Where is the good news? Oh! there isn't any? Bad A/C, cracked bumper (probably from a crappy repair job?), been crunch in front and rear (how much $$ damage), already needed another repaint due to rust on the hood (part of the first repair?), dull paint on the roof. Tons of miles. Not to mention it is a 2000 Focus, not the best year for the model.
Might get really lucky and see as high as $1500 ACV for trade in. As it sits, it will go to auction. That car in its current condition won't bring much more than $2000 on an as-is sale.
Argh, ouch!! The bumper has a crack in it because an unfortunate dog ran in front of the car. I didn't own the car when it had the front end accident so I don't know the $$. I do believe that's why it had to be repainted. The rear end collision wasn't bad.
It at least runs! LOL That's probably the only thing it has going for it... and maybe the power sunroof :P
St Louis 04 BMW 330ci 21,450 miles Alpine White sport pkg, premium pkg,leather, heated seats, sirius,nav, 18" wheels, sun roof, Xenon Headlights, 6 spd mt
*Again, neither Gee or myself are getting a great vibe from this guy*
Such is the life of an ebay seller. What kind of feedback does he have? Maybe sending a "2nd chance offer" to another bidder will work if he flakes out. Personally.......if a winning bidder has questionable FB, or is starting to get wierd on you, I'd probably be looking for a way to move on......& not cut him any slack if he sends the deposit late, etc......
he sent the deposit but as of today, has failed to provide us with the copy of the certified check that we requested for verification purposes. If his bank is closed Monday he will not be able to pick up the car. You all know as well as I do that certified checks can be fraudulent and it's a bit odd that he hasn't provided this yet. His feedback rating is positive but he has only bought 1 item.
Well, there is some good news after all! I went to the dealership today to see what kind of deal I can get for an '06. The salesman left my sister and I inside while he went to go look at my car that I'm trading. When he came back, he said he was expecting it to be a heap of junk but was surprised at how great of shape it's in. I almost fell out of my chair!! They'll give me $2200 for it and that makes me happy.
He will probably try to convince you that you're unreasonable if you don't let him have the car, even though you can't verify the check, but you're not... I have the burden of telling people things they don't want to hear on a regular basis, and quite a few of them like to shoot the messenger.
Year/Make/Model: 2004 Ford Mustang Mach1 Body Style: 2 door Engine: 4.6 liter DOHC V8 Driveline: RWD Mileage: 16,200 Color: Screaming Yellow, Black interior Major Options: Automatic, interior upgrade package. Condition: Very good. 2 small scrapes on rear bumper ( <.5 cm each ) , no other chips/scrapes/dings. No paintwork or accidents. Interior also very good. Tires - Good tread ( ~75% + ) Brakes: ~75% Maintenance : Regularly scheduled oil changes, filters, etc.................................. Other: Thinking about selling this one.. and waiting out the new Shelby Mustang. Not sure if now's the time, or wait till the Shelby is released. Curious on trade / private party values. Thanks in advance Terry!
Location: Central Virginia Year/Make/Model: 2005 Toyota Camry XLE Body Style: 4-door Engine: 2.4 liter, 4 cylinder, 5-speed auto Driveline: FWD Mileage: 13,755 Purchased new: 5/20/2005 Color: Silver ("lunar mist") exterior, gray with fake wood interior Major Options: side and side curtain airbags, carpeted trunk mat and cargo net
Condition: Essentially as new (very minor scratches in a few places -- you have to squint to see them). Right front bumper cover has a couple of ~1 in. long, very narrow scrapes where the black plastic shows through the paint. Absolutely NO door dings! Super clean engine compartment. Tires - maybe 25% worn Brakes - excellent Maintenance - 2 oil and filter changes with the third coming this week, one tire rotation.
Other: No crash damage or other repairs; always garaged.
Standard features include: power driver and passenger seats (both 8-way, plus power lumbar for driver), auto-dimming mirror with compass, Homelink, power heated rear view mirrors, manual rear window sunshade, JBL sound system with 8 speakers in 6 locations and 6-CD changer, 16 x 6.5 in. steel wheels with plastic wheel covers (sorry!), P215/60R16 Bridgestone Potenza RE 92 V-rated tires, full-size matching spare, 4-wheel disks with ABS, antitheft system. No sunroof = more headroom!
