Lost? Ask the Smart Shopper Hosts for directions!

NancieNancie Member Posts: 13
edited March 2014 in General
...to get the best information and advice about financing, incentives
and rebates, insurance, warranties, and more. This is the place to ask
or answer questions about the specifics of automobile purchases and
much, much more.
Tagged:
«1345678

Comments

  • kriscadkriscad Member Posts: 3
    thanks!
  • bonnie_rickbonnie_rick Member Posts: 115
    "Archive" and "Search" Features are here! (Topic #352)

    #0 of 3: (Mr_Shiftright) Sat 14 Mar '98 (04:56 PM)

    Friends/Users/Countrymen:Have you noticed that
    some handy new features have been added? Read
    on...

    #1 of 3: Mr_Shiftright (Mr_Shiftright) Sat 14 Mar '98 (05:00 PM)

    Edmunds Town Hall has added two new items to your
    toolbar:

    "Archive" allows you to access past information
    stored by our hosts. The archive function allows
    the host to limit the number of topics and the
    number of responses within topics,by retiring large banks of still-useful information for your later reference.

    "Search" is self-explanatory--it works great, give it a try. I've found it to be a real time-saver.

    Your Host,

    Mr. Shiftright

    #2 of 3: OPSMDEV (OPSMDEV) Fri 17 Apr '98 (04:49 PM)

    Yes Mr. Shiftright. I checked out the marvelous
    "search" feature. Tried "European Delivery",
    "Delivery" and "Mercedes". Nothing found. Great
    search engine.

    #3 of 3: Mr_Shiftright (Mr_Shiftright) Fri 17 Apr '98 (05:34 PM)

    Hi Opsmdev,

    Just did the same search, here's what I got:

    containing
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    3 items found

    Conference Topic Title

    Smart_Shopper 109 BMW European Delivery
    Smart_Shopper 281 Dealer Profits on European
    Delivery/Military Sales?
    Welcome 46 Are any diesel vehicles available for European delivery?

    --------------------------------------------------
    Anyway....try it again, and play around with
    it...it really does work!

    best,

    Host
  • bonnie_rickbonnie_rick Member Posts: 115
    As our "regulars" know, Car_man has been the co-host of Smart Shopper since the very beginning. He's been ably assisted by bnormann as co-host, and kcram as Community Leader.

    Watch this space for the announcement of a slight changing of the guard...

    Bonnie Rick
    Town Hall Community Manager, Edmunds.com
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Sales representatives are ALWAYS welcome here in Town Hall, and particularly here in Smart Shopper for their expert advice. But please remember, the Town Hall User's Agreement specifically prohibits selling and soliciting in Town Hall. Any post from a sales representative that specifically promotes or invites members to do business with him/her/that dealer will be deleted immediately.

    kcram
    Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
    edmunds.com Town Hall
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    New Software! Your Questions Answered

    kcram
    Co-Host - Smart Shopper & FWI Conferences
    edmunds.com Town Hall
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi everyone. I just wanted to take a moment to remind you about a couple of interesting chats that are scheduled for the upcoming weeks here in the Town Hall.


    On Wednesday February 28th a chat titled "Closing The Deal" will be held featuring Chandler Phillips, the author of Confessions of a Car Salesman and Marc Antonucci of Dependable Dodge.


    On Tuesday March 6th there will be a chat titled "Edmunds' Editors: Ask Phil!" featuring Phil Reed, the Edmunds.com Consumer Advice Editor.


    Finally, on Tuesday March 13th there will be a chat titled "Edmunds' Editors: Ask Neil!" featuring Neil Chirico, Edmunds.com Road Test Coordinator.


    For more information on Edmunds.com Town Hall Chats, please feel free to click on the following link: Upcoming Chat Events Calendar. Thanks.


    Car_Man
    Host
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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    I thought that the following article might be of interest to those of you who frequent the Smart Shoppers Message Board. Most smart shoppers are at lease somewhat concerned about their prospective vehicle's safety features. In this article, the editors here at Edmunds.com have outlined what they feel are important safety features to look for when shopping for a new vehicle. Please make sure to check out this interesting article, Top 10 Safety Features to Shop for in a Family Car by visiting the Edmunds.com Features Section of this site.


