[David Or Roy Fontaine]

I'm looking at a 2005 Smart Fortwo Turbo. He said it is a Passion but I don't see it badged as one. This is what the ad said:

I have very rare European first generation 2005 Mercedes Smart Fortwo passion for sale. It has 39K, It's a rare European import by G &K firm in California. It powered by Mercedes Benz 3 cylinders turbocharged engine. 6 speed manual automatic transmission, rear engine and rwd: could drive in either mode. It has panoramic glass roof, traction control, very nice audio system. I owned it for three years, it is way too much fun to drive around town, it loves curves roads, I upgrade the wheels and tires last October for more stability and for grip. Now it will do 80mph+ on highway very stable, all of this with 60mpg, and a tank of gas last me two and a half week. This car is very rare. You will see a lot of 08+ 2nd generation smart cars out there. They have Mitsubishi engines, terrible clunky transmission, and they weight 200 pound more.

Any input would be appreciated. I don't want to buy a junk. It is for my kid, he loves these cars!

P.S. I have the original Mini Car. A Honda AZ600 coupe! LOL That is probably where he gets liking little cars from.

Thanks,

Dave

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Welcome to SCoA!!!

That does appear to be a 450 generation (1st generation) passion converted by G&K. I see the decal on the mirror triangle and it even has the very desirable Spikeline wheels!

 

[David Or Roy Fontaine]

Thanks, I'm kinda new on these Smart cars. He wants $5,500 for it and I see 2015 for that price. Is this car worth that much?

 

[Igor Barbaros]

How accurate is the 60mpg. Does the 450 really get that?

 

[Miss Mercedes]

My 450s do about that, provided I don't drive crazy.

$5,500 for an unique 450 in good condition is pretty fair. There are not many of them of them in America and they carry a slight premium.

 

[albertlastsmart]

Grey market cars.................

The only negative aspect to a 450 smart,is availability of parts and labor in USA. Little or none!!.....................

 

[Miss Mercedes]

Yep. If you want to own a 450 in the US you better have good independent mechanic or do your own wrenching. Officially, US smart dealers do not touch them... however I have heard of stories where a dealer did agree to work on one. Your parts will also largely come from sites like eBay from places like Canada and the UK.

The 450s also have poorer rust resistance than the 451s, so if you live in a state that salts the roads you'll want to keep that undercarriage clean as much as possible.

 

[David Or Roy Fontaine]

OK, So this one should probably be put away to become a collector! So what model should I be looking for? He wants it for his first car.

Oh and this is my current Smarter Car! It is a 1972 Honda Z600 Coupe. I have had it for about 16 years now.

 

[1983JZR3W]

I had a '71 N600 Honda sedan. Really loved that little car. It was about the size of an original Mini and looked similar. I bought it new and it cost a little less than my '71 Honda CB750 at the time.

 

[Miss Mercedes]

OK, So this one should probably be put away to become a collector! So what model should I be looking for? He wants it for his first car.

Oh and this is my current Smarter Car! It is a 1972 Honda Z600 Coupe. I have had it for about 16 years now.

Honestly, I don't think the regular 450s will ever be collector cars.

There are tons of them in the world and they are a common sight in other countries. They're rare in the US, but they also aren't popular and there aren't too many years left until you can legally import 450s without converting them for federal compliance.

The roadsters are such unicorns in the US that they can fetch a small fortune right now, but even that'll come to an end once the oldest ones hit 25 years old.

I've seen a Z600 in person in a museum, it's astonishing just how tiny they are! They make smarts look like SUVs.