Well another daughter is off to college in the fall and I need to sell a car.Decided to sell the least practical (and most fun one )
99 SLk 230 Silver with a maroon interior 77,000 miles New sneakers and front brakes (3k miles on each) Heated front seats only extra option automatic tranny It has a few paint chips and scratches.I'm having the car detailed so hopefully they will disappear Bucks County, PA (25 miles northeast of Philly) maintenance is up to date no accidents , repaints etc
What can I reasonably expect retail and what would a dealer likely give me for it Thx in advance
In Central Virginia, but I'm not asking anything for it yet.
Just testing the waters, and the more I think about, the less it makes sense to sell it and replace it with a Prius.
You know the old argument about being able to buy lots of gas before you make up the price difference, even with the US tax credit of $3150 on the Prius?
Hi Everyone, I just signed up today. I am trying to sell my wifes 04 convertible Sebring LX with 34k miles. I live in Chicago and am moving out of state and cannot take it with. We have it listed on autotrader, cars.com, and have had it listed in a few local papers. No serious offers yet. I am asking 14k for it and there is a transferable extended warranty with it to 70k miles. Am I asking to much :confuse: . Is it that there are to many out there. Any help would be appreciated, thanks!
I just did the Emunds on it and your right it came to $13,801 with options and trade in at $10,668. I have to say I am extremly disappointed in the resale value of these cars. I bought the car for $17,000 with 9k miles on it and now it has already depreciated 7k! Thanks for the input qb. We are only taking one car with us and my Bimmer won the toss up .
My parents are looking at getting rid of their minivan and I might be interested:
Detroit Metro area 1999 Olds Silhouette Premier Edition Premiers come mostly loaded, this one has everything except moonroof and cd-changer 70k miles Sand colored w/ beige leather interior Very good condition, one owner, well maintained Newer tires/brakes
What would be a fair price for a family transaction like this (or what would be a good price for me to buy it at)
Terry, we are going shopping this weekend...so if you are around, I would greatly appreciate your thoughts on trade-in and private party on this. AZ is a tax on difference state, so it may favor trading. Thanks so very much!
Tucson, AZ 2003 Toyota Highlander NON-limited (but almost equiped like one) 3.0L V6 4spd auto trans 32,000 miles Gold with tan cloth (ivory??) interior
very well loaded: -ROOF RACK -MOONROOF -TOW PREP -TOW HITCH (never used) -APPEARANCE PACKAGE: ALLOY WHEELS(5) color keyed MUD GUARDS, PRIVACY GLASS -CONVIENCE POACKAGE (remote keyless entry, tonneau cover) -PREFERRED PACKAGE: 8-WAY POWER DRIVERS SEAT, HOMELINK, ILLUMINATED SUNVISOR/MIRROR, IMMOBOLIZER -AUTO-DIMMING REAR VIEW MIRROR W/outside temp/COMPASS -CARPET/CARGO MAT SET -REAR SPOILER -Factory fog lights were added
Vehicle is exceptionally clean, washed weekly, waxed 2 times a year, 1 very minor scuff at top of rear bumper (touched up) no french fries, or spills, non smoking. brakes are original, but seem fine, (as the miles are mostly highway miles) tires brand new, in last 2 weeks.
Oil changed every 5,000 miles Never any body work or ins claims
Terry, thanks for a quick reply if you are around, or I welcome anyone elses comments if Terry isn't around right now. We are shopping tomorrow! YAY!
It's prime time for ragtops so now is the best time to get top dollar. Wait 60-90 days and every dealer north of the Mason-Dixon line is gonna put em on fire sale. And then you'll be hard pressed to give it away.
While TMV/KBB are helpful, they don't always jibe with reality, because they don't track private party sales.
craigslist.org, if you're near a major market, is generally an excellent resource for finding out what people are *asking* for their cars, since it's completely free.
But, in general, you'll want to look just beyond TMV.
Looking to trade this in sometime in the next few weeks. Appreciate any of the experts weighing in with what I can expect. Thanks in advance.
