Another benefit, depending upon the state you live in, is the sales tax credit when trading in.
For example, here in Colorado, if I trade in my car worth $4K on a new or used car, I get a credit for the sales tax amount - and, since the tax rate where I live is 7.5%, that $4K equates to a $300 savings in tax on the new / used vehicle.
This narrows down the gap between trading and selling privately.
Most of the major websites show about a $1K delta (for my car) between trading and selling privately - the tax credit narrows that down to $700. Not chump change, to be sure, but given the hassles of selling a car privately (I live in a town about 30 miles south of Denver), it may just be easier to trade.
To all - like stickguy said, I'm all over the map with the idea of a new / used car. I've thought about the fact that dropping close to 20 large to effectively deliver pizzas seems like a huge waste ... OTOH, I'm getting to that tipping point that my Saturn is going to need some large $$$'s to stay on the road:
$1100 for timing belt / water pump $??? for unknown electrical / transmission issue
Still less than $15-20K, for sure, but the adage "you don't know what you don't know" comes into play. Hard to say what might go wrong in the next 18 months - which is how long I'd been hoping to keep it.
I'll keep looking and thinking and test driving and if diving intervention strikes, I might pull the trigger.
How you answer the trade vs. sell question depends on what you're trying to get rid of. I generally keep my cars for a long time - for at least 8 years & sometimes longer - so that by the time I'm ready to dispose of them, they're worth well under $5K. At that price point, my target buyer can afford to pay cash.
A 4-year-old Land Rover is a poor candidate for a private sale. Most potential buyers can't swing a vehicle like that without financing, which a private seller obviously can't provide. Broadly speaking, if your old car is worth more than $10K, you're better off trading.
But if you have the right vehicle - an 8+ year old Honda/Toyota/Nissan that runs well & looks halfway presentable, for example - you'd be nuts to trade it in. You'll do much better if you sell it yourself. Since most new car dealers aren't interested in older cars, you'll wind up with at least 25% more than you would if you traded it in. That's been my experience, in any case.
Another advantage of the sell-it-yourself approach is that the process of negotiating the price of your new car is more transparent & manageable when you don't have to negotiate the trade-in value of your old car at the same time.
I traded in my last car. The tax credit was nearly 10%, and the car was in such good condition I had a marginally decent offer to begin with, so I ended up only being short a little bit. That seemed more attractive than potentially trying to sell the thing for a couple months (specialty cars sell slower), dealing with jerky looky-loos and test pilots, and parking the thing outside as I only have one garage space where I live, and it was winter. I have no regrets.
My sister and BIL still have their Caliber that I helped her buy when they first came out. They like it quite a bit. And, as I commented around here back then, I liked it a heck of a lot more than the previous gen CRV she traded in on it. More comfortable, just as roomy, just as peppy. Yeah, it is plasticky, but, IMHO, it is to a purpose. It is more of a utility vehicle.
Having said that, if you don't need/want something the size of a compact SUV, there are far better choices, such as the Mazda3.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
1) the SUV for family duty and wife's day to day driving 2) pizza delivery hooptie - preferably AWD / 4WD 3) occasional driver for me - think 3-series or Genesis coupe, Mustang, etc.
But, since that isn't going to happen, I'm thinking .... well, I'm not sure what I'm thinking.
I do like the Mazda 3, especially the Grand Touring model - HID headlights, Bluetooth, power memory leather seats, good handling .. really, a 7/8th scale Acura, Infiniti or Lexus (but FWD) for 75% of the cost.
Given the choice between a loaded up compact or a not-quite-so-loaded midsize, I think I'd gravitate towards the compact.
However, a brand new car doesn't make sense when I would spend 75% of my time in it delivering pizzas.
However, a brand new car doesn't make sense when I would spend 75% of my time in it delivering pizzas.
Why are you delivering pizzas? I can think of three reasons; you need the occupation, you like meeting new people, to help make ends meet. If it is the third of these then you need to stop looking at new cars and maintain the one you have. If it's either of the first two or another reason altogether, then ignore this post.