    Car_Man
    Host
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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    I thought that some of you auto enthusiasts out there might be interested in a new contest that Edmunds.com is running. In 250 words or less, tell Edmunds.com why you visit our site or what your favorite part of the site is and why. Based on these essays, ten finalists will be selected by Edmunds.com to join one of our editors at the New York International Auto Show. The ten finalists will write their debut automotive review about any vehicle featured at the Show or the Show itself. Our Editorial team will select three winners (Gold, Silver, Bronze) whose reviews will appear on Edmunds.com as part of our New York International Auto Show coverage. You may use the following link to find out more details on the contest and to submit your essay: Become an Automotive Journalist for a Day.

    Car_Man
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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi everyone. A reporter from a prominent newspaper has gotten in touch with us here at Edmunds.com looking for someone who paid cash for a Jaguar, a Lexus or a BMW. They need to speak with someone who has done this by the end of today (Monday.) If you fit this description and would like to get your name in the paper, please contact me via e-mail at [email protected] and I will put you in touch with the appropriate people. Thanks.

    Car_Man
    Host
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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Tonight, Tuesday March 6th from 5-6pm PT (8-9pmET) chat with Edmunds.com Editor Phil Reed. Here is your chance to get the best information available before purchasing your next new or used car. Chat live with Edmunds.com's Consumer Advice Editor Phil Reed as he joins us for an hour-long chat to answer your questions about the strategies you can use when buying a car. If you want to drive out of the showroom with the best deal on four wheels, don't miss this chat!

    Phil Reed Chat

    Car_Man
    Host
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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    The following article is a great read for any Smart Shoppers who are in the market for a used car. Two Edmunds editors decided they would be guinea pigs in the used car buying process. They wanted to see what the best family car they could buy in the $11,000 to $13,000 range was. Please feel free to use the following link to check it out: Feature: How to Get a Used Car Bargain.

    Car_Man
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  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Edmunds.com has a version of Town Hall that is set up for the UK. Many discussions where nationality or local economics don't matter are being linked between the US/Canada site and the UK site. Thus, we thought the flags were a nice touch to let our members know whothey were speaking with in terms of nationality.

    kcram
    Host
    Smart Shopper and FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    The editors here at Edmunds.com just published a great article that one can use to guide them through the used vehicle buying process. If you are in the market for a used car or truck, make sure to check out the link that I posted so it in the new "Additional Resources" section of the sidebar.

    Car_Man
    Host
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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Since I have already posted a link to our recent article on how to buy a used car I figured that it would make sense for me to also provide a link to a brand new article here at Edmunds.com that provides information on the other side of the transaction, how to sell your used car. I have seen many questions from our community members on this particular topic. I think that this article does a thorough job at answering most of the questions that people usually have about this subject. Please feel free to click on the following link or to use the one that I posted in the "Additional Resources" sidebar to go to this article: How to Sell Your Car.

    Car_Man
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  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Posts made Thursday April 12, 2001 may be missing due to an unforeseen database problem that occurred Thursday evening. We apologize sincerely for the difficulties this situation poses. Please rest assured that every effort is being expended to rectify this matter as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.

    kcram
    Host
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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    On Wednesday April 18th at 8:00 EST the Town Hall is hosting a chat with the individuals who are in charge of our new True Market Value features. I thought that those of you who frequent the Smart Shoppers Message Board might find this event very interesting.

    "True Market ValueSM (TMV) - How can it work for you?

    Looking to buy or sell a new or used car? Wouldn't it be great if you could figure out what price constitutes a 'good deal' before you visited a dealer? We think so. CHAT LIVE about True Market ValueSM (TMV) pricing, our new, proprietary system that does the research for you, providing you updated weekly pricing on what you should pay for a vehicle-new or used-without having to spend hours negotiating with a dealer. Edmunds.com presents you with the only pricing system designed with you, the consumer in mind. Join us to find out more!"

    Please feel free to use the following link to go to the appropriate page for this chat: True Market ValueSM (TMV) - How can it work for you?.

