Looking at a smart; some questions.

[PhalThrax]

Hello there! Having lurked on this board for a few months in an attempt to learn more about the vehicle (out of curiousity), but have decided to go ahead and possibly purchase one! This decision came about due to a rather significant motor vehicle accident resulting in the destruction of my Cobalt SS Supercharged. Having lost interest in performance some time ago, I wanted to acquire a vehicle that still has a unique personality. I feel the fortwo fits this agenda perfectly.

There are two vehicles near me that I am interested in. One is an 08, red, fully-loaded with only 4,000 miles: price is $12,500. This vehicle was originally priced at $14,000 but has slowly crept its way down due to being on the lot for such an extended period (I first noticed it back in November, I believe). I ran a Carfax out of curiousity, and it came back impeccable.

The second vehicle is an equally good deal, but appears it may have some hair on it. It's an '09, blue, fully-loaded with only 800 miles: Price is $13,700. Subsequent running the Carfax, I noticed some things that make me mildly concerned. See below for the remarks (and make note of the dates, and mileage):

7/15/09 - 680 miles: Engine/powertrain computer/module reprogrammed
12/10/2009 - 783 miles: Battery replaced, Engine/powertrain computer/module reprogrammed

The vehicle was sold one month and 100 miles later. Is this maintenance normal? I recall hearing about a reprogram for '08 models, but I don't recal one for '09. I'm still ignorant about this vehicles, so I am open to any suggestions. The vehicle is 90 miles away, so I would like to scratch it away now before I make the truck down south .

Thank you very much for your time! I greatly appreciate it!

[forestacademy]

Both items listed could have been part of the 2.0 Upgrade.

Not sure why there are 2 records of it.

Depending on the cars features like factory alarm or auto lights and wipers, some 08's got a battery upgrade when the software got upgraded. BUT there has only been one upgrade not 2

But I don't recall if any early 09's needed the upgrade, But a car with that little mileage may have been running into problems keeping a charge while sitting so much. The Battery may have gone dead several times, and they may have had to reteach the car.

[rfernatt]

I think some of the early 2009s still needed the 2.0 software upgrade and were eligible for the free battery upgrade as well. I would hazard a guess that the entries you're seeing are for the same thing. Batteries were sometimes not available when they did the software upgrade and you had to come back for the battery installation. I bet it was simply the 2.0 software reprogram and then later the battery swap also coded as the upgrade. Probably nothing wrong at all...

[John_H]

Are those prices for cabriolets? If so, not a bad price. If it's for a passion, check the price for a brand new 2009 from your closest dealer; with the discounts and incentives, you might find new is better than used. But new cabrios won't go that low.

The service sounds like the normal "2.0 update" which applies to all 2008s and - I'm pretty sure - many 2009s. The original battery was underpowered for a vehicle with specific options that leave a constant drain on the battery when "off." I wouldn't expect the reprogramming to be needed more than once but perhaps someone didn't check the notes on what was already done to the car.

If you look more, you might even find lower prices. It's a sad time for selling cars.

[NeWave]

I have a particularly early 09, (10/08 I think) and it came already with the Updated battery and 2.0 shifting...unless the dealer snuck it in before I took delivery.
There's nothing wrong with either car. Standard procedure. Just pick one, there will be no dissapointment!

[Padawan]

Do you have a smart center near you?

[PhalThrax]

Thank you all for the kind replies. I appreciate your time!

Originally Posted by John_H

If you look more, you might even find lower prices. It's a sad time for selling cars.

I looked extensively, but all these two were the best deals that I could find within 100 miles. I may look some more, though, if these deals don't work out.

And these are both coupes.

Originally Posted by NeWave

I have a particularly early 09, (10/08 I think) and it came already with the Updated battery and 2.0 shifting...unless the dealer snuck it in before I took delivery.
There's nothing wrong with either car. Standard procedure. Just pick one, there will be no dissapointment!

This is excellent to hear! Thank you.

Originally Posted by Padawan

Do you have a smart center near you?

I live in central Massachusetts, and there are four within 100 miles of me (which is extremely beneficial). I was pleased to find this out.

Thank you all once again. Your responses certainly gave me some relief. I'm looking forward to becoming a smart owner!

[John_H]

Originally Posted by PhalThrax

And these are both coupes.

Absolutely look at new car prices. An '08 cabrio here without an outrageous number of miles didn't sell at $12.9k.

The discounts and incentives are there for new!

[PhalThrax]

Originally Posted by John_H

Absolutely look at new car prices. An '08 cabrio here without an outrageous number of miles didn't sell at $12.9k.

The discounts and incentives are there for new!

I must be blind. I've looked around my area, and I can't find a brand new passion coupe (loaded) for under $15,000. These are prices on their website, so maybe the dealerships offer incentives at the door.

I'm going shopping this weekend to check out the blue one I posted. I'm very excited. Being 6'6" tall, this could be an interesting experience! Ha!

Thank you all once again for your assistance in this regard!

[Nikosmart]

I still think these cars are about 3 thousand dollars too high in price. They would sell like hotcakes if they were lowered to this level. They are copying the Big3- sell high priced, buy back at lowest price. A 15 thousand dollar smart coupe in one year drops to 11 thousand. I think that is outrageous. If it started at 13 and dropped to 10, that would be more reasonable. I think they (smart) should competitively price these cars, at least initially, and sell in volume for the first few years to get a loyal following and a huge number of cars on the road. The prices have scared more than a few people away from the dealerships. I went for a test drive this winter, and other people there for the same purpose said that the price was a deal breaker for them. Especially in this tough economic time, they should try to sell a LOT of cars at a lower price to get established, and then bump up the price as times improve and people have a little more expendible income. But who am I, just the 300 pound gorilla in the room.