Location: Upstate NY (near Albany) Year/Make/Model: 2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R Body Style: 4dr sedan Engine: 2.5 liter, 4 cylinder, auto Driveline: FWD Mileage: 25,000 (one of the benefits of living close to work) Color: blue exterior, gray cloth interior Major Options: auto, ABS, SAB Condition: Good Tires & Brakes are original, still have a bit of life in them Maintenance: Coming up on the 30k service which I haven't done. Is it worth my while to do this prior to trading? Otherwise all other maintenance done on schedule.
Other: No wrecks, accidents, etc.
Nothing too fancy here. Has the typical power windows/locks and cd. Auto, ABS and front side airbags are the major adders. Overall I think the car is in pretty good shape. No dents, dings, scrapes on the outside. No rips, pulls, stains on the inside. No kids or pets. There is an intermittent rattle coming from underneath. Sounds like the heat shield is coming loose. I spent some time poking around underneath but can't find it. Had it into the dealer but I got the infamous 'can not duplicate' response. I figure this will be worth some kind of deduction.
Location: Okc/Okla 96/Ford/Explorer 4 door V8 5 Liter RWD 150000 Miles Color: Red/tan cloth seats Option: Power windows/doors/CD changer Condition: Several ding on rear door and scratches tires are in good condition brakes replace last year. I'm curious on how much I can get if I trade in or sell to private party.
I would like to know a fair price for a 2002 Honda CRV EX. all wheel awd auto white 37,900 miles excellant condition throughout well maintained, oil changed every 3 months etc. Thank You
Hello. I will be purchasing a new car very soon and have an old 1999 Mercedes ML320 with 3rd row seat to get rid of. It is in good condition, the only problem is the front plastic/molded bumper took a hit about a year ago at the left front corner and is cracked. It didn't/doesn't make sense to have the molding replaced (~$1,000) as I wanted to get rid of the car.
Now that the time has come I can either take my chances at a dealer that I would most likely purchase my new car from or try and sell it privately, which I really don't want to do, or one of the places like carmax.
I guess I could make a purchase deal at a dealer and then, if they don't offer me sufficient $ for a trade, go down the street to the next dealer. Unfortunately, carmax is in Hartford CT and I live in Elmsford NY (over 100 miles away).
Any thoughts on what approach I should take? Has anyone had success with selling vehicles outright to places like carmax (even if you don't buy from them)?
Obviously, your vehicle is going to bring the highest $ if the bumper is fixed....either for a trade or as a private sale.
Sounds like you're not much into selling this on your own, so let's focus on the trade side of things. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have a number put on it at Carmax, but you don't sound like you want to make that drive.
Now, we're down to trading it in, locally. We don't know the mileage nor the options on it. Tough to put any number on it.
Pick the new car model you want. Go to a couple of dealers who carry that model and see what they think it's worth. Personally? I'd get the bumper fixed and get it all shined up real nice before doing that, though.
Have a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder LE, in very good condition, no dings, fully serviced, relatively low miles (~40,000), planning on trading it in (or selling to Carmax) this fall.
It only has one problem--the in dash 6-CD player stopped working about 6 mos ago (a known problem for this model--radio works fine). The dealer offered to replace the CD player for the predicted arm + leg (it is out of warranty).
In terms of maximizing value, would it best to:
1) Bite the bullet and get CD player replaced with factory model at the dealership prior to trying to trade it in somewhere else
2) Put in aftermarket CD player--this would be cheaper than option 1, and probably a superior CD player, but I have heard that even high quality aftermarket products can lower the value of your car
If it is just cracked, there are places that will patch it and re-shoot it for not alot of money $100-200 in most cases. If it is badly broken, or has pieces missing this won't work. Maximum $$ will come from retailing it yourself. I don't know how many miles are on your ML but they aren't the best for resale. I think carmax tends to do best w/ newer cars.
Probably leave it alone, but check out eBay to see if you can find a working OEM cd changer. For a hundred bucks or so, I'd consider replacing it before selling.
If your conscious will let you, I doubt the dealer will even know if the CD player works if you don't tell them. Do most dealers have their own CDs available to test a potential trade-in CD player?
if you can't get it fixed as volvomax suggests, I would leave it alone. If its not all that unsightly, most people aren't going to pay to have it fixed, and I don't believe you're looking at a $1k hit for that damage if you trade or sell it. So, ultimately, it won't be worth it if you really have to pay that much.