    Car_Man
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    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Edmunds.com just published an interesting article on the subject of used cars. The article addresses lot of questions about buying cars from three sources: "Program cars" (also known as finance, factory or executive cars), used cars from rental car lots, and used cars with salvage titles. I have seen many many questions on these very topics here on the Smart Shoppers Message Board and though that many of you would enjoy reading the article. You can check it out by using the following link or by clicking on its title in the "Additional Resources" section on the left side of the screen: Used Car Grab Bag.

    Car_Man
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    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Many "Smart Shoppers" are concerned with what sort of mileage their potential new car or truck is going to get. So I thought that visitors to this particular Message Board might want to check out the following Web site: FuelEconomy.Gov. This is the official vehicle mileage Web site for the United States Environmental Protection Agency. On it you will be able to find out the city and highway mileage for just about every car and truck sold today in the U.S. as well as interesting articles on how to improve your vehicle's mileage.

    Car_Man
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    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Edmunds.com just published a new article about Twinned Vehicles that I thought visitors to the Edmunds.com Town Hall Smart Shoppers Message Board would find very interesting (saving money is always interesting, right ;) ). Here is a description of and a link to the article:

    Twinned Vehicles
    Dressed-up Nissan Maximas and Ford Expeditions beckon as you saunter through luxury dealerships. And each purchase yields a nice profit for the manufacturers of these badge-engineered clones. Check out our exhaustive list of all the "twinned" vehicles currently in production by clicking on the following link: Twinned Vehicles
    Can You See Past the Disguises? Auto Manufacturers Hope Not    .

    Car_Man
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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Given the fact that it is the summer time (although we are unfortunately approaching the end of it), there is a good chance that many of you who visit the Smart Shoppers Message Board may be in the market for a new convertible. Edmunds.com has published a new article that contains information on the ten most affordible convertibles on the market right now. Please feel free to use the following link to check it out: Top 10 Most Affordable Convertibles.

    Car_Man
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    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    One thing that consumers often overlook when shopping for a new vehicle is the total cost of ownership. The purchase price of a new car is just the beginning of many related expenses that will tax your budget over the coming years. Here's a look at typical expenses incurred when buying or leasing new and used cars: Your Car's Total Cost of Ownership.

    Car_Man
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    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Given the current state of our economy and the overall competitiveness of today's automotive market, the special manufacturers' incentives and low interest rates that are being offered on new vehicles are at extremely high levels. Here's how to take advantage of this unique opportunity to save money on your next car: Advice/Buying: Low Interest Auto Loans and Rebates Abound.

    Car_Man
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    Smart Shoppers / FWI Message Boards
  • goody01goody01 Member Posts: 11
    Good Morning:

    I would like to know if there are any discussions in Town Hall that relate to the relative benefits and drawbacks of donating a used car to charity, selling it yourself, or trading it in. I will be buying a new car soon, and I want to find out what other Edmunds users' experiences have been. Thanks.
  • jnj91jnj91 Member Posts: 55
    I'm trying to set up a meeting with the manager of a large volume dealership in my area to discuss the sales process toward purchasers such as you would find here in the Edmunds community, very knowledgeable, savy customers that know what they should pay and don't want the hassle of "haggling" for the bottom price. I would like imput from Edmunds members as to what they appreciate and dislike about dealers they have purchased from. Where would be the the best place to post a message asking for this imput?

    Thanks,

    Julie Edwards
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Julie, I think that the Smart Shoppers Message Board would be a great place for you to start a new discussion on what people do and do not like about their experiences in purchasing a new vehicle. In fact, if you look back in some of the existing discussions that currently exist on this board, you may be able to find many existing posts that contain information that you would find useful.

    Car_Man
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  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi goody01

    Check this discussion in the archived section of our Finance, Warranty, and Insurance message board:

    Used car donation

    kcram
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    Smart Shopper and FWI Message Boards
  • jnj91jnj91 Member Posts: 55
    I have been reading some of the posts under the different topics in this Smart Shopper forum. There are some posts that have given me good ideas, but I think I will try to get some imput by starting a new topic. It may save me a lot of reading! :)

    jnj
  • jcrichar33jcrichar33 Member Posts: 1
    I am considering buying a new Chevy Trailblazer. My dealer wants to add several hundred dollars to the negotiated price for dealer preparation, handling and delivery. This is in addition to taxes.

