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Real-World Trade-In Values

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Comments

  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    edited March 2011
    I thought the V8 was the reliable one...

    At least that's what Audi guys have told me.

    LOL - kind of like the Subie guys saying the wheel bearing issue is very sporadic!! The rose tinted glasses Audiphiles have are are just as shiny as Subinistas'!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Even those wheel bearings affect some models more than others, though.
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,825
    Oh, I dunno about the engine, honestly. But Audis don't have the best reputation in general. I believe its mostly for things not drivetrain related.

    Friend of mine traded one of these -- nice car, 6sp manual 2.7T -- on a CPO Mercedes. It was high time, since the Audi dealer wanted $1,500 or so to fix the head gaskets, which was going to be just the first step in diagnosing what was really wrong with the thing...

    I've also heard that the turbos are troublesome, and at least for the lesser engines, the tiptronics have very high failure rates past 100k.

    It takes a special kind of person to appreciate older Audis.

    Cheers -Mathias
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,722
    Head gasket replacement seems to be pretty common with Subaru's.
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • johnxyzjohnxyz Member Posts: 94
    Thanks guys - yes the reliability issue is massive with these things - too bad because the engine is a monster. Mine is an auto. I need to have it gone to duck the impending reliability implosion. You can't get an interior like these have anymore - that's the sad part, too...
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,242
    It takes a special kind of person to appreciate older Audis.

    One with skills in identifying and fixing electrical problems might be such a person.

    I love Audis. I wouldn't TOUCH an older one with a 10-foot pole attached to another 10-foot pole.

    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

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited March 2011
    For non-turbo EJ25 engines, yeah, especially 2003 and prior. It was the open deck block design, and turbos have a closed deck block that is cast in sand, so they weren't affected.

    The new block (EZ series) incorporated changes to prevent that from happening again - coolant no longer flows between the heads and block, they have separate passages now.

    Link to a good summary of the EZ25 block: http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/direct/view/.f21aded/3#MSG3

    Back to wheel bearings, the irony is that we've had about 10 Subarus in my extended family, and when a set of wheel bearings failed, turns out they were on our Mazda 626. Go figure.

    No gasket issues for any of us, knock on wood.
  • mkupneskimkupneski Member Posts: 29
    Pretty accurate info here.
    After much haggling, we settled on $29,500 for my trade in.

    Michael
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,722
    I have had to replace all 4 wheel bearing on my Explorer. Those are Audi money to replace.
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    good to hear.

    what did you buy?

    '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

  • samm43samm43 Member Posts: 195
    Was it because they housed them along with ABS sensors in the hub? I know Ford has done this with F150's. Deliberate strategy to dollar you up. Other brands may do the same.

    Sam
  • mkupneskimkupneski Member Posts: 29
    I bought a 2011 VW Tiguan SE. It's A LOT smaller than the H2 (what wouldn't be?), but at least the gas mileage is about double and it's pretty fun to drive.

    Michael
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 20,722
    Yes, that's the reason.
    It's probably more to save final assembly time(just another way of saying money).
    2024 Ford F-150 STX, 2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    congrats. enjoy.

    '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

  • smc876smc876 Member Posts: 1
    Thinking about trading in my 2006 Jeep Liberty Sport. 3.7L V6, 4WD, 58k miles, dark blue. AC, Cruise control, SAT Radio, Privacy Glass. One of the window regulators needs to be fixed, a tail lights is cracked, upholstery could use a good cleaning, but other than that pretty good condition. No mechanical problems. Will need new tires soon. Any idea how much I should expect to get for this car??
  • johnxyzjohnxyz Member Posts: 94
    One more guys (thinking of getting 2 new cars- sell the Audi and Honda)

    2006 Honda Accord EX, 48,000, bronze w/. tan interior. Automatic w/. new Michelins. Very clean. I'm in NJ. Thanks again. Trade and private sale (CL) $?
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    ~$8500-$9k

    '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

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    edited March 2011
    This is a 4-cyl with cloth interior, yes?

    about $10,500-$11k trade value.

    private party? well, the low miles is a big plus. List it for $13,995. Personally, I've been having much better luck with the free ebay classifieds.

    '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

  • ave1024ave1024 Member Posts: 14
    Hey guys (qbrozen). Can you help with a galves for the following car? Thanks in advance.

    Location: Long Island. NY
    Year/Make/Model: 2006 Acura TL
    Body Style: 4dr
    Engine: 3.2L (no navigation)
    Mileage: 65000
    Color: Dark Grey / Graphite
    Major Options: Alloys, Sunroof, Leather
    Condition: Generally clean
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    about $12.5k

    '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

  • pauladkinspauladkins Member Posts: 15
    I recently went to get a trade in value and was offered 4k below KBB trade in value. They wouldn't budge, so I left. I never thought I would get the full KBB value, but 4k off the trade in was a shocker. Is that normal?
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    KBB is garbage. You get what you pay for.

