Real-World Trade-In Values

bluelikejazz

qbrozen said:

bluelikejazz said:

Michaell said:

bluelikejazz said:

Trade in value?
2008 Honda Odyssey EXL, Nav, RES, Tow
145,000 miles

Color? Location? Condition?

Silver, Virginia, Good

Thanks!

miled up 9-yr-old Odyssey? About $4k.

Just to confirm, was that a serious response as to what you think I would get? Because it's not out of line with what I was expecting. However, I can't help reading this with a tone that makes me question whether it really is an informed answer to a sincere request.

andres3

bluelikejazz said:

qbrozen said:

bluelikejazz said:

Michaell said:

bluelikejazz said:

Trade in value?
2008 Honda Odyssey EXL, Nav, RES, Tow
145,000 miles

Color? Location? Condition?

Silver, Virginia, Good

Thanks!

miled up 9-yr-old Odyssey? About $4k.

Just to confirm, was that a serious response as to what you think I would get? Because it's not out of line with what I was expecting. However, I can't help reading this with a tone that makes me question whether it really is an informed answer to a sincere request.

@qbrozen gives as straight-forward of an answer as you'll get from anyone. He is very informed from what I've seen as I'm sure all here will vouch.

In fact, I trust his opinion enough that I offered his figure of $14,500 on that Accord discussed above. Sight unseen, but it is a CPO.

xwesx

bluelikejazz said:

Just to confirm, was that a serious response as to what you think I would get? Because it's not out of line with what I was expecting. However, I can't help reading this with a tone that makes me question whether it really is an informed answer to a sincere request.

I would assume it as a sincere response. The age/miles mean it won't have a high value for a dealer, and you're often better off doing a private party sale on vehicles like this.

bluelikejazz

OK. Thanks all!

qbrozen

You should absolutely sell that Odyssey on your own. $6995 asking and take the first $6k or better offer you get.

tj11119

Hi Q

This weekend I had to fight hard to get 15,000 trade in value on my 2016 Golf TSi S 4dr HB 5pd Manual (Blue/Black) with 14,950 miles, top shape. Did I do ok? This was in Southern California.

qbrozen

I'd say you did very well. $14k-$14.5k with an auto trans would be accurate. Manual? I'd have guessed $13k.

henryn

qbrozen said:

You should absolutely sell that Odyssey on your own. $6995 asking and take the first $6k or better offer you get.

If I were looking for one, I would think that was a very fair deal. If / when I unload this TDI, I may very well be looking for a minivan, but not now, and if and when I do it will be a newer / lower mileage unit. But I think you can easily sell that one for $6k, maybe even $7k, and if it's in good condition, that will be a good deal for whomever buys it.

andres3

They haven't accepted my 14,500 offer on that Honda Accord Sport CVT. I think they think they can get closer to their 16,500 asking. Maybe on Monday if it isn't sold already they will blow it out the door?

They said my presence has power and they'd work with me on the price. That's not gonna get me to drive for 90 minutes.

stickguy

this is your car to DD to take miles off the TTS?

andres3

stickguy said:

this is your car to DD to take miles off the TTS?

Basically, the nice daily driver beater. Will make putting extra sticky soft tires on the TTS make more sense, be less costly, more efficient use of the good rubber, and in general just make it a weekend and track toy. Maybe a day to work here and there when I need services.

That way I don't need to hassle with changing wheel/tire sets all the time, nor waste good rubber on a straight freeway stuck in rush hour slow mode.

I almost bought a '14 Accord Sport when they were new (Around $22K at the time). IF I had done that I'd of not bought an S4 and simply gone maybe stage 3 on the old A3 (it was already staged 2).

If money was no object I'd have an R8 LMS Ultra as the toy and an S4 as a "beater." Now that would be the good life.

stickguy

depending on the miles you want to put on it, and how long it can keep your interest, might be a good situation for a cheap lease. An Accord or Civic could work, but probably not that cheap. A Jetta like I have or Michael, for barely $200 per month maybe.

the Accord Sports are nice cars. If the sleazeball dealer that we drove one at (that for some reason, had a ton of them) had not been crazy greedy (and had not skeeved my wife out) I might be driving one. Or more likely, my daughter would have one!

andres3

Yes they are nice.

