Real-World Trade-In Values

cpa4u · June 2004

Terry,

You gave me an idea of what the car was worth a few months back. I decided at that time not to trade for a few reasons. But, now I am in the mood again. So, I need an up to date trade in value:

2001 Infiniti I30t (Touring pack), slider, 6 disc, traction control, 51,000 miles, silver over black, in southern Ky, no french fry attacks inside, one small parking lot kiss on bottom of front bumper (body shop guy said $150 at most to fix), otherwise the car is in very good shape

Looking to trade for either Maxima or TL. Depends on who wants to deal.

Thanks!!
Rick

rroyce10 · June 2004

...... $12.? .. Ooops, did I say Memorial day ..? .. I meant Labor day .l.o.l.....

Terry ;-)

dfd3 · June 2004

I knew which holiday you meant. As you once told me, you have the brain of an asparagus (or something to that effect).

By the way, I was pleased to see your glowing opinions/reviews of the Infiniti G35 several (hundred) posts back. I agree with you - that's what I drive. Mine's a 6 speed manual sedan. Had it about a year. It is a rocket and a blast to drive. The new Lexus we bought will be Mama's car. Hauling the kids around and such. She's not much for the G35's firm ride and herky-jerky shifting (watch those comments about my shifting techniques!) and does not really appreciate the superior acceleration, braking, cornering, and handling abilities of the G. My 5 year-old thinks it's fun to be in the car with dad, but Mom prefers a bit more comfort and luxury than the G provides. The new Lexus should be just the ticket.

Thanks again.

rroyce10 · June 2004

..... ** you have the brain of an asparagus (or something to that effect) **

Attention span of an asparagus .l.o.l.. or both, depending on what day of the week it is ..

I'm glad your enjoying them, nice vehicles .. between the new G35 and the new TL it's tuff competition for their German counterparts .............

Terry.

rroyce10 · June 2004

200SX SE, black on black, auto, 70K miles, interior in great shape, exterior paint in great shape, but a couple of door dings, and a 1 inch gash on the front bumper. Oh and the car is in Alabama. Should I just carmax it (100 miles away) or try to sell it privately? Thanks for your help

            === Are you close to any of those wonderful Trent Jones golf courses .?

                   98 SE with the auto and short miles for the year .. if we have Arctic air, deep rubber and all the service is done .. then it's probably going to see the tall $2's, "might" see the low low $3's trade side, but I have a feeling the color will hold it back a bit in the land of Dixie, it's hard to say what carmax will do, I would be thinkin' the same figures ....

             This is an Excellent vehicle for Retail Rd though .. I would visit Dr Dent, give it the day-glo shuffle, great Ad, $5,900 *asking* and $4,5/$5,5 to the first cheerleader from the Crimson Tide, I bet if you do it right it won't last long .............

Terry.

anonymousposts · June 2004

However ... I have found the two following cars that I might buy to save some of the miles on my 04 Accord or since we now have the 04 Odyssey I might sell the Accord and save some money.

First is ..

1997 Infiniti I30
120,XXX
Gold exterior/tan leather
leather, roof, climate, BOSE, heated seats, automatic, alloys
interior is in beautiful condition for the age of the car
exterior is in good shape .. maybe a few small scratches here and there.
The front end has paintwork, no frame damage, but the untrained eye would never notice

Second is ...

1995 Toyota Camry LE automatic
113,000 miles
Burgundy exterior/gray cloth interior
Standard LE options: cruise, power locks/windows/mirrors, AC
Interior is very clean
Exterior has a few small scratches
No known paintwork

Both cars are in Atlanta.

celkan · June 2004

Hello! I'm thinking of buying a new 2004 330i convertible via European delivery--base model, i.e. stick shift, no premium package, no sports package.

A local salesman says the missing options will be bad for the resale value. Terry and others, what do you think?

Separately, do you think a CPO 330 convertible is a good way to go? To me, they seem to close to new in price!

And will the new 3-series in less thn 12 months be bad for resale value?

Thanks for all input, Charles

mikefm58 · June 2004

1998 FORD MUSTANG, 2 dr coupe, green, v6, auto, 54100 miles, ac, p/seats, pdl, pm, pw, cc, tilt, stereo, am/fm, air bags, abs, tint, 18" wheels, flowmaster dual exhaust, carfax report, $6500 obo.

