Real-World Trade-In Values

sebring95 · February 2012

The V8 at one time was worth the same or even a little less than the V6. It's a weird option....very strong motor but not as much of a performance bump as you would expect and you lose quite a bit of mpg. Of course if you're towing heavy it would be invaluable over the long haul. $10k savings goes a long way. I'd say they're a tad high as well.

tifighter · February 2012

Wow, all hail Q! Nice find. Average condition means give it extra armor all in the dealer photos, it seems. I don't need the V8 as I don't plan to tow, though I wouldn't complain about the extra 100ft/lb of torque.

The used car market is so crazy right now...even the Edmunds analysts don't see this inflation period changing for the next year or two...

steine13 · February 2012

Arrrgghh -- I'm being an idiot. It's an Accent, not an Elantra. Duh.
Sorry about that... particulars again:

2009 Accent -- I believe they're all "GLS"
1.6 l four; automatic transmission
45k, silver
Non-smoker, no accidents but some parking lot dings and scratches.
Equipped with all the usual stuff, and he's got two weeks to get rid of it.

>> Of course, people will think its a scam if he goes into the whole "leaving the country. must sell" bit.

Not around here they won't. Michigan State is a major research university; it's part of the show and people know it.

I'm gonna guess from Elantra to Accent it's $1,500 or $2000 downward.

Thanks again,
-Mathias

robbieg · February 2012

I don't mind the King Ranch interior on this one. Looks kinda nice/different.

Isn't it amazing how expensive the King Ranch pick ups are?

qbrozen · February 2012

I'm gonna guess from Elantra to Accent it's $1,500 or $2000 downward.

Good call. Right about $7200. So ask $8495 or $8995. I'd probably go with the lower of the two given the time restriction.

tifighter · February 2012

The lux trucks are crazy. I sat in a Ram Laramie at the auto show, and the leather, heated/cooled sets, heated steering wheel, nav, etc were impressive. Good seats; I'd say it was nicer inside than my Acura, and never thought I'd say that about a Dodge truck.

I like the interior color too. I wish they'd have used a matching color on the center and door armrests. I think it would look a little better finished.

stickguy · February 2012

1 more 325i, with a twist.

this one is a 2003, RWD, AT. Black over tan guts. Normal equipment (premium, heated seats). At an Acura dealer, and looks nice in the pictures.

only issue is that it has 122K on the clock. But, for the right price, I can live with that (since i won't be putting a ton of miles on it, and ultimately my daughter will drive it).

So, what is the"right price" on something like this (and am I insane for even thinking of it?)

qbrozen · February 2012

At that age and those miles, it gets to a "feel" price. Auction prices are all over the place. To give you and idea:

01/12/12 FRDKBURG Regular $6,900 119,212 Avg BLUE 6G
01/19/12 ST PETE Regular $6,400 119,451 Avg GREEN 6G A
01/20/12 DALLAS Regular $3,500 119,996 Below BLACK 6G A
01/27/12 SAN ANTO Regular $4,000 120,322 Below BLUE 6G A
01/25/12 TUCSON Regular $5,000 121,172 Avg BLACK 6G A
02/01/12 DALLAS Regular $6,500 122,208 Avg RED 6G A
02/01/12 SEATTLE Regular $6,100 123,954 Avg WHITE 6G A

Sooo... anywhere between 5k and 7k for average? Quite a variance. Of course, we don't know the equipment on any of those. If I had to take a guess, I'd say the $5k one was base. The $6k-$6500 were better equipped and more "average." And, funny enough, the $6900 one doesn't say its an auto trans, so maybe more paid for a manual in this instance?

stickguy · February 2012

thanks. They have it listed at IIRC $9,700. I doubt I would pay more than 7K for it though. Could be a hard sell, but what do I know?

kyfdx · February 2012

Just for comparison, google Northwest Auto Brokers Columbus.. He has two '03 325i right now... with miles in the '90s..... Asking $8995 for either...

I know you aren't going there to buy a car.. but, it's pretty much exactly what you are shopping for.... a good price comparison..

qbrozen · February 2012

$9700 is, of course, ridiculous. But I don't think you are getting it for 7. No harm in trying. Its possible they clubbed the PO and bought it for $5k and then didn't put anything into reconditioning it. Still not sure why you'd want it, though, when there are lower mileage examples.

jam1000 · February 2012

Washington, DC area (suburban MD)
2009 Volvo S80 T6 sedan
4-door
3.0-liter inline-6, turbo, auto trans., 281 hp, 295 lb-ft of torque
AWD
24,500 miles
Silver (metallic) ext. / light gray leather int.
Major Options: premium audio, iPod port, sunroof
Condition:
Interior -- clean (exc. condition, no smokers, no children); Exterior -- very good, except for one door ding (very small, but noticeable, to me at any rate) on front passenger door (worth getting fixed for resale?)
Tires - good
Brakes -- good
Maintenance -- up to date on regular maintenance (every 6,500 miles)
Other: No prior damage/insurance claims, repaints, etc.

