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  • charman123charman123 Member Posts: 1
    Does the TMV take in account the regional advertising cost?

    Thanks!
    Rick Harman
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi charman123

    TMV is an average of selling price without sales tax and DMV fees. Since ad fees are part of the dealer's invoice, they really have little effect on the average selling price - some dealers are covering it, some are selling loss leaders.

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  • s2kwannabes2kwannabe Member Posts: 1
    I just joined Town Hall, so perhaps this question is answered in some other Edmund's area. If so, I apologize for posting here.

    I read that it is possible to purchase the Honda S2000 for MSRP and that the midwest is usually where that can happen. How can I find out exactly where? I would like to contact the dealership.

    Thanks.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi s2kwannabe. Given the current market for the Honda S2000, I personally believe that you will have a difficult time finding one for less than full MSRP. However, if anyone has been able to get one for less than full price, you may be able to interact with them over on the Town Hall Coupes, Convertibles & Sports Cars Message Board. There are several discussions about this vehicle, like the S2000 Owners Forum, in that section of this site.

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  • dkneedsnwcrdkneedsnwcr Member Posts: 35
    Is there anywhere on Edmunds or a website that lists the canadian dealer invoice prices? I know that edmunds and kelly blue book has the US prices, does one for Canada exist?

    Thanks,

    Derek
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi Derek. Edmunds.com does not currently provide pricing information for Canadian vehicles. In fact, I am not aware of any Web sites that provide this sort of information to consumers free of charge. However, there are services that provide Canadian invoice price data for a small fee. The following discussions contain information on them:

    - guizmo "How do I get to know dealer cost in Canada?" Feb 4, 1998 6:10pm

    - wma "CANADA PRICING" Jan 29, 2001 2:06pm

    - bnormann "Canadian Car Buying" May 17, 1999 2:01am

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  • sam_beaversam_beaver Member Posts: 61
    All of a sudden on March 17th almost every topic said it had a recent posting, but some of them didn't. Also there were suddenly about a dozen new topics.

    Any idea what's going on? St. Patrick's Day special?
  • mrholtmrholt Member Posts: 10
    I have a quick question for the group. I know what Car I am looking for (2002 Altima) but it is about $1,500 out of my price range. Therefore I have decided to try and find a demo car or a used rental. I have spoken to people at all the major rental companies in my area, and they are looking for me. Where would i find out which dealers have demos for sale of these. I have called two dealers in my area (WI) to see if they have any and the sales persons said no. One politely declined, the other I think misunderstood what I was asking for as she said they probably wouldn't start seeing those until next year? Any suggestions how I could find one? Website, call nissan directly? Sneak into a dealer auction?

    PS. It does not have to be in my area as traveling to buy the car is not a problem, actually kind of nice as I work for an airline and can travel anywhere quite easily, and the drive home would allow me to see part of the country.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Sam_beaver, as you may have already noticed, Edmunds.com had implemented a new feature in the Town Hall that enables discussions to be categorized by choosing their subject matter from a series of drop-down lists. This new feature will ultimately make searches much more effective as well as enable Edmunds to promote Town Hall content on vehicle pricing pages more accurately than in the past. After this feature went live, KC and I went through and categorized all of the existing discussions on this message board. Unfortunately as we did this all of the discussions that we categorized appeared as though they had new content, even when they didn't in some instances. Fortunately, this was a one time event and not community members must select categories for discussions on their own when they create them.

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    The only way that I am aware of that you can search for demos is to physically visit or call dealerships directly. Of course, certain dealerships list their current new and used vehicle inventory on their Web sites. This would make your search much easier, but Nissan dealerships are not required to do this by their manufacturer. If you are interested in former rental cars, you can always contact rental car companies directly to see if they can provide you with any information on vehicles that they might have for sale. Also, you can always look around on the Internet on sites such as e-bay or Auto Trader to see if they have any low mileage new Altimas listed. Sorry that I couldn't be more helpful, but there really is no easy way to find out what low mileage used vehicles are available in your area without doing some legwork.

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  • edle777edle777 Member Posts: 19
    Good day. Not sure where to post this, so I'll start here. I'm interested if anyone has done any kind of survey regarding different car makes parts and repair costs (e.g. on average, car model x will cost more to repair than car model y).

    I'm looking to buy a minivan and am interested in an Odyssey, Sienna, or MPV. One thing that concerns me abut the MPV is I've heard from former Mazda owners (not necessarily MPV owners) that parts and repairs costs were through the roof. Honda's and Toyota's were lower on average, but high compared to domestics.