I almost miss my pizza delivery days. Notice I said "almost" :shades:
Hope it's working out well for you. I made pretty good money when I did it. And only totaled one car. Actually it WAS fun for awhile, as I had a great bunch of coworkers and we really seemed like friends. But after awhile, the cool ones moved on to other things, and were replaced by people who weren't so cool. And everytime Corporate came around and tried to improve things, they'd just screw it up worse. Oh, and when the store manager promoted one little pothead to assistant manager because she thought it would help his self-esteem, I kinda lost it. Way to reward people, eh? :surprise:
I posted this over in the Smart Shoppers board a while back, but I suppose it's relevant to the discussion...
First off, I'm extremely fortunate in that I have a reputation for being obsessive about the maintenance and repair of my vehicles. As a result I'm almost always able to sell a car quickly- and for a good price. I've only traded in two cars in the past fifteen years. Here are the gory details:
1973 Bavaria 3.0- Sold in 1990 to the service manager of the independent BMW shop I use. Time on market: 2 days
1987 Scorpio- Sold in 1991 to a co-worker for $2500 over best trade-in offer. Time on market: Zero- buyer asked me if I wanted to sell it.
1987 535is- Sold in 1992 to a friend. Time on market: Zero. The buyer had made me a standing offer to buy the car whenever I wanted to sell it.
1991 740 Turbo- Traded in 1994 on a 1993 Pathfinder SE for $1200 more than lease buyout. I must have made a good deal, as the car sat on the dealer's lot for over two months...
1988 M6- Sold in 1995 to fellow BMW club member(who never even test drove it). Time on market: 1 day.
1984 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe- Sold in 1998 to the owner of my son's day care. Time on market: Zero. Buyer asked me if I wanted to sell it.
1998 318ti- Traded in 2001 on a 1997 528i for $1000 over auction price(according to Terry in Real World Trade-In Values). This was one time when the deal was so good that it wasn't worth selling it myself.
1993 Pathfinder SE- Sold in 2003 to the owner of the previously mentioned BMW shop. Time on market: Zero. I mentioned to him that I was putting the truck up for sale and he said "I'll take it."
1997 528i- Sold in 2005 to a customer of that same BMW shop. Time on market: five days. The car had 130K miles and four accidents on Carfax-which I disclosed. The selling price was double what Carmax offered. FWIW, I talked to the buyer a while back; she still loves the car.
I've never bought a newspaper ad, although I did list the M6 in the local and national BMW CCA classifieds. The reason I was selling the 5er was because my wife wanted an SUV(so that she could negotiate our 1/2 mile gravel farm road in inclement weather). We narrowed the choices down to two very different vehicles- a 2004 CPO X3 and a 2005 Xterra Off Road. My BMW salesperson agreed that I'd be much better off selling the 5er myself. At the Nissan dealer my salesperson was excellent, but the Sales Manager popped in and pressured me to trade the 528i. Even though I explained that I had a buyer and that the sale was a done deal, he still insisted on reciting a litany of problems that could befall me if I tried to sell it myself(yes, he wanted a deal TODAY!!!). The guy's attitude really ticked my wife off, and he essentially wound up costing his store the sale.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
grandtotal: Why are you delivering pizzas? I can think of three reasons; you need the occupation, you like meeting new people, to help make ends meet. If it is the third of these then you need to stop looking at new cars and maintain the one you have.
Thank you, I needed that slap in the face. After much consideration, I think I'm going to stick with what I've got and invest the $$$ in maintenance and repairs. I am, however, going to make a few phone calls to see if I can get the work done for less than the quote I have in hand. If I can save 2 or 3 hundred bucks, then all the better for me - but, not at the expense of getting a poorer quality job done.
While I wouldn't say I need the job to make ends meet, my wife and I appreciate the extra income the job provides me. I also get social interaction from it. I work from home at my "day" job, and the dogs (3 mini dachshunds) aren't all that great at conversation. It's nice to have some folks to talk to - both co-workers and customers.
Andre: Hope it's working out well for you. I made pretty good money when I did it. And only totaled one car. Actually it WAS fun for awhile, as I had a great bunch of coworkers and we really seemed like friends.