I test drove the new '16 Kia Optima LX Turbo (1.6T) earlier today. Great car! 10X better than the LX FE model with the 2.4. More powerful, faster, quicker, more efficient (7-speed DUAL CLUTCH!), so the transmission is EVEN better than the already good 6-speed in the 2.4L. Costs about the same as the 2.4L! With a bit of time spent I think I got their supposed "rock bottom" number, about $20,700 with 250 back if you used 2.9% Kia Financing. Seems like a great price for the car, just not sure I want to spend that much. It would smoke the Passat's 1.8T.

Kia is going the right direction. Main flaw I found was no spare, but not a big deal to me.

VW Pasadena sent an email advertisement for a Passat S lease at $129/month for 10K miles with 1,999 down 20 cents each additional mile. Think there is any catch? Might be right as someone showed they might go down to $17,500 or so on the car.

I'd probably want 12K miles per year though, as currently with one car I'm between 15-20K/year. I think my 2nd car would have to be a mid-sizer, not a Jetta. Want something bigger than the TTS, for hauling people and stuff. Something that could hold the wife, me, the grandparents and the car seat all in one.

stickguy

mid size is so competitive now, can get the bigger size for very little extra money. Though I do find the Jetta surprisingly roomy, the Passat is still huge. that price, no money down, would be in the $200 range, so about right.

On the Kia, if it is like the Hyundai (and it is basically the same car) the spare is an option on the cars where they don't make it standard.

tj11119

qbrozen said:

I'd say you did very well. $14k-$14.5k with an auto trans would be accurate. Manual? I'd have guessed $13k.

Wow, that is good to hear Q. It was end of the month, so maybe they really needed to the move the car I was buying. Took me a good 5hrs at the dealership, but I am happy with the deal. Thanks again for your help.

tjc78

@stickguy ,

Which one (RT 73?)

stickguy

tjc78 said:

@stickguy ,

Which one (RT 73?)

actually it was Burlington. At the time, Burns had none left, and Burlington had a bunch for some reason.

Never going there again.

Though it was worth going to Hamiliton instead. That was the place that offered the deal on a Civic Si that almost killed me to pass on.

stickguy

Hey Q. Just curious, but what would a 2014 Lexus ES350 with 37K go for? Normal equipped with Navi, otherwise I think mostly basic. Saw one listed local for $26,700 and trying to get a feel for the market.

tjc78

Ok, never been up there.

The ES will feel a little like a boat to you, light steering and soft ride. The Toyota 3.5 is one sweet engine, and I'm sure it is quick. My 06 Avalon for a barge moved really well.

Sandman6472

$14k-$14.5K for a '16 Golf S with less miles than my '15 SE with just about 22k on the clock is very disappointing, thinking mine would probably be on the lower side even with the nicer rims on it. Very disappointing indeed, as I didn't think the depreciation was that steep on VW's. Be fore the Tucson, I'd always kept a vehicle at least three years, the '03 Sentra, and all others at least eight or more...depreciation never came into the picture. TheTucson did open my eyes a bit as I wasn't too pleased with the trade-in offers I got and now with the Golf's range, am totally disappointed. Just makes me think that keeping it for the long haul might be the path I end up taking if it doesn't have any issues. The more I drive the A3, the more I like the hatch on my Golf and the flexibility it gives.
So far, it's been super reliable except for the starter hiccup it had, and it's a hoot to drive. And liking the fact that I don't see one on every street corner plus the nice color combo, keeping it for the long haul looks better as time goes by. Luckily, found a good indie repair shop right down the street and they seem pretty knowledgable. Only way I'd want to keep it for the long run is to have a good mechanic near to keep me on the road while I'm still employed. Once I retire again, less of an issue.

The Sandman

henryn

sandman_6472 said:

$14k-$14.5K for a '16 Golf S with less miles than my '15 SE with just about 22k on the clock is very disappointing, thinking mine would probably be on the lower side even with the nicer rims on it. Very disappointing indeed, as I didn't think the depreciation was that steep on VW's. Be fore the Tucson, I'd always kept a vehicle at least three years, the '03 Sentra, and all others at least eight or more...depreciation never came into the picture. TheTucson did open my eyes a bit as I wasn't too pleased with the trade-in offers I got and now with the Golf's range, am totally disappointed.

The Sandman

As others here have stated, if you're concerned with depreciation and resale value, there are 2 things to keep clearly in mind.

