Real-World Trade-In Values

qbrozen

i was.. uh... just curious.

seriously, at $14k, I ain't goin nowhere. It is interesting to look at, though. I mean, I bought the G a little over a year ago and the trade value at that time was $16k. So it has hardly depreciated at all. The volvo on the other hand...

fezo

Yeah, Volvos will do that. That's why you buy them used.

That's great on the G. That's something I'll look at once I'm in the market again but I am putting that day off as long as I possibly can.

chrisptown1

what is my trade in, and private sale for: '05 buick lesabre limited 43k miles. m/roof, on star, new brakes prem. tires, onstar. body excellent. market: Bangor, Me. service records avail.

british_rover

Your XC90 isn't a seven passenger?

volvomax

Wholesale @ $10,000 private party a couple grand more.

qbrozen

Your XC90 isn't a seven passenger?

Nope. Wife initially wanted the 3rd row, but we found such a nice 5-passenger at such a great price, we couldn't turn it down.

100chuck

1999 Jaguar XJ8 74,000 miles
Blue Oatmeal interior
$8,000 in repairs about 4 years ago rear-end by old deuce and a quarter
Exterior good hasn't seen winter driving in six years
Location Ann Arbor Michigan area
Looking for Trade-in and Private sale.
Thanks

volvomax

Hard to say. What does the Carfax show? How good is the repair?
Range is anywhere from $3-5,000

100chuck

The repair was done at Jaguar of Troy and they did a pretty good job. I didn't think the damage was that bad and was stunned by the repair bill.

28firefighter

Hey guys this is for a friend- volvomax this should be a peace of cake for you.

A family member is looking to get rid of their 1998 Volvo V70 station wagon that they've had since new. Not really sure what it's worth given it's history, but it does not qualify for cash for clunkers because of it's gas mileage and the tax writeoff may not be worth it. Could you give me an idea what this is worth in private party vs. trade-in to a dealer. Here are the specs...

1998 Volvo V70 Base FWD
Red
Automatic
100,000 miles
Gray Cloth Interior - could use a good cleaning but no real damage to it.
Power Windows/Locks but that is really about it
Standard Volvo Wheel Covers
Exterior right rear quarter panel needs banged out probably, but nothing awful - no rust. Some scratches and dings here and there, but it has never been in an accident and the car fax is clean - again they are the only owners.

Not sure of the maintenance history, but for purposes of this assume the timing belt has not been done yet. I would think it needs to be done relatively soon?

We are thinking of having our mechanic look at it, and see whether or not it's worth us picking up as an extra car/beater.

Am I off base to think its worth maybe $1000 to a dealer on a trade given its condition, and maybe $2000 to the right private party?

Thanks!
P.S. This is in the Philadelphia Area

0123456789

Hello,

I would very much appreciate it if I could get the approximate trade-in value and private party pricing for the following vehicle.

Location: Toledo, OH
Year/Make/Model: 2003 Toyota Camry LE
Engine: 4-cylinder with automatic transmission
Mileage: 18,500
Color: gold exterior with beige interior
Major Options: ABS, side curtain airbags
Condition: clean
Other: The car has had a repair done to it. Apparently, somebody ran into it while playing football and left a big indentation on the front fender. The whole fender was replaced by a Toyota dealer at a cost of about $1000.

The low mileage is not a mistake, it really only has about 18,500 miles on it. Also, is that replaced fender considered a major repair that will significantly the value? Thank you in advance for your response!

deltheking

If the repair shows up on Carfax,then it would affect the resale value.Again,it`s a low mileage for an 03.So, it depends on the dealer.
Also curious-Any specific reason you are trading this in?An 03 Camry with only 18.5k miles-- Camry`s are very very very reliable and trouble free and last for a looong time with minimal repairs.
Volvomax can give you the most accurate value.

ronny77

Can you please provide the approx trade-in value of a 2007 BMW 328i 4 dr
auto
14k miles
gray
premium package
leather, bluetooth, xenons, keyless entry and start

Also - I am in Chicago, and this car is RWD - does seasonality really make that much of a difference? I imagine trading the car in the summer would be a higher relative value than in the dead of winter, right?