It is working out well .. not many jobs where you can work 8-12 hours a week and average $15/hr (tips + wages). And, many of the drivers at this store are like myself ... older guys who need / want a little extra cash.
I've been doing this for about 18 months now, and I know of 3 accidents that drivers have had in that time. 2 of the 3 were during snowy weather and neither were the drivers' fault.
That's amazing your good fortune in selling your own cars privately. It seems one contributing factor is it doesn't sound like you were in any sort of "must-sell" situation. I think when you're desperate at all (or simply anxious) to get into the new car, trading in is a really simply answer.
I generally make an attempt to sell my cars privately, but if it doesn't pan out, I end up trading it in. My most recent experiences:
1) When I purchased my 530xi, I ordered it through a broker, so he gave me a trade bid, but I had a couple months to sell the car privately before the new arrived. I had my TSX for sale for all that time, without one buyer. I finally had it priced down to just about break-even with the trade, considering the sales tax benefit, but no takers.
2) I traded my Highlander for my CX-9 just a few months ago. I had been thinking of replacing it, but never actually put the Toyota up for sale. The Mazda dealer offered what I thought was a great trade on the Toyota - about as much as I planned on selling it for. So I had no hesitation on that one.
3) I've had my 530xi for sale for a couple of weeks and not one call of interest (other than those pesky brokers). I probably have it priced a bit on the high side, but I think it's just an expensive used car, and the manual trannie has such a limited population of buyers.
I have yet to get a trade bid on the BMW, mostly cause, as I've posted here before, keeping it is a desirable option as well. Once a local BMW dealer has something I'd like in stock, I may see what they offer on trade and decide from there if it makes sense.
I just talked with another repair shop regarding the timing belt / water pump change on the L300.
To replace just the belt and the pump would run $585 .. to get the timing belt "kit" would bump the price up to around $850.
Either way, better than the $1100 quote I got the at the first place.
I'm wondering, since I'm only planning on keeping the car for another 2-3 years (maybe 40,000 more miles), if I need to upgrade to the "kit" and just get the belt and the pump done.
That way, I can also have the elusive "wrench" light / transmission issue looked into and my out of pocket should be around a grand.
I know, I know .. this is "Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous" and not the "When is it time to give up on your old hooptie" forum, so I'm sure most of the advice will be long the lines of "hey, you want a new / used car? go for it!"
That's amazing your good fortune in selling your own cars privately. It seems one contributing factor is it doesn't sound like you were in any sort of "must-sell" situation. I think when you're desperate at all (or simply anxious) to get into the new car, trading in is a really simply answer.
Yes, I've been blessed by never being forced to get a new car. If you have to move the metal it's a lot more stressful.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I was with a group of guys last night and we were talking about the 'Toyota' incident. None of us are really actual gear-heads, just car enthusiasts. When did automakers stop using 'drive-by-wire'? I was thinking the early '90's but not really sure. :confuse:
Thanks, Mark
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
When did automakers stop using 'drive-by-wire'? I was thinking the early '90's but not really sure.
Mark, did you mean "start"?
I think the DBW stuff actually started in the late 90's or early 2000's. Heck, I think there were still cars with carbs in the early 90's - I know the uplevel version of the Honda Accord at that time was called the "LX-i", where the "i" stood for injected.
I think you're right ... the 3rd gen Accord had the LX-i ('86 - '89). I had a co-worker who owned one and thought it was the most luxurious car I'd ever been in ... other than the boss' '87 560 SEL, that is ...
Correct, the LX-i ('i' was for injected, but started with the pop-up-headlights '86). I owned, briefly, and somewhat unfortunatlely, an '87 DX (not injected), not a bad car, for the $500 I paid for it. A friend's stepdad owned an LX-i automatic, nice car, really.
I really liked that generation of the Accord, especially the hatchback.
I owned an '85 LX for a few years after graduating college. Nice car .. took me from California to Michigan and back in late summer of '86. Best mileage was over 44MPG on one tank in NM.
We owned an '87 LX-i 5-speed. Bought it new & kept it for almost 12 years. Sold it privately in 1 hour to the 1st person who responded to our ad. One of our all-time favorite cars. We remember it fondly.