1) Make and model. Hyundai is definitely not known for resale value, rather the opposite. I don't think VW is as bad as Hyundai, but it is not close to the top, and I suspect they have taken a beating due to Dieselgate. Any Honda will hold it's value better than anything else you can buy (exception for Ford and Chevy pickups). And of course, there is Subaru, really ungodly resale value if you live in Colorado!

2) Getting a really good deal up front. And by that I don't mean hammering away at the dealer to save an extra $200, I'm talking about buying at the end of the model year, and picking one that is being pushed hard with extra incentives.

Now if you really want a VW or a Kia, and you want it NOW without waiting, then go right ahead. But don't be surprised at how much you're going to lose in a year or two if you decide to trade it in.

qbrozen

stickguy said:

Hey Q. Just curious, but what would a 2014 Lexus ES350 with 37K go for? Normal equipped with Navi, otherwise I think mostly basic. Saw one listed local for $26,700 and trying to get a feel for the market.

Most are in the high $22k range with a few dogs going for $2k less

tj11119

henryn said:

sandman_6472 said:

$14k-$14.5K for a '16 Golf S with less miles than my '15 SE with just about 22k on the clock is very disappointing, thinking mine would probably be on the lower side even with the nicer rims on it. Very disappointing indeed, as I didn't think the depreciation was that steep on VW's. Be fore the Tucson, I'd always kept a vehicle at least three years, the '03 Sentra, and all others at least eight or more...depreciation never came into the picture. TheTucson did open my eyes a bit as I wasn't too pleased with the trade-in offers I got and now with the Golf's range, am totally disappointed.

The Sandman

As others here have stated, if you're concerned with depreciation and resale value, there are 2 things to keep clearly in mind.

1) Make and model. Hyundai is definitely not known for resale value, rather the opposite. I don't think VW is as bad as Hyundai, but it is not close to the top, and I suspect they have taken a beating due to Dieselgate. Any Honda will hold it's value better than anything else you can buy (exception for Ford and Chevy pickups). And of course, there is Subaru, really ungodly resale value if you live in Colorado!

2) Getting a really good deal up front. And by that I don't mean hammering away at the dealer to save an extra $200, I'm talking about buying at the end of the model year, and picking one that is being pushed hard with extra incentives.

Now if you really want a VW or a Kia, and you want it NOW without waiting, then go right ahead. But don't be surprised at how much you're going to lose in a year or two if you decide to trade it in.

Let me say that my '16 Golf was a great car. Fun to drive, economical (got 45mpg on my daily commute, regular gas), refined interior, great 1.8t engine and was solid on the highway. Definitely a great value for what you pay. I wasn't crazy about the 5sp MT and my wife never felt comfortable driving a stick with the kids in the back, so that motivated me to consider a replacement with an automatic trans.

So the only way I could pull an upgrade was like Heryn states, you get a killer deal upfront. I did my research and was able to get $5,600 off an outgoing 2016 GTI that they were clearing out because new 2017's were just arriving on the lot(plus dieselgate I guess helps). After we agreed on the final price I told them I had a trade and they obviously tried to low ball me and it was a long process to get up to 15k, but we got there and I pulled the trigger. Truthfully, at 14k I would have just kept it since my car had been super reliable and was super clean.

Another option is to consider selling it through Beepi, looks like a really great car selling service and their appraisals are way better than dealer trade in value. They offered to buy it for a bit more than 15k if the Golf didn't sell in 30 days. Not bad at all. Looks legit and my contact with them was very professional, check them out just to see what they say.

backfist

QB

Anything on this one 2016 X6 VIN: 5UXKU2C59G0N78218

Thanks!!!

qbrozen

Nope. Per the carfax, it never went to auction. Odd that it was titled, then offered for sale with 6k miles and now has 14k. I have to assume maybe the dealer has been driving it for the past 8k without titling it. Huh.

roadburner

Might be a BMW company car.

backfist

Thanks QB! I bet that is probably what it is...the guy who has it now is a broker...

stickguy

speaking of interesting carfax, saw an interesting one today (a 2011 Lexus that popped up, actually from Carfax teaser). Had about 54K on it. Not bad. but it had sold earlier (about exactly a year) with 15K on it. so in one year, 2nd owner loaded on about 39,000 miles. That is a lot of driving in one year!

