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Hello all,
I've been in the market for a new (to me) car for a month or two now and was looking mainly at subcompact vehicles as I was intending to downgrade in size from my standard sized sedan. I stumbled across the smart Fortwo and was instantly intrigued, much more so than I was by any other make/model in my price range. I managed to find one at a dealer about an hour away that seems like a great deal. It's a 2016 Prime (gas model) with 22000 miles for $7200 and they say it's still under warranty (the details of which I'd need to further inquire on). My budget for a car is $12000 MAX however I was hoping to keep it under $10000 if I could. I found a few nice cars in that range but nothing that comes remotely close to the excitement and curiosity the site of the Fortwo struck in me. After doing a bunch of research I sold myself on it. Then I tried to sell my girlfriend, family and friends on it, and failed horribly. The reason this car appeals to me is primarily its value and size. It's near unheard of to find a 2016 of any make or model with such low mileage for that price. Also parking is a HUGE problem in my city. Some nights it can take me an upwards of 30 minutes to find a parking spot in my neighborhood and even then it's a 10 minute walk away from home. I think the Fortwo could help A LOT with this because I can't tell you how many times there are spots "just a little too small" for my car that a Fortwo could easily slide into. Some of their points they made against the Fortwo have me fearing buyer's remorse down the line now though. Primarily concerning being limited to a strictly two seater vehicle for such a long time and the lack of cargo space. After all, I want to keep the car for at least 5-7 years. I argued that in the last 5 years I've had my current 5 seat sedan I've only ever had more than one person in it at a time a handful of times. Nor do I rarely ever have more stored in my car than a pair of jumper cables, a backpack, and some other small odds and ends like a box of tissues. Even when I go shopping the trips usually produce no more than half a dozen standard sized bags worth of loot which I can imagine would store just fine. This is why I think I can live with the exceptionally small size of the Fortwo and that's what I told the naysayers in my life. They say though that just because that's how I've lived my life up until now that it's not guaranteed my circumstances won't change. And they're not wrong. I could have a kid between now and then, especially as I am in my early-mid twenties with a serious girlfriend. If I ever need to move into a new place I'd have to borrow or rent a bigger vehicle or be forced to do about two dozen trips to move all of my belongings. Even just the rare occasion I buy something big, like a table set for example, I'd now have to nag a friend to pick it up for me or me or pay for delivery. I am starting to sink into their mindset that sacrificing the 2 extra seats/space even the next in line smallest cars offer is not worth the money I've be saving and ease of parking. However the only other cars that come remotely close in year/mileage to this Fortwo are still nearing $9000. It's hard to decide whether almost $2000 is worth the security and peace of mind having those extra seats will have despite the fact I will likely never/rarely use them. Anyone have any thoughts or advice to share with me?
tl;dr
I want a smart now but I fear in the future the limitations might make me regret my purchase. Any advice to help ease my mind and come to a clear decision?
Thank you for your time and consideration,
wannabesmartie
I've been in the market for a new (to me) car for a month or two now and was looking mainly at subcompact vehicles as I was intending to downgrade in size from my standard sized sedan. I stumbled across the smart Fortwo and was instantly intrigued, much more so than I was by any other make/model in my price range. I managed to find one at a dealer about an hour away that seems like a great deal. It's a 2016 Prime (gas model) with 22000 miles for $7200 and they say it's still under warranty (the details of which I'd need to further inquire on). My budget for a car is $12000 MAX however I was hoping to keep it under $10000 if I could. I found a few nice cars in that range but nothing that comes remotely close to the excitement and curiosity the site of the Fortwo struck in me. After doing a bunch of research I sold myself on it. Then I tried to sell my girlfriend, family and friends on it, and failed horribly. The reason this car appeals to me is primarily its value and size. It's near unheard of to find a 2016 of any make or model with such low mileage for that price. Also parking is a HUGE problem in my city. Some nights it can take me an upwards of 30 minutes to find a parking spot in my neighborhood and even then it's a 10 minute walk away from home. I think the Fortwo could help A LOT with this because I can't tell you how many times there are spots "just a little too small" for my car that a Fortwo could easily slide into. Some of their points they made against the Fortwo have me fearing buyer's remorse down the line now though. Primarily concerning being limited to a strictly two seater vehicle for such a long time and the lack of cargo space. After all, I want to keep the car for at least 5-7 years. I argued that in the last 5 years I've had my current 5 seat sedan I've only ever had more than one person in it at a time a handful of times. Nor do I rarely ever have more stored in my car than a pair of jumper cables, a backpack, and some other small odds and ends like a box of tissues. Even when I go shopping the trips usually produce no more than half a dozen standard sized bags worth of loot which I can imagine would store just fine. This is why I think I can live with the exceptionally small size of the Fortwo and that's what I told the naysayers in my life. They say though that just because that's how I've lived my life up until now that it's not guaranteed my circumstances won't change. And they're not wrong. I could have a kid between now and then, especially as I am in my early-mid twenties with a serious girlfriend. If I ever need to move into a new place I'd have to borrow or rent a bigger vehicle or be forced to do about two dozen trips to move all of my belongings. Even just the rare occasion I buy something big, like a table set for example, I'd now have to nag a friend to pick it up for me or me or pay for delivery. I am starting to sink into their mindset that sacrificing the 2 extra seats/space even the next in line smallest cars offer is not worth the money I've be saving and ease of parking. However the only other cars that come remotely close in year/mileage to this Fortwo are still nearing $9000. It's hard to decide whether almost $2000 is worth the security and peace of mind having those extra seats will have despite the fact I will likely never/rarely use them. Anyone have any thoughts or advice to share with me?
tl;dr
I want a smart now but I fear in the future the limitations might make me regret my purchase. Any advice to help ease my mind and come to a clear decision?
Thank you for your time and consideration,
wannabesmartie
