I'd disagree with the thought of a low resale value for this car. Small, good looking cars have a very lasting value. Even ten years down the road, it will be valued for its looks along with its safety and excellent fuel economy. These are very well engineered little cars, and in my opinion, are in a class above other sub-compacts. And even though they aren't sports cars, I even see these things having potential as a collector's car, since they will be sold in low volumes, are very distinctive, and well engineered. Years from now, we won't be remembering much about competitor cars such as the Echo hatchback, Kia Rio, or some other cheap commuter cars. But cars with a touch of class, great handling, or other nice attributes, including the Smart Fortwo, Mini Cooper, Mazda Miata, Pontiac Solstice (maybe), and other fine little cars, will not be forgotten. So, I really think the resale value should hold pretty well... However, if the redesigned Fortwo (coming out in a few years) dramatically improves on things (which I would doubt), resale value might be lower than expected. As far as I remember, this car is already in its second generation, and there have not been huge improvements made in either structure or design so far. There's only so much you can pack into a tiny two seater...
Just my opinion...
