Real-World Trade-In Values

mellis · February 2003

Terry:

Some advise on purchase price on this one would be appreciated. This car is at a MB dealer in Maine and is Starmark certified.

98 SLK 230, 18,750 miles, red, w/heated seats. Ex condition.

Not many options that year.

Asking $28,750. Thinking about $25,000. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Mark

robr2 · February 2003

"Bottgers did not get "hosed". He is simply being asked to live up to his end of the terms he agreed to.
He needs to come to grips with reality and move on with his life.
Kinda sounds like one of those "it's not my fault" arguments."

Ummm, that's what I said. Also, he is getting hosed. He signed up for that hosing and should be expecting it. I don't think anyone is taking advantage of him.

petemx · February 2003

Terry,

What can I expect for real world trade value on a 2001 Explorer XLS? Specs are SOHC V6, cloth, auto, 4wd, CD, Blue, 22K miles, running boards. Nice condition, no dings/dents, one paint scratch on front fender, windshield crack needs rpmt (after winter season).

And how much might I gain by selling myself? There seem to be lots of recent off-lease Explorers around here (Denver).

Thanks again for all your expertise on this board!

Pete

rroyce10 · February 2003

....... Well, the miles are super Xtra low, the color is super right, sounds like it could be a "baby doll" --- Soooo, let me ponder this for a minute .. it's Maine, it's February, it's winter and it's a convert ..

Uuuhm, I'm sure nobody is beating down the doors to grab it, as nice as it may be .. I'm with you and $25ish is a fair price for both .. but, start em' up at $24, when he finally wipes the coppuchino of his suit you guys can get down to real business ..

Terry.

rroyce10 · February 2003

..... Hey Pete, good morning ..

        The miles are right, it's a 4x4, it's got the boards, some tunes, a few small kisses here and there .. as long as there is no Betty Crocker experiments on the interior and it still looks newish ..

        Your right, Ford does sell a ton of these puppies, people do like them and there is bunches for sale .. on a trade, you should be seeing the high $12's, ultra low $13's (thats with the windshield fixed) .. if you decide to go down Retail Rd, then $15,9 in the paper and $14,5/$15,5 should walk it down the driveway ...

           Good luck ........

              Terry.

mellis · February 2003

Terry:

Thanks for the info, that's exactly what I am going to do. I'll let you know how it goes.

Mark

isellhondas · February 2003

O.K...I guess we have diffeent ideas of what "hosed" means.

To me, "hosed" means getting cheated.

But I understand what you meant now.

tboner · February 2003

agree to getting "hosed"

Now if they do agree a second time, well....

TB

beach15 · February 2003

Back again! Just wanted to check in and see what our Avalanche is worth as of today. It's a 2002 Chevy Avalanche 2wd with the following options:
-Z66 Premium On-Road Suspension
-Dual Power Cloth Bucket Seats
-Convenience Package (Automatic Climate Control, Dimming Mirrors, and Onstar)
-OWL Goodyear Tires

It's Onyx Black with Nuetral Tan cloth. Just turned over 14,000 miles today. Still immaculate, and because I'm a detailer, the black paint, engine, interior, wheels, etc. are better than when it was on the showroom floor and it always has 5-6 coats of wax and is hand washed and detailed weekly. No scratches, dings, swirls, stains, or other marks either. Just awesome.

I just found out about some great deals on new 2003's, and want to know how much I could really get on it with a trade at a Chevy dealer or how much I could get selling it privately. Thanks!

-By the way, we live near the beach in southern Delaware.

vocus · February 2003

Dang, I kinda figured low, but not THAT low.

I know used car values are in the can though, so that's to blame.

What about private party sale? And yes, it's a GLS with every option but CD changer.

Thanks!

mark156 · February 2003

Beach, just curious, what did your truck list for new?

Mark

worcester1 · February 2003

I'd like to get an idea of the trade-in value for a '90 Porsche Carrera 2 Coupe, 5sp, leather, sunroof, all power, platinum silver over light gray. Currently has 99k on the odo, good records.

Thanks!

ginap · February 2003

Would be interested in knowing how much I can expect for trade in.

