I agree with you. As far as I was concerned, I did know what we were doing before we went to the dealership. We got a fantastic deal on the new car and what I believe to be a very fair deal on the trade.
The problem came when my MIL threw in the curve ball after the deal and decided she should've kept the trade. So, I told her just to ask. May be "nuts," but she had nothing to lose.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to justify her actions, or say the dealership did anything wrong. I'm just relaying the story, mostly for amusement purposes.
I hear ya... but still... it begins to become a compelling argument when you start talking about nearly 5K below invoice on an otherwise loaded brand spanking new Subie.
My Niece and her Husband were looking for a nice used car as they are a young couple with a 3 year old and needed more room than their Civic could offer. They only wanted to spend about $8,500 cash and found a 2002 Subaru Outback wagon (white with gold bottom, clothe interior) with only 11,000 miles for $8,500. This was about 2 years ago in 2004. At the time, the Subaru should have retailed for about $16,000.
You guessed it, it was a rebuild. It looked pretty good but had been almost totalled when it had 450 miles on it. Someone bought it, put it back together and "viola", it's a cheap low mile four wheel drive Subaru. It appeared to me that the front cap had been repainted and the whole passenger side.
They had a mechanic check it out and it was fine, just a car that had been rebuilt but everything was working fine.
So, they got a much newer car then they anticipated for cheap money. It has worked well for them, especially with a 3 year old in a car seat spilling stuff, etc. When the baby gets to be a little older, they will replace it with a nicer car (Maybe a new Subaru wagon!).
Their little '94 Civic is still putt'n along with almost 200,000 miles.
What I have learned in this episode... is that EVERY car has a buyer. Personally, I would have never bought a wrecked car but it has worked out well for them and it was cheap.
-mark156
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
Please help. I've gotten Black book, blue book, NADA, and Edmunds values. Now how about the REAL Value.
Central Illinois 2000/Ford/Ranger X-cab/XLT/Sport/ 4 door 3.0L flex fuel 34,000 Black/Gray Alloys, all power, nice $$$ tonneau cover, high back buckets, console. Condition: Clean, interior VGC,exterior: paint very shiny, a few rock chips, brakes okay, tires ~50%
Is there a really great body shop in your area? That you could take whatever car you make a deal on to for them to inspect the body & paint?
Also, do you, or does anyone else know, if this will show up via the VIN or a Carfax in the future? Of course, if you were going to keep the car for 5 or 10 years, it might not matter so much......unless part of the paint starts peeling off or something. The "no warranty on paint" (is that correct?) would worry me a lot.
I almost bought a used bmw a few years ago. The car looked beautiful. After I made an offer, the seller suddenly divulged that he had a lawsuit going against bmw for damaged paint. If I bought one of those Subie's, I'd be thinking that I'd wake up one morning to Katie Couric chirping away about how "thousands of Subaru buyers were defrauded by buying tornado damaged cars", or some such.
But then, I'm a worrier about body/paint/weird car history issues. You might get lucky, & save $5K with minimal downside.....
Well, yeah, you're dealing with both a MIL, AND a car dealer, either one of which can be difficult, let alone together--you're a braver man than I.
And for $9K, there are a lot of good choices for 2nd cars, if she really wants one. I think 130K is a good time to get rid of almost any car, esp. if you get $9K......
This is exactly the reason I never rely on NADA, Blue book, or any other source that tries to indicate general values on used cars. You traded it for $9000 and it was written up as 14,000. How much of the numbers in KBB,Edmunds and others are effected by reported deals that have been "grossed up".
Minneapolis 01 rx300 AWD Silver 60K miles 70% tread on tires good condition with a few dings loaded with leather, everything except the upgraded sound system
I have a bit of history buying "damaged" goods. A few years ago, with some guidance from Terry, I picked up a low mileage used Honda Odyssey EX for about 3K less then the going rate for one of those at the time. The catch was, at about 500 miles, it had been in a parking lot scuffle with a barrier that had required reskinning the passenger side. I had it checked out and it got a clean bill of health. Now 3 years and 35K (55K total) miles later, I still have it and everything still works and looks as good as when I bought it. So, it is possible to find a cream puff with a face lift. You just have to perform due diligence... and a little help from Terry doesn't hurt either.
Having said that... I don't believe these Subie's have had anything that radical done to them. Maybe... could be... some touch up and a reduced warranty on the paint.
I am trying to decide between trading and selling my
1998 Mazda 626 ES V6, leather, + all the options that come with the ES trim stick shift 70000 original miles
exterior age appropriate (paint good overall,a few small dings and a few larger scratches on the rear bumper) interior very good needs 2 new front tires (willing to replace them myself if this helps)
dark green, located in rural MO
very well maintained, I have all the records
What are your crystals syaing? Thanks a lot greenice
at about 500 miles, it had been in a parking lot scuffle with a barrier that had required reskinning the passenger side. I had it checked out and it got a clean bill of health. Now 3 years and 35K (55K total) miles later, I still have it and everything still works and looks as good as when I bought it. So, it is possible to find a cream puff with a face lift.
