Real-World Trade-In Values

robr2

You got me thinking. What are the CTS-V's going for?

I know another sports Dad who is an SM for a Caddy dealership. He loves the CTS-V but doesn't recommend it as a daily drive. It's a brute.

I asked him to let me know when a nice old lady trades one in and he wants to let it go for 15K.

bigox

Thanks for the estimate.

Now what if I told you that the car was hit in a parking lot and has had the fender and front door replaced with OEM parts. The repairs are undetectable to the average consumer. The repairs are on the vehicle history report.

This is the real situation I am in. How much has the value of my car diminished due to the accident? Do most dealers check the vehicle history before offering a trade value?

Thanks for your opinion.

im_brentwood

$1,000-1,500 smack.

Do we check the history reports? Sometimes. But they will spot the paintwork.

bigox

Thanks again.

I was hit a a terrible time, I was about to trade my VW in on something that can drive in the snow.

I am in the process of trying to recover the diminished value from the person that hit me. Well I guess I will take it all around town this weekend, including Carmax, to see who gives me the best deal.

I could always try to get $18 in a private sale.

im_brentwood

Let me know if you need help with the insurance company on DV.. I can send you an appraisal if it helps.

Bill

bigox

My friend is an attorney and recommended that I have a full report done by an independent appraiser. The appraiser is preparing a full market report of the vehicle before/after the accident based on the estimate from the body shop.

He also recommended that I get written trade in offers and compare them to KBB and Edmunds and submit all the numbers to the third party insurer (Allstate). I have not retained him as an attorney so I am just getting "pieces" of advise hear and there.

My mother is an adjuster with GEICO and has been advising me on how they handle the claims and what actions I should take, but she normally turns her cases over to her supervisor.

Any more help or advise would be greatly appreciated

robbieg

Thanks for the reply. My current car is an automatic and I would love to trade it in for a stick. However, my wife would kill me if I brought a new car home.

mattgg1

I posted a while back inquiring about the trade-in value of a 2001 Honda Civic EX Coupe, automatic, 106K miles, "good" condition.

I believe the estimates were right around the $5K - $5.5K mark. I listed it private party for $6,750 and sold it yesterday for $6,500.

I'm happy with the price, although I may have been able to get more out of it, but it is hard to determine a real value of used cars on the available websites.

I was going to try for $7K, but the timing belt/water pump had not been replaced, which the new owner will need to do immediately.

What do you guys think? Should I have held out for more $?

The main reason for my post...

I was surprised at how FEW calls I got on this car. From what I hear, late model Civics in this price range are extremely popular vehicles.

I listed it Thursday on Craigslist, then bought a combo Cars.com/7-day newspaper ad, which both started on Sunday.

Initially, I received only one call (from Cars.com), from the people who bought the car yesterday. I got another call last night (from Craigslist) from a person who sounded very interested. Then a third call this morning (from the newspaper), and this person also sounded very interested.

I believe the last two callers would have likely bought the car (they said as much on the phone), which means I had three solid buyers from three leads, a great 100% ratio.

So while I'm not complaining, I thought I would receive dozens of calls, not three.

ateixeira

Sounds like you got a good amount for it.

And it doesn't matter how many people call, just how much the one person that buys it agrees to pay! :shades:

im_brentwood

Matt,

I think you did well, but regardless of how people on here always say they want a low price upfront, everyone loves to negotiate. Always try and keep your playing field as large as possible, so next time you might try a higher asking price.

Remember, you don't ask, you don't get. And that applies to buying as well as selling. If the buyer didn't ask for a better price you'd have taken $6750, if you asked for $7500 he or she might have paid it.

But you certainly ended up with more folding green in your pocket than if you traded it in, so we'll call this one well sold.

Bill

dtownfb

Glad to see you posted on this board. These guys can give you the real info.

mb789

How do you find out what cars are going for at auctions?

I have a 2006 Subaru Forester X with automatic trans and just over 14,200 miles. Nothing is wrong with it.

I saw one exactly like it with a few thousand miles less advertised by a regional dealer for like $18995. I got a KBB trade-in value ("good" rating) of like $15,220. Can I expect this as a trade-in value? I'm in Ohio.

qbrozen

I'm not a pro, but I'm going to say "no."

Based on the numbers you've given me here, I'd take a stab at $14k trade-in.