I ran an ad in in the local Orlando Sentinel, got 2 calls, no lookers, ad ran for 2 weeks. The auto trader online and magazine ad has been running for 3 weeks, not even one call.

The ad is up for renewal tomorrow so I'm reducing the asking price to $6200 obo and adding "new brakes" to the description. The color is green, which I know isn't helping. But sheesh, I thought I'd have more activity than this. The $6500 price is right in line with other like Mustangs on auto trader.

Has anyone ever had luck parking it on a busy street in front of a busy store with for sale signs on the vehicle?

KCRam · June 2004

Mike, the rims and the Flow aren't helping your cause. A V6 Mustang is a nice sport coupe for someone on a budget, but not when the footwear will run 4-digits for a replacement set and everyone from 2 blocks away knows you're coming.

If you still have the original rims, put them on with a nice set of discount tires in the OEM size. Get a regular muffler from Midas. Detail it and take some good digital pics for an online ad. It'll sell.

Put the rims/Flow up for sale separately and they'll sell on their own.

kcram
Host
Smart Shopper and Wagons Message Boards

senseless · June 2004

My '99 Ford SE V6 Contour has about a dozen small dents (depressions) in the roof and decklid from parking under an oak tree. The tree is now gone, but the tiny dents remain.

If mechanics are perfect and the rest of the car is good, what would the overall condition be with this damage, using the Edmunds trade in guide. EC, VG, Fair, Poor

isellhondas · June 2004

Agree totally with the host. The add-ons that are pleasing to you will scare other people away. Keep it ORIGINAL as possible.

And, I'll tell you...Mustangs are very soft as used cars and you are correct about the color.

Still it only takes one buyer. If you liked green someone else will too.

akangl · June 2004

Stopped by to see a friend of mine in the used car business, hadn't seen him in a year, so thought I'd drop in. NO, I wasn't even looking, don't even know what was on his lot.

Anyway, he noticed my truck and said, those Titans are nice, but they sure don't hold any value, that the Fords and Dodges are much stronger in resale.

I'm calling BS on what he said, he told me they just sold 2 Titans off the lot (I never saw them and have been by his lot 4/5 times in the past week, not stopped, just driving by) with 5k miles on them. Said one was a leathered up LE CC and they sold it for $28,500 and the other was a cloth SE CC that they sold for $21,500. Sounds a little low to me, but what do I know/care. He said both were repos brought up from Washington.

I love my truck and don't give a rats rear what its worth, but I still call BS. Terry? What are these bad boys doing on the block? Just curious.

mikefm58 · June 2004

Thx for your input, much appreciated. I didn't think about the issues you raised with the 18" wheels/tires. But I do agree with you. When I bought the wheels/tires for my son as a graduation present last year, my first thoughts were "sheesh, you know how expensive it's gonna be to replace these stupid 30000 mile performance tires every 2 years?". I sure wish I kept the original wheels. The original tires were worn and thus worthless. Maybe I can pick up an original set of wheels cheap on ebay or at a junk yard, then throw a set of tires from Wal-Mart on. And I'll call a muffler shop to see the cost of replacing the muffler.

kyfdx · June 2004

1) I'm not the expert.

2) The salesman is absolutely correct. BMW convertible buyers, in general, and even more so on the 330 model, are luxury car buyers and want all the bells and whistles. You can get by without the Sport package, but without the Premium and Automatic, your resale universe of buyers really gets small (like Pluto).

3)CPO convertibles aren't worth it.. A CPO '01 330CI convertible will run you at least 75% of what it sold for three years ago. The resale numbers favor buying it brand new, especially if doing European Delivery.

4) If cost is a factor, consider a 325Ci convertible with options (slightly underpowered for the heavy convertible) or look into an '03 330Ci convertible from a non-BMW dealer. There is a local dealer that has one that is loaded for $42,9K.

regards,
kyfdx

bowke28 · June 2004

thats exactly what he was doing...raining on your parade, since you didnt buy from him. (i did the same to my ex-wife when she didnt buy her car from me) ;-)

steine13 · June 2004

I disagree that the automatic is a "must-have" option on a BMW. There is a big market for sticks on the 3-series, at least on the hardtops; we are not talking Camry Solara. Terry can fill us in here, but I would suspect that the hit on the value is about the same price difference as it is when the car is new.