Excellent point. There is a tremendous amount of fear associated with buying a vehicle that has had moderate to major damage - but if it's a top-notch body shop that does the work, the fear is usually unfounded.
Case in point: We bought a new 98 Intrepid for my wife. She has been in 2 minor fender-benders and one fairly major accident, rear-ending a car on the beltway at about 25mph. The shop we have used for years does an absolutely incredible job. There is absolutely no way to tell that the car was ever hit or repainted. I did bodywork to help pay my way through college, so I have a little experience in knowing what to look for. (at least, from what I can remember...I bet I killed off a whole bunch of brain cells from all the times I sprayed primer without wearing a respirator, lol).
Anyhooo...I guess the point is, it's hard for the average buyer to know how badly a car was damaged, or the quality of the body shop that did the work. But from personal experience, if you find a top quality shop with experienced guys doing the work, you'll be fine.
Terry, I hope you're out there, because I need help ASAP. I'll be going to trade in the follwing truck Saturday:
Please help. I've gotten Black book, blue book, NADA, and Edmunds values. Now how about the REAL Value.
Central Illinois 2000/Ford/Ranger X-cab/XLT/Sport/ 4 door 3.0L flex fuel 34,000 Black/Gray Alloys, all power, nice $$$ tonneau cover, high back buckets, console. Condition: Clean, interior VGC,exterior: paint very shiny, a few rock chips, brakes okay, tires ~50%
Please let me know your opinion, so I don't get taken. Thanks!!!
Any of you sales folks know why? A large subie dealer in Syracuse NY is advertising 05 outbacks with 20k or so miles for $17,900. Other dealers are charging $17 t0 21k for 03s and 04s 4 cyl and I assume auto trans................. Beans, turbos and 6 cyls. are far more !
There is a tremendous amount of fear associated with buying a vehicle that has had moderate to major damage - but if it's a top-notch body shop that does the work, the fear is usually unfounded.
Anyhooo...I guess the point is, it's hard for the average buyer to know how badly a car was damaged, or the quality of the body shop that did the work.
Sounds like you answered your own question.
Most people CAN'T tell who did the work. The work is NOT generally warranted to the new buyer. Those are darned good reasons for the average buyer to stay far away from cars with major repairs.
Why should I buy a car with major damage when there are so many QUALITY non-previously damaged cars out there in Alamo country ...
That's a rare combo (ES V6 5-speed). Exactly the car I was looking for for a while there. We've decided not to buy anything right now, though.
Anyhoooo... my info says trade-in is $3k-$3500. So I strongly suggest selling it yourself (after you replace those tires and detail it). Asking $5495 and taking $4500.
'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
Terry, I made a play for one of the "Unusual" 2006 Outback Wagons tonight. The Subaru manager and I got real close. But in the end, I walked when we couldn't quite close the gap. This deal is going down in MA. The details are:
2006 Outback XT Limited, looks pristine, silver/gray two tone, gray leather, 5-spd manual, 11 miles, all the toys except Nav, normal MSRP 31K+, invoice 29K+, no paint warranty :mad:, everything else is as new. Asking 27K.
This is where it gets complicated. I'm trying to work a deal with a trade. My trade is a 2000 Infiniti G20 Touring model, 69K, 5-spd manual, silver w/beige leather, sunroof, basically loaded, good paint, runs excellent, scuff marks on rear bumper, but I had to repair a front fender (hit while parked) a couple of years ago, repairs were first rate. Car still has a clean Carfax. I told the dealer about it. Of course, they would have spotted it anyway.
Bottom line, it was after closing, the managers final offer was that he needed 20K + car, I worked up to 19.5K. It got late and neither of us could take another punch at that point. Of course, the manager is crying he's out of wiggle room. I guess I just wasn't sure that I hadn't already given away the farm. We called it a night, with him saying see you tomorrow and me thinking I may (or may not) pick this up at a later date. I'd still have to check out this particular Subie's paperwork and look it over carefully before I would finalize anything.
So, Terry or anybody else in the know, what do you think? Is his or my deal in the ballpark or have I already shot myself in the wallet? :confuse:
I dunno .. I don't know what you were thinkin'....
.. but we were invited over to Isleworth CC by Lake Nona so we could enjoy the Tavistock Cup and watch Tiger win the long ball championship to the tune of 340yrds ~~ ouch.! ..... it sure will be interesting this weekend at the almighty (and humbling) Augusta for the Masters ....... they spent $6 million, added 500+ yards and narrowed some of the fairways down to 25 yards to make it "Tiger Proof" -- Yikes.! ...... we'll see ..
This is exactly the reason I never rely on NADA, Blue book, or any other source that tries to indicate general values on used cars. You traded it for $9000 and it was written up as 14,000. How much of the numbers in KBB,Edmunds and others are effected by reported deals that have been "grossed up".
That's the only way that NADA gets it's numbers.... which explains why their trade-in numbers are so outrageous and unrealistically high.