'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
that I really don't need. It isn't worth very much, but would like to know what a "fair" price would be for me to sell it at.
Here goes...
'96 Chevy Corsica 39,000 miles (the old addage of Grandma only driving it to church on Sunday is true) - I have all service records and can substantiate the low mileage.
White exterior (still glossy, a few small chips, and maybe 4 small dings the size of a quarter - am going to detail it) / Grey cloth Interior (In pretty good shape, but I will steam clean the interior before selling)
4cyl, automatic Power Locks, No power windows Rear window defogger Intermittent wipers A/C blows cold AM/FM Cassette New BFGoodrich tires with under 3,000 miles on them Oil has been changed every 3 months since new - in good mechanical shape
Autotrader is showing prices for the same car with 60,000mi everywhere from $1,500 - $4,900 (couldn't find any listed with mileage as low as this one).
I was thinking of asking $2,995, and cutting it loose around $1,500. Unfortunately, I don't need an extra car at the moment - otherwise I would use it for commuting to work. Obviously, this isn't a "hot" car, but with the mileage being low, and it being a 4cyl automatic (gas prices are high), I was hoping it might sell pretty quickly.
Any thoughts on a fair asking/cut loose price? Is my $2,995 asking, $1,500 cut it loose price in the ballpark?
who wouldn't buy that for their first-time driver?
uhhh... wait. just thought of something. Does that odometer show the hundred-thousand digit? If not, you may have a tough time convincing people its not 139k, regardless of how nice it may look.
'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
LOL - yeah, it does show the other digit, and it is at 0. Like I said, I do have all of the service paperwork (done at her local Chevy dealer) that substantiates it. One call to the service manager at that dealership would also back it up.
I was hoping it would either sell to a first time driver, or to someone that owns a gas guzzler as a commuter car.
My vote is--you can probably get more than $1500. The market for older, extremely low mileage cars is very good. I don't know if cars like that are good candidates for eBay or not.
I would price the car a bit higher and advertise the precise mileage as accurate. Folks go nuts for low miles and I wouldn't be surprised to see someone pay 3K (or more) for it.
So... has anyone here actually DRIVEN a '96 Corsica with the 4 banger / automatic combo? My brother had one. I borrowed it once. It actually made me angry what a lousy driver that car was. I agree it should pull $3k or so, but certainly not from me.
"It actually made me angry what a lousy driver that car was."
LOL - I drove it some this past Saturday (for the first time). It is what it is -and that is a cheap appliance to get from point A to point B. The handling wasn't too bad, but that may be due to the new BFGoodrich tires on it. My experience with BFGoodrich tires is that they are pretty grippy. The drivers seat wasn't too bad either - quite a bit of padding there. The engine was raspy, and the acceleration (or lack there of), was probably the worst part.
She bought the car back in '96 with 10,000 miles on it (it was a demo). I think she paid a little over $7,000 for it at the time. Even if I get $2,000 for it now, $5,000 depreciation over 10 years aint bad.
As you say...."it is what it is"....a daily driver.....a trasportation appliance that has more years of usefulness for someone who needs trasportation....especially hard to find for $2K-$3K.
It would be a great car for a first time driver (not fast, should get decent MPG), or someone who just needs basic trasnportation to commute.
You wouldn't even need to carry a full load of insurance on it (liability only).
"It would be a great car for a first time driver (not fast, should get decent MPG), or someone who just needs basic trasnportation to commute."
The car is still at her house (2 hours away). I left it there so it still appears there is someone living at the house. I hope to get it home, clean it up, and put it up for sale before school starts back up - maybe snag a new driver or a kid heading off to college.
Okay guys...I've located a New leftover 2005 Ram SRT-10 regular cab. No options other than what's included with the SRT-10 package. 56 miles on it. Black. What ya'll think its worth?
Comments
Bad A/C, cracked bumper (probably from a crappy repair job?), been crunch in front and rear (how much $$ damage), already needed another repaint due to rust on the hood (part of the first repair?), dull paint on the roof. Tons of miles. Not to mention it is a 2000 Focus, not the best year for the model.
Might get really lucky and see as high as $1500 ACV for trade in. As it sits, it will go to auction. That car in its current condition won't bring much more than $2000 on an as-is sale.