Here's why: The majority of used vehicles I see advertised are about $4k over wholesale (trade-in). This gives the dealer room for reconditioning, transport, etc, as well as negotiating room. So let's say that vehicle you see advertised is a $15k wholesale vehicle. As you said, its a few thousand less miles. That could make a $1k difference, depending. So $15k-$1k=$14k. Maybe $14.5k.

im_brentwood

Hello,

KBB is as usual, optimistic. Mid 14s all day long I think.. you'd be easily $15k in new England but I don't see it in Ohio.

15k flat is about all the cheddar.

woodyww

I've sold 2 used civics with moderate miles, 1 corolla with low miles, & 1 stripped '80's toyota p/u with moderate miles.

A civic CRX sold in 5 sec. with a zillion calls, an '83 civic wagon sold in a month with 1 low bid. The '79 corolla sold in 5 sec.; the p/u took 2 months to sell after dealing with a dozen tire kickers, for less than the very first bid which I foolishly turned down.

I think you did very well, & no hassles, right?

ateixeira

I'll let the pros comment on the trade-in values, but that $18,995 used one for sale is grossly overpriced.

I say that because you can get a brand new 2008 for that much. That dealer is insane. There's no way he'll get that much for it.

Verifying that now...yeah, fitzmal.com has no-haggle prices at $19,068 for a 2008 X automatic. That even includes freight.

keri1

Hi,

I'm trying to sell my 2006 white Xterra X, 27,500 miles, 2WD, V-6, power windows & locks, automatic, but have had no luck. I recenlty lowered my asking price in the classifieds to $16,950, but since I have not had a single call on it in over a month, I am not going to hold my breath. I am considering using it as a trade in, but not sure how much I would be offered for it from a dealer. Any suggestions? I have maintenance records and have been very careful with this car. The only reason I'm selling it is that I'm relocating to Maine from Oklahoma and need a 4X4. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks,
Keri

gooddeal2

I'm trying to sell my 2006 white Xterra X, 27,500 miles, 2WD, V-6, power windows & locks, automatic, but have had no luck. I recenlty lowered my asking price in the classifieds to $16,950

17K for a 27.5K miles truck? Don't you think it's a little too much?...but I might be wrong. Don't this truck is around 19K after incentive for a new '07?

I just traded my '05 Altima 2.5S w/ 22K miles (brand new was 18.5K after incentive) and the highest offer I got was only 13K.

My .02.

volvomax

The fact that it is a 4X2 probably has something to do with your difficulty.
If you were in CA or the South, it wouldn't matter too much.
But, I think people in OK would rather have a 4X4.

Trade in is probably somewhere in the $13-14,000 range.

guss

I am looking at buying this from a private party.

2000 Spyder Convertible
79000 miles
Silver Exterior, Black Top, Cloth interior
5 speed manual trans.
Clean Carfax

Condition: Several scratches on the rear bumper, tires have 75% tread remaining, the top has 2 repairs on the seams, no signs of re painting.

The snow has not started flying yet in Philly, so is it still a good time to get a deal on a convertible?

Any input on a fair price to pay for this private party would be appreciated.

im_brentwood

Keri,

Umm... Well it's probably worth a bit less here. Trade? $12-13k.. so private party retail, transaction level, is barely going to be $2k over that.

Ask Mid $15s... take $13,500-14k+

im_brentwood

Guss,

If it were yours I would say expect to trade it for $7000-7500 or so.. so ask $9,900 and take low $9s.

It'll do mid 7s, maybe 8 at the sale.. but I aint lookin at it.

What's he want?

guss

He most have came to you first. He is asking $9,500. So I would guess something in the $8k to $8.5k would get it done.

This one is unmolested, which is getting hard to find now that the prices have dropped and the younger crowd are buying them.

im_brentwood

Not a bad price then.. I hadn't been paying attention to these.. I was surprised that they had gotten this cheap.

Let me know what ya end up getting it for.

qbrozen

Is that cheap? Weren't these like $25k new?
So 8 years old and 80k miles and the seller may get more than a third of their money back? Seems pretty strong to me.(?) I actually thought it would be even cheaper since they weren't hot sellers when new.

im_brentwood

Yeah but for some stupid reason they have the resale value of Google stock.

I never understood it, personally I can't stand them but it's the market... like the saying goes, I don't set it, just report on it.

qbrozen

yeah, the used market is a strange place for sure. i think when it comes to cars like this mr2 example, once you cross a certain threshold, it all of a sudden hits the radar of more people, which then drives the price up or holds it steady. I mean, at $5k, I would be thinking "sweet track car!" So I imagine there are others out there who think similarly but have a bigger bank account.

