Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
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This happens especially often on european cars.
Yeah, offer to meet them at their mechanics shop. with you there they may not be as apt to pick the car apart.
88,000 miles
4 cylinder
Auto
Power locks, mirrors, and windows
Dark Red exterior
Dark Grey interior
Cassette
Cruise
Aluminum wheels
Very good condition for its year, full tune-up was performed etc. Are there any persistent problems with Contours that I/ my mom should be concerned about?
What is a fair private party offer for this car in the Philly region? Asking price is $3,300. I think $2,700 or so would be fair, what do you think?
It is currently being fully detailed, and we should be able to see/drive it wednesday or thursday.
Thanks again!
Lou
Letting someone (or yourself) put 250+ miles on your vehicle is not good business, letting someone take your vehicle to a unknown mechanic is stupid business and could be the kiss of death .. anyway you look at it, your at their mercy via miles, travel, mechanic, fuel and a 72hr clause that the can go sideways because the next door ladies daughter, knows a guy in Richmond and he knows a guy that knows a guy, that used to own a 00 Audi and the silver paint fell off at 45k, or whatever ..
If they have a Real interest, tell them you will pay for their hotel accommodations (Red Roof, Hotel 6, etc) and their fuel cost by deducting it from the price on the vehicle (18,5) and they can use the Quality Audi, Lexus, Porsche, BMW, Benz dealer down the street from you .. anytime someone wants to use their special blessed from God, super duper, bigger than big, badder than bad Tech, there's probably going to be a big problem .. once the head honjo in your area gives it an ok, then it's "a buy ~ a no buy ~ or a Goodbye ..."
Their asking for waaay too much, if their mechanic "says" it needs a this and that, then they will trying to hand you $16,0 for something that might take $250 ... I'm not trying to bum you out, but keep the playing field even for both sides.
Good luck, let me know ..
Terry.
Thanks Everyone
RD
Thanks a bunch
Also, I'm a marketing professor by trade, and I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on the wide variance in external reference prices across sources (e.g., Edmunds TMV, Black Book, Blue Book, etc.) for a given used car in a given transaction situation.
01 Jeep Wrangler Sport
4.0L 6-cylinder, 5-speed manual transmission
AM/FM cassette, no CD
black exterior, gray interior
NO a/c
alloy wheels
hard and soft tops
34k miles
Condition can only be considered 'average', as it has a dent in the rear bumper, a nick on the windshield and a small but noticable burn hole in the driver's seat. Paint, tires, body and interior otherwise in good shape.
What should he expect on trade for an '04 Infiniti G35 6MT coupe? Thanx!!!
Thanks!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
They are asking 12,995 which seems way high to me.
First, what is a reasonable price for an (almost) eight year old car. I know the mileage is a plus but how much of a plus?
Second, what "problems" come with shuch a low mileage car? What should I look for/ask about?
CTS
That's not too bad, as far as mileage concerns go - check the tires for dry rot, make sure the brake caliper seals are good - you should be in business.
Run a CARFAX, make sure the miles are real.
Thinking about a Volvo S40 to replace my 03 Accord coupe .. what's a fair price for this:
2003 Volvo S40
Silver exterior over gray leather
15,000 miles
Loaded with sunroof, leather, cold weather pack (heated seats, headlight washers), AM/FM cassette/CD
Car is in excellent condition
Again, this is in the Atlanta area. Thanks in advance.
03 S40 with 15k, we got some leather going on here, we have a roof, the color is good and it has the yankee package, nice little vehicles and getting ready for a body style change .. there is plenty of these going around right now, the miles are a little tall for the year .. dealer might have the ultra high $16's, low $17's in it, add a this and a that, then it might be drifting around the high $17's .. $19,9 would be ALL the monies on the retail side ..
Good luck ...!
Terry.
Miles are fine for the year, as long as it's clean and hasn't hit any tree's because of a ski accident, maybe needs a few little things, but it does have all the stuff .. depending on the dealer you should be seeing the high $7's, maybe the low $8's on a trade ...
Terry.
If it's a nice clean one, deep rubber, no rust, newish battery, cold air, no I practiced high speed skids at Wal Mart .. then I would start them at $2,2 and work my way up to $2,9ish .. always have some cash with an offer, don't be afraid to show a little jingle, it seems to do more for you than a $50 check from the Farmers and Daughters Credit Union, if you know what I mean ..