'01 Forester L Dark Blue Automatic w/CD & alarm.
Brand new Michelins. 60,000 miles, a few little paint chips and dings. Immaculate inside, mats a little dingy. Oh, and I'm in NH.

Thanks!

dweller1 · February 2003

99 tacoma, ext cab, 50k mi,4wd,hand shaker,v6,white in color ,sr5, in ga. car fax is clean,how much did the dealer buy it for at auction and what is a fair price to offer for this pickup in georgia. thx , dweller

beach15 · February 2003

The Av listed new for $33,413....

wnbafan · February 2003

single owner, 1991 Pathfinder SE-V6, white, 5-speed manual, sport package, alloy wheels, glass pop-up sun roof, luggage rack, well maintained. 160,000 miles. Good tires, 2 fairly new. What can I hope for/expect in a trade. Plan to move up to an EB Expedition.

Thanks. Susan

squirreljam · February 2003

Terry, Zeus and other wisemen:

lookin to trade in 2000 TL no nav black 47K miles orig owner, service records, 2 orig tires 2 new, high side of good condition (tho 2 scratches and a kiss on one wheel) in St Loo MO. Any thoughts as to what to shoot for?

Also, what're your thoughts on prepping it to visit dealer - roads r wet n grimy here - is it worth detailing before taking to dealer, or will it not matter what effort i put in?

Thanks a ton - this is a great board and fwiw i promise not to hang around and whine iffin i don't like the answer - lol!

Squirrel

austinsplash · February 2003

Hi Terry,

What can I expect for real world trade-in value on a 2001 BMW 740iL, sport pkg., convenience pkg., tint, titanium silver exterior, grey interior. 13500 miles. Immaculate condition inside and out.

Thanks for your help!

Mike

hightoptennyrx · February 2003

Hi Terry, et. al. Could you guestimate the value of my Corvette:

96 Collectors Edition C4 Convertible
Silver with Black top (go Raiders!)and Grey interior
Automatic Transmission
Everything except adjustable suspension
Chrome wheels, deep in rubber
66K miles (I know, I drive it a lot)
Located in Sacramento, CA

Any advice on it's worth would be appreciated. I want a hand-shaking C5 convertible!

rroyce10 · February 2003

..... Good morning .. it sounds like it could use a good cleaning .l.o.l..

       Well, you know the drill .. it's gotta be, well you know, you already did all that stuff ..

      Trade side, the high $22's, low $23's .. If you do the secret squirrel private sale stuff .. get it all cleaned up (ha.!) .. great ad and $25,9, and say bye bye at $24,5/$25,5 ...

          Terry ;-)

rroyce10 · February 2003

..... Hey Vocus .. these are great vehicles and I like them bunches but you have bunches of miles on this one .. 30k right.? --
See, your competing with all the 7/11/15k ones ..

So, let's say you take a trip down Retail Rd, that's a detail, a great ad and $14,9 in the paper and $13,5/$14,5 sends this to the Osbornes driveway ... :-))

Terry.

rroyce10 · February 2003

....... Nice Sunday go to meetin' vehicle ..

Where do you live ... ?

Terry.

worcester1 · February 2003

I'm in North Alabama.

Kevin

tboner · February 2003

Terry,

Give me the good or bad news. I might want to cut the SVT from the herd and get something else.

1998 SVT Contour in the gateway, black with the midnight blue leather.

Has both options, CD and moonroof, 49,200 miles. Very clean inside, a few blemishes outside. Probably fewer than you'd expect on a 5 year old car.

Good rubber, can give a retail buyer two sets of wheels and tires, if traded, dealer only gets the factory 16" wheels and tires and the 17" OZ Racing wheels go on the classifieds at Contour.org Focaljet.org or E-Bay.

Of course it is a handshaker, the only way they come.

I've realized that I'm spending way too much a month on transportation, wanna get wifey a new house pretty soon, so I'm thinking getting rid of both the Contour and the LeSabre for a Pro5 (well I'd like an RX-8 and Mazda just told me they loan me nearly 40 large, but that really wouldn't obtain my objective.)

So when looking at two years in the Buick driving the SVT on weekends, or two years in a Pro5 with an empty spot on the driveway, it might make more sense to use Mazda's 0% money and the warranty coverage for two years (I'd burn through the 50K miles during that time.) for 48 months and then bank what I'm spending on extra fuel and repairs on the Buick.

So after all that, below what price point, should I be insulted on the SVT? And conversely, where should I take the money and run quickly, LOL.

TIA,

TB

caramo · February 2003

About to click over the big 100K, so time to get rid of this puppy. . . Here in Vegas.

1998 Cadillac Eldorado, 99K+ miles, moonstone (metallic gray to the rest of us), leather, CD changer, premium sound, moonroof not ETC.

Cosmetically a beauty, well-maintained, good paint finish, undamaged leather. . . Getting brakes today, due for 100K tuneup. . . Generally well-maintained, just driven a lot.

vocus · February 2003

Yeah, I know the high mileage would get me. But that still doesn't answer my question. I ran the car through both KBB and NADA webpages, and the NADA said $18K almost on trade, while the KBB one said $11,300. Why the wild variation?

Thanks for your help.

caramo · February 2003

Changed jobs, lost favorites on old net toolbar, but a while back I picked up a site with a really good NADA black book calculator, but don't remember the site name. Any help with that link?

vocus · February 2003

Member Agreement doesn't allow links here, so shoot me an email (see profile) and I will be glad to provide it.

rroyce10 · February 2003

...... Good morning Paul ..!

       Why the variation .? .. good question - I also check Nada, Edmunds, KBB, etc, when I'm going to use a retail figure on a vehicle .. on some vehicles, Edmunds can be more accurate, when I look up the next vehicle, maybe Nada is a little more in line, then when looking at the next vehicle, perhaps KBB is a little closer .. hey, who knows. The sad part is, most folks use the highest figure and dealers use it to show a Huge over-allowance at trade time ...

       Plus, the whole point is, is -Not- using the highest figure on the retail side (you read that right, Not) .. prices are based on what a dealer can pay for a vehicle at the auctions. If a dealer can buy the same vehicle for (example) $10 grand and some of the Retail books show $19,000, there is a real good chance that there will be no play on it for sale and that puppy will sitting on the lot til' the 4th of July if he decides to use the highest figure he can find.

         The same goes for private sales, they all seem to use the figures that "accomadate" them the most, but in real life, it's a Huge hindrance on selling the vehicle, quickly and gracefully .. also, what most folks forget is what a new one can sell for, right now, you can probably purchase a brand new Jetta for "around" $19 ..

       I think, the biggest reason may be the "time sequence" between the information source and "real time" ..

             Terry.

rroyce10 · February 2003

....... Hello Kevin, this could be a tuffy .. it will all depend on the dealer, they may not even know what this dude is all about ..

       It's got some miles, but fine for the year and it's the right color- and has to be like "new" .. I mean new, to draw any real money .. that means no paintwork, no Jack the Ripper interior, service is all over the place, tires are yesterday, no $6,000 boom boom boxes, no purple lights on the bottom, it has to be as close to the real deal as possible, and that doesn't include the little or no dings, no $1.25 touch-ups and no spider webbing in the paint --

          If so, you are probably lookin' in and around that $10ish/$11ish figure with it needing -0- .. if it needs a this and a that, start chopping $1,000 here and $1,000 there .. this is really a vehicle for Retail Rd ..

         I will be interested on how this one fly's .. you are in the "Crimson Tide" area and you can drive one of these pup's probably 300 days of the year, so it "seems" to be in a good market for it ..

           Let me know ...

             Terry.

rroyce10 · February 2003

...... Great little vehicles, a little boxy for my tastes, but they work, and work Very well in all that nice weather you are getting ..

         The miles are gonna come back to haunt ya .. and of course, we have that "no-sale" blue rearing it's ugly head .. even with the miles, this little dude should see well over 150k+ (properly cared for) .. it's hard to say if they will throwing the Galves book at you, but all in all, you should be seeing "around" the high $10's, low $11's .. might see a little more if it's a "super clean" ..

           I hope this helps ....

