Real-World Trade-In Values

acorby · July 2003

Looking to trade my 2 year old E430. Color is silver with ash int. Miles 37k. No accidents, no dings in very good condition. New tires and new windshield 1000mi ago. Options are heated seats, hands free cell phone, sunroof, auto wipers, 6cd changer, rear side airbags. Sticker was $57k. Have only shopped one dealer - they were at $31,000 on trade. What is more shopping around likely to net? I am interested in trading it in on 2 Hondas.

dkuhajda · July 2003

Most of the books are about 2 months old on the pricing compiled data. Dealers taking in a trade today might still have it when the new 2004's just start hitting the lots.

akangl · July 2003

You never did say if I did ok on the Explorer deal. Just curious.

tiredofmanual · July 2003

And I'm back... I've been tossing around the idea of moving into a downtown condo, which would make my car pretty much useless.

So anyway, what's a 2002 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro worth here in Chicago? It hit 11,000 miles yesterday and looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor. 5-speed manual, Dolphin Gray with the platinum interior, sunroof, heated seats (front and rear), 16" wheels, premium package (homelink, auto dimming interior and exterior mirrors), 6-disc in dash CD...

I'm thinking private party would be the way to go on this one.

butchbr73 · July 2003

its banged up... needs tires....has 160k+ miles... all in all, not looking too good. gheez, what are you expecting? Its probably a few hundred dollar vehicle, give or take, on the trade in side. You'd have to "private party" this one to make anything on it.

steine13 · July 2003

I don't like it either, but here is how it works in MI:
My neighbors, about a year ago, had a white '90 or '91 Accord LX wagon. This had that ugly red cloth interior with a tear here and there, not too bad, just okay. It had started to rust in places like rr wheel wells (cognoscenti know what I'm talking about), the AC had to be turned on/off once a year by the dealer, and then there was that teensy overheating problem. 3sp auto, 125k miles, if memory serves. It was pretty much a dog.

I advised them to have some little things fixed, cost them <$200 and to throw it in the paper and ask a lot of money. Sure enough, they fix it up, just a little, no detail or anything like it, and ask $2900. Nothing. After a week, drop the price to $2200, and the first guy to come buy takes it home. Terry thought it might bring $2k+, and as usual, he was dead on... Terry, I thank you, my neighbor's wife thanks you, my neighbor's wife's dog thanks you...

Anyway I'm thinking an EX with leather, some cosmetic damage, and 167k has got to be worth $2k on the street -- if there's nothing wrong with it. At least. Good cleanup, records available, inspection report from a reputable, well-known shop sitting in the pass seat, incl. a compression test to take the fear out of the miles, the sky's the limit. On a trade-in, there's too many hands the car goes through, and they all want to make a few bucks. Sell this one in the paper.
Oh, and personally, I wouldn't spend more than $1k on a car of this age. Been there, done that... as the song says about putting money into old clunkers:

"You put your money in it,
and there you are:
owner of a two-thousand dollar -- 'thousand-dollar car' "

But people go nuts over these old Hondas. Just TRY buying one. Good luck, and let us know how it goes.

-Mathias

rroyce10 · July 2003

... Aaah Oklahoma, I saw the show -- 'thousand-dollar car' " that's a "ghee whiz" in car lingo .. - read Mathias/steine13 post, he's dead on ...

Terry

rroyce10 · July 2003

..... V8 ...................????

      V6 ......................?????

          Where do you live .............??

             Color, it's important- even if it's falling off ...

            Killing me, just killing me .........

                       Terry.

rroyce10 · July 2003

...... Miles ....? gotta have miles, area, color, condition ........... !!!!

          tap tap tap .. tap tap



            is this thing on ..... ?

                       Terry.

rroyce10 · July 2003

...... >> The wife no longer likes to drive this van .. <<

          Well of course she doesn't want to drive it anymore, she's beat it into a stupor ..

      I can't see it, so just based on what you are telling me .. it's a ho hum color, new rubber, the miles are a little tall and it's been re-painted more times than the Mona Lisa ...

          I dunno, trade side in and around the tall $12's, low low low $13's based on your area ... down Retail Rd (don't let her drive) $14,9 in the paper and $13,9/$14,5 sends her off to driving school .. and don't forget to disclose this to the next owner ..

