Real-World Trade-In Values

qbrozen · April 2012

Let's see... meat of the bell curve seems to be 32k-37k miles, with prices ranging from $37-$39k for average condition.

qbrozen · April 2012

hmmmm.... no sale blue in FL with the TVs, 4.0, and a blemished carfax...

well, this will be kind of a guess, but I'm seeing they are going for anywhere from $18-$20k at the block. I would imagine the $18k would be a basic Touring model, while the higher ones have the better options, such as your grandfather's. The carfax may offset that, though, depending on the quality of the repair. I would hope for $18k trade-in. Don't be surprised to hear less, though.

ateixeira · April 2012

Prices vary a lot, most 2008s start at $14k and go up to $22k.

I figure I would list at $18 or 19 or so.

Very strong residual - I paid $22k for it 3 years ago. Some dealers list my exact car for what I paid new! Yikes!

zyaaaaa · April 2012

Great, thank you again so much - very helpful!

stickguy · April 2012

I would ballpark in my head what I thought worst case repair cost is. Then just double it to be safe, and deduct that from the asking price. If, of course, I have not already moved on!

Now, where it would interest me is if the broken item doesn't matter. not sure what else I could think of besides AC that wouldn't otherwise incapacitate the car...

maybe stuff like damaged bumper skins that i could easily live with.

Kirstie_H · April 2012

I'd be in the "move on" category. Even if the asking price is discounted for the broken A/C, I could just buy one without a broken A/C and not have to go through the hassle of having it repaired. Plus, broken components on a vehicle for sale makes me wary that the owner doesn't have the money to fix it, and therefore may not have had the money to do essential maintenance.

I dunno... broken radio? That wouldn't bother me, as if I'm going to keep the vehicle for awhile and it's got a stock stereo, chances are I'm replacing it anyway.

hikaru17 · April 2012

looking to buy i see an ad for acura 2010 tsx, was wondering about these
location: atlanta, ga
both have clean carfax from ad

- base model
- black/tan interior
- 20k miles
- says pristine interior and exterior
- has after market installed navigation system
- FWD 5 speed automatic
price: 25k

also
2009 acura tsx
- base model
- gray/tan interior
- looks decent from pictures exterior 8/10
- interior seems 7/10
- 20500 miles
- FWD 5 speed automatic
price:23.5k

what would trade-in, auction be and what would be a good price to buy these?

thanks

qbrozen · April 2012

Interestingly, there is a spread in these depending on location. Up here in the colder climates, they are going at auction for $21-22k. Down south, where you are, they are $24k at the block.

For trade, they'd most likely go lowest common denominator, deduct for the aftermarket stereo, and hit it around $20k-$20,500. Let's call it $22k at auction and $24-$24,500 retail.

The low miles on the '09 makes it a bit of an oddball, but the poor interior offsets that. Figure $17k/$18k/$20-$21k for trade/auction/retail. If it was pristine in and out, it would add $2k to each of those numbers.

jaa37jaa37 · April 2012

Thanks for all the replies, everyone. Just to be clear, I'm of course not suggesting that I would try to mask the A/C problem by filling and recharging -- I'm telling any potential buyers upfront about the problem and the repair needed. If most people have the attitude that kirstie does, I may be forced to fix it myself and then try to sell it, though it is a bit annoying to spend hundreds of dollars to fix an 8-year-old car with 130k miles JUST so I can sell it.
Anyone else have thoughts?

ateixeira · April 2012

Oh it'll sell, you just might limit your buyer pool to "college students or the unemployed who never wear a suit".

Your price might be low enough to appeal to that demographic, however.

stickguy · April 2012

what was the price again? If it is cheap enough (and given all the issues, it better be!), I could live with it!

Plus, I am in NJ. Just not sure if it is the same part of NJ.

Of course, if it was a stick, I would be all over it like white on rice.

It might be worth it to see my daughter's face when I swapped her out of the Volvo, down into a Civic. Or I could keep it to bomb around in (cheap is good!)

stickguy · April 2012

found the price.