It at least runs! LOL That's probably the only thing it has going for it... and maybe the power sunroof :P
Trying to get a good idea on trade-in value
St Louis
04 BMW 330ci
21,450 miles
Alpine White
sport pkg, premium pkg,leather, heated seats, sirius,nav, 18" wheels, sun roof, Xenon Headlights, 6 spd mt
Thanks
Such is the life of an ebay seller. What kind of feedback does he have? Maybe sending a "2nd chance offer" to another bidder will work if he flakes out. Personally.......if a winning bidder has questionable FB, or is starting to get wierd on you, I'd probably be looking for a way to move on......& not cut him any slack if he sends the deposit late, etc......
Tell me about it... :P
Year/Make/Model: 2004 Ford Mustang Mach1
Body Style: 2 door
Engine: 4.6 liter DOHC V8
Driveline: RWD
Mileage: 16,200
Color: Screaming Yellow, Black interior
Major Options: Automatic, interior upgrade package.
Condition: Very good. 2 small scrapes on rear bumper ( <.5 cm each ) , no other chips/scrapes/dings. No paintwork or accidents. Interior also very good.
Tires - Good tread ( ~75% + ) Brakes: ~75%
Maintenance : Regularly scheduled oil changes, filters, etc..................................
Other: Thinking about selling this one.. and waiting out the new Shelby Mustang. Not sure if now's the time, or wait till the Shelby is released. Curious on trade / private party values. Thanks in advance Terry!
Year/Make/Model: 2005 Toyota Camry XLE
Body Style: 4-door
Engine: 2.4 liter, 4 cylinder, 5-speed auto
Driveline: FWD
Mileage: 13,755
Purchased new: 5/20/2005
Color: Silver ("lunar mist") exterior, gray with fake wood interior
Major Options: side and side curtain airbags, carpeted trunk mat and cargo net
Condition: Essentially as new (very minor scratches in a few places -- you have to squint to see them). Right front bumper cover has a couple of ~1 in. long, very narrow scrapes where the black plastic shows through the paint. Absolutely NO door dings! Super clean engine compartment.
Tires - maybe 25% worn
Brakes - excellent
Maintenance - 2 oil and filter changes with the third coming this week, one tire rotation.
Other: No crash damage or other repairs; always garaged.
Standard features include: power driver and passenger seats (both 8-way, plus power lumbar for driver), auto-dimming mirror with compass, Homelink, power heated rear view mirrors, manual rear window sunshade, JBL sound system with 8 speakers in 6 locations and 6-CD changer, 16 x 6.5 in. steel wheels with plastic wheel covers (sorry!), P215/60R16 Bridgestone Potenza RE 92 V-rated tires, full-size matching spare, 4-wheel disks with ABS, antitheft system. No sunroof = more headroom!
99 SLk 230
Silver with a maroon interior
77,000 miles
New sneakers and front brakes (3k miles on each)
Heated front seats only extra option
automatic tranny
It has a few paint chips and scratches.I'm having the car detailed so hopefully they will disappear
Bucks County, PA (25 miles northeast of Philly)
maintenance is up to date
no accidents , repaints etc
What can I reasonably expect retail and what would a dealer likely give me for it
Thx in advance
Just testing the waters, and the more I think about, the less it makes sense to sell it and replace it with a Prius.
You know the old argument about being able to buy lots of gas before you make up the price difference, even with the US tax credit of $3150 on the Prius?
try asking $12k and take $11k.
why can't you take it out of state??
'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
Detroit Metro area
1999 Olds Silhouette Premier Edition
Premiers come mostly loaded, this one has everything except moonroof and cd-changer
70k miles
Sand colored w/ beige leather interior
Very good condition, one owner, well maintained
Newer tires/brakes
What would be a fair price for a family transaction like this (or what would be a good price for me to buy it at)
Tucson, AZ
2003 Toyota Highlander NON-limited (but almost equiped like one)
3.0L V6 4spd auto trans
32,000 miles
Gold with tan cloth (ivory??) interior
very well loaded:
-ROOF RACK
-MOONROOF
-TOW PREP
-TOW HITCH (never used)
-APPEARANCE PACKAGE: ALLOY WHEELS(5) color keyed MUD GUARDS, PRIVACY GLASS
-CONVIENCE POACKAGE (remote keyless entry, tonneau cover)
-PREFERRED PACKAGE: 8-WAY POWER DRIVERS SEAT, HOMELINK, ILLUMINATED SUNVISOR/MIRROR, IMMOBOLIZER
-AUTO-DIMMING REAR VIEW MIRROR W/outside temp/COMPASS
-CARPET/CARGO MAT SET
-REAR SPOILER
-Factory fog lights were added
Vehicle is exceptionally clean, washed weekly, waxed 2 times a year, 1 very minor scuff at top of rear bumper (touched up) no french fries, or spills, non smoking.
brakes are original, but seem fine, (as the miles are mostly highway miles) tires brand new, in last 2 weeks.
Oil changed every 5,000 miles
Never any body work or ins claims
Terry, thanks for a quick reply if you are around, or I welcome anyone elses comments if Terry isn't around right now. We are shopping tomorrow! YAY!
Thanks!
I agree $14k is overpriced for private party seller. I found this one out in St. Charles: http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?rdpage=thumb&car_id=202035916&dealer_id=17- 1267&car_year=2004&mod_bookmark_id=null&search_type=used&num_records=&make=CHRY&- distance=75&model=CHRYSEB&address=60611&certified=&advanced=&max_price=&bkms=115- 2296757967&min_price=&end_year=2004&start_year=2004&isp=y&lang=en&cardist=35
At $13.5K with a lot less miles for sale at a Chrysler dealer, you'll need to be well under that price to snag a buyer.
craigslist.org, if you're near a major market, is generally an excellent resource for finding out what people are *asking* for their cars, since it's completely free.
But, in general, you'll want to look just beyond TMV.
Location: Upstate NY (near Albany)
Year/Make/Model: 2003 Nissan Sentra SE-R
Body Style: 4dr sedan
Engine: 2.5 liter, 4 cylinder, auto
Driveline: FWD
Mileage: 25,000 (one of the benefits of living close to work)
Color: blue exterior, gray cloth interior
Major Options: auto, ABS, SAB
Condition: Good
Tires & Brakes are original, still have a bit of life in them
Maintenance:
Coming up on the 30k service which I haven't done. Is it worth my while to do this prior to trading? Otherwise all other maintenance done on schedule.
Other: No wrecks, accidents, etc.
Nothing too fancy here. Has the typical power windows/locks and cd. Auto, ABS and front side airbags are the major adders. Overall I think the car is in pretty good shape. No dents, dings, scrapes on the outside. No rips, pulls, stains on the inside. No kids or pets. There is an intermittent rattle coming from underneath. Sounds like the heat shield is coming loose. I spent some time poking around underneath but can't find it. Had it into the dealer but I got the infamous 'can not duplicate' response. I figure this will be worth some kind of deduction.
96/Ford/Explorer
4 door
V8 5 Liter
RWD
150000 Miles
Color: Red/tan cloth seats
Option: Power windows/doors/CD changer
Condition: Several ding on rear door and scratches
tires are in good condition brakes replace last year.
I'm curious on how much I can get if I trade in or sell
to private party.
all wheel awd
auto
white
37,900 miles
excellant condition throughout
well maintained, oil changed every 3 months etc.
Thank You
I will be purchasing a new car very soon and have an old 1999 Mercedes ML320 with 3rd row seat to get rid of. It is in good condition, the only problem is the front plastic/molded bumper took a hit about a year ago at the left front corner and is cracked. It didn't/doesn't make sense to have the molding replaced (~$1,000) as I wanted to get rid of the car.
Now that the time has come I can either take my chances at a dealer that I would most likely purchase my new car from or try and sell it privately, which I really don't want to do, or one of the places like carmax.
I guess I could make a purchase deal at a dealer and then, if they don't offer me sufficient $ for a trade, go down the street to the next dealer. Unfortunately, carmax is in Hartford CT and I live in Elmsford NY (over 100 miles away).
Any thoughts on what approach I should take? Has anyone had success with selling vehicles outright to places like carmax (even if you don't buy from them)?
Thanks.
SammyS
Obviously, your vehicle is going to bring the highest $ if the bumper is fixed....either for a trade or as a private sale.