    Any idea of something like this exists?
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi edle777

    While there generally aren't surveys regarding specific parts and service costs, a good place to start would be our Maintenance and Repair Board. There you can see if frequent repairs apply to the minivans you are considering.

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  • mustangronmustangron Member Posts: 44
    Why do you keep so many topics on the town hall categories at once. Many are dead and it seems to fill up the page.
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi mustangron

    We keep discussions open for a specified period of time before they are archived. This way, even if a discussion seems to be "over", a new user can still get timely information without having to search through the much larger archives. But they are cleaned up on a very regular basis.

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  • mustangronmustangron Member Posts: 44
  • vbhallavbhalla Member Posts: 2
    I'm looking for the message from the person who bought Civic ex auto for 14988 or something.Anyone remmebers exactly the price he paid.
  • abtsellerabtseller Member Posts: 291
    at the top of the page for the "smart shopper" category no longer there?

    Ed
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Ed, it's still on mine... maybe you need to clear your cache.

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  • abtsellerabtseller Member Posts: 291
    yesterday around noon.

    Ed
  • sulsmithsulsmith Member Posts: 2
    Can't believe this hasn't been addressed so I must be looking in the wrong place. Anyway, we are interested in buying a 1999 Honda Accord. How much more is reasonable to pay for a certifed with the warranty from a dealer? Also, am I correct that the warranty on a 1999 would be 48 months, 48,000 miles if purchased previous to the 2003 model coming out, If after would be 12,000 miles, 12 months? Thanks for any and all help.
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi sulsmith


    This would be a good question to post in the "Any Questions for a Car Dealer?" discussion here in Smart Shopper. We have a few Honda salesfolk who frequent that discussion and they can probably answer your questions there.


    Here's a direct link to that discussion:

    Smart Shopper/Any Questions for a Car Dealer?


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  • jonjacobs2jonjacobs2 Member Posts: 3
    I've got a question and not really sure where to put it so here goes:

    Does the state of Minnesota require dealers to take cars back for any reason up to 30 days from the date of sale?

    I've heard that 3 day change of mind stuff is a common misconception, but this friend insits that Minnesota has such a thing, and well they have a heck of a lot of other wacky rules.

    Anyone?

    JJ
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi JJ


    I found this at the MN Attorney General's Office website - it should answer your question

    Minnesota AG/The Car Handbook


    kcram

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  • confuseddesiconfuseddesi Member Posts: 23
    Hi Carman

    I am new to this. Could you help me direct to discussions related to the following

    a) What are the documents that I need to provide the buyer in NYC for a "complete sale"?

    b) How do I transfer Title?Is there any form?

    c) Any good "shipping" agencies?

    d) How do I provide a Bill of sale? Is a bill on a piece of paper enough?

    I am just new to this.Sorry if these questions are too naive.

    Thanks
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi confuseddesi. Did you sell your car to someone on E-Bay? I was just wondering how someone who is so far away purchased it from you. I did a little digging around for you and came up with the following selection from an Edmunds.com article that I believe will help you out:


    "The laws governing the sale of motor vehicles are regulated by the state's department of motor vehicles. These rules will vary somewhat from state to state. Make sure you check with the DMV in your state, and keep in mind that much of the information is now available on DMV Web sites.


    When selling your car, it's important to limit your liability. If someone drives away in the car you just sold, and they get in an accident, can you be held responsible? There are two ways to deal with this concern.


    Once you have the money from the sale (it's customary to request a cashier's check or cash) sign the title over to the buyer. In some states, the license plates go along with the car. A new title will be issued and mailed to the new ower.


    But what if you still owe money on the car, and the bank is holding the title? One way to deal with this is to conclude the sale at the bank where the title is held. Call ahead and have the title ready. Then, once money has changed hands and the bank has been paid the balance of the loan, sign the title to the buyer.


    In some cases, however, an out-of-state bank might hold the title. In this instance, it is recommended that you go with the buyer to the DMV and get a temporary operating permit based on a bill of sale. Then, after you pay off the balance of the loan with the proceeds from the car sale, you will have the title mailed to you. Sign it over to the new owner and the transaction is complete.


    Finally, remember to contact your insurance agent to cancel your policy on the vehicle you have sold (or transfer the coverage to your new car).


    Before your car drives away for the final time, take a last look through the glove compartment, the trunk and under the seats. You might find some long forgotten treasures you misplaced years ago."