Good luck ..
Terry.
Terry.
Crew cab, Ecab .... ?
5.4 ..? 4.6 ..?
FX ....?
They make about 15 variations of this dude ......
Terry.
Your Windstar is probably worth in and around the $9's, maybe the high $9's on a trade, and you owe $16,0 ...?
I need the *Difference* figure (your vehicle and X amount of bucks) between the TC and your vehicle, taxes and stuff doesn't mean anything to me ...
Terry.
the Honda might be worth the high $6's, low $7's on a trade .. you should be able to trade for your vehicle and "around" that $11,5/$12ish difference, somewhere in that area .. don't like the trade figures, clean, great ad, yatty yatty, in the paper for $8,9 and $7,9/$8,5 get's a new owner .. I'm pretty sure you pay taxes on the difference in PA, so that would be around a $400 tilt in the trade favor ..
I ended up doing the trade, Terry. At first strike, the salesman told me they marked the Maxima down from $22,995 to $19,995 because they knew I was a serious buyer. Then they offered me $6,200 for my Accord, which is a difference of $13,800. I told the salesman that the Maxima price was still too high and the Accord price was still too low. He asked me what I wanted. I told him I wanted to pay $19k for the Maxima and wanted $8k for my Honda. He shuffled off to see his manager.
The sales manager came back and I let him ramble for about 4 minutes on how they wanted my business, how the Maxima was extremely nice and was Nissan Certified and how they hate to see a customer walk out the door without a new car. He asked how I came up with my figures, and I told him I have a friend in the business (you, Terry) and also looked at Edmunds and NADA price guides.
He offered to come up on the Honda price to make it a difference of $12,800. I countered by telling him my max was $12,000 or I was walking. He left for another 5 minutes and came back and started in with another line of BS. But then he said they would do the deal at my Honda plus $12k, so long as I tell all of my friends to buy their Nissans at his store. I agreed that I would spread the word to my vast horde of Nissan-buying friends.
I ended up paying $19k for the Maxima and they gave me $7k for my Accord. Perhaps I left $500 or so on the table, but similar Maximas seem to be selling for around $20 or $21 around here, so I'm satisfied with the deal.
Thank you very much for your help, Terry! You did indeed give me "real world" numbers that helped me on both ends of my deal.
1) 1999 Nissan Maxima SE, dark silver, 5 speed (yeah, I know), cloth, roof, 42,000 miles. Recent tires, some scratches on the rear fender (about a $250 fix), and a few bumps. clean inside, runs nice.
2) 1999 Nissan Quest SE, silver/gray cloth, loaded up (new msrp was 26,500) including moonroof, alloys, etc. Recent tires, new battery, 1 owner, service records, real clean (just a few door dings). 41,000 miles.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
'98 volvo S70 T5 auto, slider, bun warmers, traction control, trip computer, etc. 75K miles. Coral red over tan leather. NJ.
New tires, new brakes and rotors, all services done along with recent timing belt. Let's call it "good" condition. Very clean on the inside and no dings or repaints, but the usual couple of small scratches and its got this delamination issue of the leather on the door panels coming loose (although still all attached and in good shape) - seems to be a common thing on these cars.
I know its going to be a real ugly number and my sensible side will win this argument and I'll keep the car. i do love it. I'm just a car nut and can't seem to stay in one for too long. Which you might know since you've helped me trade quite a few.
'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 have the same problem as you, I'm a car nut and love to get different vehicles. Of course now all Terry does is tell me to stay away from the car lots, lol.
I just keep telling the wife "i'm just test driving for the fun of it... i'm not really shopping."
'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
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Getting ready to trade: 2000 Windstar LX Sport, 36800 mi, quad seats (power for driver), alloy wheels, CD/Cass, rear A/C-heat, a few other options, white with gray kickpanel striping/gray interior. Very clean. Also transferable Ford extended warranty to 60K...don't know if that really adds anything.
Thanks.
2003 Brand new black Silverado SS, my father works for a company that is GM affiliated so I get the truck for about $31500 after rebates. That's with a hard toneau cover, cd changer, dual zone automatic AC, and trailering equipment as options. The dealer is within an hour of my house.
