Real-World Trade-In Values

mrrk47 · October 2006

Well, nothing earth shaking ,but I had a bad experince at the dealer and that had tainted my ownership experience. The car itself was fine, I just wasn't happy being a honda owner anymore. Please don't take this opportunity to tell em that "the toyota dealer saw me coming" ..I just want to know how much you guys would appraise hte crv for

british_rover · October 2006

Well after checking some other stuff I would say about 18,000 maybe even 18,500 for that X5. There haven't been any Manual tranny X5s through the auction in so long that they are kind of an outlier. The auto versions of that truck are doing 19-20k depending on condition and options so figure a slight deduct for manual tranny.

div2 · October 2006

Thanks, that information is a tremendous help!

rprossil · October 2006

Our lease is coming up in 3 months and I'm trying to see how close the residual is to market - Nissan extended the warranties on '04's so I'd still have warranty if I buy it. Thanks. Rich

Chicago area;
2004 Nissan Quest S
Minivan
3.5 liter, automatic
FWD
39,500 miles
Exterior color: Coral Sand (champagne)/Inter. Tan Cloth
Options: pw/pl/cruise/folding 2nd & 3rd row seats/cabin filter.
Very Good condition - 2 small stone chips on hood, 1 shopping cart ding in rear quarter panel - no broken paint.
Tires - new at 27,000 miles
Brakes - new at 27,000
Maintenance is up to date.

With warranty extension it may be a good deal to hang on to.

explorerx4 · October 2006

hopefully someone will provide a value for you.
many times the dealer can make or break the owner experience. i was just curious, since both vehicles have a good reputation with their owners.

stickguy · October 2006

Trying to get a reasonable estimate for a private sale (I'm the middle man between a friend and a nephew, so walking a fine line about being fair all around).

Anyway, it is a 2 owner 1995 max GXE (Black over gray cloth). Normal GXE (base) options, with an AT.

From what I have been told, it has a brand new exhaust, and recent tires/brakes. Also an assortment of normal maintenance type work (need to see the receipts, but stuff like sensors). Runs well, no accidents rust or damage.

Overall, in nice shape for the age, recently inspected, well maintained, and doesn't need anything known.

High miles (highway commute) at 150,000 though.

They are looking for $2,500 for it. I was thinking maybe 2K, but it does come with a history (and receipts), and I know that it has been taken care of.

What do they pros think would make sense for something like this?

volvomax · October 2006

You are in the right neighborhood @ $18-19000.

volvomax · October 2006

Wholesale @ $13,000.

div2 · October 2006

There haven't been any Manual tranny X5s through the auction in so long that they are kind of an outlier

You can say that again; I took my wife's truck to the local dealer for a couple of TSBs and I ran into my salesman. He told me that they only ordered two manual X5s. One was a customer order and the other was a mistake(they forgot to check the AT box). He said the "mistake" sat on their lot for some time; they finally got rid of it through a dealer trade.

Kirstie_H · October 2006

A reporter from a large daily newspaper is looking to speak to consumers that decided to purchase a vehicle besides for just fuel economy. Please provide your daytime contact info to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Wednesday, October 18, 2006.

cccompson · October 2006

Since you're in the middle - split the difference and say $2250. And I think that is about the right number because if I was selling I'd be asking $2500 and if I was buying I'd figure it was worth about 2k.

These are fine cars, even with miles. My son drives a '95 Maxima and though he seemingly tries to kill it, it refuses to die.

rprossil · October 2006

Thanks - my buyout is about $13,700 so I guess it's not too bad considering I know the history and still have warranty left.

smittynyc · October 2006

I feel like I'm being unfaithful to even ask, and nothing's imminent, but frankly, I'm just curious.