I have come across a used car place in Metro ATL GA, that has a 2K Q45. Details: 106K Miles JNKBY31A4YM302078 Cashmere Spoiler Heated, dual power seats. Anniversary Edition Decent tires Bozo audio. The shop is asking $12.5K for it. Is this a good and fair price?
Auction value for Saab?I'm looking to trade in our Saab on an SUV, likely Honda or Toyota, but dealers have avoided giving us anything close to what the sites (Edmunds, KBB, NADA, Black Book) say it's worth at trade in. We live in Central PA near the Manheim Auction, so their excuse is that they call Manheim and they say it's only worth $5,500 to $7,500. Info is: 2001 Saab 9-5 wagon base model 2.3 liter, 4-cyl turbo Bright red Leather, tinted glass, ventilated seats, sunroof, custom pinstriping Mileage: 78,000 Very good condition
Any ideas what this would really go for at auction?
2004 Ford F-150 4x4 5.4L V8/auto, FX4, ex-cab/shortbed, 20k miles, pwr stuff, no sunroof, silver/dark grey leather. Truck is in really good shape, this kid keeps his truck puurrrrfect.......it was his first new truck.
He wants a Super Duty and dealers are hitting him at $21k. What do you think??
Hi Terry, Was hoping I could get an appraisal for this one:
Location: Southern California 2003 Nissan Maxima SE 4dr 3.5 liter, 6 cylinder, 6 speed manual FWD Mileage: 58k Color: Gray exterior, Gray cloth interior Major Options: sun roof, side air bags, Limited Slip Differential, Bose unit
Condition: Looks about average to good for a 3.5 - 4 yr car. Some scratches, nothing major, no dents. Tires will need to be replaced ($700-$800). Fluids, brakes are fine. However, wheels have moderate curb rash. Overall it looks decent.
Hi there. Looking for trade in value for in Denver, CO: 2003 Mazda6s 4dr sedan 3.0L V6 Automatic with optional Sport automatic transmission 62K Silver/Grey interior Few surface scratches on exterior, small stain on interior passenger seat Tires new at 58K Prior damage:Front bumper cover replaced 6/05. Pulled off over parking curb. Looking to trade for a Subaru but need to do more research on that end! Moving to the mountains and would like AWD. Thanks so much! Kristen
Auction value for Saab?I'm looking to trade in our Saab on an SUV, likely Honda or Toyota, but dealers have avoided giving us anything close to what the sites (Edmunds, KBB, NADA, Black Book) say it's worth at trade in. We live in Central PA near the Manheim Auction, so their excuse is that they call Manheim and they say it's only worth $5,500 to $7,500. Info is: 2001 Saab 9-5 wagon base model 2.3 liter, 4-cyl turbo Bright red Leather, tinted glass, ventilated seats, sunroof, custom pinstriping Mileage: 78,000 Very good condition
Any ideas what this would really go for at auction? ****************************************************
With a handshaker, you're looking at $6500-$7k, depending on the finer details ... about another $1k on top of that for an automatic.
'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
Auction value for Saab?I'm looking to trade in our Saab on an SUV, likely Honda or Toyota, but dealers have avoided giving us anything close to what the sites (Edmunds, KBB, NADA, Black Book) say it's worth at trade in. We live in Central PA near the Manheim Auction, so their excuse is that they call Manheim and they say it's only worth $5,500 to $7,500. Info is: 2001 Saab 9-5 wagon base model 2.3 liter, 4-cyl turbo Bright red Leather, tinted glass, ventilated seats, sunroof, custom pinstriping Mileage: 78,000 Very good condition
Any ideas what this would really go for at auction? ****************************************************
With a handshaker, you're looking at $6500-$7k, depending on the finer details ... about another $1k on top of that for an automatic.
I would say the color red also kills this car's value... probably drop $1k just because of that. Reselling a red Saab wagon would be brutal.
Well, the numbers I gave have nothing to do with color. I just noticed this person is in PA, so i utilized my galves subscription to give the price. Galves doesn't care about color ... which is probably one of the reasons it is not used by experienced dealers, as Terry says. But most dealers here in the NE region just love using galves to price trade-ins, regardless.
Another problem is, Galves hits very hard for miles, regardless of the vehicle. Again, this isn't necessarily accurate because higher than average miles on a Honda matters very little, while higher than average on a BMW kills it. So yeah, for this Saab, you're right, lower miles would make a HUGE difference in the Galves price.
'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
Well, no wagon like your has gone thru Manheim recently, but if you extrapolate based on what has gone thru then I think $7k is all the money. a manual wagon is the kiss of death. We have a very hard time selling manual Volvo wagons.
and yet, there are a few of us hanging around the forum that would get all hot and bothered if we found one!
Yes, I would buy the right Volvo (maybe even a SAAB) wagon if it was going for a fire sale price, just because of the manual tranny. You just never seem to find them laying around.
Thankfully, there weren't alot of manual volvo wagons built. The old saying is that there is an [non-permissible content removed] for every seat, yet most dealers would like more than one posterior for their inventory.
and yet, there are a few of us hanging around the forum that would get all hot and bothered if we found one!
Yes, I would buy the right Volvo (maybe even a SAAB) wagon if it was going for a fire sale price, just because of the manual tranny. You just never seem to find them laying around.