By the by, you should check the 6-speed 540i here in NJ I posted on the project cars board.

kyfdx

Roadsters are like 4WD pickups.. Once you hit a certain price level, they hold up, regardless of age..

Kirstie_H

A reporter from a national newspaper is hoping to talk to consumers who purchased a car recently instead of waiting, fearing that prices may rise as the dollar weakens. Please reply to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Monday, October 1, 2007 with your daytime contact info.

ateixeira

MR2 does hold its value well.

They only cost a little more than a Miata, yet if you look for a used Miata a similar age/equipment MR2 will cost a lot more.

I gotta warn you, avoid that SMG transmission! It's awful. I hated it. Totally jerky, on/off, nearly made me carsick. You couldn't give me one of those.

ateixeira

Just looked and a new 2008 4x4 comes in just under $23k no-haggle price. So a 4x2 would probably cost about $21k new.

I'm guesstimating because they don't have any in stock.

2 years, 27.5k miles, I'd figure it's lost about 30% of its value. I would look to buy one of those for $14,700.

Any more and I'd just get a new one.

This is just the opinion of one buyer, the experts above know a lot more than I do.

Edit: just looked it up, no cruise control, no power windows or locks, no keyless for an X. The S has all that stuff. Did you add any of these? It may be hard to sell such a basic SUV. Mileage is also just 16/22.

british_rover

The SMGs are troublesome too. They had a lot of problems with them.

emknowlton

Hello All!
This is my first post. I was just directed to this site, I'm hoping someone can provide some info.

I'm in Jax, NC and have a 2002 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4x4 with 31,000 miles. Leather, sunroof, all power, polished chrome wheels (option from dealer at time of puruchase) we added a dvd system w/ 2 wireless headphones. All service has been performed on schedule at our local dealership. Both the interior and exterior are in great condition, it's always in the garage! I'm the original owner and have all paperwork on the vehicle.

I've looked at kbb, nada, cars.com for figures. I'm afraid if we try to trade it it, we'll lose a lot of money and my husband thinks I should just continue to drive it. I've had people remark (toyota salesman) that it looks brand new, there isn't any sign of it sitting outside in the sun. "best looking 02 I've ever seen. etc.."

What do you think it's worth if I was to try and sell it private party? trade in value?

Thank you for your help!!

im_brentwood

Well,

First off, if you like it.. why trade it or sell it? It's a 31k mile Toyota that you do seem fond of. Might as well keep it another 5 years. People tend to forget that new car depreciation is probably the single largest consumer expense out there.

What's it worth? Probably about $18,500-19k as a trade, so figure 15% or so over that on a private party sale or $21,500-22k.

The miles are a HUGE help, assuming it's a good color and has never been painted it's not going to be too tough to sell this big guy. But still, if you like it.. keep it and run it into the ground.

ateixeira

That's still quite good for a residual. I bet a similar 05 Expedition would not fetch any more than that.

emknowlton

The only reason we're considering a change is the growing family. I'm due in about a month with #3 and I'm having a hard time getting 3 car seats in - comfortably. One of the kids will be doing cartwheels over the middle row of seats to get to the back.

From the research I've done online, I've come up with the same figures. I've never sold a vehicle private party, that would be a new experience.

It's black with gray leather, I think it's a good color but I know black is either loved or hated.

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate your thoughts.

guss

They are not my favorite roadster, a Z3 or Miata would probably be the better values, but at 6'6" it is the only roadster I can drive comfortably. So, I guess I am happy I have a choice of at least one.

They are several thou more than a comparable Miata, but at least you do not see them all over the place.

ateixeira

Having a common car can be good, though.

Nice thing about the Miata is you can get a *lot* of help on-line and it's mostly very well documented. Parts are cheap and plentiful, and everyone knows how to work on them.

Example: I thought I needed a new clutch, researched on-line, fixed the problem with a $10.74 clutch slave cylinder rebuild kit. 4 years later the clutch is still fine. :shades:

qbrozen

I hear ya. Roadsters for us are not common. I do drive an Alfa Romeo, but not often and certainly not far. I can't even keep one hand on the steering wheel while turning because my knee is too close to the wheel to allow my hand to pass. I never tried one, but I imagine a 350Z roadster would work, since I fit well in the Z coupe, but I guess it is possible the seating position is different. I did try on a Z4 and it seemed OK for me. I didn't drive it though for fear I may really want it.

keri1

Thanks to all who replied. The info gives me much to think about. Part of the reason I have listed it for 16,950 is that there are half a dozen listed by local dealers, same milage, age, amenities, with list prices of 18,000 to 19,900. And yes, my car has auto windows, doors, cruise control and is an automatic trans. I spoke with a wholesaler about 6 weeks ago who quoted 14,500 to 15,000. It seems that I may have missed my window and will be forced to accept much less. Another payment toward my tuition in the school of life, no? Thnaks again and good luck to everyone!