    '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

  • longislander1longislander1 Member Posts: 112
    I can't comment specifically about the trade-in on your car, but it is normal to see a difference between KBB, Edmund's and other prices and what you're actually offered by the dealership. The dealers don't use KBB and others. They use auction prices, which aren't generally available to the public. A reputable salesperson will swivel the computer screen around so you can see what he's seeing in terms of auction prices. You can always try to negotiate up from there on the trade-in as you negotiate down on the price of the new car. At the end of the day, it's all about the spread between the two. It also depends on whether you're buying the same brand as you're trading. They may give you more because they'll sell your trade off their lot instead of sending it to auction.

    To give you an example, I traded a Mazda Tribute to a Subaru dealer a few years ago and KBB and others were saying it was worth up to $11K on a trade. Auction value was $8K, kind of a shocker. I was able to keep the price on the new car at rock bottom while getting $500 more on the Mazda. It turns out $8,500 was a fair trade-in price, although no screaming deal.

    I've found the best new car prices on truecar.com and, of course, the most accurate trade-in prices are going to come from the auction sites -- if you can get access to them. I have nothing against KBB, Edmunds, carsdirect.com and others that post new and used prices, except that their figures are often way off base.
  • pauladkinspauladkins Member Posts: 15
    Where can I get an idea what is fair value for a trade in?
  • longislander1longislander1 Member Posts: 112
    Let me just add that when I bought the Mazda, I traded in a high-mileage BMW 5-series and, as I recall, got about $4,000 for it, a fair price for the time. Just recently, I found out that the BMW is still on the road. The owner told me he paid over $7,000 for it from a dealer who had bought it at auction shortly after I traded it. So don't let dealers kid you. They make plenty on trades. Too bad the consumer can't get more of the profits.
  • longislander1longislander1 Member Posts: 112
    You might try ClearBook (clearbook.truecar.com), a recently launched TrueCar subsidiary. It looks like they analyze used vehicles like yours that are up for sale nationwide. It's probably a better tool for pricing your car in a private sale than it is for a trade-in. Manheim (manheim.com) is one auction database that a lot of dealers use, but I'm not sure how you get in or how much it costs for a subscription. It's probably too expensive to check one car. You might try visiting a range of dealers to see what they offer you.
  • kyfdxkyfdx Moderator Posts: 265,441
    Look at the template below, and post the information on your car, here...

    That's the whole purpose of this forum!

    regards,
    kyfdx

    Edmunds Price Checker
    Edmunds Lease Calculator
    Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and share!

    Edmunds Moderator

  • pauladkinspauladkins Member Posts: 15
    san jose CA
    2001 Acura MDX
    SUV
    V-6
    4wd/awd
    73000 miles
    Grey/black
    Pretty loaded w/ Nav, heated seats
    int/ext are both in very good shape
    new tires all maintenance records one owner
    no accident or repairs to ext.
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    edited March 2011
    Unfortunately, you are on the opposite coast, so this number could differ (although there have been plenty of times folks have confirmed my numbers are accurate in other parts of the country), but I'm showing $8500-$9k on it.

    I just looked up KBB and they are showing ~$10k-$10.5k. So about $1500 over. Are dealers really offering you $6k-$7k? Or are you looking at KBB more optimistically than you should?

    '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

  • al08al08 Member Posts: 1
    edited March 2011
    Any idea on what I can expect in trading in the following:

    Chicago, IL
    2005 Acura MDX Touring
    SUV
    V-6
    4wd/awd
    97000 miles
    Sage
    Nav/Ent/Towing Package
    int/ext are both in very good shape
    40% worn tires, good brakes, all maintenance records one owner
    Minimal damage to fenders has been repaired/no other damage

    Thanks.
  • roadburnerroadburner Member Posts: 18,320
    Let me just add that when I bought the Mazda, I traded in a high-mileage BMW 5-series and, as I recall, got about $4,000 for it, a fair price for the time. Just recently, I found out that the BMW is still on the road. The owner told me he paid over $7,000 for it from a dealer who had bought it at auction shortly after I traded it.

    I was in a similar situation with my wife's 5er. CarMax offered $5000. I sold it to another customer of the indie BMW shop I use- for $10,000.

    Mine: 1995 318ti Club Sport-2020 C43-1996 Speed Triple Challenge Cup Replica
    Wife's: 2021 Sahara 4xe
    Son's: 2018 330i xDrive

  • pauladkinspauladkins Member Posts: 15
    7k is all they want to offer. I know it's worth a lot more. I guess KBB is not a good gauge of what cars are really worth anymore.
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,825
    >> 7k is all they want to offer.