                 Good luck ....

                       Terry.

      PS: ditch the wife, keep the van.

rroyce10 · July 2003

.......... Reg cab .....?

Ecab ...............?

Terry.

rroyce10 · July 2003

..... It's not a bother when you have GREAT DESCRIPTIONS .....

          Ok, I have calmed down .. this is a GXE, we have 32k, no roof, auto, deeeep rubber, right color, just serviced and you say it's clean .. no hit's, runs or errors .. right ..?

          $6,500 .. ? that's fair -- If you live in Liberia and you are lookin' for a $40 billion dollar loan .. Clean Altima's with low miles are doing more now than they were doing 3 months ago .. trade side, the tall $7's, low $8's, "could" "might" maybe see $8,5 if it's super clean, ultra nice and needs -0- ...

                     Let me know ..

                         Terry.

pxm4 · July 2003

I have a Blue with Tan Leather 2000 Lexus Rx300 that I am thinking of selling. What should I be able to get for it ? it has AWD, Cd-Changer, Sunroof, and the Tow package. I live in the Wasington, DC area. The car has 23,500 miles on it and has 1 or 2 small door dings. Everything else is in excellent shape.

Thanks

jgwaltney · July 2003

Terry -
Thx for your opinion - just curious, if I buy this loaded 2000gs4 w 33,400 mi, drive it for say 2 yrs to say 55-60k mi and it's still in mint condition, what would it be worth in your opinion in summer 2005 (by then a 5 yr old gs4 w/ less than 60k mi, in excellect condition)
In other words, what will my depreciation be for 2 yrs, from today's purch price of $28,500 to ??
What else to consider??
Thx - Jeff

clpurnell · July 2003

Terry,

Seems like you have been pretty busy as of late. This is a done deal by my brother in law but curious as to how he did.

Traded a 2001 Galant ES V6
Slider
6 disc changer
side bags/abs
Silver over gray(cloth)
60k miles

on

1997 Mercedes C230
White over grey leather
Auto/roof full power
no cd
70k miles.

both in NJ
don't ask me why

phareous · July 2003

I am curious what the trade in value for my car would be.

Its a 1998 Honda Accord EX...black with gray interior. It has a rear spoiler, cargo net, premium mats, cd player, moon roof w/ deflector. It has fairly new tires (within a year). I replaced the mats last year and have also replaced some of the interior trim. It has 59,000 miles on it.

The defects are:
-Drivers side door has scratches on pocket and speaker grill
-Light scuff on the headliner
-Exterior paint isn't all that great...probably Avg. or Fair. It has a number of places touched up, the hood and windshield have a lot of specks/nicks and the horizontal areas have some water/acid rain damage.

Otherwise in great shape...I've followed the maintenance guidelines very closely.

qbrozen · July 2003

hate to keep piling it on. I know you are VERY busy both here and in the real world. But, my sister is getting very close to purchase time. Where do you hit these:

hers:
'00 Civic LX auto maroon over tan cloth 58K clicks. couple of dings, nothing major, clean on the inside, and rubber is about half there.

possible purchase:
'01 Tribute DX auto 4x4 v6. Let's say in silver and with about 20K miles.

standard equipment otherwise on both. And both in Jersey. thanks a mill.

birdc1 · July 2003

I'm looking at a 94 F-250 XLT 4x4 with a turbo diesel in it and 188K miles. The truck has had new clutch, tires, and a valve job. No rust (and in Wisconsin.) I'm just looking to have it around the farm and hauling animals some. Seller is asking $6200. Sound fair?
It's a regular cab, power windows, doors, and air. Oh, and it's white with a blue stripe.

lancerfixer · July 2003

...or living in the Northeast (or both) probably knows of this guy.

http://www.boston.com/cars/news/071403_boch.html

I remember his commercials from when I was a kid. He may not have invented the screamer ad, but he refined it to an art form.

robr2 · July 2003

Wow - Ernie Boch has been around a long time. IIRC:

"Come On Down!!"

"You Pay Less 'Cause We Pay Less!!"

"We pay cash for our cars and we have no mortgages - come on down!!"