Location: Bronx, NY
2004 Subaru Forester 2.5X, 4dr wagon
2.5 liter 4 cylinder auto / AWD
31,500 trouble-free miles
Pacifica Blue Pearl ext / gray interior

Options--nothing major, just standard X package (power everything, fog lights, roof rack, AM/FM CD/weatherband, armrest extension)

Condition: pretty good, honest. Two small dimples in the middle of the front passenger door is the extent of the exterior wear-and-tear (the car is parking-garaged at home and work; it gets frequent washes and twice a year I clay/Klasse All-in-One). Interior is fairly pristine in front and cargo area of cabin -- some wear on floor mats, mainly. Junior's part of the backseat has a coupla juice stains and some dents in the upholstery where his car seat is anchored (these may heal if the car seat is taken out for a while)

Tires: put on new Yoko Avid H4s (terrific tire, btw) 2000 miles ago

Brakes: new pads and rotors through warranty about 5000 miles ago (heavy stop and go driving)

Maintenance: all recommended services ("severe" schedule) done on time at Subaru dealers

No significant damage/insurance claims or repaints.

Many thanks in advance.

volvomax · October 2006

wholesale probably $13-14000.

corvette · October 2006

I'm surprised it's not higher, although I suppose the X is the base model. Subaru owners are pretty loyal--that's probably a car that would do better than average as a private sale.

qbrozen · October 2006

Heck, I thought it would be lower. Its a 3-year-old vehicle that could be bought for around $20k when it was new. 65-70% value after 3 years is REAL strong, as a matter of fact. I didn't even get that kind of residual on my Honda lease!

corvette · October 2006

That changes my perspective. I thought Foresters were closer to $25k base, and $30k loaded, but I guess I've lost touch!

jwats · October 2006

I am planning to spend about $5,000 for a commuter car for my son--in a cold climate--Minneapolis--and ran across a surprisingly nice silver 2 dr 900ES hatchback ( 4 cyl Turbo 5 spd)--One owner car with 103,000 for sale at a local independent dealer that I know and trust. Car has new brakes, exhaust, clutch, tires with a surprisingly nice leather interior. It drives fine and appears to need nothing. Price is $5,000.

It is far more car than a $5,000 Civic, but is it likely to be a money pit? Could I reasonably expect another 100,000 miles with normal maintenance?

thanks for your insight
John

corvette · October 2006

...is it likely to be a money pit? Could I reasonably expect another 100,000 miles with normal maintenance?

Saabs have a reputation for being money pits. Repairs will probably be much more expensive and frequent than a well-cared-for Civic.

jwats · October 2006

Even a $5,000 high mileage Civic?

kyfdx · October 2006

Expect a $5K Civic to run between $500-$1000 for repairs and maintenance each year... Not bad for a car with 90K+ miles...

The $5K Saab? I'd budget $2500-$3000 per year... That might be enough some years... might not..

jlawrence01 · October 2006

I have a 2003 Saab 9-3 in the fleet with 60k ... that car is running about $1000-1200 in repairs per year. On a four year old car.

Nice to look at, expensive to hold ...

paul22000 · October 2006

Hi!!

I have a 2004 Honda Accord LX V6 4DR Sedan (3.0L 6cyl 5A), silver with 28,500 miles. My dad bought it brand new in May 2004 and passed it onto me about 6 months ago. It is still in GREAT condition.

However, the monthly payments have been too high for me, so I would like to sell it. And I would like to sell it privately.

Of course, the car has not been fully paid off; I still owe around $12,500. Unfortunately, Honda will not release the title to me until the loan has been paid in full. Which makes it kind of a tricky situation to sell the car to a private party, since not many people would be willing to hand over $15,000 or more without a title...

So.... What do I do??????????????

By Kelley Blue Book and Edmunds standards, the car is worth around $16,000 to $18,000. I went to two dealers and Car Max last weekend and they were willing to give me around $14,500 - and that was after a lot of haggling with the dealers. So if I sold to a dealer, I'd lose out on at LEAST $1500 - $3500.

So.... What do I do??????????????

I did call my Credit Union to try to see if I could refinance (a few weeks back when I wanted to keep the car), and since I have good credit I can. Should I refinance it, so they pay off the car, and then get the title so I can sell it privately?

Or is there another way to do this?

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-Paul

P.S.
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/car/223095831.html

stickguy · October 2006

paying the car off to get the title is nice if you can do it. I assume the the CU would be hodling the title instead? But, if they are local, you can go to the branch where the title is ( I assume you could work out the process with them) to do the transfer.