    If that's all they offer, it may be a lowball. But if they let you walk without upping the offer, that's all they'll pay. Hey, it's their money.

    >> I know it's worth a lot more.

    You won't need us then...

    Seriously, the car is 10 years old; if I wanted one and it were really nice, I bet I'd be happy to pay $8 or close to $9, what with the low miles & all... but the dealer needs $9 to $10 out of it retail to make it worth their while. And it's still ten years old.

    And you won't "know" what it's worth until someone hands you the money.

    I once shopped a 1-year-old pickup truck at various lots. It was a nice enough, but very simple '06 Silverado with 6k miles; sticker was $18 or $17, it had V6, air, cruise & CD/radio, that was about it. I'd gotten an absolute steal on it, GM Card discount and all, so I wasn't too worried. But here's where it gets interesting for you:

    The auction report, which I had access to at the time, showed $11-11,500 for the truck. Trade-in from Edmunds et al. was a little north of that, like $12+.

    The dealers offered me $10, max. For that, I knew I wouldn't sell but I wanted to know what was going on, so I talked for a while with one used-car manager.

    Here's the gist of what he said, some of which I hadn't thought about:

    - I won't sell your truck off my lot, so I've got to wholesale it. $10 is the most I've gotten over the phone.
    - This truck isn't popular, so it's only got one argument for people to buy it: price. I have to buy it cheap or not buy it.
    - The auction prices are only for the ones who sold.. for every one of these trucks that did, there are a dozen that didn't, but the report doesn't show it.

    In the end, I sold it through Craigs and got $12,500 cash.

    I suggest you do the same with your Acura.

    Good luck,
    -Mathias
  • gooddeal2gooddeal2 Member Posts: 750
    edited March 2011
    I once shopped a 1-year-old pickup truck at various lots. It was a nice enough, but very simple '06 Silverado with 6k miles; sticker was $18 or $17, it had V6, air, cruise & CD/radio, that was about it. I'd gotten an absolute steal on it, GM Card discount and all, so I wasn't too worried.

    I did the same thing back in late 2004. They offered 10K off on the GMC Envoy plus I had about 4K on my GM card. I was thinking...well I could get a 36K SUV for 22K so, even if I don't like it I can just drive for a couple months or for one year and sell it for a small profit...oh, I was wrong.

    I wanted to trade in after about 2 months w/ 2k miles. Most dealers only offered me 18K. 18K on a 2 months old 36K SUV? However, I found a dealer who was willing to give me 21K b/c he already had a buyer for the SUV.

    I stop using the GM card after that deal b/c I don't think I can afford the depreciation on the GM products.
  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,825
    The GM Card was a great deal when you could buy Prizms and Vibes with it... still would be good if the Colorada were a good truck, which it isn't.. and once you get above $30k, the $3k in GM Card rebates would barely cover taxes & fees.

    My best ever was a new '04 Vibe for $14 OTD, sold 30 months later for $12,5.

    I'm no using the Subaru card from Chase. We'll see how that turns out when I've got a sizeable sum saved in a year or two... you can knock off $4k on a high-resale-value car, it could be interesting.

    Cheers -Mathias
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    Paul, yours is a touring, correct? And no accident history? If the above is true, then dealers are obviously seeing something I'm not able to see from 3000 miles away.

    '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

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    edited March 2011
    I have the Subaru card too - keep in mind there is a $500 cap per year, and they expire in 5 years, so that adds up to $2500.

    However, one clever member of the Subaru Crew has 2 cars, one in his name and one in his wife's, and he accumulated $4k or so.

    That's significant - imagine buying a base Forester for about $19k street price. 36 month lease with 36k miles residuals are around 62% of MSRP, so a $20k list base model is worth $12400 after 3 whole years, but you only paid $19k-4k = $15k.

    So $2600 for 3 years of use on a brand new Forester.

    That is $72 per month. Brand new. Not bad.

    Even better - you can use the Subaru Bucks for pay for maintenance, tires, etc, and lower ownership costs even more.

    The key is like you said - buy a cheaper car with low depreciation, and the % discount is much greater.
  • rmingrming Member Posts: 9
    Location: Georgia

    Year/Make/Model: 2003 camry xle

    Body Style: 4dr

    Engine: 4 cyl

    Mileage: 85000

    Color: Aspen Green / Tan

    Major Options: premium pkg (no sunroof), heated seats, side airbags

    Condition: Good. Minor scratches and a few body dings. Tires 2 yrs with about 20K miles on them, brakes new in last two years, all maint done, one owner
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    Maybe $6k if it has a clean history.