Right, of course there is somebody out there looking for a red Saab wagon with a stick. (Remember that commercial with the "lime green hatchback"?) The key, however, is the "prevailing market price." Across the board, there is a very low demand for such a car, so the prevailing market price would be very low.
I'm in the Bay Area, CA. I'm getting ready to buy a new car and am wondering if it's better to sell or trade. I have a 1997 red Honda CRV, 5dr, mini SUV. Auto, 4cyl, AWD, 162K miles. CD player, alarm, PW, PL, CC. Brand new tires. Had a major tune up last summer, may need brakes. Interior seating is fine, trunk area side panels are scuffed. Rear bumper needs replacing and back fender on driver's side needs to be pulled out and refinished (estimate $1.5K for both). Minor dings and one fairly big scratch on driver's door. I've had offers of $3k w/o the body repair. Should I go for it or do you think I could get more (w or w/o repair)?
Given the work the car needs the offer is fair. You might get more selling privately, but I don't know how much more. Most buyers hate having to do bodywork.
It sounds like--you really want a bargain--but are turned off by the no paint warranty issue. You're saving what, 10% because of the paint--re--paint thing?
To me, if I were paying $27K or so, I'd want more of a discount than that to buy a car that may always have (if even a minor) "cloud" over it.....
Around the end of the '06 model year, is it possible to get a S40 sedan with just the auto tranny and cloth seats for around the $20k mark? Am thinking about this car possibly as a replacement for my '03 Sentra. I need a car with "back friendly power seats". And I really like the look of the Volvo, a cleaner looking car than the wife's Mazda 3.
Terry - I am getting my 06 Mazda3 hatch on friday, and am trading in my 04 sedan....I got exactly $13,000, right in the middle of the range you gave me, plus it had 3K more miles than when I originally posted....thanks again!! My car looked shiner than the new ones on the lot :shades: ___________________________________________________________
** Edit: I am getting new tires installed this Saturday. I will probably start looking to trade in April-May now. I was hoping to get at least 13K for it. Is that unreasonable? Thanks again!! Location: Carlisle PA Year/Make/Model: 2004 Mazda 3 Body Style: 4 door sedan Engine: 2.3 liter 4 cylinder Auto Driveline: FWD Mileage: 27000 Color: Sunlight Silver exterior, Black/red cloth interior Major Options: Sport Package (17" wheels/tires, side sills), ABS/SAB/SAC pkg., Xenon/TPMS package, 6CD changer/moonroof Condition: Interior is in excellent condition, passenger and back seats have been barely sat in , Exterior is in very good condition. A couple slight scratches on the trunk from my mom's purse Hope these will come out with some rubbing compound. Tires - Need to be replaced soon (see comments above) Brakes - very good life left Maintenance - all maintenance done at dealer, use synthetic oil. Other: Did have to get rear bumper replaced, from a slight fender bender (bump at a stop light... hit where it was tough to repair well.). Paint matches perfectly. Should I tell the dealer..** =================================
Good description .... tanks.
Up in the land of the Steelers .... "S" model, right ...? .. we got this little 04 Mazda 3 with the 4 doors and the auto thing ..... it's a good color, the miles are almost ok, we got some new rubber, we got the sport pack, some ABS, a little airbag stuff, we gots da hole in the roof, some minor scratches and fender deal which is no big deal -- unless it was painted purple ....
Remember .... there is no such as "excellent" ... if it's nice and clean, no funny stuff in the ashtray, no KFC floating up to the ceiling and you haven't drug the wheels over every curb between Pittsburg and Philly ... then trade side, in and around the super tall $12's, maybe the low/mid $13's, maybe .....
I thought power seats were optional on the S40? It may be difficult to find one with only the options you require, especially at the end of a model year. You might also consider looking for a CPO 2005 model, which would carry a factory-backed extended warranty. From my own experience, Volvos are not terribly dependable or cheap to repair.
Actually, the "no paint warranty" is not a deal breaker by any means. As long as it's not a repaint to start with, which I don't believe any of the ones I've seen are, I'm not too concerned.
You're right about the bargain part... who doesn't want one? I guess I'm figuring that if I can scoop one of these up at around 26K, that would probably be at least 2K or more under what I could barter a non-unusual OXTL down too (and that's including the current rebate). And I will be content with that as compensation for what I consider to be a minor potential warranty issue on an otherwise pristine MSO vehicle. Of course, the more I know about my trade, the more likely that I hit the target.
the power seat is optional. You can find brand new ones advertised at around 24K (IIRC), but that's manual seats/no roof or other goodies. I think an At S40 with the premium package is probably going to run around 27k?
I'm debating on whether or not to sell my Honda to the local dealership. There seems to be a lot of V6's out in the market but few 4 cylinders. They don't have my car on their lot so I hoping to get a good value without the hassle of selling it via private party.
I live in Olympia, Washington (70 miles south of Seattle).