Otherwise, you have to get a check from the buyer (probably made out to AHFC), get them the check, and wait for the title. Problem is, the buyer can't register it.

Me? If I was buying, I wouldn't bother with the hassle/risk, unless there was something very special about your car. And most people are the same, they don't want to deal with the hassles.

Also keep in mind, that you may not get that much more than the $14,500, since you will be getting dangerously close to the discount price of a new one (and it is an LX), plus it isn't certified so you only have 6 months left on the B to B warranty.

That, and not knowing what your payments are, you will have to get a replacement, so unless you are going to something much older/cheaper, you may be in the dame boat.

Can you refi at the CU for a longer tem, just to get the payments where you need them?

ANyway, good luck with it.

qbrozen · October 2006

If they are offering you $14,500 for a 3-year-old LXV6, I'd take the money and run!

If you still want to sell it yourself, what the buyer needs to do is get their bank to make the transaction. The bank, in this case, sort of acts like a dealer. You go in with the buyer and you both sign some papers (you are signing over power of attorney on the car to the bank), the bank pays off your loan for you, cuts you a check for the remainder, and off you go. Its pretty easy, actually.

rprossil · October 2006

I'll second that - Volvos are the same way. I had a '98 V70 that we sold in '03 with about 65k miles for the same reason - too expensive to maintain.

paul22000 · October 2006

[quote]If they are offering you $14,500 for a 3-year-old LXV6, I'd take the money and run!

If you still want to sell it yourself, what the buyer needs to do is get their bank to make the transaction. The bank, in this case, sort of acts like a dealer. You go in with the buyer and you both sign some papers (you are signing over power of attorney on the car to the bank), the bank pays off your loan for you, cuts you a check for the remainder, and off you go. Its pretty easy, actually.[/quote]

Hmm. My bank is Honda Financial Services (ie a website, I pay online).

Can we go to ANY Honda dealer in this case?

OR am I out of luck for going in with the buyer and signing papers, etc?

qbrozen · October 2006

you go to the BUYER'S bank. The ones who will be giving you the money for the car.

paul22000 · October 2006

[quote]Can you refi at the CU for a longer tem, just to get the payments where you need them?[/quote]

Well, I don't really want the Accord anyway hehe.

paul22000 · October 2006

[quote]you go to the BUYER'S bank. The ones who will be giving you the money for the car.[/quote]

Aha!

Interesting.

What about title etc? Since they won't be able to register?

qbrozen · October 2006

ya know, i'm not sure. maybe banks have temporary tags like dealers do?

or maybe the buyer will just have to let it sit in their driveway until they get the title and can register it. That's a detail I know nothing about.

I just know I sold a car this way that I owed money on. Went to the buyer's bank, signed papers, gave them the keys, they gave me a check for the amount I was getting over what I owed, they paid off the balance of the loan for me, and I walked away.

paul22000 · October 2006

>> ya know, i'm not sure. maybe banks have temporary tags like dealers do?

>> or maybe the buyer will just have to let it sit in their driveway until they get the title and can register it. That's a detail I know nothing about.

>> I just know I sold a car this way that I owed money on. Went to the buyer's bank, signed papers, gave them the keys, they gave me a check for the amount I was getting over what I owed, they paid off the balance of the loan for me, and I walked away.

-----

Thanks! That's very helpful. Doesn't sound too bad actually! I didn't realize before I posted here that you could go with the buyer to their bank. Sounds good. Thanks!

Anyone know what a buyer would do in this case?

Temporary plates from the bank?

1racefan · October 2006

"Anyone know what a buyer would do in this case?

Temporary plates from the bank?"

I think some of the things you are asking might be handled differently state to state. Maybe you should call one of your state's DMV offices, and ask them what a buyer in your state would do in terms of a license plate in the situation you are describing.

volvomax · October 2006

You are better off w/ the Civic.
More people can work on it, the parts are cheaper.
Resale will be better, not that it matters on a car that old...

steine13 · October 2006

... it's been good. It's also been slightly addictive, and a huge time sink. I'm going to take a little hiatus here on Edmunds. I cleared out my bookmarks and my tracked items. Wish we still had the little flags...

