Ranked #281 car in the UK · City car · 8 units sold last year
Smart ForFour (old)
The Smart ForFour (2014-2020) is the four-seat city car - co-developed with the Renault Twingo, sharing its rear-engined layout for a tiny turning circle and clever urban packaging. Petrol engines and the electric EQ ForFour feature. It's a genuine four-seater in a city-car footprint, ideal for town use, if firm-riding and noisy at speed. As a used buy it's a characterful, ultra-manoeuvrable city car, with the EQ electric suiting short urban hops.
How these figures are sourced — the valuation is anchored to a researched used-market price for this model (AutoTrader median, 2023 at 30k miles). Reliability, mileage and variant data are real DVSA MOT records. Dimensions, tyre sizes and costs, servicing figures and the insurance group are segment-level estimates rather than sourced per car, and are being replaced model by model.
Smart
ForFour (old)
No photo on file
- Body
- City car
- Years
- 2018–2020
- Fuel
- Petrol / Electric
- Economy
- 53 mpg
- Insurance
- Group 5
combined
The short version
The Smart ForFour (old) is cheaper to run than most.
Pick your version
Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.
Fuel
Petrol · 898cc
Power
90 ps
Drivetrain
RWD
Cam drive
Chain
Quoted MPG
53 mpg
Smart ForFour 4-seat city car — 0.9 turbo, 90 PS, RWD (rear-engined). Discontinued in UK 2020. Petrol or electric only - no diesel.
Tell us about the one you're looking at
Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.
Remembered as you browse other cars.
Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.
Estimated market value
How we got this number — click for the breakdown, or to challenge it.£6,100
Range £4,650 – £7,750
medium confidence
The depreciation curve
How a 2020-registration Smart ForFour (old) loses value over time.
What it costs to own
Based on the 2020 car with 45,204 miles you entered above — worth about £6,100 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 7,534 miles a year.
5-year total
£13,261
Per year
£2,652
All-in per mile
£0.35
Fuel per mile
14.9p
Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.
How it compares
Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.
Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.
Estimated insurance
Group 5 of 50 (very low — cheap to insure) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB
Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.
Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39
£460/ year
Roughly £38 per month
Typical
Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.| Age band | Lower risk | Typical | Higher risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age 17-25 | £1,049 | £1,311 | £1,704 |
| Age 26-32 | £547 | £644 | £786 |
| Age 33-39Selected | £405 | £460 | £543 |
| Age 40-49 | £344 | £382 | £443 |
| Age 50+ | £306 | £340 | £402 |
How we estimate this
Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.
Expected annual costs
Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).
Routine service
£185
Annual main-dealer service
Major service
£210
Every 2 years, annualised
Road tax
£200
Standard rate, post year-one
Fuel
£1,121
53 mpg, £1.73/L
Insurance
£460
Age 33-39, group 5
Clean-air zones
⚠ Depends on variantBased on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.
Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).
Unexpected costs
What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.
0-30k miles
£80
per year · low risk
30-60k miles
£240
per year · low risk
60-100k miles
£520
per year · medium risk
100k+ miles
£900
per year · high risk
Tyres
175/65 R14 · 185/60 R15
What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.
Budget
£300
set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre
Mid-range
£440
set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre
Premium
£620
set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre
What to fit
Optional extras worth paying for
Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.
| Option | New cost | Added used value | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it. | £650 | £450 | 69% |
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns. | £500 | £300 | 60% |
Heated seats / cold-weather pack | £450 | £200 | 44% |
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk. | £600 | £200 | 33% |
Panoramic / opening roof | £1,100 | £350 | 32% |
Larger alloy wheels | £700 | £200 | 29% |
What fails at MOT
Recorded in DVSA MOT test data for this model, not owner reports. Ordered against 45,204 miles.
Watch now
Failure typically happens around your current mileage.
Upcoming
Typically happens at a higher mileage than yours.
Already due
Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.
Tyres & wheelsUpcoming
Recorded in 7.2% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 74,789 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Lighting & signallingUpcoming
Recorded in 11.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 74,789 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
BrakesUpcoming
Recorded in 9.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 74,789 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Driver's viewUpcoming
Recorded in 4.9% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 74,789 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
SuspensionUpcoming
Recorded in 8.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 74,789 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
Identification & otherUpcoming
Recorded in 4.3% of MOT tests 60k-100k miles — from 74,789 DVSA MOT tests analysed.
"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.
MOT outlook
How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 74,973 real DVSA test records.
MOT pass rate by age
A 3-year-old ForFour (old) passes its MOT 83% of the time; by 22 years that has slipped to 67.2%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.
Longevity
From 102 vehicles registered in 2018.