I love those old late '80's early '90's Hondas. Before I got my 1990 Civic Si, my mom took me to look at a used late '80's Accord LXi. She preferred that, but I was only 17, and wanted that Civic. The Accord would have been nice.
Out of curiousity, I did a nationwide search on cars.com for those old Accords - here's a nice pizza delivery vehicle:
Well, the $1100 quote was from a local Midas shop.
I got a second quote from an indy shop in the little town where my wife works. Belt and pump replacement only - $585. If I get the 'timing belt kit', the price goes up to around $850.
I never heard back from the Saturn dealer I called.
The 90-93 Accord was the nicest design of the series, IMO. Clean simple lines, big greenhouse, and apparently very good quality, aside from rust in some areas.
The 90-93 Accord was the nicest design of the series, IMO. Clean simple lines, big greenhouse, and apparently very good quality, aside from rust in some areas.
I had two from that series .. the first was a '92 LX sedan my (now ex) wife and I bought. I think we paid $14.5K with taxes and a dealer installed CD player.
When I moved to Colorado a year or so later, I leased a '93 DX sedan. I only put 58K on it in 5 1/2 years. Neither car had any problems whatsoever.
I don't remember if my '90 Si had fuel injection - someone else probably knows.
What I do remember was that it cost $9,600 brand new, had a whopping 108 hp and a slick 5-speed. I really wanted the CRX Si at the time, but it was a bit more expensive and less practical. That Civic was an awesome car for my college days - toting the contents of my dorm room to and from my parents house in style.
The fond memories of that car and the unsatisfied desire for that CRX probably drive my current intrigue in the Fit and upcoming CRZ.
What I do remember was that it cost $9,600 brand new, had a whopping 108 hp and a slick 5-speed.
The '91 I was looking at stickered for around $10.3K new, and the one feature that I thought was way cool was the standard sunroof on the Si. No A/C or stereo standard, but that sunroof was quite the thing.
Unfortunately, I found out that my insurance company would have classified it as a sports car, which would have made my rates kinda high - we had just had our first child a year or two earlier, so money was tight.
I ended up getting a '91 Sentra SE with 110HP. I really, really wish I had splurged for the Si.
I had a '93 Accord EX/5-speed as a hand me down from my dad who bought it new. I think it was the high-water mark for Honda. It was very fun to drive, got good mileage, had great ergonomics, but actually has the record for the most times towed due to breakdown in our family, topping the Reliant and Caravan (yeah my folks could pick winners). That was a big reason I got the 2007 Accord EX/5-speed, but the heritage is gone. Money would've been better spent on a Mazda6, a Speed6, or a used 3-series. That car does nothing for me...except make me miss the old Accord and the Contour. The 88-91 Civic SI was fuel injected. It has 108 hp same as the CRX SI at the time. The previous Civic SI and CRX SI ('86-87) were also FE, but the lesser Civics had carbs. 92- was when the "shamoo" Civics came out, and the (92-93) Integra (bascially the same car as a Civic from '86+) got a b16a (16-valve vtec engine). In '94 the Integra got the b18c which was a 1.8 vtec motor in the GSR. That was a great (if torqueless) car.
I had a 90 Accord 5spd I bought in 94. Kept it for 6 years...still a record for this chronic car buyer. It was early build for that generation from Japan, with the blue on blue interior color combo. Felt like driving around in a pair of jeans. :P
Honda lost its way on the Accord after those early 90s cars. They're still fine cars but they've lost their soul. I'd be looking at a Mazda 6 or maybe a Subaru Legacy next time.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
My first was a 13 year old 82 Accord sedan. A few cars later I ended up owning an 84 hatch. One of the most reliable cars ever owned at any price , even with the 150k miles on it when I got it.
...story: my friend (and ended up being my almost-frat-brother) brought a bunch of doofuses (myself included) to Valaraiso University for a little trip. I got more than a little, uh, inebriated and, hungover on the way back to the south suburbs of Chicago, hurled in the back seat of his dad's brand-new '87 Accord LX-i hatch. I was not too popular that day.