$5,500 for an oldie-fashoined Civic with tons of miles and no AC? Even in the silly world of Honda resale value, that seems awful steep.

lemmer · April 2012

Birmingham, Alabama
2006 Honda Pilot EX-L FWD
106K (haven't yet done the timing belt)
metallic blue with gray interior
maintenance has been by the took (but time for timing belt), new tires 2K miles ago, brakes are about 90%. Battery is recent.
Clean carfax. No paintwork. Has a couple parking lot dings. The inside is near new.

I was planning on trading it but my boss expressed an interest in buying it. So, private party and trade-in, please.

I'd get probably $400 sales tax credit if I traded. Plus I'd need to do the timing belt if I was selling it. Dealer might not care much on trade in, so there might not be enough spread to make it worth selling to my boss. He isn't going to get worked up about it whatever I do.

qbrozen · April 2012

They'd probably hit you around that $8500 neighborhood on a trade. Maybe $9k on a push.

Depends on how nice you want to be to your boss. He wouldn't be able to buy a similar one for less than $12k from a dealer when all is said and done. Sooo... I dunno... do the work and "give it away" at $11k? Seems to me that should still give you an extra grand profit.

lemmer · April 2012

I was thinking $11K private party, but KBB and Edmunds show trade as $10K. Oh well.

NADA shows clean trade in as $12,750. Crack smokers apparently.

nibs91 · April 2012

Location: Toledo, Ohio
Year/Make/Model: Ford Escape Limited
Engine: 4cyl Automatic
Driveline: FWD
Mileage: 39000
Color: Silver on Black
Options: sunroof, Sync, Power everything,
Condition: Pristine outside and in!
All scheduled maintenance performed and documented.
Tires: 80%

No Accidents.

explorerx4 · April 2012

80% seems pretty optimistic for the oem tires.
We have an '09 and with 41k they seem like 50% is more likely.
Are the tires Michelins?

nibs91 · April 2012

Hmm..not sure, they're the factory tires. But they don't look like they've balded at all despite the mileage.

qbrozen · April 2012

Maybe $15-16k.

nibs91 · April 2012

Ouch that hurts

I was hoping for at least 17k. I'm gunna try to get the most out of it, but for sure I'm not accepting 15k.

qbrozen · April 2012

Its possible if they want it for their own lot and need to make a deal. They are crossing the block at auction for that 16,500-$17k range.

ateixeira · April 2012

That's a lot of miles in for a 2010. Ever park it?

rprossil · April 2012

Looking at:
2011 jeep Patriot sport
Charcoal with gray/black cloth
2.4 L 4cyl with 4wd
Pw,pl,ac,cruise, remote locks & start
Cvt transmission
5700 miles
At a non jeep dealer. Can I possibly save much over a new one? They want about $19500 which is pretty close to new one with incentives.

rprossil · April 2012

BTw, it's in suburban Chicago. Thanks.

qbrozen · April 2012

tough to say with those miles. Looks like they probably paid around $17-$17,500. So they might not negotiate much off their asking price.

lemmer · April 2012

They hit my trade at $10K and the price seemed fair enough on the new car too. But my wife was ambivalent about the new car and it was an old school dealership (in the worst possible way) so we ended up walking.

qbrozen · April 2012

That's a shame. That was a crazy strong offer on yours. Cheaper at auction.

drivingmenuts · April 2012

How much can I realistically expect on trade for my truck. Looking at a new Silverado.

2001 F150 XLT Supercab
4x4
Offroad package
Cloth interior
Spray in Bed liner
134,000 miles
No body rust, some rust on frame.
AC needs to be fixed, small leak somewhere
Rebuilt transmission 2 months ago with 12 month/12,000 mile warranty
Engine good
Tires about 40%
Tow package

In Buffalo New York area, but the truck is clean, no rust.

What's the trade value and auction value these days?

qbrozen · April 2012

which engine?
is supercab the full 4-door?

drivingmenuts · April 2012

5.4L

Yes, 4 door

qbrozen · April 2012

Tough to say with the issues it has. These are pretty varied at auction. I'd have to guess that Buffalo might command a higher price, though ... so I'll take a stab at it hitting $5500 at auction. They might hit you at $4500-$5k at the dealer.