2001 Honda Accord EX 4dr 4 cylinder automatic FWD 57,500 miles Black exterior/grey interior (cloth) Sunroof 6 cd changer and cassette player alloy wheels front and side passenger airbags Additional equipment: Wheel Locks, cargo net, front nose mask The tires have about another year on them Maintenance up to date I have been in two accidents in this car. 1. Sideswiped on the drivers side. Damage was cosmetic and has been repaired. 2. Fender has slight indentation near the license plate. Not repaired I had one ding repaired but there is another one. There is a ding in the windshield that has been repaired. Car is clean otherwise. This car was used to take me to and from the bus stop, no more than 5 miles one way. Also used for the occasional road trip. Now it just sits in the garage because I don't need the car anymore.
I currently own a 2004 X3 2.5 with approx. 18k miles on it. We are leasing this car and have about 18 months left on the lease. I was wondering if I decided to try and lease something more sensible, what kind of trade in I would be looking at to compare against the buyout provided by BMW. The X3 is loaded with everything except the nav system and we are looking to get a jeep Grand cherokee with the attractive lease offers.
SE PA 2004 BMW X3 2.5 v6 AWD Automatic trans Metallic silver Black leather interior excellent condition
Location: Memphis, TN (Elvis Country) Year/Make/Model: 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500 Body Style: 4dr Engine: 5.0 liter V8 Driveline: RWD Mileage: 56,000 Color: Black exterior, Tan leather Major Options: Sunroof, Navigation, 6CD changer, automatic rear window shade, back door window shades, parktronic front/rear, automatic soft close doors and trunk, wood/leather steering wheel, wood shift knob Condition: Wonderful condition for a 2001, a few normal rock chips on the front, NEVER wrecked, never smoked in, no noticeable door dings or scratches. Tires - 80% tread remaining (look new to me) Brakes- 50% Maintenance- all performed and up to date Other: Indicate prior damage/insurance claims, repaints, etc. Never wrecked, clean history
Thanks Terry, Mark156
2010 Land Rover LR4, 2013 Honda CR-V, 2009 Bentley GTC, 1990 MB 500SL, 2001 MB S500, 2007 Lincoln TC, 1964 RR Silver Cloud III, 1995 MB E320 Cab., 2015 Prevost Liberty Coach
OK, since I can't actually now trade in the vehicle, I'm looking for a pre-wreck value in the hopes that my car will be considered totalled - body shop guy said he doesn't think it's possible to repair it (see photos at http://www.carspace.com/kirstie_h )
Location: St. Louis, MO Year/Make/Model: 2003 Chrysler Town & Country LXi Engine: Um... V6? Driveline: FWD Mileage: 61,000 Color: Silver, grey leather interior Major Options: Not sure what's an option & what's standard... leather, heated front seats, rear entertainment (DVD player). I think I have every option available apart from sunroof. Condition: Pre-wreck, I'd say just above average. Clean, no body or paint damage, no interior damage Tires - 50% tread remaining Brakes- 50% Maintenance- recently & regularly serviced Other: No prior damage or wrecks
I know the info is not entirely complete, but I'd appreciate it if you'd do the best you can!
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
Comments
The problem came when my MIL threw in the curve ball after the deal and decided she should've kept the trade. So, I told her just to ask. May be "nuts," but she had nothing to lose.
Don't get me wrong - I'm not trying to justify her actions, or say the dealership did anything wrong. I'm just relaying the story, mostly for amusement purposes.
2024 Audi Q8 e-tron - 2017 911 C4S - 2025 BRZ - 2023 A6 Allroad - 2024 Genesis GV60 - 2019 Cayman
You guessed it, it was a rebuild. It looked pretty good but had been almost totalled when it had 450 miles on it. Someone bought it, put it back together and "viola", it's a cheap low mile four wheel drive Subaru. It appeared to me that the front cap had been repainted and the whole passenger side.
They had a mechanic check it out and it was fine, just a car that had been rebuilt but everything was working fine.
So, they got a much newer car then they anticipated for cheap money. It has worked well for them, especially with a 3 year old in a car seat spilling stuff, etc. When the baby gets to be a little older, they will replace it with a nicer car (Maybe a new Subaru wagon!).
Their little '94 Civic is still putt'n along with almost 200,000 miles.
What I have learned in this episode... is that EVERY car has a buyer. Personally, I would have never bought a wrecked car but it has worked out well for them and it was cheap.
-mark156
Central Illinois
2000/Ford/Ranger
X-cab/XLT/Sport/ 4 door
3.0L flex fuel
34,000
Black/Gray
Alloys, all power, nice $$$ tonneau cover, high back buckets, console.
Condition:
Clean, interior VGC,exterior: paint very shiny, a few rock chips, brakes okay, tires ~50%
No wrecks/repaints
Thanks
Also, do you, or does anyone else know, if this will show up via the VIN or a Carfax in the future? Of course, if you were going to keep the car for 5 or 10 years, it might not matter so much......unless part of the paint starts peeling off or something. The "no warranty on paint" (is that correct?) would worry me a lot.
