[JohnC626]

Hello everyone,

Couldn't find any answers so I'm asking here. I am a bit curious as to why some 2016 smart fortwo's are being sold relatively cheap. I see them on craigslist and CarMax being sold for $10K or less. They are the white/orange exterior with black/orange interior or blue/white exterior with blue/white interior. They are the non-convertibles, still under warranty and always have 10K miles or less. Do these depreciate quickly or should I suspect something?

Thanks!

 

[twcom]

Be as cautious and suspect as you need to be as with any used car deal. I picked up a lease return 2014 Passion 23,000 miles for $3,999. Had a broken passenger mirror and some nicked panels. I am $500. Dollars in and have all fresh panels and slapped on a used power mirror. I could have done better ordering parts on line instead on getting from local dealer, but I was impatient and wanted them right away since all were in stock at the local Mercedes Benz dealer. All work was simple and seamless took less than 2 hours. So it's been the best $4,500 dollars I've ever spent. It's a party on wheels.

So if you find one in your price range. Go to a Dealer and test drive a brand new one. Then immediately go test drive the used one you are interested in. Then with all your caution negotiate. Im in love with my little car.

As to the question why so cheap. They are a limited purpose vehicle so they with some entry level new cars pressuring their price points.

 

[JohnC626]

Useful information. Thank you.

 

[10470]

I sold my loaded low-mileage 2016 Prime to Carmax about 10 months ago for just $9000. Couldn’t even get a single inquiry of interest from SCoA members.

 

[elmosisu]

Sounds about right. We paid $10,000 for our 2016 with 10k miles from a dealer! Amazing deal. Like new

 

[Gilead]

It's a party on Wheels!!!

Be as cautious and suspect as you need to be as with any used car deal. I picked up a lease return 2014 Passion 23,000 miles for $3,999. Had a broken passenger mirror and some nicked panels. I am $500. Dollars in and have all fresh panels and slapped on a used power mirror. I could have done better ordering parts on line instead on getting from local dealer, but I was impatient and wanted them right away since all were in stock at the local Mercedes Benz dealer. All work was simple and seamless took less than 2 hours. So it's been the best $4,500 dollars I've ever spent. It's a party on wheels.

So if you find one in your price range. Go to a Dealer and test drive a brand new one. Then immediately go test drive the used one you are interested in. Then with all your caution negotiate. Im in love with my little car.

As to the question why so cheap. They are a limited purpose vehicle so they with some entry level new cars pressuring their price points.

:laugh:

 

[Smarty918]

I bought my 2016 Smart Passion for $9500 with 7500 miles on it. Best car purchase to date. My father in-laws looking at an 09 with 45000 on it and there asking $5900. So I would say 10k is good

 

[Jo e Lefors]

I sold my loaded low-mileage 2016 Prime to Carmax about 10 months ago for just $9000. Couldn’t even get a single inquiry of interest from SCoA members.

I think the SCoA members were a little peeved you were asking us to pay more than you were willing to accept from CarMax.

I bought my 2009 smart last year. I had an ad on Craigslist offering up to $500 more than any bonafide written offer by a Dealer or Carmax. I was in Phoenix looking at a 2008 when I got the call. A guy was selling his wife's 2009 he had just bought 6 months ago. She hated it. He replaced it with a Jaguar convertible and wanted to get rid of the smart. He showed me the CarMax offer. I offered $400 more than CarMax and the deal was done. He got more than CarMax was offering, I got a great deal of just under $4000 for a 2009 smart cabriolet with 46,000. And I didn't feel like a huckster, I thought it was a business deal.
Full history of my car. Fletcher Jones originally sold the car to a couple from St.George, UT where it lived until the guy from here in Henderson bought it for his wife. Then I bought it. Pretty short story

 

[Jo e Lefors]

I will admit once you have owned and put the "Villatoro" touch to your cars, they are probably better than showroom new.

 

[10470]

I think the SCoA members were a little peeved you were asking us to pay more than you were willing to accept from CarMax.

Jo e, I had made it clear that I was quite open to offers, but I didn’t care for your request (back then) that I should disclose CarMax’s offer so that you or others might match it. That seemed opportunistic to me, and didn’t sit well. Sounded like a car huckster who’d say, “Bring me any bonafide deal from another dealer, and I’ll match it.” No, thanks! CarMax was forthright with their offer, with no overtone of gamesmanship. If you had made me the same offer as CarMax, yet not predicated on knowledge of what they were willing to pay, I would‘ve taken it.

Sorry, I don’t like feeling opportunistically wheedled, and would rather take a few dollars less, for a straight deal.

 

[ComebackKid]

^^And that right there's exactly why he didn't sell it on this forum

 

[Jo e Lefors]

^^And that right there's exactly why he didn't sell it on this forum

Yep,

 

[MB DNA]

Hard to sell anything smart as a Private Party "open to offers."

On SCoA - preachin' to a choir of owners looking to "steal it."

Sometimes such debates are best handled by PM . . . :shrug:

 

[Jo e Lefors]

Hard to sell anything smart as a Private Party "open to offers."

On SCoA - preachin' to a choir of owners looking to "steal it."

Sometimes such debates are best handled by PM . . . :shrug:[/quote]

Not if one is open and transparent. No one here was looking to as You say "Steal It".