Sandman6472

Understand all that, and buying at the start of the model year maybe wasn't the best plan but, it just happened spur of the moment. The wife just got herself a new Audi, I liked hers so much and since we had never ever thought about buying German, it kinda opened the door. Since her pocketbook is larger than mine, she pulled the trigger. After a few days, I started to want the same but my pocketbook, much smaller so looking at a VW was the logical choice. Twelve days later, I pulled the trigger. And the rest is history.
Really like the vehicle and best thing is to keep it at least three years which is the current plan. From the start of this whole episode, logic was not a part of the equation and I stated that from the start. I satisfied a want, definitely not a need, so I didn't let anything get in my way, but at this age, why the hell not! And I was also fortunate enough to be left a large enough bequest that spending the cash plus my trade-in was just a given and I thank G-d for that, that one of my folks loved me enough and decided to think of me down the road, a shame that the other parent did just the opposite!

The Sandman

steine13

qbrozen said:

auction prices in the north hover in the mid to upper $20k range for automatic versions.

This quote from qbrozengoes back to late February and concerns my 2014 Subaru Outback Premium 6MT with (now) 26,200 miles in no-sale blue.

I finally started to shop it around. One of the big Chevy dealers offered $18,200 for the car.

I'm surprised they went that high; I tried the Honda dealer also, and they coughed up a rather modest $15, at which point I'd rather keep it.

I'll see what the Subaru dealer says, and unless they offer more, it's going to Shaheen Chevrolet this evening. Subarus are strong, and selling a car with 6 months of b2b warranty left has worked well for me in the past.

cheers -mathias

qbrozen

$18.2 is really high. $15k makes more sense. I see a few with similar miles lately. They have ranged from $16 up to $19, but all automatics. Being a stick, I'd guess it would fall to that $16 number, if not worse.

stickguy

Why are you selling it? Got a replacement?

I hate being out of the loop!

Mr_Shiftright

Q--a friend of mine wants to trade in her Prius. I fear she is a bit optimistic on trade-in value but thought I would run it by you:

2011 Prius, white, 50,000 miles, clean with one small ding in front fender that will need attention. Not many options, pretty basic Prius 2. Geography is Santa Cruz, CA, which I think probably favors Prius values. She's hoping for $10K.

qbrozen

You have a carmax type of place? She might get something around $9500 there. I think most dealers will be in that $8500 range. Maybe pushing it to $9k if its real nice other than that ding.

Mr_Shiftright

There's a CARMAX up the road from her about an hour--might be worth it for her to get a written appraisal from CARMAX and then leverage that on the dealer. I'm trying to coax her into a Mazda CX-3 or Golf Sportwagon, or maybe a CR-V. Gas mileage is important to her so we're nixing the Subaru Crosstrek.

Thanks for the help Q!

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

There's a CARMAX up the road from her about an hour--might be worth it for her to get a written appraisal from CARMAX and then leverage that on the dealer. I'm trying to coax her into a Mazda CX-3 or Golf Sportwagon, or maybe a CR-V. Gas mileage is important to her so we're nixing the Subaru Crosstrek.

Thanks for the help Q!

Doesn't the Crosstrek have the 2.5L? Shouldn't be too bad on gas mileage.

Mr_Shiftright

I think it depends on how you drive it. It's a 2.0L engine and it's a dog---so yeah, if you are a light foot and not in a hurry and drive mixed city/hwy, you would get decent MPG. But if you are a city driver and need to hustle, it's going to be considerably less. Subaru has done a great job of presenting a vehicle that looks great and performs with total mediocrity IMO.

andres3

Mr_Shiftright said:

I think it depends on how you drive it. It's a 2.0L engine and it's a dog---so yeah, if you are a light foot and not in a hurry and drive mixed city/hwy, you would get decent MPG. But if you are a city driver and need to hustle, it's going to be considerably less. Subaru has done a great job of presenting a vehicle that looks great and performs with total mediocrity IMO.

Glad I asked. My wife has serious interest in that model due to its looks. I will steer her away as it is a LOT smaller than the Sportwagen, slower, and less fuel efficient. Now if it had the 2.0T.....; that might be fun. Sort of a lifted WRX.

Mr_Shiftright

And an obnoxious (to some people) CVT, which moans like an old blues singer. But you know, I'm pretty severe when it comes to cars that aren't fun to drive.