The first DBW car I remember was the E32 750i V12 back in 1988. BMW used two six cylinder Motronic boxes for engine management rather than pay Bosch to design a dedicated V12 Motronic system. BMW bragged that the car could still hit 130 mph with just one Motronic box operating. It was also the first BMW to have a 155 MPH fuel cut-off. It worked- a friend of mine and I tested it...
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
I don't remember if my '90 Si had fuel injection - someone else probably knows.
Oh yes it did, as did all Si's going all the way back. The 'i' is for injected, and the designator goes back to the fuel-injected version of the Prelude S (making it the Prelude Si), which hit the streets around what, 1983 or so? With the Civic Si making its debut not much after that.....
Had an '86 that I loved. Eventually had an '87 CRX Si to go with it. Should have kept them both 50 years. The Honda of today should have a different name, because the folks working there now have no idea what that company used to be, or what made it special way back when. The only thing they still have going for them is fabulous (manual) gearboxes. Will they ever build a driver's car again now that the S2000 is dead?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
sorry, guys, i just don't share the enthusiasm. I grew to really dislike my Accord. My sister's civic gave her nothing but problems. Her CRV was a pretty nasty vehicle, IMHO. The only good one was our Pilot. At least from a driving standpoint.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
While I owned 3 Accords, I wouldn't say that I loved them .. they were good appliances, but they were, in the end, kind of bland.
When I met my current wife, she needed to get a new car as she was starting a job that required her to commute about 20 miles one way. We looked at the Civic, but she just couldn't get enthused about it - and, for some inexplicable reason, they required that you lock the driver's door with the key rather than just locking it from inside and closing the door.
Haven't really seriously considered a Honda since - though I did think about an '03 Accord EX-L when I bought my L300.
yes, Honda says 105K for replacement, but I'm more concerned about age since the car was built over 6 years ago, and my wife is about to embark on a 1500 miles round trip to Idaho (anyone know where Kooskia is?).
I'm pretty anal about maintenance on all my rigs, and since this is an interference engine...
Comments
For example, here in Colorado, if I trade in my car worth $4K on a new or used car, I get a credit for the sales tax amount - and, since the tax rate where I live is 7.5%, that $4K equates to a $300 savings in tax on the new / used vehicle.
This narrows down the gap between trading and selling privately.
Most of the major websites show about a $1K delta (for my car) between trading and selling privately - the tax credit narrows that down to $700. Not chump change, to be sure, but given the hassles of selling a car privately (I live in a town about 30 miles south of Denver), it may just be easier to trade.
To all - like stickguy said, I'm all over the map with the idea of a new / used car. I've thought about the fact that dropping close to 20 large to effectively deliver pizzas seems like a huge waste ... OTOH, I'm getting to that tipping point that my Saturn is going to need some large $$$'s to stay on the road:
$1100 for timing belt / water pump
$??? for unknown electrical / transmission issue
Still less than $15-20K, for sure, but the adage "you don't know what you don't know" comes into play. Hard to say what might go wrong in the next 18 months - which is how long I'd been hoping to keep it.
I'll keep looking and thinking and test driving and if diving intervention strikes, I might pull the trigger.
A 4-year-old Land Rover is a poor candidate for a private sale. Most potential buyers can't swing a vehicle like that without financing, which a private seller obviously can't provide. Broadly speaking, if your old car is worth more than $10K, you're better off trading.
But if you have the right vehicle - an 8+ year old Honda/Toyota/Nissan that runs well & looks halfway presentable, for example - you'd be nuts to trade it in. You'll do much better if you sell it yourself. Since most new car dealers aren't interested in older cars, you'll wind up with at least 25% more than you would if you traded it in. That's been my experience, in any case.
Another advantage of the sell-it-yourself approach is that the process of negotiating the price of your new car is more transparent & manageable when you don't have to negotiate the trade-in value of your old car at the same time.
Having said that, if you don't need/want something the size of a compact SUV, there are far better choices, such as the Mazda3.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
1) the SUV for family duty and wife's day to day driving
2) pizza delivery hooptie - preferably AWD / 4WD
3) occasional driver for me - think 3-series or Genesis coupe, Mustang, etc.