    In the TMV for the automobile, there is no mention of dealer preparation charges. Where would I find out if all dealer charges supposed to be included in TMV?

    Where would I find out if anything other than taxes and destination fees be added to TMV to get to a fair bottom line?

    Another complication is that the vehicle has been used as a demonstrator and has approximately 1500miles. Where would I find out how this should factor into the TMV?
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi jcnchar33 - welcome to Town Hall.

    Dealer prep should never be an extra charge. That should be covered by the selling price of the vehicle. The manufacturer assumes this charge in the MSRP of every vehicle.

    Complicating this matter is the fact tha SUV is a demo. In real words, that means "used". Similarly, the dealer has to prep it in order to sell it - no one would buy a car that wasn't washed and had its fluid level checked.

    The reason TMV doesn't show a TMV for this is because we have no basis of data for a "used" 2002. Make an offer of $2000 below invoice and negotiate from there. If the dealer won't sell this truck for well below invoice, take your business elsewhere.

    kcram
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  • dty815dty815 Member Posts: 1
    I work for a company that is a supplier to Ford and GM. They are providing deals to employees of my company. You can read about GM's at the following page. Basically, I would pay 4% over what a Ford or GM employee would pay. I have been planning on buying a Passat but if this deal is good enough, I would take advantage of it. There are other nice incentives like 0% or cash back but they only last a couple of weeks and I am not ready to buy right now. Is this a good deal? How much do Ford and GM employees pay?

    http://www.gmsupplierdiscount.com/index.html
  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    Why is the inconsiderate salesperson board now read only?
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    eharri3, it will remain "closed" for a while until things settle down.

    kcram
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  • eharri3eharri3 Member Posts: 640
    Nobody was insulting eachother or saying anything crude.
  • rnursesbarnursesba Member Posts: 4
    Hi,

    I'm confused about the difference in value assigned to autos. I'm looking at a M-Class Benz (2000 ML430). At Edmunds, the retail value with the options I want is $39,004. I checked the value calculated at the Kelly Blue Book site and they arrive at a value that's much higher: $41,950. When I go to haggle with the dealer, how do I know from where to start?
  • woodywwwoodyww Member Posts: 1,806
    Is there a thread to discuss various Aftermarket Warranties? I'm looking into at least a couple of different ones: "Millenium", & also "AAA Membercare" (thru the Auto Club); & finding it difficult to get any independent info. or advice on any of these.

    Thanks!
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi mursesba

    The safest thing to do is to start out with your lowest offer, and be prepared to negotiate towards the highest you are willing to pay. Keep in mind, the values you see presented are guides, and the actual vehicle you are interested in is priced on its own merits. Guides don't take things like local demand, color, or other factors into account. You need to make what you feel is a fair offer, for THAt vehicle.

    kcram
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  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi woodyww

    The place to go is the Finance/Warranty/Insurance Board here at Town Hall. There are several active discussions regarding extended warranties, including one about Millennium. See you there!

    kcram
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    Smart Shopper and FWI Message Boards
  • lori28lori28 Member Posts: 3
    I need some additional information. I have scoured Edmunds.com for all the valuable info I'd need to go buy a 2002 Jetta GLS 1.8T. I have come across something that I didn't anticipate given my research. I thought my deal had gone well when I agreed to $500 over invoice (since I had these figures) There were some "extra" charges that I am not familiar with. Can someone please explain and comment on what is: reasonable dollar amount for the advertising fee in So. CA, reasonable shipping fee, to ship desired car from another CA 300+ mi. dealership, to dealership purchasing from, Prep. fee (to prep car for shipping) Floor plan reserve fee. Please respond soon as I'd like to purchase the car now. Thank you.
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi lori28

    You may wish to post this question in the "Any Questions for a Car Dealer" discussion here in Smart Shopper. One of the regulars, "vwguild", is a Volkswagen dealer, and should be able to help you with some of the fee figures.