Thanks in advance!
Ron

robr2

Looking at:

2006 Nissan Pathfinder LE
4 Dr SUV
4.0 liter V6, automatic
38000 miles
White Exterior/Black Interior
Clean condition - new dings or scratches
Tires look to be about 50%
No options
Nissan Certified with warranty

Asking $23,000 - I think that's close but maybe could go $21.5 since SUV's aren't exactly flying off the lots.

gasnsteering

I am looking to trade in my vehicle on a new car purchase:
2005 Chev Impala LS- Silver Sedan Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
32,200 miles, outstanding condition needs nothing has new tires
Moonroof, leather, heated seats, steering wheel audio controls, CD, pwr pass seat. trip computer 2ND owner-
A day dreamer rearended me causing $7000 in damage, appears on carfax. I am having trouble determining the real loss in value due to the accident. The repair is high quality using GM parts. TMV shows $9070, Galves 8400 dealer offered 6000. Also will consider selling PP but not sure of value there either.

Thanks for the help.

volvomax

Depending on the damage to the quater panel, dealer money is $1-2,000

Private party is $3-4,000 IF the car has been maintained properly.

volvomax

Unmolested, the car is worth @ $7,000 wholesale.

If the Carfax is clean it should bring this much even with the fender replaced.
Most people wouldn't spot the missing body id sticker anyway.

volvomax

Wholesale @ $21-22,000
Yes, it is probably easier to trade or resell a RWD car in summer than in a Chicago winter.

volvomax

Actually, SUV's ARE flying off the lots.
Wholesale is @ $18-19k. I doubt that you could get one for $21.5 CPO.
MAYBE $22k

dbt

What's a good wholesale / private party value for the following?
Minneapolis, MN
2006 BMW 325 CiC (convertible), RWD, Automatic
25k miles
Blue
Sport / Premium packages (leather)
Tires / brakes look ok
Carfax shows:
"Accident reported involving front or side impact"
Seems to have been repaired just fine. (cannot visibly see much)

How big a hit due to the accident report?

Thanks.

0123456789

Thank you for your response deltheking. In response to your question, the family member using this car moved to New York City and left it behind. She now lives across the street from work and decided it was better to use public transportation when necessary rather than deal with New York City parking and driving. We're now evaluating various options on what to do with the car.

0123456789

Thank you for the wholesale value volvomax. You and deltheking both mentioned Carfax, so it sounds like it might be worthwhile to get the Carfax report on this car to see exactly what it says. If wholesale value is $7,000, would you say the private party value is about $9,000? Again, thank you in advance for your response.

volvomax

Figure a couple grand over trade in for a priivate party value.

volvomax

Unmolested, the car is worth @ $24,000 wholesale.
Depending on how hard the hit was, and how well it was repaired. it could drop into the teens.

cccompson

Inasmuch as low mileage Toyotas are virutally impossible to find, it's worth more than $9000 in a private party transaction. Heck, I'd give you 9 sight unseen and I don't even need it! Take some good clear pics and put it on craigslist. Be sure to list all options and highlight the mileage. Mention the fender replacement. It should be gone within 24 hours.

volvomax

Dunno that its worth much more. Once you go to 5 digits your options increase.

deltheking

My advice if you want to sell it-Put it on Ebay Motors.There is a lot of demand for low mileage Camry`s and Honda Accord there.You can sell it quickly if you price it right and include a very nice detailed description with lots of photos and also mention the Carfax report and stating that the damage was minor.
Should sell easily.Hope this helps.