I'm out of used cars, at least until the kid's older, and I just bought new wheels ('07 Silverado reg cab, see link title).

I'm out of used cars 'cuz I can't find the stuff I really like, and also because of economics. I want to post this link one more time, in case some of you haven't seen it:
link title

If I ever get around to redoing my page on what used cars to buy -- written 3 years ago and now hopelessly out of date -- I'll post a link here. I probably should... just today, Money Magazine explained to millions of readers how new cars depreciate 30% the first year.... sigh.

I'll still be back if I need help, and anyone who wants to ask me something -- "How do you say 'Lordosenstütze' in English?" -- is welcome to email me.

I appreciate all I've learned here -- a lot from Terry, but also from others. I don't plan to completely disappear, and certainly don't want to get all emotional either, but I don't want to leave without saying

Take care, and thanks for the laughs,

-Mathias

cdnpinhead · October 2006

Thanks much for your useful & interesting contributions.

Too bad Terry didn't do something similar (in terms of signing off).

Good luck & happy driving.

corvette · October 2006

I also have enjoyed your contributions. Even if you've hit a dry spell trying to find used cars you like now, they will find you someday! :P

Best wishes,

corvette

sandman46 · October 2006

Your posts have always been informative & humorous at the same time. Good luck with the new truck & do stop in when you can.
All the best....

The Sandman

cccompson · October 2006

Very sorry to hear that you're leaving as you've made many valuable contributions here.

smittynyc · October 2006

Co-signed!

Take care, Mathias.

jakej · October 2006

What should I expect to get for a trade on a Nissan Frontier Crew Cab LE with 19K miles? The truck is in great shape, but I wrecked it over the winter, with over 10K in body work. The work came out perfectly however. The body damage did not involve the engine or frame. My instincts tell me I am stuck with this ride. Will a dealer even give me the time of day? I'd like to trade it toward a Honda Ridgeline. Thanks in advance for the help. -JJ

jakej · October 2006

it's an '05 Frontier.

isellhondas · October 2006

Don't do it!

That Saab will suck your wallet dry!

Kirstie_H · October 2006

I second that. I had a similar year/model, and before I sold it it was costing me nearly $800/month in maintenance, mostly to the transmission. If I could've purchased a can of Turbo-B-Gone, I would've done so in an instant.

That Saab was about the worst car I ever owned, purchased because I had a mid-80's Saab that was about the best I'd ever owned. Mass production = mass repair bills.

guss · October 2006

Good luck with the truck Mathias. You are one of those here that truly wanted to help people with buying used cars and I have learned alot from your posts.

volvomax · October 2006

10k in bodywork does involve the frame.
An unmolested Fontier wholesales @ $17,000.
Yours would depend on how obvious the damage is and how the carfax is.
Best guess would be in the $7-10,000 range.

jakej · October 2006

Actually, the frame was not damaged to my knowledge. I hit some guard rails with the left side of my truck resulting in a "scraping" blow to the left side of the truck. The damage is not obvious at all. No one can tell that it has been wrecked, though I'm sure a professional could. If they ask me, of course I would be forthcoming, but do all dealers do CarFax? Is it automatic?

bh1719 · October 2006

I might be trading in a 2005 Lexus RX330 in the next few weeks in the NYC suburbs. It's got AWD, nav, 18 inch wheels, about 25,000 miles. There's a noticeable dent in the rear behind the wheel well -- a parking lot mishap. Is it better to fix the dent before having the dealer appraise it? Or is the amount we'd spend on the repair going to be an approximate wash with the hit on the trade-in value? What do you think the likely appraisal will be? Thanks for your advice.

cccompson · October 2006

Carfax is not always accurate. There can be things that are listed that are not true and things that sometimes just don't show up.

cccompson · October 2006

Don't know what it's worth but my 2 cents is that at that price point you will be at, it probably is best to leave it be. The receiving dealer can probably fix it for less than you'd have to spend and he will be able to see what the damage is. Fixing it involves an expense, a hassle for youself, and the possibility of a botched repair job.

I've assumed your damage will require paint work. If not, disregard the above and take it to a paintless dent repair shop.

Real-World Trade-In Values

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles