Real-World Trade-In Values

turboshadow · May 2004

Need help with these two sitting on a local lot. Both are the generic GM no-sale green with GM generic tan cloth interiors.

2001 Buick Century Custom, 29K miles, AM/FM/cass/CD, lease return from local area. According to Carfax, its been on the lot for two months. I walk by the lot almost every weekend, and I think that's about right.

2003 Olds Alero, 31K miles, ABS, AM/FM/CD ex-rental car from FL.

What can I expect to pay in the Columbia, SC area and what would the dealer have in them.

Thanks,
Turboshadow

mpp2 · May 2004

was a 1977 Chevy Monza that I got from a family member. This was when I turned 17 in 1984 . It had frame damage, and you had to leave the window on the drivers side open to enter it. To close the door, you had to give it an extra push with your a** and climb thru the window. Got it for $100.

Terry,

Thanks for the number, The wife has zero, nada, zilch interest in me reliving my high school/ college fantasies of IROC Z camaros, so I think I'm going to have to pass on it. Oh well.

exb0 · May 2004

What about 2000 Accord LX, AT, 4 cyl, Gold, 57K? CD and alarm are the only extras. 1 ding, a couple of touched up tiny paint chips. Nice and shiny, it was just professionally detailed. What should the private sale asking and selling price be? I am in the mid-atlantic region.

duff333 · May 2004

Terry, took your advice and sold the Altima privately. You suggested that I could get $4K/$4.5 after being offered $2.8K from Carmax. Well, I cleaned and waxed the car real good and threw it in the paper and sure enough the 1st guy to look at it offered $3600. I asked for $4000 and settled at $3800. I was very pleased - - made an extra $1000 and could have done a few hundred better (like you suggested) because I received about 15 more calls over the weekend but was happy to have it all done in one day. Thanks alot! I probably would have been happy to get $3300 for it before posting here.

Have a great day!

mikefm58 · May 2004

I'm looking to trade a 1998 Mustang 2DR STD coupe, 6 cyl, auto, a/c, cruise, tilt wheel, green, 52.5K miles, CD player, rear spoiler, tinted windows, rear defroster, 18" chrome rims/tires, flow master mufflers, looks sharp, runs great, Orlando Florida 32835 area. I'm hoping for $5-5.5K on a trade. Am I close?

rroyce10 · May 2004

.......... Well, it's got lot of great things going for it .. and as soon as I think of a few I will let you know ...

We got that shifty thing going on, (only you could find this one) we got bunches of miles and it needs stuff .. dealer probably paid in and around the mid $3's for it, might of went brain dead and dropped $4 in it ..

Terry.

rroyce10 · May 2004

...... ** 85ish Tempo complete with a mismatched trunk lid. He's asking $6800 **

Thats not a 85, it's a 2005 and the $6,800 was the down payment .l.o.l....

Terry.

steine13 · May 2004

I had a feeling he wasn't trying to kill anyone at $5,4 asking...
I might drive it and take it from there.. could be a nice commuter (2 miles, ha!)... or a real dog.
Thanks -m

chadwick32 · May 2004

Signal Red with tan leather interior, 118K miles, newer bridgestones, exterior is ok no rust no major dings or scratches but paint has minor fading especially on hood; leather is in good shape, no rips or tears, one minor crack in front panel near rear defrost switch (not in dash), everything works as it should, buying from original owner who has most service records and looks to have maintained pretty regularly with MB dealer service although currently interior needs good cleaning. Would be buying from family friend and think 2,500 to 3k is reasonable price. Yes no??

rroyce10 · May 2004

....... Nice little drivers, these little Buicks do Big miles properly serviced ..

               2 months ago.? .. miles are low and depending on the options the dealer maybe paid the ultra high $6's, low $7's, most would .. add a this and a that and it probably hit's the table in the high $7's .. should be able to buy it for the $8,9/$9,5ish region, it's a lot of car for the money ... whats he asking.?

          ** 2003 Olds Alero, 31K miles, ABS, AM/FM/CD ex-rental car from FL **

                 4/6 banger ...? .. GL/GLS/GL1 ..?

                     Terry.

turboshadow · May 2004

2 months ago.? .. miles are low and depending on the options the dealer maybe paid the ultra high $6's, low $7's, most would .. add a this and a that and it probably hit's the table in the high $7's .. should be able to buy it for the $8,9/$9,5ish region, it's a lot of car for the money ... whats he asking.?

-----------------------------------------
$12,995. Ummm...I think I know why its been sitting.

4/6 banger ...? .. GL/GLS/GL1 ..?
-----------------------------------
Ugh, sorry. V-6 GL1

Thanks,
Turboshadow

rroyce10 · May 2004

...... It's not a deal that he will retire on .. but you look around alot, and these little dudes sell pretty fast if there nice and clean ... I tripped over a 97 CE with 75k, a/m cruise, new Coopers all the way around, all the service done, auto, white, cold breeze, some small dings on the pass side, rear quarter was repainted - but clean, I paid $4,5 for it ... it never made it home, the guy at the car wash bought it after he cleaned it ...

Terry.

jlawrence01 · May 2004

I have seen '03 Buick Centurys with 25k on Avis Sales lots for $10.9-11.9k.

seank2 · May 2004

Terry et al,

With all the discussion of ex-rental Ford Tauruses (Tauri?) of late, I thought I'd throw these 2 out there just to see how far off the dealer is on them. Since I'm in sales and drive a LOT, I might be interested in picking one of these up for a business car, since I can deduct most of it anyone.

Both of these are at the Savannah,GA used lot of a large Ford/Lincoln/Mercury dealer in Beaufort, SC:

2003 Taurus SES Deluxe
White or silver outside with gray leather interior
The deluxe package includes:
Leather, front buckets with the floor shifter/console
slider
24V Duratec engine
rear wing
Also has CD, power drivers seat
around 17000 miles each

2004 Taurus SES
any color you want,
all have leather, slider, standard SES stuff, including CD, power driver seat
These have the 3.0 Vulcan
All have under 5000 miles, most are around 3000, but there are like 50 or so around

All are ex-service loaners and a few ex-rentals

$14,995 on each. Out of curiosity, how far off is he?

03oddity · May 2004

Hi Terry and colleagues,

Car_man referred me to you with my question. Here's my dilemma. I live in L.A. I have a well maintained, leased 2001 Saab 9-5 SE V6, auto trans, midnight blue, heated but not ventilated leather seats, sunroof, in clean condition (a few tiny paint chips and one small dent on the hood and 2 barely visible door dings on passenger side). Monthly payment (36 months, 15K miles/year) is $412 + tax. Cap cost after various incentives was $32K, or $8500 below MSRP. I did not pay any cap cost reduction. Residual as of lease end on 7/14/04 is $18121 plus 8.25% CA sales tax. I will be about 2500 miles, or $500, over mileage. Saab is willing to extend the lease by a few months as a "courtesy," same payment. Unclear what happens to RV with lease extension. Already had to replace front brake pads and rotors (grrr). Couple of warranty repairs--SID, A/C. Warranty expires at 50K.

I'm interested in buying (not leasing) either a 2005 Acura TL Navi or the redesigned 2005 Acura RL. I *love* the real-time traffic Navi system in the RL. I'm not paying sticker for an end-of-model-year 04 TL Navi.

So...do I:

1. extend the 01 Saab 9-5 lease until, say, October, hoping that the timing works out with the launch of the 05 Acuras?

2. just buy the Saab for $19616 (tax incl) and drive it for a year or two while waiting for sanity to return to Acura Navi pricing? --RV seems high--or

3. lease a 2004 Saab 9-5 Aero at a massive discount and put the Acura on hold for 3 years? (I qualify for the GM Supplier Discount and there appear to be significant incentives.)

4. Maybe consider leasing an 04 TL Navi? (Doubtful I could cut any kind of deal on cap cost--is there a favorable program at least?)

Thanks for any advice.

kyfdx · May 2004

Since you are still under warranty, I vote for either Number 1 or Number 3.

I wouldn't do Number 2. Never own a Saab out of warranty.

If interest rates head back up (and that looks likely), Number 1 may be a very expensive option. As you fear, prices may be high, and financing may be expensive.

I think Number 3 is the best option, especially since it looks like you can lock in a great deal for the next three years.

regards,
kyfdx

steine13 · May 2004

Congratulations on leasing rather than buying a Saab.
Can't comment on your scheme of knocking down price on he Acura... whatever the market will bear.

Overmileage? Those are some of the cheapest miles you'll ever drive, certainly in a $30+ car.

By all means, extend the lease... but only for a few months. you're now paying new-car lease prices on a used car.

DON'T buy the sled at the stated RV. Terry may be able to tell you what the thing is really worth, and you can go from there if you like the car.

-Mathias

driftracer · May 2004

"Any questions for a car dealer"...

akangl · May 2004

****Thats not a 85, it's a 2005 and the $6,800 was the down payment****

OOOOOOOOHHHHHHH, that must be it, well, wow, I'm impressed. Better jump right on that, sounds like too good of a deal to pass up. LOL

dillydill · May 2004

Hello,

In Massachusetts;
A black 03 Accord EX Sedan
4 cyl Automatic
power everything
moonroof, leather
Navigation
25K miles.
sneakers have 25K on them.

Accident to front right, had to replace panel and headlight.

Thanks for your help.

Dillydill

scgamecock · May 2004

Specs.....

White 1.8T Quattro w/Premium Package,Xenon Headlights, and 16" Wheels. Only 15,500 miles.

I am currently leasing and would like to get at least the payoff. What kind of offers should I expect?

Also, will Audi finance negotiate on the payoff?

kyfdx · May 2004

They won't negotiate if you aren't at the end of the term. They only negotiate if you have the option of walking way, like you do at the end of lease.

stickguy · May 2004

Maybe it's becasue I am a car fanatic, but i say always figure out what you really want first, then make sure the numbers work. If you truly want, an Acura, than get one. If you are just as happy with the SAAB, lease an '04. If you need more time to decide, extend your current lease, and hope the current good lease/finance deals hold up.

You will certainly pay much more to lease a new design RL than the SAAb I bet, although there may be some better lease deals on the '04TL. I assume they won't change much for '05, so get whichever year has the best payment.

dbgindy · May 2004

Please make sure to check post 18814. I referred him to you O wise one.:-)

Duncan

homer1 · May 2004

Here are the vitals:
2000 VW Passat
GLS Sedan, 1.8L Turbo 4-cyl
5-speed
Indigo Blue
Tan Leather Interior
Heated Front Seats & Mirrors
Moon Roof
6-CD Changer
Alloy Wheels (15")
Full-Size Spare w/Alloy Wheel
2nd Owner gets half of original 100k miles powertrain warranty.
Only 29,500 miles
Location - Chattanooga, TN (37421)

Original owner. Non-smoker. Never in a serious accident (but has had some minor body repairs due to a parking lot hit-n-run). No kids or pets, so interior is in excellent condition. Garage kept, but paint isn't perfect - as it has a small scrape on the fender and some paint swirl. No mechanical problems (that I'm aware of anyway). All records, owners manual, service history, key-fobs, etc.

Thanks for your assistance!

rroyce10 · May 2004

........ Great description,excellent story line .. but, is it a 4dr or a wagon .?

Terry.

rroyce10 · May 2004

........ Depends on how good of friends you guys really are .. if he traded it, he probably would see the strong $2's for it, if he cleaned it up, finished any service he might see $4,5 for it .... so $2/$3ish is a very good price for you ...........

Terry.

mark48186 · May 2004

Hey Terry, got a follow up to my grand am question. A friend at work has a 2 year lease on a Ford F-150 coming up. I'm debating possibly having them sell it to me at the buyout price.

It's basically a fully loaded auto 2002 FX4 4x4 SuperCrew except for leather. Power moonroof, 6 disk CD changer, power adjustable pedals, 5.4 V8, towing package, tonneau cover, dark red two tone paint, captain chairs, sliding rear window.

Tires look in pretty good shape. Only 19,500 miles on it. Interior and exterior looks great.

She's getting me the buyout information tomorrow, but just curious what you think a decent price would be for this truck in the used market as if it was a private party deal.

acrafton · May 2004

Terry - helping a friend into a new car that better fits her lifestyle (or at least her perception of it!). Anyway, an 03 Honda Odyssey EX-L with RES (DVD player/screen). In great shape (looks almost new and well, it is. . ). Auto, 16K miles. Tires are what you would expect for 16K. Located in Dallas/Ft Worth, color is Silver/grey leather. The chrysler dealer offered $23K and given that the 04's are being heavily discounted this sounded good to me. Your thoughts?

Thanks
Adam

rroyce10 · May 2004

......... $12,900 .....??!!??

Wow .. hey, if you like the Century offer him $9,5ish and $9,900 on a push ........ $12,9 ....?? .. that's because it has a new Concord watch in the glove box and you forgot to look ..........

               03 V6 with 31k .. dealer might have paid the mid $8's for it , after a little service, a little this and that, it might come to the table in the mid $9's figure .. $10,900 would be just about all of it on the Retail side ..

                Good luck, let me know.!

                            Terry.

rroyce10 · May 2004

........ Sounds like a pretty nice rig .. 2-tone, slider FX 4x4, low miles, quads, SC .... depending on what the pay-off is, it will do the strong $22ish figure at the auctions ... the pay-off (residual) is negotiable -IF- it's handled correctly and if it's thru Ford, and Ford "might" accept the $23ish figure ... it will depend on the actual pay-off figure.

Let me know what happens .!

Terry.

rroyce10 · May 2004

........ It will all depend on how much of a dent we have going on here .. is it the size of a pack of cigarettes for $200, or is the size of a watermelon for $400 ..? .. the bumper thing I would just pass on ....

             Let's say it's watermelonville, SEL, leather, miles are waaay low, new sneakers .. trade side, super high $9's low $10's ...

             8 million Great SUV's out there and your looking at a Kia Sorento ...? ... Yikes.! ...

                        Terry.

butchbr73 · May 2004

i'm just trying to get him outta our hair.

driftracer · May 2004

because I'm totally bald...

driftracer · May 2004

"There's a fork in the road - one path takes you to the truth, the other takes you to rivertown".

rroyce10 · May 2004

   ...... *** With the price of gas rising all over the country and rapidly approaching $2 a gallon (already over in some parts), have you found an increased demand among buyers for smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles? Are people starting to dump the large, less fuel efficient SUV's, pickups, etc. in favor of something that gets better fuel mileage ***

                        Great Question .....!

            The "large" market seems to be doing fine and then some ... folks are still buying their Burbs and Escalades in record numbers, Toyota is unloading every Sequoia they can make, Ford is going to open up another plant to build more Escapes and Tributes, plus there strong at the auctions even in the month of May .. and based on the last post, folks are even looking at the Kia Sorento's - *(double Yikes.!)*

                I guess if you look at the Big picture, consumers aren't afraid to spend that extra $450/$650/$850 a year in fuel bills or another $60/$70 bucks a month, whatever it is (their bratty little kids are spending that and more on Cell phones, an 8 year with a cell phone, God help me.!) .. as far as the 60mpg hybrids are concerned, they will hit that small niche of folks that actually "need" a vehicle like that with their 25/35,000 miles a year driving habits, of course you have the folks that think they will save millions of dollars "immediately", the fact is, most vehicles today get pretty good mileage ..

                    If your driving the average 12/15k a year and your getting 25/29 on the highway and 15/21 on the streets it will take you about 5/6 years just to break even, especially with you trading in a vehicle and spending "new" money on a "new" vehicle .. now this could be a whole different story if gas goes to $3/$4 bucks a gallon like they have in Europe ..................

.. besides, over there they have all those Itsy Bitsy streets, tuff to get a Excursion around the corners ..l.o.l......

Terry.

butchbr73 · May 2004

i think a lot of us are at this point! l.o.l.....

mark48186 · May 2004

Hey Terry, found out some more info on the truck. Her lease is up in October. The residual is ~19,780 she thinks.

What I'd be looking at doing is Private party selling my 2002 Grand Am and doing a buyout on the truck. They want to move to a 2004 because they tow a trailer that's about at the limits of the 2002 model, but the 2004 can handle easily.

Only bad thing is she really loves the truck and isn't sure she wants to get rid of it. Either way, nothing much I can do until October or so.

Thanks for the help!

rroyce10 · May 2004

....... See todays pay-off would be: all the existing payments -plus- $19,780 ... so *if the payments are $350 a month, that would be "around" $22ish .. you might want to do something now .............. that's a good price, or should I say thats a great price for you and thats a great price for her, you both win.!

Terry.

turboshadow · May 2004

03 V6 with 31k .. dealer might have paid the mid $8's for it , after a little service, a little this and that, it might come to the table in the mid $9's figure .. $10,900 would be just about all of it on the Retail side ..

----------------------------------------
So would 10K be a fair price? I know you like the Century, but the Alero has a bigger motor, fold down seats, and floor shift. I prefer the Olds, but not in love with it, knowwhatImean?