fezgin

I am in the market for a convertible. I came accross a 2005 Audi A4 3.0 liter Convertible, 27,000 miles listed for $16,900. It looks clean. Carfax shows two owners , first one as commercial lease (does that mean rental?) other is individual owner, and registered in Florida. What would be a fair price to offer? Anything I should specifically ask about the car?

tmazour

I would like to trade in my 2005 Subaru Forrester XT. It has a manual transmission and low mileage (37,000).
Black exterior with black cloth interior. Also has a cold weather package and upgraded satelite radio/nav system with back up camera.
The interior is in great shape but the the exterior has a lot of dings and scratches from other drivers and being a black car, everything shows.
My questions are...what should I expect for the trade-in? And...would it benefit me to have the car re-painted prior to trading it in?
Thanks for the help!!

achenator

I don't know what you car is worth but DO NOT get it repainted. That will turn more buyers off than anything. Find a GOOD detailer. It may cost $500 plus but a GOOD detailer can work wonders with polishing, wetsanding etc.

volvomax

If Carfax means rental, they say rental. Commercial lease just means it was a leased vehicle.
Price is very good, close to wholesale.

volvomax

DO NOT paint the car. There is no upside for you there. Repaints are easy to detect and they always raise suspicion. There is no upside for you.
Car is probably worth somewhere in the $11's. The manual tranny is probably more of a hinderance than any scratches or dings.

qbrozen

Odds are alot of those scratches could be buffed out. Get a professional detail done. Cost ya a couple hundred bucks, but will make it looks 10 times better without repainting.

ateixeira

Shoot, that is a really good deal. Snap it up!

dbt

Thanks Max. I noticed a bit more on the bumper and decided to pass.

whitall

We have a pretty standard 2004 Tahoe 4WD. It has 49k miles and new tires, good brakes. Clean interior and exterior (one or two minor dings). It is dark blue. Cloth seats. Original owner, maintained well. We are in South Jersey The only options are:
LS pref equip group which includes
5.3L V8 engine
front bucket seats
rear audio controls
Bose premium speakers
3rd row seat
trailering pkg
locking differential
17" tires.
Long list when I type it, but nothing compared to the LT my dad has.

We are considering either trading it, or "selling" it to our youngest son who will be driving soon. We want to know what value we are giving up by letting him drive it. I am afraid of buying other people's problems, and would prefer to keep it for him, rather than sell it and buy him something else. OF course, if it is worth too much we would be more likely to sell it. He may not even want it.

Thanks for you input.

volvomax

Wholesale is @ $12k. Private party a couple grand more.

tmazour

Thanks to everyone for the good advice. I'm going to look into getting a thorough detailing before the trade-in.

emjay1

My 2005 Nissan Murano has 74K miles on it, but mechanically and aesthetically it's beautiful. We're meticulous with our car care (no dogs or kids helps), and I feel I should get top dollar from a dealer. I've done my homework, checked KBB, and I want at LEAST "good" KBB trade-in value for it - which as of this morning is 12,350. I have been told by several dealers that "Blue Book doesn't really mean anything, you know. Kelley Blue Book doesn't buy or sell cars." Why is this considered an industry standard if it means nothing!? I refuse to be ripped off by these guys. How can I push to get what I want - just sell it myself? Has anyone found a way to hold a car salesman's feet to the KBB fire?

volvomax

First off, if you want a value we need to know what kind of a Murano you have. 2 or 4 WD? Trim level?
Second, the miles are high. That alone will have an effect on the cars value.
KBB has ALWAYS been poor at determining the effect of miles on a trade in.
Third, the salesperson is right, KBB doesn't buy cars. They are in the business of publishing an OPINION about cars. Big difference. a trade in is worth exactly what the person with the checkbook is willing to pay. Sometimes, what KBB thinks and what the truth is do coincide. If I have more info on your truck we can see what the auction report says.

mikefm58

Why is this considered an industry standard if it means nothing

I'm not in the biz, but I'll weigh in here and give my opinion. Industry standard? According to who? KBB is just another online website among many that take a best guess at determing the vaule of your vehicle. And you have that idea ground in your brain, so it must be the evil salesperson trying to steal your car for a fraction of it's worth. The only true guide is local auction data, which you and I don't have access to.