On the other hand, you could get lucky and get an ambitious used car manager give you $6k so they can put it on their own lot.

jorlando195 · May 2012

I have had my eye on a black 2004 Infiniti G G35 Sedan for a couple weeks now. The only thing that really bothers me is it has 140,445 miles on it. I've done some research and heard these cars can go up to 200,000 miles, but I'm still not sure. I'm looking for a nice, reliable car that I can actually afford now from this crappy economy and gas prices are through the roof... The sticker price is $10,999.00 (which I think is insane for that mileage) but I know I can get him to a lower price, any thoughts on a fair price? I really like this car but I dont want to throw alot of money into this and have it crap out on me right as I drive out of the dealership. Thoughts or experience on any of this? Should I just keep lookin'? buy a warranty? What would end up going out soon? thanks

steine13 · May 2012

Have you driven it?

A lot of cars look really nice, but at that kind of mileage, it could easily feel a little loose, have some buziness to it at certain rpms, and generally start to feel a little tired... It would be surprising if it had none of those issues.

If it's all there, figure out what it's worth to you. Sure you can haggle, but I doubt a dealer would drop even $3k, much less go to $7xxx, where I think it needs to be if it's really nice.

Sure they "can" go to 200k. I "can" live to 90 years old, but I wouldn't bet on it... also it's not can you get there, it's can you get there without spending $5k.

In my experience, it is rare that you can get sufficient $$$ off the price to make up for an obvious fault or defect.

It is basically impossible to get enough $$$ off for a hidden fault or defect.

At any rate, this should only be your primary car if you can buy it for cash and then move into something else at a moment's notice. You may be pleasantly surprised and have eight perfect years. Or not. Don't buy it if you need to borrow money to do so.

qbrozen · May 2012

First, let me just say that a couple of contradictions in your post trouble me.

1. You are looking at a 140k-mile near-luxo "gas guzzler"
2. You are concerned with cost of ownership and the cost of gas

Those 2 things do not, by any stretch of the imagination, live in harmony.

Moving on... you didn't say where you are, but I'll guess that your username has something to do with it. Interestingly, just last week a black '04 G35 went through dealer auction in Orlando with 138,324 miles. It was rated as below average condition and fetched $5900. If that is indeed the car (I guess probably not since they would have had to put 2k on in a week), or even if its not, $7500-$8500 would be my target range retail, depending on current condition and state of maintenance.

tjc78 · May 2012

My boss has a G of that vintage. He has around that mileage and the car has been good to him, but he was mentioning that little things are starting to pop up. The gas gauge and passenger window died and he mentioned eating through tires, so there must be some suspension issues.

I would have a tough time paying that kind of coin for a high mileage luxo car unless I could repair it myself. I would suggest trying to find a Maxima of similar vintage with lower miles. Its not the same as the Infiniti (and FWD) but will be had for much less money, has the same great VQ engine, and its roomier.

Kirstie_H · May 2012

This car has "bad idea" written all over it in 10-foot-high neon letters.

I had a 2003 G35 that was just great til it was totalled at 108,000 miles. However, I could afford to feed and care for it properly. If that is at ALL a concern, you need to pass on this vehicle.

As tjc78 mentioned, they chew through tires, and not the cheap ones. Plan on spending close to $1,000 to replace them every couple of years, at least. They also chew through brake pads and rotors - and you have to change the rotors ($100 each rotor) when you change the brake pads on these, at least the rear ones (can't recall on the front). Some parts are specific to Infiniti as well - brake light assembly went out and had to be ordered and delivered from the dealership to my independent shop. $300 for the part, IIRC.

You'd have to test for yourself, but this car was the WORST vehicle for driving in the snow, second only to our Crossfire. Maybe that's not a concern for you. Also, gas mileage topped out around 22 MPG on a flat highway.

If it sounds like I disliked my vehicle, I didn't. I liked it a lot. But it is not going to be a cheap & low maintenance vehicle.

jorlando195 · May 2012

Reply to qbrozen.

#1 it had way better gas mileage than my last truck. I had a Hummer H2 SUT. Loved that thing to death but the gas tank didnt love me back.

#2 I was concerned about repairs from high mileage for its age since i'm not experienced with Infiniti's.

Thanks everyone for posting. I thought a lot about it and decided I was going to pass on it. For the price that dude marked it I could go buy a newer one somewhere else. Besides I Drove by the lot this morning and she was gone, someone else's problem haha.

drivingmenuts · May 2012

Thanks for the reply.