    You may also want to check out the following sites for more information on this subject: South Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles and New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.


    As far as shipping your car goes, here is a link to the Web site of a company that does such work: Dependable Auto Shippers.


    Car_man

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  • confuseddesiconfuseddesi Member Posts: 23
    Thanks Car_man. I am trying to sell my car to my brother in NY.Another simple query how do I Sign the title to new buyer? Is there any form to do that?.How about the Bill of sale?DOes it require any particular format?

    Thanks again
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    No problem, confuseddesi. There are lots of places out there where one can find sample Bills of Sale, both on the Internet and in books. Here is a link to a Web site that sells various legal documents, including automotive bills of sale: USlegalforms.com. There are also sites that offer free sample bills of sale, like Woman Motorist Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale and Car Buying Tips Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale. You should be able to download the proper form to transfer the title of your vehicle by visiting the following Web site: NY Department of Motor Vehicles Downloads. As I mentioned before though, you need to either contact your local Department of Motor Vehicles or visit their Web site to find out the exact steps that are necessary for this transaction.


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  • confuseddesiconfuseddesi Member Posts: 23
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    No problem, confuseddesi. I am glad that I was able to help you out.

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  • carpeople1carpeople1 Member Posts: 13
    hosts: 2 questions, ill start with
    1. why has the current grab bag poll not changed, other ones usually changed like in a week, this one, has been at least a month, and i like participating in these things, so i am wondering is there a specific timeperiod you give these things,or just decide when to change it?
    and
    2. When do we and how do we pick the consumers most wnted? I have just checked out the editors most wanted and wondered are they gonna have them like they did from lat year, because they have 2002s consumer most wanted. would be really helpful if you can give me the answers

    and thanks
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hi carpeople1

    1. We're working on the next one. Management knows that one has been there a while :)

    2. Consumers most wanted is usually tabulated by the hits on the listings in the pricing section. If the Honda Accord gets the most hits, then I believe that's the criteria for being #1. I will check and make sure, though.

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  • carpeople1carpeople1 Member Posts: 13
    thank you for the info, though i am glad you are thinking of other ones, am sad we dont really get to vote for a consumers most wanted, that would have been so interesting!

    ok, once again, thanks again
  • jthompson22jthompson22 Member Posts: 6
    I am interested in Purchasing a GM Major Guard extended warranty policy for my
    2001 GMC Yukon XL Denali at a discount. Looking for any input or suggested
    dealers.I now have 34,400 miles on SUV.
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi jthompson22. I think that you will have much more luck getting responses to your message if you post it over on the Town Hall Finance, Warranty, & Insurance Message Board. There are many existing discussions on extended warranties in that section of this site. Plus people are usually more than happy to share their thoughts on any new posts that are made.


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  • caramocaramo Member Posts: 93
    I know you don't want new threads created willy-nilly when there is a topic already, but what's the etiquette when a discussion on a topic has been archived?

    Will a post to the archive bring the discussion back to the active area, or should a new thread be started?
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Caramo, I would be more than happy to move an archived discussion back to the main Smart Shoppers Message Board for you if you would like. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with starting a new discussion on a topic that hadn't been talked about in a while.

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  • caramocaramo Member Posts: 93
    Just wanted to know the protocol :-)
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    You're welcome.

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  • chicagomikechicagomike Member Posts: 2
    I plan to purchase a car out of state. I am from Chicago, and I am purchasing a new car from Michigan. What taxes do I pay? Do I pay Michigan AND Illinois state tax? How does this work? Can someone point me to an article or give me information about this? Thanks

    Mike
    Chicagomike@yahoo.com
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi Mike. When you purchase a new vehicle out of state you must pay your home state's taxes when you register it. Consumers won't be taxed twice on their vehicles, but they can't purchase out of state to get a lower tax rate.

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  • chicagomikechicagomike Member Posts: 2
    I live in Chicago where tax is 8.xx percent. I am buying the car in Michigan. The tax rate there is 6%. Do I pay the Michigan tax rate of 6%, then pay for the different back in Chicago? This is what the dealer told me I would do, pay the MI 6% then pay the difference back home.

    Mike
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Mike, that would only apply if the Michigan dealer is authorized to collect Illinois taxes. If they're very close to the Indiana border at the bottom of Lake Mich, it is possible they do. Many dealers within a few miles of a state border register to collect the neighboring state's taxes and apply for the registration. In your situation, that means they would collect the state portion of your sales tax (assuming Chicago has a city tax above that to total the 8.xx%), and you would owe the difference.