    Click here to get to the discussion:
    Any Questions For A Car Dealer?

    kcram
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  • jliu_cajliu_ca Member Posts: 11
    Car_man,

    Is there a discussion area for discussing the pros/cons and experiences in using a "buyer" to search for a specific vehicle and negotiate best price?

    Thanks!

    Jeff
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Good question, Jeff. I have seen posts that discuss using car brokers to purchase vehicles in the past, but I do not think that there has ever been a substantial topic dedicated to this subject. I personally believe that if one researches the vehicle that they are interested in purchasing or leasing so that they know its MSRP, dealer invoice price, any available incentives, and what the market is like for it at the time they should be able to get a good price on their vehicle just by visiting or calling a few dealerships and comparison shopping. In my opinion, brokers just add another party to the equation who has to profit from your deal. If you would like, please feel free to create a new topic on this subject here on the Smart Shoppers Message Board.

    Car_man
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  • volvownervolvowner Member Posts: 37
    I'm interested in purchasing a very popular vehicle (Honda Odyssey) sometime in the next several months. I've been told that with new manufacturing capacity recently added, supply should begin to exceed demand, which would seemingly increase the dealer's motivation to negotiate on the car. Is there an area on Edmunds where I can check current vehicle inventories for a make and model? If not, is that information available elsewhere? How significant do you think this information is in negotiating the best deal?

    Thanks alot!
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi volvowner. I was actually having the same exact thoughts about the Honda Odyssey the other day. I was wondering if their new plant would increase the supply of this van and help bring prices down a little bit. At first I thought that this would probably happen, but when I thought about it a little more I came up with two reasons why it might not. One reason why prices might not be affected that much is that Honda may use some of the excess capacity that this plant creates to build their new SUV. Depending upon how many units of this new model they build, the supply of Odysseys might not increase dramatically. My second thought that the demand for this model might actually be strong enough to sell out the additional production without any trouble at all, thus providing dealerships with little incentive to provide discounts on it. Only time will tell what will happen. As far as specific inventory numbers go, I should be able to find out any inventory numbers you would like. Please feel free to give me a holler when you would like to know what the stock level is like for this van. Manufacturers have usually released their monthly inventory numbers by the 10th of the month. Talk to you soon.

    Car_man
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  • bostontbostont Member Posts: 37
    If I have a non-dealer item installed on or in my new car, will that hurt the warranty?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Bostont, that depends upon the item. Of course the exact policy on this sort of matter will likely vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but items that dramatically alter the way the vehicle operates, like a chip or a new exhaust system may impact void your car or truck's warranty. On the other hand, minor items, like a modification to the stereo, the addition of chrome rims, etc... may not have any impact on the warranty at all. What are you thinking about doing to your vehicle?

    Car_man
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  • bostontbostont Member Posts: 37
    Happy New Year, Car_man, I just want to add an alarm. I thought I'd be able to save a little money by getting a non-dealer alarm.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    I personally don't think that an alarm would void your vehicle's warranty, but you really need to find out for certain before you have one installed. I suppose that your car's manufacturer could claim that an aftermarket alarm might harm your vehicle's electrical system if not installed properly. First, check your vehicle's owners manual to see if it has any information on this subject. If not, place a call to your manufacturer's customer service line.

    Car_man
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  • sgrstansgrstan Member Posts: 9
    I have recently been shopping for either an Accord or a Camry. Both list LATCH attachments on their standard equipment list. However, on actual inspection I find the attachments only on the two rear outboard seats, not the middle. This seems absurd, since every safety article I have read suggests that the safest place for a child seat is in the rear middle seat. Do any of the Town Hall groups have a discussion of this point, or, if not, which would be most appropriate? Thank you.
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi sgrstan

    I have searched the various boards here at Town Hall, and I could not find a suitable discussion for your question. This might be a good discussion for you to start here in Smart Shopper, as I'm sure others in your position may have similar questions and concerns.

    kcram
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  • nicodionicodio Member Posts: 1
    Has anybody seen a chart, graph, article, or anything on which cars depreciate the worst or best?
This discussion has been closed.

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