from Vancouver Island to the Coachella Valley in California and back last October.  We've been to the Rocky Mountain parks a few times with it.  It's actually a good road trip car, with the remap.  High maintenance, yes.

[LooseLugNuts 557]

depends on the car ...and on the person buying it

 

i wouldnt recommend it if youre a turn key type person...but i would if youre a turn wrench type

[MikeT 744]

Even then, having some electronic equipment and skills would be needed too.  No diesel smart is cheap transportation.  They never were.

[smart142 605]

A friend of mine has 300,000 kms on his smart. He estimates that he saves $1000 for every 10,000 kms driven instead of driving his big pickup.

[MikeT 744]

If you get a good one, yeah.  Buying a 12 year old one is a crap shoot, as the Club President says.

[smartzuuk 167]

Fuel savings could still easily be in the 3-4 litres per 100km range depending on what you are replacing

 

That's probably close to $400 or $500 fuel savings every 10,000 km

 

But with maintenance costs at $1,000 a year more than a cheaper newer car, your fuel savings are gone

 

That said, parking is a breeze, and a cabrio still makes quite a statement

 

Unlikely anyone would do this today for economics, with many other really frugal choices out there, but there's people that still love the idea! A realtor seems interested in my canada1 coupe... lol, we'll see.

[Happytime 0]

Hi I need an opinion. I’m looking to buy this 2006 grand style green coloured smart with 225k km on it on Craigslist right now. There’s been on a bunch of work done to it by Mercedes last year. Would I be digging myself into a hole? I do a lot of local driving and would maybe drive it on the highway a couple days a week to work. Would really appreciate an opinion on whether I should be looking at gas smarts with lower km. If so what is a good range km to buy for gas? Thanks

Edited November 1, 2017 by Happytime

[MikeT 744]

for a city driven cdi, probably 250,000 km is the most you can hope for before suffering major problems.  For one used mostly on the highway, it could be over 300,000 km.  So that car is most likely very near the end of its service life.

[lebikerboy 96]

+1...

[smartnhappy 218]

I’ve got an ‘05 Passion with 130,000km on it that I bought new.  Licence plate ‘75 MPG’ since new also.

Never had trouble getting that, with a sensible right foot.

Drove it out west in 2011 for 11,000km @ 74.1 MPG.

It got a new engine @ 80,000km and a new alternator recently.

Standard repairs like reluctor rings, front springs (due to potholes) and front bearings have been done.

It needs a windshield (chips), front brakes (rotors and pads) and 2 rear tires to pass safety.

This is all typical of ‘05 & ‘06 Smart cars. I used it for work, driving 80km daily @ 110km/hr for several years... no trouble.

But now it’s mostly retired and should be sold to someone that will use it regularly (I have 2 x ‘06 Smarts as well).

I’d caution anyone looking at a high mileage vehicle.

250,000km/11 years = more annual mileage than most leases allow.

There are decent low-mileage diesel Smarts out there.  I just got an ‘06 Grandstyle with only 48,000km on it.

As everybody is saying, they ain’t cheap to service or maintain, but the more they’re used, the better.