I almost bought a used bmw a few years ago. The car looked beautiful. After I made an offer, the seller suddenly divulged that he had a lawsuit going against bmw for damaged paint. If I bought one of those Subie's, I'd be thinking that I'd wake up one morning to Katie Couric chirping away about how "thousands of Subaru buyers were defrauded by buying tornado damaged cars", or some such.
But then, I'm a worrier about body/paint/weird car history issues. You might get lucky, & save $5K with minimal downside.....
And for $9K, there are a lot of good choices for 2nd cars, if she really wants one. I think 130K is a good time to get rid of almost any car, esp. if you get $9K......
01 rx300
AWD
Silver
60K miles
70% tread on tires
good condition with a few dings
loaded with leather, everything except the upgraded sound system
Thanks in advance for your help.
Having said that... I don't believe these Subie's have had anything that radical done to them. Maybe... could be... some touch up and a reduced warranty on the paint.
I am trying to decide between trading and selling my
1998 Mazda 626 ES
V6, leather, + all the options that come with the ES trim
stick shift
70000 original miles
exterior age appropriate (paint good overall,a few small dings and a few larger scratches on the rear bumper)
interior very good
needs 2 new front tires (willing to replace them
myself if this helps)
dark green, located in rural MO
very well maintained, I have all the records
What are your crystals syaing?
Thanks a lot
greenice
Excellent point. There is a tremendous amount of fear associated with buying a vehicle that has had moderate to major damage - but if it's a top-notch body shop that does the work, the fear is usually unfounded.
Case in point: We bought a new 98 Intrepid for my wife. She has been in 2 minor fender-benders and one fairly major accident, rear-ending a car on the beltway at about 25mph. The shop we have used for years does an absolutely incredible job. There is absolutely no way to tell that the car was ever hit or repainted. I did bodywork to help pay my way through college, so I have a little experience in knowing what to look for. (at least, from what I can remember...I bet I killed off a whole bunch of brain cells from all the times I sprayed primer without wearing a respirator, lol).
Anyhooo...I guess the point is, it's hard for the average buyer to know how badly a car was damaged, or the quality of the body shop that did the work. But from personal experience, if you find a top quality shop with experienced guys doing the work, you'll be fine.
Please help. I've gotten Black book, blue book, NADA, and Edmunds values. Now how about the REAL Value.
Central Illinois
2000/Ford/Ranger
X-cab/XLT/Sport/ 4 door
3.0L flex fuel
34,000
Black/Gray
Alloys, all power, nice $$$ tonneau cover, high back buckets, console.
Condition:
Clean, interior VGC,exterior: paint very shiny, a few rock chips, brakes okay, tires ~50%
Please let me know your opinion, so I don't get taken. Thanks!!!
in Syracuse NY is advertising 05 outbacks with 20k or so
miles for $17,900. Other dealers are charging $17 t0
21k for 03s and 04s 4 cyl and I assume auto trans.................
Beans, turbos and 6 cyls. are far more !
Dealer buy backs, lemons, ex-rentals ????????????????
Anyhooo...I guess the point is, it's hard for the average buyer to know how badly a car was damaged, or the quality of the body shop that did the work.
Sounds like you answered your own question.
Most people CAN'T tell who did the work. The work is NOT generally warranted to the new buyer. Those are darned good reasons for the average buyer to stay far away from cars with major repairs.
Why should I buy a car with major damage when there are so many QUALITY non-previously damaged cars out there in Alamo country ...
Anyhoooo... my info says trade-in is $3k-$3500. So I strongly suggest selling it yourself (after you replace those tires and detail it). Asking $5495 and taking $4500.
'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
2006 Outback XT Limited, looks pristine, silver/gray two tone, gray leather, 5-spd manual, 11 miles, all the toys except Nav, normal MSRP 31K+, invoice 29K+, no paint warranty :mad:, everything else is as new. Asking 27K.
This is where it gets complicated. I'm trying to work a deal with a trade. My trade is a 2000 Infiniti G20 Touring model, 69K, 5-spd manual, silver w/beige leather, sunroof, basically loaded, good paint, runs excellent, scuff marks on rear bumper, but I had to repair a front fender (hit while parked) a couple of years ago, repairs were first rate. Car still has a clean Carfax. I told the dealer about it. Of course, they would have spotted it anyway.
Bottom line, it was after closing, the managers final offer was that he needed 20K + car, I worked up to 19.5K. It got late and neither of us could take another punch at that point. Of course, the manager is crying he's out of wiggle room. I guess I just wasn't sure that I hadn't already given away the farm. We called it a night, with him saying see you tomorrow and me thinking I may (or may not) pick this up at a later date. I'd still have to check out this particular Subie's paperwork and look it over carefully before I would finalize anything.
So, Terry or anybody else in the know, what do you think? Is his or my deal in the ballpark or have I already shot myself in the wallet? :confuse:
Thanks for any enlightenment.
I dunno .. I don't know what you were thinkin'....
.. but we were invited over to Isleworth CC by Lake Nona so we could enjoy the Tavistock Cup and watch Tiger win the long ball championship to the tune of 340yrds ~~ ouch.! ..... it sure will be interesting this weekend at the almighty (and humbling) Augusta for the Masters ....... they spent $6 million, added 500+ yards and narrowed some of the fairways down to 25 yards to make it "Tiger Proof" -- Yikes.! ...... we'll see ..