What’s on the road
The fuel-type split of every ForFour (old) with MOT history in the DVSA record. From 5,015 vehicles tested at least once - not the number on the road today, which is lower.
- Petrol 87.1%
- Diesel 9.4%
- Other 3.2%
Typical mileage by age
The average odometer reading for a ForFour (old) at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.
- 3 yr26,967
- 4 yr34,750
- 5 yr42,611
- 6 yr50,138
- 7 yr57,054
- 8 yr64,217
- 9 yr70,521
- 10 yr76,418
- 11 yr81,920
- 12 yr86,398
- 13 yr89,729
- 14 yr93,113
Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records. Ages below three are not shown: the first MOT is due at three years, so the few cars tested earlier are a self-selected minority rather than a representative sample. Ages with at least 10 tests shown.
Reliability
Not enough first-MOT data yet. This measure needs cars registered from 2020 that have reached their first MOT at three years old; too few have so far for a figure worth publishing.
Not enough first-MOT data yet — no score. A car needs 100 first MOTs from 2018 registrations onward before this can be measured.
MOT outlook · age 5 years
15th percentile — Among the worst — investigate carefully
Based on 5,264 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data
Where this car sits in the catalogue
Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models
Things owners say
- 01The rear-engined layout gives an exceptional turning circle - a real boon in tight cities.
- 02The EQ electric version suits short urban routes; petrols are the choice for any longer trips.
- 03Firm-riding and noisy on the motorway - bought for city manoeuvrability, not long-distance comfort.
Safety recalls
Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Smart ForFour (old), or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.
Check on GOV.UKOpens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.
Theft risk
A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.
Whole-car theft
Around average
Theft risk is around the UK average. Like most modern cars it has keyless entry, so relay theft is the method to guard against.
Parts theft
Around average
Parts-theft risk is around average — catalytic-converter theft is the main thing to be aware of on any petrol or diesel car.
Worth doing
- Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
- Park in well-lit, busy areas, and consider a tracker for faster recovery.
Clean-air zones
Whether driving a Smart ForFour (old) into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.
Charging zones for cars
| City | Area | Daily charge | Likely outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | All of Greater London (within the M25) | £12.50 | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Birmingham | Inside the A4540 Middleway | £8.00 | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Bristol | City centre and part of the Portway | £9.00 | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Glasgow | City centre | — | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Edinburgh | City centre | — | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Aberdeen | City centre | — | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
| Dundee | City centre | — | Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4. |
Zones that don't charge private cars
- Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
- Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
- Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
- Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
- Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).
Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.
Servicing & the dealer network
How well-supported Smart is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.
Franchised UK dealers
~15
Limited network
Urban EV
Network size relative to the UK's largest (Smart is 0.3% of all franchised outlets)
A limited network — you may need to travel for main-dealer servicing, though independent specialists can often help.
For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.
Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.
Dimensions & weight
These are segment estimates, not manufacturer figures. 296 of 325 catalogued cars share one of 14 identical dimension sets, so they describe a class rather than this particular car. Sourced figures replace them model by model.
Length
3,700 mm
Width
1,680 mm
Height
1,500 mm
Kerb weight
1,000 kg
Boot
250–900 L
Fuel tank
35 L
How many are still out there
How the UK Smart ForFour (old) fleet splits: taxed and on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, and gone from the register where that figure is available.
Total ever registered
27,206
Currently taxed & on road
23,874
88% of all registered
SORN (off road)
1,349
5% of all registered
Scrapped or exported
1,983
UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025
-2.8% vs 2024Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Oct 2026
Similar cars
Other city car models worth looking at
Common questions
Smart ForFour (old), answered from the data
- How much does a used Smart ForFour (old) cost?
- A 2020 Smart ForFour (old) with around 45,204 miles is worth roughly £6,100 today (typical range £5,050–£7,200). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
- How quickly does the Smart ForFour (old) depreciate?
- A new Smart ForFour (old) typically loses about 37% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
- What insurance group is the Smart ForFour (old)?
- The Smart ForFour (old) sits in insurance group 5 of 50 — the cheaper end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
- What goes wrong on a used Smart ForFour (old)?
- The parts most often recorded at MOT on the Smart ForFour (old) are: tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right); lighting & signalling (typically around over 100k miles, £15-£120 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
- What does the Smart ForFour (old) cost to run?
- Expect around 53 mpg combined on the ForFour 0.9 90 Passion, £200 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.
- Is the Smart ForFour (old) ULEZ compliant?
- Whether a Smart ForFour (old) is ULEZ compliant depends on its engine and registration date: petrol from 2006 and diesel from September 2015 generally qualify, and electric versions are always exempt.
- How many Smart ForFour (old)s are on UK roads?
- About 23,874 Smart ForFour (old)s are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.
Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.