Sounds like you're not much into selling this on your own, so let's focus on the trade side of things. It certainly wouldn't hurt to have a number put on it at Carmax, but you don't sound like you want to make that drive.
Now, we're down to trading it in, locally. We don't know the mileage nor the options on it. Tough to put any number on it.
Pick the new car model you want. Go to a couple of dealers who carry that model and see what they think it's worth. Personally? I'd get the bumper fixed and get it all shined up real nice before doing that, though.
It only has one problem--the in dash 6-CD player stopped working about 6 mos ago (a known problem for this model--radio works fine). The dealer offered to replace the CD player for the predicted arm + leg (it is out of warranty).
In terms of maximizing value, would it best to:
1) Bite the bullet and get CD player replaced with factory model at the dealership prior to trying to trade it in somewhere else
2) Put in aftermarket CD player--this would be cheaper than option 1, and probably a superior CD player, but I have heard that even high quality aftermarket products can lower the value of your car
3) trade in/sell as is.
Any thoughts from the gurus?
Thanks
Mike
You won't get recoup the dollars spent on fixing it on a trade.
Maximum $$ will come from retailing it yourself.
I don't know how many miles are on your ML but they aren't the best for resale. I think carmax tends to do best w/ newer cars.
'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
Here goes...
'96 Chevy Corsica
39,000 miles (the old addage of Grandma only driving it to church on Sunday is true) - I have all service records and can substantiate the low mileage.
White exterior (still glossy, a few small chips, and maybe 4 small dings the size of a quarter - am going to detail it) / Grey cloth Interior (In pretty good shape, but I will steam clean the interior before selling)
4cyl, automatic
Power Locks, No power windows
Rear window defogger
Intermittent wipers
A/C blows cold
AM/FM Cassette
New BFGoodrich tires with under 3,000 miles on them
Oil has been changed every 3 months since new - in good mechanical shape
Autotrader is showing prices for the same car with 60,000mi everywhere from $1,500 - $4,900 (couldn't find any listed with mileage as low as this one).
I was thinking of asking $2,995, and cutting it loose around $1,500. Unfortunately, I don't need an extra car at the moment - otherwise I would use it for commuting to work. Obviously, this isn't a "hot" car, but with the mileage being low, and it being a 4cyl automatic (gas prices are high), I was hoping it might sell pretty quickly.
Any thoughts on a fair asking/cut loose price? Is my $2,995 asking, $1,500 cut it loose price in the ballpark?
who wouldn't buy that for their first-time driver?
uhhh... wait. just thought of something. Does that odometer show the hundred-thousand digit? If not, you may have a tough time convincing people its not 139k, regardless of how nice it may look.
'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 was hoping it would either sell to a first time driver, or to someone that owns a gas guzzler as a commuter car.
One as especially nice as this one sounds should sell quickly.
I think that your approach is solid.
I would make an offer BUT I have another 3-4 years left on my 1996.
That car will sell like hotcakes for $3000 EASY !!!!!
Too BAD it isn't a honda/yota tho.....Some sucker
would pay TWICE that much for it !!!!!!!!!
-Jason
LOL - I drove it some this past Saturday (for the first time). It is what it is -and that is a cheap appliance to get from point A to point B. The handling wasn't too bad, but that may be due to the new BFGoodrich tires on it. My experience with BFGoodrich tires is that they are pretty grippy. The drivers seat wasn't too bad either - quite a bit of padding there. The engine was raspy, and the acceleration (or lack there of), was probably the worst part.
She bought the car back in '96 with 10,000 miles on it (it was a demo). I think she paid a little over $7,000 for it at the time. Even if I get $2,000 for it now, $5,000 depreciation over 10 years aint bad.
It would be a great car for a first time driver (not fast, should get decent MPG), or someone who just needs basic trasnportation to commute.
You wouldn't even need to carry a full load of insurance on it (liability only).
Underpowered, certainly. But it gets the job done.
And I hate Corsicas - even though I owned one before.
My wife told me that I should buy it ...
The car is still at her house (2 hours away). I left it there so it still appears there is someone living at the house. I hope to get it home, clean it up, and put it up for sale before school starts back up - maybe snag a new driver or a kid heading off to college.
Hah! That one only works for books and Ferraris.