Terry.
That's the only way that NADA gets it's numbers.... which explains why their trade-in numbers are so outrageous and unrealistically high.
Details:
106K Miles
JNKBY31A4YM302078
Cashmere
Spoiler
Heated, dual power seats.
Anniversary Edition
Decent tires
Bozo audio.
The shop is asking $12.5K for it.
Is this a good and fair price?
2001 Saab 9-5 wagon base model
2.3 liter, 4-cyl turbo
Bright red
Leather, tinted glass, ventilated seats, sunroof, custom pinstriping
Mileage: 78,000
Very good condition
Any ideas what this would really go for at auction?
He wants a Super Duty and dealers are hitting him at $21k. What do you think??
Was hoping I could get an appraisal for this one:
Location: Southern California
2003 Nissan Maxima SE 4dr
3.5 liter, 6 cylinder, 6 speed manual FWD
Mileage: 58k
Color: Gray exterior, Gray cloth interior
Major Options: sun roof, side air bags, Limited Slip Differential, Bose unit
Condition: Looks about average to good for a 3.5 - 4 yr car. Some scratches, nothing major, no dents. Tires will need to be replaced ($700-$800). Fluids, brakes are fine. However, wheels have moderate curb rash. Overall it looks decent.
Thanks for your help!
2003 Mazda6s
4dr sedan
3.0L V6 Automatic with optional Sport automatic transmission
62K
Silver/Grey interior
Few surface scratches on exterior, small stain on interior passenger seat
Tires new at 58K
Prior damage:Front bumper cover replaced 6/05. Pulled off over parking curb.
Looking to trade for a Subaru but need to do more research on that end! Moving to the mountains and would like AWD.
Thanks so much!
Kristen
2001 Saab 9-5 wagon base model
2.3 liter, 4-cyl turbo
Bright red
Leather, tinted glass, ventilated seats, sunroof, custom pinstriping
Mileage: 78,000
Very good condition
Any ideas what this would really go for at auction?
****************************************************
With a handshaker, you're looking at $6500-$7k, depending on the finer details ... about another $1k on top of that for an automatic.
'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
2001 Saab 9-5 wagon base model
2.3 liter, 4-cyl turbo
Bright red
Leather, tinted glass, ventilated seats, sunroof, custom pinstriping
Mileage: 78,000
Very good condition
Any ideas what this would really go for at auction?
****************************************************
With a handshaker, you're looking at $6500-$7k, depending on the finer details ... about another $1k on top of that for an automatic.
---------------------------------------------------------
Miles are pretty high. It would probably be worth closer to $8k-$8.5k if you were at more like 60k.
I would say the color red also kills this car's value... probably drop $1k just because of that. Reselling a red Saab wagon would be brutal.
Well, the numbers I gave have nothing to do with color. I just noticed this person is in PA, so i utilized my galves subscription to give the price. Galves doesn't care about color ... which is probably one of the reasons it is not used by experienced dealers, as Terry says. But most dealers here in the NE region just love using galves to price trade-ins, regardless.
Another problem is, Galves hits very hard for miles, regardless of the vehicle. Again, this isn't necessarily accurate because higher than average miles on a Honda matters very little, while higher than average on a BMW kills it. So yeah, for this Saab, you're right, lower miles would make a HUGE difference in the Galves price.
'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
No worries... I didn't intend for my comment to be a flame or to correct you or anything. I was just adding to and building on what you also said.
BTW, I lived in PA for about 7 years, and I never saw or heard of Galves. I was in central PA.... Maybe they use it more near the NJ border?
a manual wagon is the kiss of death. We have a very hard time selling manual Volvo wagons.
Yes, I would buy the right Volvo (maybe even a SAAB) wagon if it was going for a fire sale price, just because of the manual tranny. You just never seem to find them laying around.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
The old saying is that there is an [non-permissible content removed] for every seat, yet most dealers would like more than one posterior for their inventory.
Yes, I would buy the right Volvo (maybe even a SAAB) wagon if it was going for a fire sale price, just because of the manual tranny. You just never seem to find them laying around.
Right, of course there is somebody out there looking for a red Saab wagon with a stick. (Remember that commercial with the "lime green hatchback"?) The key, however, is the "prevailing market price." Across the board, there is a very low demand for such a car, so the prevailing market price would be very low.
I've had offers of $3k w/o the body repair. Should I go for it or do you think I could get more (w or w/o repair)?
You might get more selling privately, but I don't know how much more. Most buyers hate having to do bodywork.
To me, if I were paying $27K or so, I'd want more of a discount than that to buy a car that may always have (if even a minor) "cloud" over it.....
The Sandman :sick:
___________________________________________________________
** Edit: I am getting new tires installed this Saturday. I will probably start looking to trade in April-May now. I was hoping to get at least 13K for it. Is that unreasonable?
Thanks again!!