    '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

  • rmingrming Member Posts: 9
    Thank you. Yes it has a clean history, no wrecks. I had seen 6-8K depending on trading in or private sell.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 17,487
    As to what the current value of of the 2 vehicles in our household are:

    2001 Honda Prelude Type SH
    Milano Red/Black Cloth Interior
    5-Speed manual transmission
    FWD
    139,000 miles
    16" Alloy Wheels, Power Moonroof, PW/PDL/PS/PB, ABS, Dual Air Bags
    Tires are probably 25% Worn
    I have detailed maintenance records - Synthetic Oil Changes every 3-4K miles. Recent Trans Fluid Flush.

    Interior is easily an 8.5 out of 10.
    Exterior is a solid 7 out of 10. Car does NOT look anywhere near 10 years old.
    Left Side Has been repainted by an amazing body shop who fixes MBs & BMWs for the dealers when their lot jockeys back them into light poles. Front Bumper has been replaced, rear bumper has been repainted.

    I'm thinking auction value is what, $4000 - $4500?

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD

  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 17,487
    We're in Stamford, CT BTW.

    2010 Acura TSX Tech
    4 Door Sedan
    2.4 L 4 Cyl
    5-speed Automatic Transmission
    FWD
    Black/Black Leather
    Technology Package: NAV, Bluetooth, Backup Camera, 10 Speaker Stereo
    32,000 miles
    Dealer Serviced. Full Records. Synthetic oil ALWAYS used, 4 snow tires as well as 18 month old all season Michelin Pilot AS.

    Even though kids eat in the car, I keep up with it. Interior is a 9 out of 10. Exterior is Black and shows every single nick, scratch, & rock chip. A professional detail could clean it up. Body is a 9 of 10.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    edited March 2011
    More like $3k-$3500.

    Manual SH? hell, that is a private sale piece in every way. You could easily get $6k, I think.

    edit: ummm.... wait.... I mean... sell it for $4k private party. I'll be by with a check in the morning.

    '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

  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    miles hurt on this one. Figure right about $20k.

    '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

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That one screams craigs list.
  • nyccarguynyccarguy Member Posts: 17,487
    Thanks so much as always for your help. Like I said, I'm not getting rid of either anytime soon. Although I'll consider your offer as a compliment :P . My Prelude IS the car anyone looking would want to buy. Fanatically maintained, one of the last Preludes ever made... When I wash it or detail it, people always do ask if I'm selling or tell me what amazing condition it is in.

    The Prelude would definitely be a car I could sell privately.

    The miles on our Acura are high for a 2010 because we actually bought it at the end of August, 2009. I'm sure most of the 2010s on the lots now are "demos" or "executive driven." $20,000 is just a bit more than I owe right now. I'm sure by next year I'll have a few dollars in positive equity. Acuras hold their value amazingly well.

    2001 Prelude Type SH, 2022 Highlander XLE AWD, 2025 Camry SE AWD

  • steine13steine13 Member Posts: 2,825
    Ah yes, the vaunted Honda Foreplay! :P
    -m
  • chris401chris401 Member Posts: 3
    Looking to trade in one of the above, but not sure what I should be expecting from the dealers on these. Any thoughts as to real world trade in value and what is the best one to trade in? Here are the details:

    Location: Central Texas

    Year/Make/Model: 2009 Infiniti G37 Sedan Journey
    Mileage: 9000
    Color: black/black
    Major Options: Premium pkg, Navigation pkg
    Condition: Excellent

    Year/Make/Model: 2004 Toyota 4Runner SR5
    Mileage: 60000
    Color: silver/gray
    Major Options:
    Condition: Dirty from use; Very large cracks on the passenger side dash; a few dings and scratches on the interior plastics; minor scratches to exterior plastic bumpers; perhaps a very small scratch or two to exterior body
  • qbrozenqbrozen Member Posts: 33,736
    edited March 2011
    neither is a good trade. You'll take a bath on the Infiniti after driving it a measly 9k miles, and if you were to get rid of the 4runner, you should clean it up and sell it privately.

    infiniti - ~$25,500-$26k.
    yota - tough call with the condition, but I'll take a stab at $12k.

    I'm assuming the 4runner is 4wd. If not, knock $1500 from that value.

    '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

  • chris401chris401 Member Posts: 3
    Wow, thanks gbrozen. That's a lot lower than I was expecting from my casual glance at kbb. Guess I need to manage my expectations or just forget about trading up. The low mileage on the 2009 is combination of me purchasing it late in the year (mid December 2009) and having a very short commute. The 4runner runs great and has minimal maintenance, seems to make sense keeping it. I'm leaning toward trading the infiniti, but if it can't get around 28k, we are talking about over a $10k depreciation (from MSRP) in 1.25 years of use, and that makes me hesitate. It is just starting to feel small to me. Maybe I need to deal with that.
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