Keri

im_brentwood

Keri,

Have you tried shopping it to local Nissan dealers and seeing what they will pay you for it?

Ditto Carmax?

Bill

joiseygurl

Location Central NJ

Hello, I'm the owner of a 2003 Audi A6, with about 60k miles. At best I figured I could get 18,000 through private sale or 17,000 trade-in for it.

Although I really love my Audi, I am going through a divorce and fear that I will not be able to handle the maintenace and insurance on a single income. Since I also loved my 98 C-RV, I'm now looking to purchase a new 07 Civic.

My question is would it be possible to make an even trade at a dealership or would I be better off doing a private sale and a cash purchase?

My husband always handled our car buying issues, so please excuse any ignorance here. Thanks for your help

im_brentwood

Hi,

I am always happy to help a fellow Jersey resident!

But.. I need more info!

It's a 2003 Audi A6.. umm.. ok. V6? V8? Turbo? Quattro? Color?

It's worth between $9,000 or so to $32,000 as a trade and $11,000-35,000 retail.

There's a big spread here I'm afraid! I need more info to get you a figure.

If you are unsure of the model, post the first 10 digits of your VIN and we can decipher it. The last 6 digits of your VIN are unique to your car, I don't need those and don't post them please.

I'll also need to know what options it has.. I assume leather, moonroof, heated seats, etc.. any special options?

It is a manual or an automatic?

Also, what color combo is it? This has an effect on price.. if it's Yellow with green leather, we have a problem.

Also, has it ever been in a bodyshop for any paint or accident repair?

Post some more info, we'll narrow it down and go from there. A6s come in quite a few varieties and the values of them can vary wildly... if it's a V6 without Quattro you are on the low end, if it's an RS6 then you hit the lottery (But you also paid $85-90k for it when it was new!)

So let me know and I will get you a real world figure.

Bill

chriscon

To add a little input here. We have 3 kids and we use a Toyota Highlander with the 3rd row. We have a child doing the somersault thing to get back there, and it has not been a problem at all. In fact, he kind of likes it.

gerrysb

W'ere looking to purchase a '98 528I from from the original owner. It has approx 58K miles. No accidents, all service done at the dealer and a clean carfax report. We're also considering a '98 volvo S90 with only 52K miles..immaculate and also from the original owner...clean carfax report. The BMW has front and side airbags in the front, the volvo only 2 front airbags. This will be an extra family car and will most likely be turned over to our daughter when she goes to college in a year. Price isn't an issue...the BMW is about $2,000 more. We just got rid of a '95 520I with 160K miles that needed major oil leak repairs (ie: head gasket, etc). We loved it though. We've also owned volvos. Any opinions/suggestions on which would be the better choice? We've researched the S90 but don't see alot of info on it.

qbrozen

you don't see alot of info because its a pretty odd duck. Not many around.

Since you are on the trade-in values board (and because I posted my opinion on the choice on the radio show board), how about listing the options, condition, and colors of the 2 cars so brentwood or vmax can state the values of each?

Mr_Shiftright

Sounds like a wash to me. The BMW costs more because it's worth more now and will be worth more when you sell it later on. Probably the BMW could be serviced more easily at specialized independent shops than the Volvo.

You should post what the asking prices are.

volvomax

Volvo S90 HAS side airbags. they are in the front seats.

S90's were pretty good cars,very simple,easy to fix.
Parts aren't expensive.
528i will probably be more fun to drive, but the Volvo will be cheaper to own

Mr_Shiftright

I don't think either car is particularly cheap to own however. Either one can hurt you if there's a major component failure....not likely at these miles but always possible.

So on cars like this I'd go over them with a fine tooth comb prior to purchase, low miles or not. Their attractive pricing belies their maintenance costs, especially if handed over to a college student at some point.

I'd guess maybe another 30,000 miles before they have issues of some sort.

ateixeira

Have you mastered shuffle-steering? I use it at times, too.