Canadian Smart Car

[anthonype3]

Does anyone know if there are any issues with buying a Smart Car in Canada and then getting the title transferd to the U.S.?

That diesel at 60+ mpg sure is tempting.

[Carnut]

I believe that I read there is a way, but only if the car has 7500 miles on it, and the owner moves to the USA????

[MicroNut]

Originally Posted by anthonype3

Does anyone know if there are any issues with buying a Smart Car in Canada and then getting the title transferd to the U.S.?

The answer is, technically, it's not legal. Any car originally sold in Canada can be permanently imported into the US only if the manufacturer supplies the importer with a letter saying it complies with all Federal safety and emissions standards. Alternatively you can have a registered importer (RI) modify it to meet those standards. Currently there are no RI's certified to modify the diesel 450 to US requirements.

Daimler won't provide a letter for the Canadian diesel 450, because it doesn't meet EPA emissions standards. You might get a letter for the Canadian 451 (non-diesel), but not much point other than possibly a shorter wait time.

On the other hand, you could buy a used diesel in Canada and drive it across the border, and hope 1) your state is not very rigorous in checking for US Federal stickers when titling it, and 2) you don't get caught. Getting caught could result in the vehicle being impounded and destroyed.

PS: These conditions only apply to vehicles less than 25 years old. Older cars can be imported without any of the hassle.

[Old smart]

Back in July I talked to a M-B/smart dealer in Vancouver, BC. (Like the U.S., Canada wasn

[SmartBob]

Um.....it won't get thru American yearly inspection unless you know some one, nudge, wink, say no more.

[anthonype3]

Here is the official reply form Smart Car Canada.



Thank you for your interest in smart.

While we appreciate your interest in smart, please note that the smart
fortwo's which are certified for the Canadian market are not homologated
for the US market and will therefore not comply for export. Unfortunately,
modifications are not possible to make this vehicle compliant for the
United States and it would not be possible to register/licence/insure a
Canadian version smart in the United States.

For more information on the smart brand and when it will launch in the
United States, please visit the US website.

Best regards,

Andrew Bedard
Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.
smart Canada Division
email:cac@mercedes-benz.ca
1-800-387-0100
1-877-627-8004

[SmartBob]

And there you have it along with an unusual word "homologated".

[Old smart]

"Homologated" isn't that strange to the rest of the civilized world (just means "standardized"). 'Member the much vaunted but phoney-badged Pontiac GTO - a cognomen swiped directly from the very real Ferrari 250 GTO (Gran Turisma Omologata), of which a minimal number of 100 had to be constructed and offered for public consumption to be F.I.A. eligible for the GT racing class. Anyway....

I did not mean to imply that what I was told in Vancouver was the end truth; just what the dealer had then been told. But you can bet that an experienced grey-market converter like G&K can do a Canuk 451 it a lot easier than they have 450s.

[BeSmart]

Originally Posted by anthonype3

Here is the official reply form Smart Car Canada.
Thank you for your interest in smart. For more information on the smart brand and when it will launch in the
United States, please visit the US website.
Best regards,
Andrew Bedard
Mercedes-Benz Canada Inc.

This response from Smart Car Canada smacks of protectionism. Protecting the US distribution network,ie, PAG, IB, and all the to-be designated dealers. Oh well, business, business, business... The waiting is killing me I keep thinking of all those lonely little smarties waiting in Smartville for homes and families in the US. ;)

[propes]

I'm more curious about moving a 451 across the border.