Smart Fortwo Generation II purchase advice
The cool little one
Smart Fortwo Generation II 2008 – 2014
© press-inform – the press office
Smart is waiting for its restart. Developments are currently underway for the new Smart generation, which is scheduled to come from China in 2023. The small Smart Fortwo has developed into a popular used car over the years. But not all versions are recommended for getting started. If you want, you can even get it as an electric version.
After the former Daimler AG sold the Smart factory in Hambach to the new off-road vehicle manufacturer Ineos, electric Smart Fortwos are still being manufactured to order in one wing of the production facility and are selling well. Nevertheless, many potential customers are waiting for the new generation that the newly founded Mercedes Group is currently developing together with its Chinese cooperation partner Geely. The design comes from Sindelfingen, the technology largely from China. The question remains whether future Smart models will retain their unique character, because there will probably be no successor to the two-seater Smart Fortwo from China in Generation IV.
But the Smart Fortwo has long since become a rolling legend since the late 1990s, because the former Swatch car offers more comfort than a scooter or a motorcycle and still finds its place in the city center in the smallest parking space. The Fortwo is therefore a coveted car, especially for novice drivers. But the good news first: compared to many other models, the selection of Smart Fortwo is huge due to the long production time. The models of the first generation (1998 to 2007) are showing their age and so the successor manufactured until 2014 should be the right choice for many. Although the Fortwo with the internal designation 451 grew from 2.50 to 2.70 meters with the new creation, it was more modern, more comfortable and could also be used for routes outside the inner city ring road.
With the Smart Fortwo II, the inclined small car customer has the choice between an open and a closed version, which are somewhat confusingly called coupe and cabriolet and are actually neither. Everyone has to know whether it is closed or open, but the supposed convertible variant is a mixture of Targa and a large fabric sunroof, which moves backwards electrically and makes the tour through the city even more casual because it is more airy. When it comes to diesel models, you shouldn’t just ignore the pollutant classification and corresponding entry restrictions in city centers. The supercharged three-cylinder engine in the rear rattles along enough even as a petrol engine, so that diesel feelings are not neglected. The one-liter three-cylinder petrol engine delivers between 45 kW / 61 hp and 75 kW / 102 hp. The mhd lettering on the rear that was added during the production period does not indicate hybridization, but only shows that the Smart Fortwo has an automatic start-stop system that slightly reduces consumption.
In view of its natural habitat in the city center, you are well served with any petrol engine and even the 61 hp basic version lets you be on the road quickly due to the curb weight of well under a ton, even if the automated manual transmission hardly satisfied any customers despite numerous revisions. The versions with 61 and 71 hp hardly differ noticeably in everyday city use. The 84 hp version has more panache and the 102 hp Brabus variant not only puts you in a good mood, but also shines with significantly better equipment, which is reflected in a significantly higher used car price.
From the second generation – built until 2014 – there are also two electric versions with 35 kW / 48 hp and 130 Nm maximum torque. The short-term maximum output is 55 kW / 75 hp, which increases to 62 kW / 82 hp / 135 Nm in the electric Brabus version. With a top speed of 125 / 130 km/h, the electric models are hardly any slower than 145 km/h fast combustion models. The facelift in 2010 does not bring much that is new, but ensures that the interior, which previously seemed quite inexpensive, looks a little more valuable to its maximum of two occupants. If you want to opt for a cheap Smart Fortwo, you should make sure that the mileage is well under 80,000 kilometers and that the equipment fits. Heated leather seats, automatic air conditioning and an iPhone connection make life much more pleasant than in a sparsely equipped basic model with gray fabric chairs, steel rims and no round clocks.
A well-kept Smart Fortwo Coupé Passion with 71 hp and almost 50,000 kilometers without an accident from 2010 costs less than 5,000 euros and even well-equipped 84 hp versions with a panoramic roof are still below this mark. A cool Brabus Smart Fortwo Xclusive with a matte finish and complete equipment is available as a closed coupe version for less than 8,000 euros. The electric models of the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive are not more expensive. They also start with less than 75,000 kilometers with mediocre equipment at less than 6,000 euros and should be the right choice for many city fans. They all have to come to terms with the manageable range, because in reality more than 120 kilometers are hardly possible and in winter even 100 kilometers are difficult to do. On the other hand, the real maintenance costs are microscopic.