Used Smart City Coupe review and buying guide (2000 to 2004): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Smart City Coupe should you buy?

Go for a right-hand-drive City Coupe from early 2002 onwards, because cars sold before then were left-hand drive only. The petrols run a 599cc or 698cc engine, and the known engine fault covers both, so picking a later year doesn't buy you a safer engine. What makes the difference is the state of the particular engine you're looking at.

Engine wear is the thing that decides this purchase. Turbos fail and the engines start drinking oil, usually between 40,000 and 70,000 miles, with some needing a full rebuild by 60,000. A low-mileage car isn't automatically safe, but one under 40,000 miles that uses no oil, or a higher-mileage one with paperwork for a rebuild or a new turbo, is the car to buy. Remember it's a strict two-seater, too.

Which City Coupe engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

There's no safe engine choice here, because both the 599cc and 698cc petrols carry the same High known fault. Engine wear and turbo failure lead to heavy oil use, blue exhaust smoke and misfires from burnt exhaust valves, and the cure on a bad one is a full rebuild. Pick on evidence instead: an engine that doesn't smoke, doesn't misfire and doesn't need topping up between services is the lesser risk.

The CDI diesel turns up as a left-hand-drive car, and there's too little evidence on it to call it a better bet than the petrol. The gearbox and the accelerator both feel odd at first, so don't judge the car on your first few minutes behind the wheel; give it a proper run before you decide whether the gearbox is behaving or you just haven't got used to it.

What should you check when viewing a used City Coupe?

Watch the exhaust as the engine starts and as you pull away: blue smoke means it's burning oil, and that's the known fault showing itself. Pull the dipstick and ask the seller how often it needs topping up. A rough idle or a misfire points to burnt exhaust valves. Ask for receipts if a turbo or engine rebuild has been done, since that's the job that decides whether the car's worth having.

Get underneath and look hard at the exhaust. The silencer boxes rust through from the inside, and the manifolds can crack, so listen for blowing from the back of the car, where the engine sits. Coil springs are breaking more and more often, snapping at the top, so check each corner sits level and listen for clonks over bumps.

If the car was one of the 602 imported in 1998 and 1999, ask for proof of the recall work: a stability control software update and checks on the front axle ball joints and the throttle pedal module. Don't expect hot-hatch grip in corners, though fitting broader tyres on the front helps a lot. The rear side windows can be prised out by hand, so never leave anything in it.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What do City Coupe owners like about them?

Spares and servicing are available from independent specialists, so you aren't tied to a main dealer to keep one going. That matters on a small, unusual car that's now getting on, because a specialist who knows the engine is the person you'll want looking at it when something odd crops up.

One Smart ForTwo has gone past 339,600 miles without its engine or gearbox ever being replaced, with just one new clutch along the way at 96,000 miles. That's one car, but it shows how far one can go when it's looked after. If the luggage room feels tight, there are modifications that free up more space, so the small size isn't the end of the story.

• The Smart City Coupe performed well in a German front offside crash test conducted by TUV/Auto Bild.
• This model achieved a three-star NCAP crash safety rating, indicating a good level of occupant protection.
• The Smart City Coupe and Cabrio ranked fifth overall in the 2003 What Car? J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey.
• The Smart City Coupe was reported as 100% breakdown-free in a 2003 Which? survey, highlighting its reliability.
• This car was rated as the 19th top vehicle out of 137 in a 2003 Top Gear survey, indicating high owner satisfaction.