I was thinking that I would do better, selling it myself and would be happy to get $6k for it from selling outright. But if I can get that at the dealer as trade and save some sales tax, it might be worth doing.

Some things for me to consider.

Thanks again.

jaa37jaa37 · May 2012

Leaking condenser, which isn't as bad as it could have been - now at least I know what to tell interested buyers...

[2004 Civic EX 4DR auto w/side airbags, 131k]

stickguy · May 2012

how much to fix?

I know that for me, if I didn't just walk (otherwise liking the car), I would take whatever you say and probably triple it, and deduct that from the potential offer.

Flip side, i would likely fix it before I tried to sell.

tommister2 · May 2012

You've helped me with this one before, still haven't decided to sell it. I'm located near Richmond, VA.
2010 Toyota Corolla S, white exterior, black sport cloth interior
31,000 miles
Manual 5 speed **
1.8L 4 cyl.
AC, cruise, tilt, power windows, locks, keyless entry
power moonroof
rear spoiler
alloy wheels
tires are 40-60%
brakes are still great
garage kept, very clean, clean carfax

One of us drives it just about every day, but we have 4 cars and 2 drivers. I drove it to work daily until my office moved. Now I have stop and go traffic so I got an automatic. We only have 3 garage bays so I'd like to cut down to 3 cars.

Thanks in advance for the info.

jaa37jaa37 · May 2012

Don't have the estimate in front of me, but I think it was $300 or so for the part/labor (plus the cost of charging the system and replacing the freon).

qbrozen · May 2012

maybe about $12k-$12500.

tommister2 · May 2012

Thanks! Might take it to carmax this weekend.

tommister2 · May 2012

CarMax offered 12,500, so you were spot on! Thanks.

qbrozen · May 2012

no problem.

fezgin · May 2012

Looking to find out auction/trade in values for:

2009 Mercedes C300 Sedan with 44k miles in SoCal. Fully loaded including nav and panorama roof.

Appreciate your help

Thanks

steine13 · May 2012

Hi qbrozen,
Could you please look this one up for me?
My CCBA virus is acting up again; it's been five years.

'07 Vibe dark gray metallic
65,200 miles
in Michigan
One owner, non-smoker
ABS, side airbags
All power equipment standard
no roof, no alloys.
Tires have 15k on them, so they're "fine" but not a big plus.

Of course I have all the "maintenance records" but it amounts to 5k oil changes,
plus air filter and wiper blades.
Nothing broke, and nothing needs maintenance.

I hesitate to say: 5speed -- you may not find comparables, and I can make the adjustment myself.

Another adjustment is a grapefruit-sized dent in the right A pillar, where the mirror assembly is. My wife was attacked by a lovesick turkey. I had put a new mirror put on, but since the paint wasn't cracked, I left the dent. That'll be a ten percent deduct, I'm guessing.

My guess is mid-$6s for a clean automatic at the auction.
I can't find any advertised locally for less than $9, and that's with more miles.
Nuts.

Thanks a lot in advance,
-Mathias

stickguy · May 2012

If you hadn't gotten it with the optional tightwad package and it had alloys and a moonroof, I'd be willing to talk to you about it! Right up my alley.

and yes, I would hammer you for the dent and the handshaker!

steine13 · May 2012

If you hadn't gotten it with the optional tightwad package and it had alloys and a moonroof, I'd be willing to talk to you about it! Right up my alley.

I kinda doubt it, the right up your alley part.

It's my second one, both of them new, which kinda says something about how useful they are...
However.

They are loud, both road noise and engine, esp. the exhaust is louder than it has to be. The ride is solid, the space is amazing, but it's cheap and plasticky and buzzy and the doors make rubbing noises when going over bumps. This is no Audi.

OTOH, they are rock solid and bascially maintenance free. It's our in-town car, and for that it's about perfect. For a half-hour commute I'd want something else.

BTW, alloys in rust country have nasty habit of corroding in the salt and leaking. I pounded a dent out of one of the wheels with a chisel and a big hammer after hitting a nasty pothole. Steel is where it's at ;-)

Cheers -Mathias

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