The little Golf wagon has a lot of room--much much more than the CX-3, which fails badly in cargo space.

Michaell

I had a CrossTrek as a loaner, and shifty is right. Looks great, performs poorly.

My wife also likes the looks of them, but when I told her how dog-slow it was, she dismissed it.

mnrlblue

I have a 2006 Honda CRV EX with Running Boards, Fog Lights, Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror, Subwoofer, i pod hook up, special arm rest, metal trim kit etc..... It has 148K miles on it and needs new tires. Aside from that it is all great and just passed inspection and has great brakes. Want to sell it as is but I don't know what to ask. i don't want to trade it I want to sell it outright. Can anyone help?

Michaell

mnrlblue said:

I have a 2006 Honda CRV EX with Running Boards, Fog Lights, Auto Dimming Rear View Mirror, Subwoofer, i pod hook up, special arm rest, metal trim kit etc..... It has 148K miles on it and needs new tires. Aside from that it is all great and just passed inspection and has great brakes. Want to sell it as is but I don't know what to ask. i don't want to trade it I want to sell it outright. Can anyone help?

A couple of questions:

Where are you located?

AWD or FWD?

Color - inside and out?

That information will help our experts figure out the right price, but I imagine you'll get a pretty penny for it in a private sale.

mnrlblue

Upstate New York - Central NY, AWD, Blue Outside/Black inside

qbrozen

Up in the northeast, that is a sub-$4k car at auction, so dealers are probably asking $7k-$8k and taking $6500. So detail it up and put new rubber on it, start at $6995, and accept the first $6k offer.

steine13

Catching up here, guys...

I sold the Outback to the Subaru dealer today for $19 even. Yeah, I don't get it either. I paid $21,400 for it plus $3,800 in "Subaru bucks" coupons, so I'm really happy. The used-car manager said it's a sought-after car with the motorhome crowd to use as a toad with 4 wheels down. Who knows; I took the check and ran.

No replacement yet; I need to get a new concrete driveway before the snow starts, so I'll hold off. Might get a cheap lease on a Chrysler minivan, might get an old beater, might get nothing. We still have the '03 Sienna [wife] and the '16 Cruze [daughter & I], and I don't really commute.

The key to the Crosstrek is to get the 5speed, like a friend of mine did.

Cheers -m

xwesx

That's brilliant, Mathias! I thought Chase said those Subaru Bucks had no cash value.....

You definitely made the right move on that one. The timing was very good as well, given that owners (original or future) only have the option of buying an extended warranty if the car is still within the B2B period. That is probably not true of "Certified" vehicles.

backfist

Guys...
I'm in Denver and my wife is still fixated on a BMW X6. She specifically wants a 2014 35i that is certified. I have found a few outside of the region but I don't want to jump on planes multiple times to look at them.

Would it be worth my time/money to get a broker involved as I have never purchased one out-of-state and had to deal with the taxes, transportation, etc...or should I just negotiate via phone/email and take my chances?

stever

My sister loves her 2015 CrossTrek and loves the mpg.

She's an lousy, inattentive driver, so an additional governor on the engine would be a plus. I'm really happy that I talked her out of a MINI.

xwesx

backfist said:

Guys...
I'm in Denver and my wife is still fixated on a BMW X6. She specifically wants a 2014 35i that is certified. I have found a few outside of the region but I don't want to jump on planes multiple times to look at them.

Would it be worth my time/money to get a broker involved as I have never purchased one out-of-state and had to deal with the taxes, transportation, etc...or should I just negotiate via phone/email and take my chances?

Well, you're right that you do, to some extent, "take your chances" when it comes to distance purchasing. But, as long as you do your homework (carfax, dealer reviews, known issues with the make/model, known history, etc.) and ask the questions that are important to you (particularly regarding the livability stuff such as smoking, pets, and whatnot), I think it is completely doable.

I just purchased my Passat from nearly 4,000 miles away, and I was absolutely comfortable with the transaction (which was literally sign & drive by the time I arrived there). The car was exactly as I expected and continues to be so a month later. While this is the fourth car I purchased from a distance (e.g., site unseen), it is the first used car, and I'm happy I took the chance.

Mr_Shiftright

You can also pay an inspector to give it a final look-over and test drive if you wish. Cost maybe $350, so maybe cheaper than a plane ticket and a refusal on your part if you don't like it when you get there.