But, since that isn't going to happen, I'm thinking .... well, I'm not sure what I'm thinking.
I do like the Mazda 3, especially the Grand Touring model - HID headlights, Bluetooth, power memory leather seats, good handling .. really, a 7/8th scale Acura, Infiniti or Lexus (but FWD) for 75% of the cost.
Given the choice between a loaded up compact or a not-quite-so-loaded midsize, I think I'd gravitate towards the compact.
However, a brand new car doesn't make sense when I would spend 75% of my time in it delivering pizzas.
Why are you delivering pizzas? I can think of three reasons; you need the occupation, you like meeting new people, to help make ends meet. If it is the third of these then you need to stop looking at new cars and maintain the one you have. If it's either of the first two or another reason altogether, then ignore this post.
Hope it's working out well for you. I made pretty good money when I did it. And only totaled one car. Actually it WAS fun for awhile, as I had a great bunch of coworkers and we really seemed like friends. But after awhile, the cool ones moved on to other things, and were replaced by people who weren't so cool. And everytime Corporate came around and tried to improve things, they'd just screw it up worse. Oh, and when the store manager promoted one little pothead to assistant manager because she thought it would help his self-esteem, I kinda lost it. Way to reward people, eh? :surprise:
First off, I'm extremely fortunate in that I have a reputation for being obsessive about the maintenance and repair of my vehicles. As a result I'm almost always able to sell a car quickly- and for a good price. I've only traded in two cars in the past fifteen years. Here are the gory details:
1973 Bavaria 3.0- Sold in 1990 to the service manager of the independent BMW shop I use. Time on market: 2 days
1987 Scorpio- Sold in 1991 to a co-worker for $2500 over best trade-in offer. Time on market: Zero- buyer asked me if I wanted to sell it.
1987 535is- Sold in 1992 to a friend. Time on market: Zero. The buyer had made me a standing offer to buy the car whenever I wanted to sell it.
1991 740 Turbo- Traded in 1994 on a 1993 Pathfinder SE for $1200 more than lease buyout. I must have made a good deal, as the car sat on the dealer's lot for over two months...
1988 M6- Sold in 1995 to fellow BMW club member(who never even test drove it). Time on market: 1 day.
1984 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe- Sold in 1998 to the owner of my son's day care. Time on market: Zero. Buyer asked me if I wanted to sell it.
1998 318ti- Traded in 2001 on a 1997 528i for $1000 over auction price(according to Terry in Real World Trade-In Values). This was one time when the deal was so good that it wasn't worth selling it myself.
1993 Pathfinder SE- Sold in 2003 to the owner of the previously mentioned BMW shop. Time on market: Zero. I mentioned to him that I was putting the truck up for sale and he said "I'll take it."
1997 528i- Sold in 2005 to a customer of that same BMW shop. Time on market: five days. The car had 130K miles and four accidents on Carfax-which I disclosed. The selling price was double what Carmax offered. FWIW, I talked to the buyer a while back; she still loves the car.
I've never bought a newspaper ad, although I did list the M6 in the local and national BMW CCA classifieds. The reason I was selling the 5er was because my wife wanted an SUV(so that she could negotiate our 1/2 mile gravel farm road in inclement weather). We narrowed the choices down to two very different vehicles- a 2004 CPO X3 and a 2005 Xterra Off Road. My BMW salesperson agreed that I'd be much better off selling the 5er myself. At the Nissan dealer my salesperson was excellent, but the Sales Manager popped in and pressured me to trade the 528i. Even though I explained that I had a buyer and that the sale was a done deal, he still insisted on reciting a litany of problems that could befall me if I tried to sell it myself(yes, he wanted a deal TODAY!!!). The guy's attitude really ticked my wife off, and he essentially wound up costing his store the sale.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Thank you, I needed that slap in the face. After much consideration, I think I'm going to stick with what I've got and invest the $$$ in maintenance and repairs. I am, however, going to make a few phone calls to see if I can get the work done for less than the quote I have in hand. If I can save 2 or 3 hundred bucks, then all the better for me - but, not at the expense of getting a poorer quality job done.