Thanks!

bostonben · February 2012

What's a fair price to pay for this dealer listing? C30 used prices seem to be highly variable.

2011 C30 T5
1 owner, Clean Carfax, good condition
10,500 miles
Climate, preferred package, metallic paint
Manual Transmission
New England
Listed at $24K

I believe new this would sticker for $28K or so.

Thanks.

tifighter · February 2012

At that difference, I'd go new. Especially since I can't imagine C30s are actually selling at sticker.

bostonben · February 2012

According to TrueCar, C30s are selling about 3-4% under sticker. So, this is still a significant savings. Also, the safe and secure program on the 2011s covers everything until 60,000 miles vs. 50,000 miles for the 2012 model year.

stickguy · February 2012

there are a lot out there. And many are crappy or overpriced. and in some cases, both at the same time.

I either need more money to spend, or lower standards.

explorerx4 · February 2012

My BIL called me today. He was looking at an '02 Explorer.
Normal 4WD XLT, pb, ps, pw.
Pretty clean with 65k miles.
Not sure if it had 3rd row seat.
Asking price is 6800.
The price sources are all over the place.

newdavidq · February 2012

Thought you might find this interesting; I traded my 02 Ford Explorer XLT V6 in on a new 07 Toyota 4runner in March of 07. Good condition (needed tires) w/82000 miles and got $8000 for it. Not an overallowance as i got the 4R for about 2k under sticker. Carmax had offered me 7500 a couple of weeks earlier. Checked back a couple weeks later and he had it on the lot for 10k.

The Explorer was pretty good; only RF wheel bearings and a water pump IIRC

Regards, DQ

breld · February 2012

Hey Q -

What would you think on trade for our 328xi (in Denver):

2008 328xi, 60k miles, CPO warranty and Prepaid maintenance through Feb/2014 or 100k miles.
Monaco Blue over lemon interior
Premium pkg
Sport pkg
Cold Weather pkg
Xenons
Automatic trannie
No wrecks or damage - couple of scratches here and there for its age.

The BMW dealer implied about $20-21k on trade, but this was a sight-unseen range, though they were able to look up all the specifics on the car through their system.

Thanks!

qbrozen · February 2012

Volvos can be tough. Depending on where you go, you could see probably anywhere from $19500-$21500.

qbrozen · February 2012

low miles. The stick would hold it back a bit. It would probably hit $19-$19500 or so at auction. Unless its CPO, I wouldn't pay more than $22k.

qbrozen · February 2012

well, much like the BMW situation earlier, when you get to a certain age/mileage/price, it CAN vary widely.

I'm assuming V6. Here are the list of comps:

02/01/12 NJ Regular $6,500 56,081 Above GRAY 6G A
01/25/12 NJ Regular $3,650 56,081 Avg GRAY 6G A
01/20/12 PA Regular $6,700 66,583 Above GREEN 6G
02/03/12 PA Regular $6,000 68,661 Above SILVER 6G
01/17/12 NEWENGLD Regular $5,000 69,967 Above GOLD 6G A
01/24/12 DALLAS Lease $4,300 70,333 Avg SILVER 6G A
01/17/12 NEWENGLD Regular $3,800 72,098 Avg GOLD 6G A
01/19/12 DETROIT Regular $7,500 73,997 Above WHITE 6G A

qbrozen · February 2012

Sedan, yes?

That's crazy money. That's retail money. Nobody else is going over $17k trade-in.

UNLESS its a wagon... in which case that is pretty accurate.

explorerx4 · February 2012

GB, Thanks for the info!
I'm going to take a look at it today, just to see how it compares to mine.

houdini1 · February 2012

I ran across this car the other day. The car looked like new and had 11,000 miles on it. Belonged to some old lady who had to go into a nursing home. Her daughter wants $7,000. for it. Way too high imo but what do you guys think. I would just buy it as a spare car at the right price. Thanks in advance.

explorerx4 · February 2012

I think those have a timing belt which needs periodic replacement.

breld · February 2012

Yes, it's a sedan. And yes, I was somewhat surprised by the $20-$21k range provided over the phone. We'll see if that offer stands when we go visit the dealer next weekend. They've been pretty straight with us so far, so I'd hate to think they were throwing out a number just to get us to return to the showroom, but that's certainly possible. If it does stand, sounds like a no-brainer.