Poor old Shadow has no heat or AC anymore. SC winter was doable, but I don't know if I can last another summer and 10K is about the pesos I can spare.

Turboshadow

steine13 · May 2004

"$3/$4 bucks a gallon like they have in Europe..."

As of today, in Germany, it's more like $5.50

Guten Tag! -Mathias

mark48186 · May 2004

Talked to her some more and her payments are 391. So payout would be a little over 22k. She really likes the 2002, but agreed she should test drive a 2004. I floated the idea of me buying out the 2002 now and her moving to a 2004. She said if she does anything with it, she'll let me know. She thought about it in March when Ford offered an early trade-in period, but there were no incentives at the time. There's a 1500 cash back right now which might help her decide to upgrade.

Wish me luck, I really like the truck and you're right, it's a good deal for both of us.

rroyce10 · May 2004

........ Slowly - but surely I get there .l.o.l....

              03 Hoooonda EX and it lives in the Krazy Kerry area, we also have a 4banger with the auto, we got some 25k going on with some weak rubber and we have a little meteorite hit to the starboard side (your kinda ruff on vehicles, ain't ya) .. trade side, in and around the mid to high $15's, "maybe" depending on the damage the low low low low low $16's ....

                Let me know how it goes ..

                         Terry.

rroyce10 · May 2004

.......... $391 a month ..? .. does that include the tax ..? .. if so, delete the tax figure from the payment .....

Terry.

tyresmoker · May 2004

Hey Terry, love the comments but lighten up on the Sorento. While i realize it is still a nightmare in the lanes, it is a very good product.
I went into one ready to tear it apart and came away pleasantly suprised. When you consider the fact that v6 equipped Tributes and Escapes outa come with a spare engine in the hatch and other "branded" competitors costing $$ more than the Sorrento, it is not a bad package for $25k. Understand if one wants to put $500 down and get out of it in two years...the story changes...

acrafton · May 2004

Not to rush you (ok, I am rushing you). Any thoughts on the 03 Odyssey above - dealer offering $23k on trade.

dillydill · May 2004

Terry,

Thanks a bunch . . .a local Honda dealer offered 16. . .I thought it was low but I guess not. . .I was hoping for more with the Nav . . oh well. . .once again you are right on. . .what should I ask via retail road?

With appreciation,
Dillydill

03oddity · May 2004

........ Great description,excellent story line .. but, is it a 4dr or a wagon .?

Terry.

Wagon?? Heaven forbid, we have an Odyssey for that. Forgot that Saab sold anything but sedans. It's a 4-door.

Thanks for the left-handed compliment.

;-)

18fan · May 2004

Thanks for your response about how the rising gas prices are affecting the auto market... (apparently having little effect so far!)

In some ways, this seems like 1974/75 all over again.... well, except for the lines half a mile long of folks waiting to buy gas!

--18fan

jratcliffe · May 2004

Hey Terry,

One more time. Looks like I'm moving to NYC, so I need to get out of my lease about 9 months early. I'm already over on mileage by a bit (say $200 worth), and I'd need to pay Honda a total of about $3200 to walk away from it (about $3k in payments remain). If I sell it to a dealership, the buyout is $14,500. So, question is, is it worth shopping it around, or should I just wash my hands of it?

*2002 Honda Accord Coupe EX-V6
*Automatic tranny
*Black
*50k miles (yeah, I know)
*Boston area
*Tires have about 5k miles on them
*Has a spoiler
*Interior in very good shape, no fries, no nada, except that the driver's floormat needs replacing (worn spot by my gas pedal foot)
*Exterior in good shape, not perfect:
+Rear bumper is scuffed at both corners - touch up looks good, but it's visible at 3 feet if you're looking for it. Doesn't catch the eye, but it's there.
+Has a couple of very minor dings, and one larger (quarter-sized) one.
+Has a 1 inch by 1/2 inch scuff on one of the alloy wheels
+Overall, looks pristine from 15 feet, but it's had some wear and tear that any close inspection will find. I think it's well in line for a car with 50k, but
*Has had all the maintenance, and I have the records.

What say you? KBB says $12k trade-in, Edmunds says $14,400, and yes, neither of them has offered to buy it, since they're books.

Hey, maybe I should use a reverse auction to sell this puppy... I think there's a guy in Oklahoma who might help me out...

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