Agree with everything else kyfdx said.

-Mathias

kyfdx · June 2004

Five years ago.. and on the hardtops... I would have agreed with you. The hit is definitely less on a BMW, but the convertibles are 'mostly' boulevard cruisers. It won't be like selling a 5-speed Camry, and like Terry says "buy and drive what YOU like", but still a negative.... $1300 cheaper though to start...

regards,
kyfdx

EDIT: oh yeah... I'm still NOT the expert.

akangl · June 2004

I wouldn't have bought from him, I was not interested in a used truck and I certainly wasn't interested in getting a major lowball figure on my Explorer. He would have hit my Explorer in the $14k/$15k range (04 4-dr XLS Sport with 14k miles).

I bought a used Corolla from him last summer, that was plenty for me. They do have some good deals on that lot, but I still call BS on the Titan thing.

bowke28 · June 2004

we have the largest nissan dealership in the region, and i havent seen a single used titan. i find it hard to beleive that a dealer in alaska would have already seen and sold 2.

driftracer · June 2004

sounds like a sea story to me.

driftracer · June 2004

both for Jolie's sanity and to disprove her idiot car sales acquaintance...

Ebay, while not the "be all, end all" , is a fair indicator of the used car market. Right now, there are TWO Titans for sale on ebay in the nation - one it wrecked and will have a salvage title - the other is a 7,420 mile 2004 SE Crew that has a buy it now for $28,777. I don't believe that a guy with a used car lot got to and sold them for next to nothing because they don't hold their value...

akangl · June 2004

I agree with you. I think he's blowing smoke, I never saw the trucks. I doubt he had any.

I ran a search on cars.com and came up with 113 Titans listed, some used and some new, that's nationwide. There are exactly ZERO listed for Alaska and most dealers up here use cars.com. Put in 2004 F-150 and I come up with 844 vehicles nationwide and 11 in Alaska.

Of the very few Titans I've seen in Fairbanks, I've seen NONE with that used dealer's sticker or plate on them. I don't think he's sold any.

If they were that easy to get used, the Nissan dealer would certainly have some. Just makes me shake my head.

bowke28 · June 2004

i saw all of them on cars.com...

some are duplicate listings (probably 15 or 20), and most of them under 5000 miles are demos...they have miles, but they are still new.

and i only see 2 under $21k. one is a misprint (they list it as a '97 for $13k), and the other is an XE 2WD king cab with 11k miles for $18995. (XE KC 4x2 invoice is around $20500)

anonymousposts · June 2004

FWIW: Carmax has a new Titan LE CC 4WD for $31,808 and a XE KC 2WD for $19,648. The prices are no-haggle and include all rebates.

josummit · June 2004

I am in the market for a new Toyota Highlander.
I had negotiated a price with a dealer and was
planning to trade in my loaded 99 Toyota Sienna van with 58000 miles. The dealer appraised it and came back with a very low trade in amount, $8000. I was expecting at least $10,000. The salesperson explained that the van was"titled in Canada and could not be Certified "? my title says Mass. When I bought it new at a dealer in MA, they told me that the van came from Canada but it would make no difference. Has anyone had experience with this situation? What is the trade in value?

rroyce10 · June 2004

........... Sorry, not to bust your bubble, but .....

Titans aren't setting any world class sales records ... right now, loade-up 4WD LE's with 3k/5k are only doing in and around the $25/$26 range .. and the 4WD SE's with tiny miles are only seeing the $21ish range ...

All do respect Jolie .. but "your" boy Bowke doesn't have a clue of whats going on in the real world, thats a small aquarium he looks out of everyday, either that or he's watched the movie "Signs" too many times ...................

Terry.

rroyce10 · June 2004

....... It depends .....

         Is it a CE .. LE .. XLE ..?

              Info my friend, info ...........

                             Terry.

anonymousposts · June 2004

First is ..

1997 Infiniti I30 $4000
120,XXX
Gold exterior/tan leather
leather, roof, climate, BOSE, heated seats, automatic, alloys
interior is in beautiful condition for the age of the car
exterior is in good shape .. maybe a few small scratches here and there.
The front end has paintwork, no frame damage, but the untrained eye would never notice

Second is ...

1995 Toyota Camry LE automatic $2500
113,000 miles
Burgundy exterior/gray cloth interior
Standard LE options: cruise, power locks/windows/mirrors, AC
Interior is very clean
Exterior has a few small scratches
No known paintwork

Both are in Atlanta metro

rroyce10 · June 2004

....... These guys are right .. neon door knobs, flowmasters, 20" wheels, day-glo paint jobs and $3,000 thumper sound systems don't sell vehicles ..

It has to appeal to the broad market, drop the price to $5,900 and put the factory stuff back on ... I know you like this stuff, but your in Orlando, you don't want the kid in Panama city thats getting his fresh tattoo from 360 miles away or the nut case in Sarasota calling, you want the guy that lives 2/8/25 miles away and see's it, likes it and buys it ......

Terry.

gari · June 2004

Hello!

I've got a 2003 Nissan Xterra with 19 months left on the lease. I'm moving back to NYC from Cali. and don't really need the vehicle. I've looked into the lease trading sites and was wondering if anyone has had any experience - good or bad, with them? I know that I'm still on the lease even if I transfer. All of the lease trading services offer an "insurance plan". What I'd like to know is: are these plans really reliable? does anyone have a success story?? ANY info would be helpful!!

Thank you.

rroyce10 · June 2004

......... I will make this short and sweet ..

Your still on the hook for it until it's over, your still on the hook for any damages at lease end, your still on the hook for any "high" miles and "God forbid" he runs over a bus load of kids, your on the hook for the potential liability ... most important, it shows on your credit .. he's late- your late, he misses-you miss, and it will show as your debt ratio for the next house .......... other than that, it's a great deal.

Terry

akangl · June 2004

I didn't expect them to be setting records, but to hear that used car guy talk the Titan has lower resale than a Yugo. I don't personally care what its worth, just irritated me that he acted that way. I don't figure with $2+/gal gas prices that anybody is breaking down doors to buy a V8 truck.....let alone a V10, thus the reason we traded the Explorer not the Ram.

Hubby drilled holes in my Titan today, guess that means its here for a while. Installed a brake controller. We are off to go dig clams next week, going to rent a travel trailer.......can't wait to get our own.....just a few more months.

We are very happy with the Titan and the Ram.

Oh and bowke ain't *my* boy, I already have one and sure as heck don't need another one!!! One man in my life is plenty, you men are harder to keep up with than a 2 year old on a sugar high.

rroyce10 · June 2004

..... ** We are off to go dig clams next week **

Clams ..? they have clams in Alaska.? I never thought of that, it freaks me out .l.o.l....

be happy, have fun it's a nice truck ............

Terry.

rroyce10 · June 2004

......... Kind of a push here - If (love this part don't you ?) .. their both clean, serviced, deep in rubber, cared for .. actually, if there a little on the semi-ruff almost less than average side, thats a cheap price ...... the days of the $500 vehicle have been over for a long time, didn't Lance just get $1,300 for a 15 year old Volvo ..?

Terry.

akangl · June 2004

Yup, so many clams that they there is even a Clam Gulch, Alaska. That's where we are going. Renting the 22 ft Nash travel trailer from services on base and gonna make a nice trip out of it. Also a good chance to see what the Titan will do pulling a travel trailer.

We do have fun with the Titan, it suits us very well. Have had it 2 weeks today and we are just over 2300 miles I think. Hubby likes it almost as much as the Ram, which is scary.

Hey, it could have been worse, I could have bought a Chevy/Dodge/Ford......hehehe.

rroyce10 · June 2004

.....

** Clam Gulch State Recreation Area

Clam Gulch, as the name implies, is famous for the hundreds of thousands of razor clams harvested annually from the sandy beaches adjacent to the State Recreation Area.
Situated on the bluffs overlooking scenic Cook Inlet, the recreation area offers visitors a panoramic view of the Aleutian Mountain Range and its three tallest peaks - Mount Iliamna, Mount Redoubt and Mount Spurr.
Wildlife in the area includes moose, bald eagles, gulls and many small birds and mammals. A wide variety of wild flowers may also be found within the recreation area, including the lupine, Jacob's ladder, wild geranium and the prickly rose **

Wow, where's the Marriott .?

Terry ;^)

steine13 · June 2004

Put down the keyboard, back away slowly, and nobody gets hurt...

You funny.
-Mathias

rroyce10 · June 2004

... ** The salesman is absolutely correct. BMW convertible buyers, in general, and even more so on the 330 model, are luxury car buyers and want all the bells and whistles. You can get by without the Sport package, but without the Premium and Automatic, your resale universe of buyers really gets small (like Pluto) **

                I couldn't have said it better ..

             "I gotzta have dem options" ...

           auto's do sell better, faster and get bigger bucks .. But - if it's loaded up, it can take some of the pain away .................

Trying to sell a "base" Bimmer, especially a 330 is like trying to sell Chicken Pox ... but it's your dime, soon to be your nickel.

Terry.

akangl · June 2004

Um, its a BYOM (bring your own marriot), ya know, tent, travel trailer, motor home, something along those lines.

I'm not the tent camping type, gotta at least have a regular bed or something close to it.

See, learn something every day.......Alaska is an awesome state.

rroyce10 · June 2004

....... Hows the particle business ....?

Terry.

rroyce10 · June 2004

........ No Red Roof Inn .............. ?

Terry ;(

steine13 · June 2004

Kind of a slow night, something broke, it's coming back up, I'm thinking about going in and doing some work.... then again, it's Friday night <hic> and I need my beauty sleep. Looks like some unpaid overtime this weekend... Your tax dollars at work!
-Mathias

akangl · June 2004

Isn't that what they make them big expensive things on wheels for?? Nope, no red roof in, motel 6, its just you and nature.

grammamy · June 2004

I've been comparison shopping for a new model compact SUV; looked at a Honda CRV, Toyota Rav4 and a Subaru Forrester. What is the trade-in value of my 99 Subaru Impreza Sport Outback with 65,400 miles, casette player, automatic, cloth seats, radio, air conditioning, a few cracks (out of driving sight) in the windshield, but otherwise in excellent condition; maintained regularly with new tires bought last Jan. 2004.

lancerfixer · June 2004

Picked up the S70 today. "Turbo" is my new favorite word.
Thanks again for everything you do here.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go out for another drive... :-)

akangl · June 2004

Congrats!! Just keep it under 100 and watch out for those speeding ticket writers.

anonymousposts · June 2004

and my pestering will stop .. for now

What should I ask for for my Accord when selling it private owner? Here are the details again ..

04 Accord EX-L 4-door
automatic
4 cylinder
17,800 miles
Silver exterior/black leather interior
Roof, wheels, factory fog lights, spoiler, leather, power seat, dual-zone climate, keyless, xm radio/6-disc changer, side curtain airbags, etc
Car is immaculate. Could easily pass for a brand spanking new one. No wrecks, no french fries being stored for the winter, etc

Car is located in metro Atlanta.

josummit · June 2004

It is an XLE

kyfdx · June 2004

Actually, some of the captive manufacturer leasing companies will now transfer all of the financial obligations for the lease to the new lessee, taking the former lessee completely off the hook. Almost all traditional banks (Chase, Wells Fargo, etc) will NOT do this. As Terry said, you remain completely liable.

BMWFS for example will completely remove the obligation and liability from the original lessee, providing they have approved the new lessee and the transfer charge has been paid.

If you are looking at swapalease.com, you can see each bank's individual policy on lease assumptions, and whether you would remain liable. I would never, never, never let someone assume my lease, if the leasing bank didn't release me from obligation and liability. That would be like letting a stranger borrow your car, with your wallet in the glovebox.

regards,
kyfdx

minhaz · June 2004

Terry,

Thanks for the feedback! And yes, I live in the Huntsville area, and the only time I ever played real golf (company sponsored) was at the Hampton Cove Robert Trent golf course. I'll put the ads up after Dr Dent's visit!
Thanks!!

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