Thanks a bunch. Will keep you posted.

Bruce

qbrozen · February 2012

Yup... as indicated above, you'll have some work to do on that before it can be relied on. Timing belt, tensioner, water pump, thermostat, hoses, belts, all the fluids, and possibly many other things. Hell, the tires are 9 years old... I wouldn't trust those, either.

If you rely on a mechanic to do the work, I'd count on a good $1500 taking care of all of this.

So, what's it worth? ehhh... there is no book on something like this. Its all a "feel" kind of thing. What do you feel its worth? If it were me, and everything checked out and it really looked like new, no hits, runs, errors, etc.... I'd probably stick to my guns at $3500. Cause after all the work goes into it, you'll be at $5k. Would anyone buy it from you for $5k? Not bloody likely. But you aren't buying it to flip it. I would say, if all that stuff was replaced, it might be a $4k-$4500 car to the right buyer. I mean, you can buy these with 100k for $3k all day long, right? So a 50% increase for the low miles is about what I'd figure.

Kirstie_H · February 2012

A reporter is hoping to find someone who recently bought a new car and took out a car loan for the first time in a few years.
Please respond by Tuesday, February 7, 2012 with your daytime contact information and a few words about your experience.

houdini1 · February 2012

Thank you very much. Good info. and great reply. Pretty much verifies just what I was thinking. I am still undecided whether to pursue this car or not, as it is certainly not on my have to have list. I am strictly biting on the extreme low mileage.

tifighter · February 2012

Okay, looking for trade in/auction for-

10 Nissan Versa hatch
1.8 S AT
7500 miles
Blue, black interior
power package (PW, PDL, keyless, cruise, etc.)
Good shape, some scratches on the wheel covers. All maint. up to date.

The trade in values coming up on kbb, etc are all over the place. I don't know if Q or anyone else has access to bay area auctions, but auctions from anywhere would be useful.

roadburner · February 2012

...on a 2007 Z4 M Coupe?

I know that there aren't that many out there...

tifighter · February 2012

RB has posted lots of BMWs over the years, but this might be the first one that does it for me. Three owners isn't ideal (but understandable on a toy), but me likey a lot.

qbrozen · February 2012

The miles are out of the ordinary. Most with between 20-30k are doing just under $10k at auction. The lower mileage examples are approaching $11k.

So... trade-in value? Ehhh... maybe could push to $10k. Don't be shocked by a $9500 offer, though. There are an absurd number going through auction, so its not exactly tough to come by. The low miles are your selling point, though. What about selling it yourself?

qbrozen · February 2012

That's actually kinda high miles, it looks like. Only 1 crossed the block recently with more. Prices are indeed all over the place. Take a look.

12/30/11 PA Regular $27,600 25,916 Avg BLUE 6G 6
01/19/12 PA Regular $24,000 26,663 Avg BLACK 6G 6
01/18/12 MILWAUKE Lease $29,000 29,405 Above BLACK SA 6G 6
12/14/11 PALM BCH Regular $23,800 36,757 Avg BLACK 6G 6
12/06/11 HOUSTON Regular $26,000 47,317 Avg WHITE 6G S

Not sure what the S means for trans on that last one. Did these come with the SMG option? If so, it could explain the high price, too.

tifighter · February 2012

Thanks Q. Given that I paid $13.3k new for this a little over 2 years ago, near 10k trade-in seems okay. I've seen some at local dealers in the 12's, but with higher miles, as you say. A lot of them are ex-rentals. New 12's on ad specials at $13.6...

roadburner · February 2012

Thanks qbrozen; I looked nationwide on Autotrader and out of 33 M Coupes it's priced on the low side. Enthusiast Auto in Cincy has four -all overpriced, IMNSHO- ranging from $30,990 (a Titanium Silver 2006, 31,500 miles) to $36,990(an Imola Red 2007, 17,805 miles).
Cheapest were:
Black(meh) 2007 43,000 miles $26,999 Private owner w/CPO warranty FL
Sterling Gray 2007 49,986 miles $27,995 Private owner TX
Black 2006 38,138 miles $27,998 BHPH lot CA

zyaaaaa · February 2012

Just wanted to follow up that you were pretty close. Carmax was the lowest at 14k and I ended up getting 15.5K offers from two places (accepted from one of them). Thanks for the help!

corvette · February 2012

A BHPH lot in California will self-finance a $30k car? The dealer must have one of those medical marijuana cards...

stickguy · February 2012

Q, this is not a drill. this is the real thing.

so, what are prices for a 2005 S40, 2.4i (with I believe the premium package). 98K on it.

flint gray over black leather. AT(geartronic), roof,power seats, bun warmers. So pretty well loaded.