And you are emotionally attached to your vehicle, so that makes it much worse.

Take it to Carmax for a more realistic value.

emjay1

My Murano is an SL 2WD with all the standard bells and whistles. The "optionals" are:

6 CD changer
Premium sound
Sunroof
Premuim wheels

It also has the burl-wood (look) trim throughout. It does not have leather, but the cloth seats are like new. Tires have about 5K miles on them, new ceramic brakes on all four wheels one month ago. Religious about synthetic oil every 4K miles, full maintenance records. Exterior paint is virtually perfect as well.

I'm definitely interested in this "auction report". One of the dealers I'm working with on looking for a "new" (used) car says he will look at auctions for me. How do I get access to that myself so I can see what the values are?

And thank you for your advice, Volvomax!

erikpsmith

I used to work at a Nissan dealership, so I guess I have standing to say something here. But your message doesn't provide enough information for anyone to assess the value of your vehicle. There are huge variations in Murano prices, depending on whether your car is the downscale cloth or upscale leather model, whether it is FWD or AWD, whether it has the sunroof, fancy stereo, alloys, etc. Also will depend on the part of the country you're in.

But frankly, I think you're posing a rather different question here. It's not what your car is worth, but rather whether you can reasonably expect KBB trade-in value. And this is one of the trickiest questions in the car business.

Okay, let me read between the lines here. You've been to at least a couple of dealers, and they've given you a number on your Murano that you don't like. One key question is at what point in the negotiating process you got the number -- the beginning or the end? Another is what else was going on during the negotiating process? Were you trying to drive a hard bargain at the same time on the car you were thinking of buying?

Keep in mind that the dealers are desperate to sell cars. They'll whack their profits to the bone. It was always true, and it's even truer now. So if, at the end of the negotiation, you got the same bad news from a couple of dealers, the dealers are probably telling you the truth.

Fact is, the KBB trade-in value is usually about $2,000 more than the actual cash value of the car at auction. The KBB number is the amount that dealers "show" you for your car, by taking profit out of the car they're trying to sell. So it all depends on the car you're trying to buy, and how much profit the dealer is making on that one.

The dealers are right when they say a book is a guide, nothing more. The numbers have a nodding relationship with reality, but most people don't know how the numbers should be used. If you don't take a holistic view of the sales process, it'll screw things up completely.

Let's suppose you're buying a new car; you've researched the invoices and the rebates, and you expect the dealer to sell it to you for $50 over his cost. Well and good, and some dealers will do that, just to move a unit. But then, if you insist on the full KBB trade-in value, it's no sale. The best you can hope for in this case is actual cash value. If you hold out for the KBB trade-in value, you're going to walk away disappointed. Probably you'll curse the dealer, but it's really your fault for not understanding the process.

Now let's suppose you walk into a car dealership and you tell the salesguy up front that you're frustrated as heck, and you want the full KBB trade-in value for your car. You know what the salesman is going to say? He's going to pin you down, get you to admit that this is your only issue, and when you say yes, he'll tell you that of course he can accomodate you. Then he'll show you the car on the lot that has the biggest markup. He won't budge during negotiations. You'll get full KBB trade-in value, all right, and you'll think you've won, but really it won't have made a difference.

I sold a hundred cars that way.

My advice? Don't fixate on the trade-in value. Especially don't fixate on the Kelly figure. You already have a good idea of what dealers are willing to pay, because you've obviously been to a couple of dealers already. So go to another dealer, get a third opinion, make sure you're negotiating on a car you like, and as long as the trade value is in the right ballpark and the deal looks good to you, take it. Don't let the book keep you from doing a deal you like.

BTW, I wouldn't bother with a private-party sale on your Murano, because it can't be sold for cash. You obviously want more than $10,000, and 99 percent of buyers will have to ask the bank for that kind of money. So you'll have another set of eyes looking at the transaction, and another party that can nix a deal after a lengthy negotiation. There are a million reasons a credit deal can fall apart. It can take weeks to find a buyer, and to have it all crumble -- that's awful. And if you're successful, you're under pressure to buy a new car right away -- not the best spot to be in. Depending on the state where you live, you might also lose a sales tax credit -- in Washington state, at full KBB trade-in, that would be about a $1,200 penalty. So the dollar benefit of a private party sale isn't as big as it looks. On a ten-year-old high-miler, a private party sale makes sense, but not on your Murano.

Erik Smith
Olympia, Wash.

ateixeira

I agree.

I think KBB is the consumer's standard, but not the industry standard.

Someone who works in the industry, like Volvomax, surely doesn't even take KBB pricing into consideration. He probably looks at historical prices paid at auctions and maybe the value he thinks he can sell it for on his used car lot (if it's new enough, and 74k miles likely isn't).

british_rover

I look at KBB because I know the customer is most likely expecting something close to that. If I can get close to KBB and I did a good job selling the features on their new car while making appropriate note of any defects in their trade I can probably get the deal done. For example if KBB on their car is 9k-10k and its ACV is say 8,500 I could over allow to the 9,000 to hopefully make the deal work. Now if there is no way to over allow because I don't have the Margin or the spread is too big then you have to make sure the customer fully understands what condition their car is in. A car that needs brakes and tires all the way around and has a few dings plus a trashed interior is not in good condition. That car is below good condition and should be knocked accordingly.

Sometimes KBB is just completely unrealistic though and then you just have to tell the customer that.

mikefm58

What makes them so different, just out of curiosity? What are their resale/trade in estimates based on?

They're different since the price they give is non-negotiable and is much closer to the real actual cash value. As the previous poster stated, a trade in price can vary considerably based on what you're buying, how you're financing, and if you're buying extras such as an ext. warranty. As Terry used to say, the only difference is the difference. And I believe their prices are based on the most recent local auction data.

whitall

Just for comparison.......Volvomax told me my Murano is right at auction value of 19k, which is the same price as my lease buy-out, so he said it's a good deal for me to buy it.

Mine is a 2006, it just turned 3 years old this month. It is also in excellent condition, except for not using synthetic (how good an idea is that, and can it be switched at any time? I've read not to switch).
I have the leather seats, which means it also has heated seats and both sides are power. I have all the options you have, plus the leather stuff. I believe 2006 has some changes, not major, including the reverse camera/screen being full color.

KEY POINT. I have only 23,000 miles.

With those points in mind, it would seem to me that you could get $12k for your car. But, I don't really know anything.I even needed someone to tell me that it makes sense for me to buy out my lease, because where else can I get a car like that for $19k? I mean, I thought it was good, but wanted confirmation.

Good luck, I'll be curious to see what value the auctions give it. Have you tried nada.com for a price? Try valuing it with "normal" mileage compared to your mileage.

ateixeira

Thing is someone like me would consider your car, but not one with 74k miles.

So not only is the value lower, but also he's have fewer buyers considering it.

tomcatt630

Since 75k miles to average joe buyer is considered 'high', just keep it. In reality, cars are built to last up to 150-200K miles with good maintenance.

The old cars that fell apart after 75k are just that old design cars.

This day and age, with so much debt, one shouldn't feel that they HAVE TO get a new car to impress people that you really do not like.

qbrozen

What makes them so different, just out of curiosity? What are their resale/trade in estimates based on?

My understanding of Carmax is that they do not send the cars they buy to auction. They sell them to consumers. They are non-negotiable and typically on the high side. So they can overpay when buying cars direct from the general population because they are avoiding auction fees, transport, etc. And if your car is especially nice, they don't have to worry about reconditioning, either.