               Terry.

rroyce10 · February 2003

...... It's a good color for the area .. miles are just a little on the stiff side .. needs some rubber in the back, probably just a nice ol' average TL ..

        Do I feel a good detail helps .? - Yeah, even if you can get the interior cleaned up and a good clean on the outside .. it's a bear (I know, I get up there quite a bit and this year sucks) to spend the money and have it slushed up by the time the dealer see's it, but if the roads are dry and the Acura can be viewed by 75/80% that should be some real help .. but, if it's a flippin' white out, what can I say - punt.!

       Trade side, you should be seeing around the mid to high $15's ..

             Keep your powder dry ..!

               Terry.

rroyce10 · February 2003

..... Ooooh, kinda of a rare little bird .. Xcab, V6, 4x4, SR5, miles are nothing .. even a handshaker doesn't slow these down, tuff to get and tuff to find (unless they have 175K on em').l.o.l.

          Is this a Yota dealer ..? -- These little punks do All the money, I try to buy as many of these as I can get my froggy little fingers on (those and Tundra's) .. these things bust right out of the book, especially now.

          I'm going to guess on this one .. If it's clean, deep in rubber, looks and drives like an 01, I'm thinkin' he has $13+++ in it ~ it wouldn't surprise me even into the $15's, the only thing that might slow it down is the GA zipcode -- What's he asking for for it ..?

                Terry.

rroyce10 · February 2003

...... Hi Susan, I need a little help here ..
where do you live .....?

Terry.

kyfdx · February 2003

boy..if you trade this in for 11K, you are crazy. When my son was born in 1994, I sold my '84 911 Targa for $16.5k.. It was in pretty decent shape, with 72K miles, but needed a little bit, and it was slate blue (not a great color for resale, but beautiful). just move everything up 8 or 9 years, and you are looking at a similar situation. Terry's numbers are probably right on for a dealer trade.. I was offered 10,800 for mine, right before I sold it to a private party.
There are plenty of guys who have dreamed about owning a 911 their entire life, but just can't come up with the jack for a newer model. I bet you can move this pretty quick with a $17,900 asking price, and let it go for anything over 16K. I know... In my experience, 911's for under 20k are almost impossible to find, and dont' sit around long. I really miss mine. hmmmmm.. I wonder if you would take $13K? LOL.. good luck with it, hope you get something else that will give you that much pleasure. Walt

rroyce10 · February 2003

....... Where do you hang your hat ..?

       I see you have the sport pack, no cold pack ..?

        Location, location, location ..

             Terry:-)

rroyce10 · February 2003

.... I'm with you .. strictly a vehicle for Retail Rd .. most dealers won't even know what to do this one ..

Terry.

rroyce10 · February 2003

..... Thank goodness you are in Sacramento, it would be worth about $10 grand in Buffalo right now .. the miles shouldn't hold it too much in your area, I think it's a cult thing out there - everyone like to drive 75 miles just to get Expresso ..

        Right colors, I just wish they would have showed up for the game .. cost me plenty .l.o.l.

         If the top is lookin' new .. no front scrapes, no rear scrapes and all around, lookin' 00 .. then you should be seeing in and around the high $14's, low $15's on a trade ..

          Darn Raiders .......

            Terry ;-( -- By the way, I have a friend that sells umbrellas.. cheap.!

robr2 · February 2003

I was driving by and saw this at a Cadillac dealer in greater Boston. I only looked quickly because it's cold out but here goes:

00 Catera Sport Sedan
V6 automatic
CD, roof (sun not carriage), heated seats
16K miles
silver with black leather
very clean
dealer certified

I ran it through Edmunds TMV and it comes back around $20K retail. On the lot for $26,999.

Is the box of Hamiltons in the glove compartment or in the trunk??

vocus · February 2003

I know that Cateras are not reliable vehicles, and they don't hold their value well either. I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole.

And that's another thing that gets me. A stealership will take your car for $10k, then put it up for sale the next day for $15k. I mean everyone has to make a profit, but 5k? Damn.

austinsplash · February 2003

Sorry about that. I'm in Central Texas (Austin).
Yeah, no cold pack, it's not really necessary here. Got the sport package and the convenience pack (with the sun screens, dimming mirrors, etc.)
-Thanks!
Mike
------------------------------------------------
....... Where do you hang your hat ..?

       I see you have the sport pack, no cold pack ..?

        Location, location, location ..

             Terry:-)
------------------------------------------------

Hi Terry,

What can I expect for real world trade-in value on a 2001 BMW 740iL, sport pkg., convenience pkg., tint, titanium silver exterior, grey interior. 13500 miles. Immaculate condition inside and out.

Thanks for your help!

Mike

robr2 · February 2003

...the Catera isn't something I'm serious on although I do like the look of them.

But with only 16K on it and certification, many worries may be covered.

I'm more inclined towards a Lincoln LS.

caramo · February 2003

Any idea on our Caddy?

vocus · February 2003

Lincoln LS, another car that's not that reliable and also loses value quickly.

zueslewis · February 2003

the LS may lose value quickly, as any Lincoln does, but being in a position to see every manufacturer's "problem children" as the course of my job, I've only seen 1 Lincoln LS in two years that has come through on a lemon law, breach of warranty or dealer fraud case. This one had an aftermarket sunroof, installed by a vendor of the dealer's, that leaked. Only one - I'd say that's reliable since I see Ford cases every day.

robr2 · February 2003

...stop beating me up!! :-) I'm afraid to tell you I like SAAB's as well.

As for reliability - if the vehicle is certified and/or low mileage, I get the benefit of a warranty. As for depreciation, that's why I'm looking used. I'm considering buying 2-3 yo luxury marques and running them for 3 years as opposed to buying new every 5-6 years.

The LS V8 new is in the 40K range. You can buy an 00 with all the goodies in the $20-21 range. There are plenty of them out there with reasonable miles.

The theory I've developed on all the low mile LS's and Catera's turned in is that they are from "mature" ladies - their husbands always bought Town Cars and DeVilles. Now that Herb is gone, they don't want those big cars so they buy the "little" ones that Lincoln and Caddy makes.

Lastly, as Terry likes to say: drive what you like.

vocus · February 2003

I like Saabs as well, but only the 03 models. I am still leary of those. I have a Jetta now, and it's had it's fair share of problems. I think I will definitely go back to the Japanese when I get another car. The German cars feel alot better, but not worth the headaches.

dweller1 · February 2003

the toyota 4x4 i asked u about is being sold by a toyota dealer and the guy i deal with is a friend of mine who is the used car mgr. at the dealership. he says he put $11000 in the truck(he bought it at the auction but it was an off-lease from the miami area) and will toyota certify it to 100 k miles for $395 and put new tires and wheels on it for $900. he says i can drive out (tax and all) for $13600($500 profit for dealer). saw the truck and it is in SWEET condition. he is a friend but i still check up on him,I.E. THE INQUIRY TO YOU... dweller

rroyce10 · February 2003

............. Step 1.) Run a Carfax

              Step 2.) Run the vehicle history via Toyota.

              Step 3.) Run DMV and make sure all is well.

              Step 4.) Grab check book (if all is well) ..

              Step 4.) Pay the nice man and get the title, then give him a kiss on the cheek and say bye bye ..

              Step 5.) Enjoy it .. that's dirt cheap.! - Dealers are paying a whole lot more than $13 for them.

              Step 6.) Don't break it ..l.o.l..

              Step 7.) Keep it nice for a year or so, then sell it and make money.



                            Terry ;-)

rroyce10 · February 2003

....... So we have a 00 Catera with leather, slider, bun warmers (chromes and Bose .?) .. with 16k.

        And they are only asking $26,999 ...

      That's a Great Price -- .. IF- you are receiving the last rights from the church .. and you live in the Ukraine ..

        Hamiltons, Smamiltons .. for that kind of money they better have some Piagets in the glove box ..wrapped.!

       I buy these dudes all day long, slider, chromes, Bose, heated leather, etc, 8/9/10k for the $13's -- gheeeeez, I don't have mine up for sale for more than $16,900 ..

       $26,999 ....? --- What's the name of this place .? ~~~~ Transylvania Motors ..?

             Terry.

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