    Regardless, Illinois DMV will expect to see proof that the appropriate taxes have been collected under the jurisduiction of your registration address; they don't care what you paid elsewhere if it doesn't show up in their coffers. In other words, they may say to you, "you paid that 6% to Michigan, not us. We want our 8.xx%."

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  • merrill3merrill3 Member Posts: 6
    Hi,
    I didn't know exactly where to post, so I thought I'd start here and hope for the best.
    I want to sell our 95 Explorer and have a couple questions. First of all, when we first bought it (almost 2 years ago), one of the gauges was not working so the dealer fixed it as part of the deal. We didn't notice until later that the entire instrument panel had been replaced - including the odometer. As a result, the odometer reading is a lot lower than it really should be. What do I need to do when I sell it? I know you are supposed to disclose any odometer changes. It's been so long, I don't know what the true reading should be.
    Question number two: do I need to do anything as far as sales tax when I sell it to a private party? I live in Washington state.
    Thanks!
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi merrill3. If your vehicle's odometer had been damaged or replaced, then unfortunately your car is now what is known as TMU, or "True Mileage Unknown." I am sorry to say that the fact that your truck is TMU will have a very negative impact of its future resale value. You will be required to pay sales tax on your car if you decide to sell it privately. There is a great article on selling used vehicles here at Edmunds.com. You should definitely check it out prior to selling your current truck: How to Sell Your Car. Once you have read this article, check out the home page for the Washington Department of Licensing. It contains tons of information on exactly how to sell your car and who to report the sale to. Here is a link to the automotive section of that site: Washington Department of Licensing Car Title and Registration. Good luck and please let us know if you have any other questions.

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  • outdoors1outdoors1 Member Posts: 1
    I'm trying to find the most reliable, practical, yet fun (used) car for a 90mile rndtrip daily commute. I'm partial to Hondas, but the used values are VERY high.Mazda Protege seems like a good, cheaper alternative...have also considered a Ford Contour...even the LE or SVT, but I don't know how reliable they would be, or how good they are on mileage. I have a 4yr. old, so would prefer a 4-door over a 2 door. Any advice?
  • andykongandykong Member Posts: 5
    I'm moving to Vancouver very soon and need to buy a new car when I get there. Does anyone have any information on car buying in Canada? in vancouver area. Are dealers willing to discount their cars heavily like in US? Thanks in advance!

    Andy
  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi outdoors1. Welcome to the Smart Shoppers Message Board. It sounds to me as though you would find the Edmunds.com Vehicle Search Function very helpful in your quest for a new vehicle. Click on the following link: Edmunds.com Advanced Car Search and scroll a little ways down until you arrive at the Advanced Car Search section. Once you are there you can fill in the characteristics that you are looking for in a new or used vehicle, such as a price range, number of doors, type of engine, gas mileage, etc... and the search engine will provide you with a list of vehicles that are right for you. It is a great place for you to start looking.

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  • CarMan@EdmundsCarMan@Edmunds Member Posts: 38,514
    Hi Andy. There are a number of discussions on purchasing new vehicles in Canada in the archives of the Smart Shoppers Message Board. You may use the following links to check them out:

    - toymaster "Buying in Canada" Oct 18, 2001 7:22pm

    - guizmo "How do I get to know dealer cost in Canada?" Feb 4, 1998 6:10pm

    - sleeper1 "Purchase in Canada?" Aug 5, 1998 12:49pm

    - wma "CANADA PRICING" Jan 29, 2001 2:06pm

    - richterj "Moving residence from US to Canada" Jun 11, 2001 5:52pm

    - bnormann "Canadian Car Buying" May 17, 1999 2:01am

    If you have a question that is not answered in these older discussions, please feel free to start a new one. Thanks.

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  • HankrHankr Member Posts: 100
    I am considering buying new but wish to get reliable information on various models' 3 or 4 year lease residuals, so I can get an idea of my potential depreciation hit from one model to the next.

    Is this available in one of these forums? Or elsewhere? Am considering small wagons; Focus SE, Aerio SX, Matrix XR, Jetta GL TDI, Protoge5.

    Thanks
  • KCRamKCRam Member Posts: 3,516
    Hank, you want to post your exact request over in the "Lease Questions - Ask Here" discussion in the Finance/Warranty/Insurance board. My co-host Car_Man can look up the appropriate information and get it to you as soon as he can.

    Finance/Warranty/Insurance Board

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