Why are so many people selling fortwo's with low miles?

homeslice · 05-19-2009, 08:07 PM

I've been checking out Autotrader.com on a regular basis and I have noticed out of every brand car I've ever looked at that people are selling, there are hundreds of people dumping their fortwo's shortly after buying them.

I cannot understand why this is happening. None of the people will give me a real, honest answer. Why on earth would people wait a long time to get a car only to get rid of it 30-120 days later? I don't get it. People seem to love this car. Why aren't people keeping them after buying them?

I will be in the market to buy one next year and I am doing all of my research on the vehicle now before buying one. I rented a Cabriolet. At first I didn't like it, but then later on in the day I learned how to use the paddle shifters and the car became fun to drive. My wife thought I was nuts to rent the car but then after she sat in it and drove it around the block, she fell in love with it. The slow shifting didn't seem to bother her or any of the people we let drive the car around the block.

Look at the flood of Smart fortwos for sale right now all over the place with under 10,000 miles.

Smart fortwo's with low miles

I don't get it. Why don't people just keep them and put the typical 36,000 to 60,000 miles on the car like you'd normally do with a Honda or Toyota before getting rid of it?

I love the car and all the mods. I just feel like there is something hidden about this car that Smart owners know and won't tell anyone, so they end up dumping the car. I don't know if it's reliability issues, or people are just not happy with the power of the vehicle or they are tired of people bugging them about it on a regular basis.

All I know is that if I plunked down all that money to buy one, I'd keep it and put at least 300,000 miles on it before getting rid of it. If I needed more space or an SUV, I'd keep the Smart and either buy a 2nd vehicle or rent a vehicle to fit my needs.

I remember back in 2001 when gas hit $2.55/gallon. People were all over the news boo-hoo-hooing about how they can't afford to get to work and all sorts of stuff. Well, now it's 2009 and it's happened again, yet people still keep driving their gas hogs like it's no big deal.

Am I missing something?

I can't wait until 1/2 the cars on the road are like the Smart Car and all of the SUV's on the road hit the salvage yards.

Carlarm · 05-19-2009, 08:39 PM

Most likely, people who had a smart on order got tired of waiting and bought an orphan. In a couple months they were notified that the one they ordered would soon arrive. They decided that they wanted a smart with the particular features they ordered and want to sell their current car which is not exactly what they wanted.

A year ago one could make a small profit by buying a smart for list price and then selling it at a higher price as used. This situation didn't last long. Perhaps some people still think they can do this.

Possibly, some owners bought their smart on an impulse and now decide that they don't like it or it doesn't fit their lifestyle.

Lastly, note that these cars haven't been in the US long enough for most of them to accumulate a lot of mileage. So if someone is going to sell their smart it won't have much mileage on it.

As for myself, I plan on keeping my smart for a very long time. I've got more than 6,000 miles on my '09 and am very happy with it. When I drive a "normal" size car now it feels extraordinarily huge and ungainly.

homeslice · 05-19-2009, 08:43 PM

I can't wait to buy one. I've been researching wraps and all kinds of mods. I was hoping to save up the cash. But after reading, now I want a Brabus because of the suspension and handling. For me to upgrade the rims, handling and body parts, it would cost almost the same price. I'd rather have it all from the factory. Plus I would not want to lose the tire pressure monitor function by buying some other after market rims.

JusNameMe · 05-19-2009, 09:54 PM

I don't know why they are selling their cars, but I was glad. Now I have two, a panoramic roof and a convertible. I love them both! I will be shipping the carbrio to Hawaii next month and keep the hard top state side for when I come back home for my next visit.

Life is good!

**JPaul** · 05-20-2009, 01:11 AM

Welcome 'homeslice'!
Another cause may be the current economy. Many Dealers are offering big incentives to move their stock and a low monthly lease payment may be tempting in these difficult times?

jimvw57 · 05-20-2009, 03:50 AM

I think JPaul hit it. With all the layoffs and hard times, people are looking for ways to cut their monthly bills. When you don't have to drive to a job, what good is a car that gets great milage especially if you are making payments on it. They are better off with a gas guzzling SUV that is paid off.
There are those who bought thinking it was 'cute' and then found out they HAD to have room for more than 2, a cushy suspension, towing capacity, etc. These cars are not for everyone. I am glad it fits with what I need. They are fun to drive!! I will be one of those with 300,000+ miles on mine.

forestacademy · 05-20-2009, 04:36 AM

Looking at the add the prices don't seem to be to out of line. Oh wait you put a max price on your search. And if you are planning on wraping it then color doesn't make a difference so no advantage with going for a yellow.

Many of those cars are at dealers to get folks in as a teaser. Last year if you searched you might find the same VIN listed at several dealers.

Like someone said, some folks thought they could still make a quick buck but quickly learned things have changed.

Big Panda · 05-20-2009, 04:47 AM

Keep my smart as well. I think many people are really intrigued by it at first and buy one but then find out it really doesn't fit their lifestyle.

Also, many initially bought them in hopes of unloading them quickly, turning a quick profit with demand far exceeding the supply. But then the economy took a dump and their now stuck with them, since most if not all smart centers have plenty on their lots.

Regardless of their reasoning, I LOVE MY SMART and hopefully it will love ME for many, many years......

forestacademy · 05-20-2009, 05:13 AM

One more thing, Folks have a short memory.

Just this morning I saw 2 of my neighbors have just Upsized thir cars to SUV's.

stephensussman · 05-20-2009, 06:07 AM

well here is my two cents worth, we went to look,, we bought and did not trade in for the simple reason if we needed a bigger vechicle we had one , the wife loves it i love it and we still have a 99 cavalier and two sm p/u's if we need em , but the smart saves us money on gas back and forth to my wifes job ( cavalier does good also smart does better) i am looking for another smart for me ! ford ranger get 25- 28 miles per gallon so it a want to drive and have some fun car not a mileage thing. for what its worth the ranger has 301 thousand on it the s-10 ,,269 thousand the cavalier 152 thousand . so guess were not getting rid of the smart any time soon the insurance for the smart increased my policy by 300. per year so still no biggie and thats full coverage with erie insurance .