1 owner bought, serviced and traded at local Volvo dealer. No accidents. 1 owner. even scored a 91 on Autocheck (fwiw!)

Fresh GY RSA sneaks all around. Timing belt (and I assume associated services, but I intend to find out all the history tomorrow from my buddy the owner of the dealership!) done 6 months back. engine bay looked new. Interior looked new.

so, overall very clean, and will be serviced if needed. At a local used place that got it from the Volvo dealer.

joeko · February 2012

Hey guys, I'm looking to get a 2008/2009 M3 coupe fully loaded with less than 40k miles. Anyone have any ideas what these cars are going for at dealer auctions or trade in value? Also what is a fair price to pay for through private party vs dealer? I am seeing prices from $28k to over $50k. KBB value is in the mid $30k-45k. Thanks!

qbrozen · February 2012

you are welcome

stickguy · February 2012

Moving on to the next candidate... maybe I should just buy a miley old BMW and take my chances...

anyway, this is a 2007 2.4I. Same equipment (leather/roof/climate/power seats). 91K on this, and it is dark blue (Barents blue, love that color) over beige (99% sure it is leather).

have not seen it yet, but it is at the same Acura dealer that has the 122K 325i I dove last weekend.

qbrozen · February 2012

They are hovering right near $6k'ish at auction. My guess is the dealer gave $5k-$5500 on a trade. If they put the tires on, they might claim to be into it for $6k-$6500.

I would shoot for $7500 and bite the bullet at $8k.

What are they asking?

stickguy · February 2012

was this for the 2005? The deal on that one was $8,600. In addition to the new tires and recent timing belt, it just got new brakes all around.

Pretty sure I will pass on it though based on what I got from my inside sources.

SO, how about that 2007? Asking 10,995 on that one, I was going to fire out 10K and see what happens. Pending an inspection of course.

qbrozen · February 2012

yes, that was the '05.

'07 will be pricier, of course. Looks to be right around $7500-$8k at the block when optioned up. I'd shoot even lower. $10k would be my max.

stickguy · February 2012

Your a grinder, that is for sure!

It was a nice one. Brand new tires. So I went to 10,600. My wife was there, and she seemed to not want to lose it.
'
I started at 10K flat. They came back with how agressive the internet price was ($10,990). went to 10.4, they went to 10,600 with new mats, and I caved.

I know that numbers can be cooked, but they showed me their invoice sheet with 9K as ACV on it. So they weren't making a lot. And quite good based on the Edmunds numbers (I know, yours are better!) which said 8.8 trade, and 10 private/11.2 dealer, so split the difference.

In any case, going back tonight to pick it up.

stickguy · February 2012

Going to give them a shot at this later. I know what you said in the past.

but, for a 2005 EXL handshaker with 66K on it (silver over black), 1 owner, clean other than a bit of damage (small hole and a crack) on the front bumper, what do you think I could get private sale?

I know it is a stick, but it is a Honda! and there are still the manual fanatics out there. Just have to find one.

qbrozen · February 2012

Oh, I don't consider myself a grinder. I have a firm cap and that's that. My negotiations never take that long. I used to use the one-price method, but I found that wasn't acceptable to most dealers. They seem to WANT to play a game, so now I oblige. I start a bit under my cap. Since I don't want to negotiate long, its usually not a big gap between that and my max.

I consider grinders to be those guys that gotta get every last dollar out of a deal. Negotiations take hours. They'll get the dealer down to the lowest possible number, shake hands, THEN want the free floormats and oil change. THAT'S a grinder.

qbrozen · February 2012

Since you've already made your deal, they probably won't care to step up on it. This is a sedan, right?

None at auction the past month have had miles anywhere near that low. With near 100k, they were all going for right around $8k. The report says yours might fetch $8800. You do have that bumper, though, so figure back to $8k with you.

What will they offer you? Who knows at this point. Maybe $7k.

$10995 would be my private party suggestion.

Real-World Trade-In Values

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