2002 Lincoln Certified Blackwood (warranty exteded to 6 yrs or 75k miles). 29k miles, $24k, truck is about 3 1/2 to 4 hrs away.
Thoughts? SS is AWD, Blackwood is RWD with traction control. SS has a larger bed. Blackwood is used, SS is new. Blackwood has a better warranty though with 4 yrs and about 46k miles left vs 3 years 36k on the SS. SS stickers about $41k new getting it for about 75% of that. Blackwood stickered more like $53k, can get used for about 45% of that. I am having trouble making sense of this. Any thoughts?
Anyhow, I would think that you might be able to do better than $31K on a GM truck as they are going face from stiff competition s the new F-150 comes out.
You are looking at _L_O_A_D_E_D_ trucks though, the price competition is always strongest on middle of the pack models. I think the top-o-the-line trucks get whacked HARD on depreciation too, sometimes that big ol' shiny thang just slurps down too much juice for a feller to get topped off...
Asking for a price on the beloved Volvo is the first step...you know it's all downhill now.
Got anything in mind or is this just "the itch"?
Grand High Poobah
The Fraternal Order of Procrastinators
I assume you are a "business owner" or else you would NOT be eligible for a the section 179 deduction.
Your personal use of the vehicle must not exceed 50% to avoid the "recapture penalty". How does the IRS know what your personal use is? Well they could AUDIT your PERSONAL LOG OF MILEAGE (you have one DON'T YOU??)
The 'depreciation allowance" is a one time bonus $25K + the 30% of the remaining value + 20% first year depreciation. Does your FIRM have INCOME sufficient to make this count on the TAXABLE amount? What about the significantly higher FUEL COSTS for the vehicle?
You MUST not use the vehicle for commuting, that is SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED: "Commuting use. The use of an automobile for commuting is not business use, regardless of whether work is performed during the trip. For example, a business telephone call made on a car telephone while commuting to work does not change the character of the trip from commuting to business. This is also true for a business meeting held in a car while commuting to work. Similarly, a business call made on an otherwise personal trip does not change the character of a trip from personal to business. The fact that an automobile is used to display material that advertises the owner or user's trade or business does not convert an otherwise personal use into business use."
http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/page/0,,id%3D104264,00.html
Further the IRS even covers the "intermittent use" of a vehicle to make customer deliveries: "For the first three weeks of each month, he occasionally uses his own automobile for business travel within the metropolitan area. During these weeks, his business use of the automobile does not follow a consistent pattern. During the fourth week of each month, he delivers all business orders taken during the previous month. The business use of his automobile, as supported by adequate records, is 70% of its total use during that fourth week. The determination based on the record maintained during the fourth week of the month that his business/investment use of the automobile for the tax year is 70% does not rest on sufficient supporting evidence because his use during that week is not representative of use during other periods."
As the nature of my work is almost exclusively commuting to clients a "business deduction" is not possible...
If you don't like to base your tax decisons on the assumption that "the IRS never checks anyways" than you ought to be darned sure YOU NEED THAT TRUCK TO GET YOUR JOB DONE!
Realistically, the wife wants a new house, so I don't think I'll be buying a $40K car anytime soon. But there are all these new vehicles on the horizon that I'm drooling over (upcoming S40, Legacy GT, maybe Mazdaspeed6 if they make it, etc.).
My Alfa is going to the body shop this weekend, so maybe giving that a fresh look will cure my itch for another year or so. we'll see. Hey, at least the Pilot is safe from my whims, right?
'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
Me, I'd rather keep the pies pipping hot in a nice WRX and forget the tax implications...
While it would be difficult (but not impossible) to prove that you NEED that X5 or LX470 for your business, there are ways to get around the mileage issue if you are creative.
Now Terry, how about that 96 3.2TL with 11,5 clicks I was asking about?
>>>1996 Acura TL 3.2 silver leather, auto, slider, all the goodies in New Orleans with 11,500 miles. They are asking 12,995. First, what is a reasonable price for an (almost) eight year old car. I know the mileage is a plus but how much of a plus?
Second, what "problems" come with shuch a low mileage car? What should I look for/ask about?<<<<
aprox 26,500 mi, all the goodies, except the phone, raven black (color) quattro, 225hp, navigation, nice car just need a bigger one...darn!
1. Where is it (city/state)?
San francisco, CA
2. Condition? Excellent condition always under cover garage
3. Hardtop or roadster?
coupe, hardtop.
Very nicely kept! non smoker!
"1990 Ford Festiva, high miles, runs good, some rust. Good for parts or pizza delivery."
Nothing like telling it like it is...
I love you guys. Now I get free tax advice, too!
-M
you've been busy lately... still looking for the GS. Local dealer has an '01 GS430. Has been there about a month and one of the salespeople tells me its about to be sent to the auction to get what they can for it.
'01 gs430
33,5xx miles
moon stone ext/grey interior
No bun warmers/levinson/nav/no fin on back
spotless inside and out.
certified preowned (which doesn't mean much if its off the auction)
What would this bring at an auction... in and around TN.
thanks.
My significant other is curious about private party on his cars ....
1995 Lexus GS300 Touring
Two-tone gold exterior over tan leather
146,000 miles
Roof, leather, power seats, climate control, CD changer
New Michelins, new brakes, new timing belt and water pump, cold AC, everything works
No paintwork but there is a slight "hole" on the front bumper where it looks like a exhaust pipe punctured the bumper. Otherwise the car is spotless for it's age.
and ....
1994 Lexus LS400 Anniversary Edition
Two-tone pearl white exterior with tan leather interior
123,000 miles
Nakamichi, traction, heated seats, CD changer, memory seats, roof
New Michelins
Car is SPOTLESS! Drives like a new one.
As always, thanks for your help.
Now I need to get a retail value on a 97 Contour Sport, that the "Bank of Mom" might buy for me, since I just got my first real job in Harrisburg,(and to replace the 91 Sonata that I am driving now
I will be paying her back over a couple of years
Details:
97 Contour
"Sport" version
V6 auto
77,000 miles
Pacific Green exterior
Gray interior
15 in alloy wheels
Tilt wheel
PL, PW, PM
Cassette
Keyless Entry w/alarm
New front tires, fairly new rear tires
split folding seats
Philadelphia area
I drove it today, and it drives very nicely, with a smooth transmission, normal wear on exterior, like new interior except for a driver's seat that rocks slightly; Could this be signs of any trouble, or can a bolt be tightened?
A friend of my family doctor is asking $4,600, but we want to stay around 4,500 with tax( about 4,200-4,300) Is that offer reasonable? too much?
Thanks again, and good luck with the golf game!
Lou
Otherwise the prior owner could have simply been a tub-o-lard and wore out the seat frame.
You might see if this is addressed at Contour.org for example.
Doesn't seem to be much activity in the Contour thread here.
TB
Owns a Turbocharged SVT Contour, FWIW
around the 60k miles
mica blue...its the vibrant blue color w/ tan guts
nak system, heated seats's, hid's, 17" wheels
no chrome's nor nav., they appear to be the only options missing.
looks to be in pretty good shape. no scratches,dents, etc that i could quickly tell.
this is by a private seller. what can one expect as wholesale value here, my guess is $18kish.
I was waiting for that. I was looking for thoughts and/or advice on two trucks, not tax advice or compensating theories. Tax advice I get from my CPA, unfortunately she doesn't give me truck advice.
Oh well, with that being out of the way, what are some thoughts on those two trucks? I am leaning towards the Silverado as it's more of a truck but I like the deal on the Blackwood.
Blackwood vs the SS .. 2 different vehicles doing 2 entirely different things .. for starters, you need to drive both of them - and that's NOT around the block with a salesman in your ear .. drop your license and take each out for an hr or two, your streets, your hills, yatty yatty ..
A 4WD will always command more money at trade time in your area and the SS is popular .. the Blackwood went cold as soon as it came out, looks pretty, drives nice, but the market is about as big as a thimble LM missed this one .. on the flip side, you can purchase a used one for about nothing (or should), dealers were paying customers to buy them off the showrooms, some dealers still have new ones (ouch.!) .. I'm not knocking em', but if you can buy them cheap then that's the Only way to go .. $24,0 is a very fair and low price, just make sure you like em', I do ...
Let me know ..
Terry.