While I wouldn't say I need the job to make ends meet, my wife and I appreciate the extra income the job provides me. I also get social interaction from it. I work from home at my "day" job, and the dogs (3 mini dachshunds) aren't all that great at conversation. It's nice to have some folks to talk to - both co-workers and customers.
Andre: Hope it's working out well for you. I made pretty good money when I did it. And only totaled one car. Actually it WAS fun for awhile, as I had a great bunch of coworkers and we really seemed like friends.
It is working out well .. not many jobs where you can work 8-12 hours a week and average $15/hr (tips + wages). And, many of the drivers at this store are like myself ... older guys who need / want a little extra cash.
I've been doing this for about 18 months now, and I know of 3 accidents that drivers have had in that time. 2 of the 3 were during snowy weather and neither were the drivers' fault.
I generally make an attempt to sell my cars privately, but if it doesn't pan out, I end up trading it in. My most recent experiences:
1) When I purchased my 530xi, I ordered it through a broker, so he gave me a trade bid, but I had a couple months to sell the car privately before the new arrived. I had my TSX for sale for all that time, without one buyer. I finally had it priced down to just about break-even with the trade, considering the sales tax benefit, but no takers.
2) I traded my Highlander for my CX-9 just a few months ago. I had been thinking of replacing it, but never actually put the Toyota up for sale. The Mazda dealer offered what I thought was a great trade on the Toyota - about as much as I planned on selling it for. So I had no hesitation on that one.
3) I've had my 530xi for sale for a couple of weeks and not one call of interest (other than those pesky brokers). I probably have it priced a bit on the high side, but I think it's just an expensive used car, and the manual trannie has such a limited population of buyers.
I have yet to get a trade bid on the BMW, mostly cause, as I've posted here before, keeping it is a desirable option as well. Once a local BMW dealer has something I'd like in stock, I may see what they offer on trade and decide from there if it makes sense.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
To replace just the belt and the pump would run $585 .. to get the timing belt "kit" would bump the price up to around $850.
Either way, better than the $1100 quote I got the at the first place.
I'm wondering, since I'm only planning on keeping the car for another 2-3 years (maybe 40,000 more miles), if I need to upgrade to the "kit" and just get the belt and the pump done.
That way, I can also have the elusive "wrench" light / transmission issue looked into and my out of pocket should be around a grand.
I know, I know .. this is "Chronic Car Buyers Anonymous" and not the "When is it time to give up on your old hooptie" forum, so I'm sure most of the advice will be long the lines of "hey, you want a new / used car? go for it!"
Yes, I've been blessed by never being forced to get a new car. If you have to move the metal it's a lot more stressful.
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Thanks,
Mark
Mark, did you mean "start"?
I think the DBW stuff actually started in the late 90's or early 2000's. Heck, I think there were still cars with carbs in the early 90's - I know the uplevel version of the Honda Accord at that time was called the "LX-i", where the "i" stood for injected.
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I owned an '85 LX for a few years after graduating college. Nice car .. took me from California to Michigan and back in late summer of '86. Best mileage was over 44MPG on one tank in NM.
Out of curiousity, I did a nationwide search on cars.com for those old Accords - here's a nice pizza delivery vehicle:
http://www.duncanmotorplex.com/used/Honda/1988-Honda-Accord-fa064bbe0a0a00640083- dae11c558b22.htm
Think those are original miles? I like that brown interior.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
From the dealer.
Car only has 54K, but it was built in Dec.'03, so I thought it would be a good idea before the wife drives it to Idaho...
I don't understand how Saturn can charge that much...
Did your Si have fuel injection? I almost bought a '91 Si, but didn't. Wish I had that one to do over.
I got a second quote from an indy shop in the little town where my wife works. Belt and pump replacement only - $585. If I get the 'timing belt kit', the price goes up to around $850.
I never heard back from the Saturn dealer I called.
You actually found one to call?? :confuse:
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I actually like all Hondas from 1990-2000. I think it was Honda's best decade for performance, value, and reliability.
Anything after year 2000 was plain and obring in my opinion.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I had two from that series .. the first was a '92 LX sedan my (now ex) wife and I bought. I think we paid $14.5K with taxes and a dealer installed CD player.
When I moved to Colorado a year or so later, I leased a '93 DX sedan. I only put 58K on it in 5 1/2 years. Neither car had any problems whatsoever.
What I do remember was that it cost $9,600 brand new, had a whopping 108 hp and a slick 5-speed. I really wanted the CRX Si at the time, but it was a bit more expensive and less practical. That Civic was an awesome car for my college days - toting the contents of my dorm room to and from my parents house in style.
The fond memories of that car and the unsatisfied desire for that CRX probably drive my current intrigue in the Fit and upcoming CRZ.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
The '91 I was looking at stickered for around $10.3K new, and the one feature that I thought was way cool was the standard sunroof on the Si. No A/C or stereo standard, but that sunroof was quite the thing.
Unfortunately, I found out that my insurance company would have classified it as a sports car, which would have made my rates kinda high - we had just had our first child a year or two earlier, so money was tight.
I ended up getting a '91 Sentra SE with 110HP. I really, really wish I had splurged for the Si.
5-speed, no A/C, no passenger side rearview mirror.. AM/FM stereo, with two door speakers and no tape player..
Daily driver until 1994.. about 130K miles.. (ever notice how we didn't drive as much, back then?)
Still the most reliable car I've ever owned.. For the first five years, averaged about 36 mpg..
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That was a big reason I got the 2007 Accord EX/5-speed, but the heritage is gone. Money would've been better spent on a Mazda6, a Speed6, or a used 3-series. That car does nothing for me...except make me miss the old Accord and the Contour.
The 88-91 Civic SI was fuel injected. It has 108 hp same as the CRX SI at the time. The previous Civic SI and CRX SI ('86-87) were also FE, but the lesser Civics had carbs. 92- was when the "shamoo" Civics came out, and the (92-93) Integra (bascially the same car as a Civic from '86+) got a b16a (16-valve vtec engine). In '94 the Integra got the b18c which was a 1.8 vtec motor in the GSR. That was a great (if torqueless) car.
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
25 NX 450h+ / 24 Sienna Plat AWD / 23 Civic Type-R / 21 Boxster GTS 4.0
'97 Accord sedan
'99 Accord sedan
'01 Accord sedan
Those four were all leased for my wife... cheap driving for ten years...
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Honda lost its way on the Accord after those early 90s cars. They're still fine cars but they've lost their soul. I'd be looking at a Mazda 6 or maybe a Subaru Legacy next time.
Of course, they made Camry wagons back then too. Back in the days before the souless crossover.
If I could find one of those I'd be all over it. The Crosstour doesn't do it for me.
http://www.beausauto.com/Morepics.htm?8
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
I loved that beater:
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
Son's: 2018 330i xDrive
Oh yes it did, as did all Si's going all the way back. The 'i' is for injected, and the designator goes back to the fuel-injected version of the Prelude S (making it the Prelude Si), which hit the streets around what, 1983 or so? With the Civic Si making its debut not much after that.....
Had an '86 that I loved. Eventually had an '87 CRX Si to go with it. Should have kept them both 50 years. The Honda of today should have a different name, because the folks working there now have no idea what that company used to be, or what made it special way back when. The only thing they still have going for them is fabulous (manual) gearboxes. Will they ever build a driver's car again now that the S2000 is dead?
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
I notice that one has a right-side mirror.. .nice! lol
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sorry, guys, i just don't share the enthusiasm. I grew to really dislike my Accord. My sister's civic gave her nothing but problems. Her CRV was a pretty nasty vehicle, IMHO. The only good one was our Pilot. At least from a driving standpoint.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
When I met my current wife, she needed to get a new car as she was starting a job that required her to commute about 20 miles one way. We looked at the Civic, but she just couldn't get enthused about it - and, for some inexplicable reason, they required that you lock the driver's door with the key rather than just locking it from inside and closing the door.
Haven't really seriously considered a Honda since - though I did think about an '03 Accord EX-L when I bought my L300.
I'm pretty anal about maintenance on all my rigs, and since this is an interference engine...