That stupid Kramer the Donkey on his website.

His lousy attempt to speak Japanese in his TV ads - "ichiban" when he said it, I always heard "Itchy Bum"!!

The monstrosity he built on the Vineyard.

The current Sunday Globe full color double page ads with the sketches of the GM's of his Honda and Toyota dealerships dressed as gladiators vying for top sales.

His offering to pay to keep the local RMV office open to make it easier for the automile dealers to register cars.

Yep - a real screamer, but a successful screamer!!

Check out this article: http://www.boch.com/article.asp

lancerfixer · July 2003

Actually, at the end of his commercials, it was a Japanese guy who (IIRC) popped up out if the hood and said "Ichi ban." Only in the 80s...

robr2 · July 2003

I remember the Japanese guy saying it and I could have sworn I heard Ernie say it himself as well. Then again it was the 80's - it's getting a little fuzzy now!!

phareous · July 2003

I forgot to mention that this is a sedan. Also I am in the Charlotte NC area if that makes a difference.

--

I am curious what the trade in value for my car would be.

Its a 1998 Honda Accord EX...black with gray interior. It has a rear spoiler, cargo net, premium mats, cd player, moon roof w/ deflector. It has fairly new tires (within a year). I replaced the mats last year and have also replaced some of the interior trim. It has 59,000 miles on it.

The defects are:
-Drivers side door has scratches on pocket and speaker grill
-Light scuff on the headliner
-Exterior paint isn't all that great...probably Avg. or Fair. It has a number of places touched up, the hood and windshield have a lot of specks/nicks and the horizontal areas have some water/acid rain damage.

Otherwise in great shape...I've followed the maintenance guidelines very closely.

zueslewis · July 2003

I have a bud looking for a 15-pax window van for his karaoke business and transporting folks to fundraisers. Between Ford, Dodge, and Chevy/GMC, which are the cheapest? What is, say, a 2001 Ford F-350 ex-hotel shuttle going for?

He's looking for a 2000, 2001 or 2002 and average miles.

tyson1010 · July 2003

Thinking about purchasing one of two vehicles. I would be interested in knowing what I could get for my car trade in or private party. Checked nada, kbb, and edmunds but values all over the map. The details on my car:

2001 Honda Accord Coupe EX - 4 cyl - Automatic
Atlanta Area
22900 miles
Leather, in dash 6 cd, sunroof, loaded
Silver-exterior and black interior
excellent condition inside and out

Thanks.

mynewaccord · July 2003

... for your answer (#13226) to my question (#13219)

blackvettec5 · July 2003

I'm lookin to trade in my 01 black vette coupe. It's got 47,000 miles, auto, clear targa room, dual power seats, fully loaded except for the dual roof panels, suspension ugrades, and magnesium wheels. It's in great condition, all service records have been kept, only has a few light scratches from I guess rocks while driving. Also has one key mark thats about 2 inches, It would cost 200 to fix. How much could I be looking to get realistically ona trade?

pwein1 · July 2003

What is this worth? Silver coupe, 62k miles, Texas, great shape.

Thanks

williamshim · July 2003

Terry or Bill,

Silver with red leather.
38K miles
New rear tires. (Will need to replace front in about 5K miles or so)
Premium package, premium sound and cold weather package. (HK audio, heated/power seats, power roof, heated mirror, wood dash trim, on board computer, etc)
Manual.

Another one same as above except 39K miles with steptronic (did I spell it right? )

Both in good to excellet condition. (One was in an accident but fixed by the BMWCCA local chapter recommanded body shop and the job was done right, while the other one has a slight paint chip thanks to the I-95 and it's road conditin + big trucks.)

All scheduled services done (and why not when it's free and we get to drive a different loaner each time. :-))

Although, the step is $1000+ option. I don't think the manual/steptronic will make any differnece in prices?

What would be the trade-in/private party sale price? Your opinion please.

oh, and in Richmond, VA area but can travel to Philly, PA if it makes any difference. (Recently moved to VA but hasn't registered to VA yet)

I have about 15K left on payments and would like to know what I can expect to get so that I can figure out how much of deposit I can make on a either 3 series (want 2000 ~ 2002 btw, what are they going for now days?) or acura tl-s......

Thanks

KCRam · July 2003

Keep in mind, Dodge just discontinued their full size Ram Van after a 30 year run relatively unchanged. You may find some people willing to part with a Dodge a little easier for fear of service and parts problems. If fuel economy is an issue, get the Ford E350 with a diesel. Otherwise, they're going to be pretty much the same.

If you remember all the recent attention these vans received from the college-shuttle rollovers due to center-of-gravity concerns, ytou may be able to get a better deal playing on those fears.

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and FWI Message Boards

zueslewis · July 2003

besides, my buddy is 6'8" and 350 - he'll weigh it down...

mark156 · July 2003

Come on, if you have read any of these posts you must know that Terry et all will need:

Year?
color interior?
tire condition?
great shape, huh?
any scratches, rock chips on the front?
new rubber?

Terry can be SO accurate if you will oblige.

ghosh · July 2003

Terry:
Your estimate for my A4 was "mid to high 13s , maybe 14 if it is really clean". Lexus dealer offered 13.1, I asked for 14 and they eventually accepted. Paid about Edmunds TMV for the new one.
Thanks to Terry and Edmunds, my car buying process was so smooooth... Thanks guys!

acorby · July 2003

Looking to trade my 2 year old E430 Mercedes. Color is silver with ash int. Miles 37k. No accidents, no dings in very good condition. New tires and new windshield 1000mi ago. Options are heated seats, hands free cell phone, sunroof, rain sensing wiper, 6cd changer, clear bra on front, rear side airbags. Sticker was $57k.

What do you think my car is worth on trade? I am interested in trading it in on 2 Hondas an Accord and an S2000.

jlawrence01 · July 2003

Even though Dodge stopped building their van, doesn't DC have the new Sprinter Van as an available people hauler. I saw a few of thema t an OEM event last year in Chitown.

rroyce10 · July 2003

.... The color is just right, inside and out .. miles are a little tall (windshield ..?) .. if the service is all done, it's nice, clean, looks and feels 20kish --- then at $31,0 that sounds even a little on the strong side with the miles and such .. you can always "shop til' you drop", but I feel that's about All of it, sounds like the dealer is working hard to grab your business ..

Terry.

rroyce10 · July 2003

... Welcome back .. what can I say, the miles are super low, it's got all the stuff, right color .. trade side, the $20ish figure, might see $21,0, the handshaker is holding this one back .. down Retail Rd, $23,900 and $22,9/$23,5 gets a new owner ~ if you advertise it, don't forget about that Milwaukee market, they dooo love their imports ..

Have fun ..

Terry.

rroyce10 · July 2003

stebu · July 2003

I was stunned to here that Ernie had passed. I grew up and went to the same schools as his kids where the Boch mini-empire was born and still thrives on the famous Norwood Automile (originally the Motormile in the 60's). I'm sure I remember Ernie himself using the "ichi-ban" line in some of his now famous commercial spots. The rest of the country may think of the Price Is Right when they hear the words "Come on down", but around these parts everyone thinks Ernie Boch.

If nothing else, the guy was an automotive visionary. He jumped on the Asian bandwagon way back before Toyota became a household word. Besides his various dealerships, he eventually set himself up as the NE region distributor for Subaru. My understanding is that, to this day, Boch get's a piece of every Subie destined for a NE dealership. Although, he did take a bath as one of the major backers of the infamous DeLorean car fiasco. Hey Terry, what are one of those beauties worth today? You know the color right?... lol. Quick with a smile and a handshake, Ernie was quite a character as well as an astute and tireless car man.

robr2 · July 2003

I had heard the same thing about Ernie Boch getting a cut of every Subie in these parts. My office isn't too far from the dock where they unload them - I'll probably see his ghost floating around ensuring he gets his cut!!

His Toyota store is advertising their goal of 1,000 new Toyotas this month - I wonder if it is even possible.

gordy6 · July 2003

Looking to trade in the following:

1999 Nissan Pathinfinder SE
4WD Automatic
power sunroof, locks, windows
alarm
am/fm/cass/cd
running boards
cloth seats
roof rack
fog lights
new tires
in very good condition
approximately 77K miles on it

Please let me know what you think I should be looking to get.