Location: Carlisle PA
Year/Make/Model: 2004 Mazda 3
Body Style: 4 door sedan
Engine: 2.3 liter 4 cylinder Auto
Driveline: FWD
Mileage: 27000
Color: Sunlight Silver exterior, Black/red cloth interior
Major Options: Sport Package (17" wheels/tires, side sills), ABS/SAB/SAC pkg., Xenon/TPMS package, 6CD changer/moonroof
Condition:
Interior is in excellent condition, passenger and back seats have been barely sat in , Exterior is in very good condition. A couple slight scratches on the trunk from my mom's purse Hope these will come out with some rubbing compound.
Tires - Need to be replaced soon (see comments above)
Brakes - very good life left
Maintenance - all maintenance done at dealer, use synthetic oil.
Other: Did have to get rear bumper replaced, from a slight fender bender (bump at a stop light... hit where it was tough to repair well.). Paint matches perfectly. Should I tell the dealer..**
=================================
Good description .... tanks.
Up in the land of the Steelers .... "S" model, right ...? .. we got this little 04 Mazda 3 with the 4 doors and the auto thing ..... it's a good color, the miles are almost ok, we got some new rubber, we got the sport pack, some ABS, a little airbag stuff, we gots da hole in the roof, some minor scratches and fender deal which is no big deal -- unless it was painted purple ....
Remember .... there is no such as "excellent" ... if it's nice and clean, no funny stuff in the ashtray, no KFC floating up to the ceiling and you haven't drug the wheels over every curb between Pittsburg and Philly ... then trade side, in and around the super tall $12's, maybe the low/mid $13's, maybe .....
Don't forget the update .......
You're right about the bargain part... who doesn't want one? I guess I'm figuring that if I can scoop one of these up at around 26K, that would probably be at least 2K or more under what I could barter a non-unusual OXTL down too (and that's including the current rebate). And I will be content with that as compensation for what I consider to be a minor potential warranty issue on an otherwise pristine MSO vehicle. Of course, the more I know about my trade, the more likely that I hit the target.
Thanks for the input
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
03 Accord, EX-V6
4dr Sedan
3.0 liter, V6, auto
FWD
Mileage: 54,000
Color: Nighthawk Black
Major Options: Navigation System, Leather, Moonroof, added Day/Night Mirror
Condition: Interior and Exterior is very clean. No dents.
Tires: about 50% worn
Maintenance: Current on all scheduled maintenance
Other: Have $0 deductible Honda Care warranty for 7yrs/100K miles, but I will get a prorated refund if it does not add much value to a private sale.
Thanks for your input!
Oh, i know. I just wanted to clarify.
'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 live in Olympia, Washington (70 miles south of Seattle).
2001 Honda Accord EX 4dr
4 cylinder automatic
FWD
57,500 miles
Black exterior/grey interior (cloth)
Sunroof
6 cd changer and cassette player
alloy wheels
front and side passenger airbags
Additional equipment: Wheel Locks, cargo net, front nose mask
The tires have about another year on them
Maintenance up to date
I have been in two accidents in this car.
1. Sideswiped on the drivers side. Damage was cosmetic and has been repaired.
2. Fender has slight indentation near the license plate. Not repaired
I had one ding repaired but there is another one.
There is a ding in the windshield that has been repaired.
Car is clean otherwise.
This car was used to take me to and from the bus stop, no more than 5 miles one way. Also used for the occasional road trip. Now it just sits in the garage because I don't need the car anymore.
Any estimate or advice is greatly appreciated!
Right now, a new base auto would be a steal @ $22,000.
SE PA
2004 BMW X3
2.5 v6
AWD Automatic trans
Metallic silver
Black leather interior
excellent condition
Thanks
Year/Make/Model: 2001 Mercedes-Benz S500
Body Style: 4dr
Engine: 5.0 liter V8
Driveline: RWD
Mileage: 56,000
Color: Black exterior, Tan leather
Major Options: Sunroof, Navigation, 6CD changer, automatic rear window shade, back door window shades, parktronic front/rear, automatic soft close doors and trunk, wood/leather steering wheel, wood shift knob
Condition:
Wonderful condition for a 2001, a few normal rock chips on the front, NEVER wrecked, never smoked in, no noticeable door dings or scratches.
Tires - 80% tread remaining (look new to me)
Brakes- 50%
Maintenance- all performed and up to date
Other: Indicate prior damage/insurance claims, repaints, etc. Never wrecked, clean history
Location: St. Louis, MO
Year/Make/Model: 2003 Chrysler Town & Country LXi
Engine: Um... V6?
Driveline: FWD
Mileage: 61,000
Color: Silver, grey leather interior
Major Options: Not sure what's an option & what's standard... leather, heated front seats, rear entertainment (DVD player). I think I have every option available apart from sunroof.
Condition:
Pre-wreck, I'd say just above average. Clean, no body or paint damage, no interior damage
Tires - 50% tread remaining
Brakes- 50%
Maintenance- recently & regularly serviced
Other: No prior damage or wrecks
I know the info is not entirely complete, but I'd appreciate it if you'd do the best you can!
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2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
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