Thanks.

gwelmo · July 2003

I am looking at trading in the following:
2003 Fresco Green Volkswagen Passat GLS sedan. Has the following:

A/C, pwr windows/doors, pwr moonroof
heated seats, moonsoon radio (cd/tape)
black cloth seats, keyless entry/alarm, fog lights

The car only has 12,500 miles on it. Have only been driving it for 7 months. Still looks and drives great. What could I expect to get for it as a trade-in.

Thanks
Gwelmo

scott1256 · July 2003

Looking for a new family car. This is a 2002 SE, no nicks/dings. Options are power seat, CD, bench seat, keyless entry. Mileage is 21,000 and the color is silver. It is for sale at the local dealer for $10,975. Realistic to go for $10,000 or not? I have a 2001 that I have for our business, and have found it a great car for the money.

timbubb · July 2003

Terry or Bill,

I'm looking at trading in a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 4X4, in New York

33,000 miles
Red w/ Tan cloth interior, both in good shape
inline 6
automatic
select-trac 4WD

The only options over the base Laredo are:
In-dash single CD
Fog Lights
17 inch wheels

The inevitable rear-axle whine hasn't started yet.

I know with Jeep giving these away new that I'm going to get hammered, but any ideas on what a fair trade-in and/or private party sale would be?

Thanks for any help.....

Tim

steine13 · July 2003

-M

KCRam · July 2003

The Sprinter can be optioned as a people hauler, but it has one fatal flaw - the engine. It has the European MB 5-cylinder turbodiesel. That's great for delivery van use, and other stop-and-go service, but don't expect it to get out of its own way anytime soon. The GM and Ford vans offer big-blocks and V8 diesels - even the 360 V8 in the Dodge Ram van will outrun it.

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and FWI Message Boards

gcomstock1 · July 2003

Thanks for any input you can offer!

Located in Orange County, CA
Lease end this month; $22.5 buyout price
2000 Acura RL3.5 w/DVD Navi system
11,500 miles (!)
Silver
Black leather
All standard goodies (cd changer in trunk, heated seats, etc)
Plenty miles left on Michelins
Perfect (except small scratch on front bumper, Acura says I must pay $189 for it, obviously ignoring the "gift" of low miles)

What's the current real world trade-in value of this car?

My dilemma is...do I turn this in and "leave all those miles on the table," or buy it for $22,500? Would like to wait for new models (RL and TL) not yet released. Am I "high" to hope the low miles will allow me to sell it privately in 6-12 months and break even or better?

zueslewis · July 2003

should you decide to keep it - the miles are a $1,975 add, with your $22,500 number being $325 under wholesale book.

Even if you don't keep it, you could buy it now, and sell it for a decent profit.

dkuhajda · July 2003

Go on out and get some cash offers to buy the car from dealers, especially an Acura dealer (but not the one you normally deal with). You will probably find that they will offer somewhere around $20-21K right now. Retail side they are OTD at $23-24K today.

I do not think you will come out ahead (really close to breaking even), but you will be in for some really inexpensive driving for the next year. You buy it for $22.5K today, drive another year or two and 12K? miles. Take good car of it (get the scratch fixed now so the paint doesn't start to peel), and in one year you will easily get $20K for it private party and it will be an easy sell with those low miles, Two years and easily $18K or more. If it costs you $2500 (or less) a year to drive that car, what else could you be driving for that little money?

While we cannot predict the future market or value of a car, your low miles is going to help tremendously on selling the car in a year or two.

blackvettec5 · July 2003

2001 Bll/Blk Corvette Coupe. Auto. 47000mi. Polished aluminum wheels, transparent targa top, 3.15 performance axel ratio, am/fm/cd, floormats, dual zone automatic a/c, fog lamps, memory seats/ telescoping wheel/ mirrors. dual power sport bucket seats, electrochromatic mirrors, Heads up display. Retailed for $46k, Interior is in excellent shape. Exterior has a few light road rash scratched, 1 chip on the front bumper and a 2 inch scratch on the rear quarter panel, est of $200 for that scratch. What would I be looking at on a trade?

Real-World Trade-In Values

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles