Real-World Trade-In Values

roadburner · June 2013

Looking all over the map- Abarth/Boxster/Focus ST/Wrangler... :P

In Louisville, KY:
2007 Mazdaspeed3
Wagon
2.3 Turbo Four/Six Speed Manual
FWD
123,000 miles
Blue Gray Mica/Black
Grand Touring Package(Includes leather, xenons, Bose stereo w/six disc changer), Wheel locks
Excellent condition, very minor chips on nose, no dents.
Tires: 25% worn
Brakes: 50% worn
Maintenance: Mobil 1 5W-30 oil changes + all Mazda recommended service; Just had the major(60k) service performed along with a new serpentine belt and brake fluid flush

kyfdx · June 2013

Dang it! 3 months ago, I was looking for a sporty $8K car!!

qbrozen · June 2013

higher miles than anything else that has gone through. I'd guess around $7500.

roadburner · June 2013

Thanks!

nyccarguy · June 2013

Roadburner - I understand the ST, the Boxster, the Wrangler (you have 1 already, you want a 2nd?)

I'm sure the Abarth drives nice enough for you to consider it, but that is one funky looking vehicle.

roadburner · June 2013

Well, the ST sold(in retrospect it was really a lateral move- more features than my MS3, but in all other aspects very similar. The Wrangler plan was attacking the problem from a different angle; sell the 2002, MS3, and Wrangler and get a 2012-2013 model(the 3.6 is vastly superior to the 3.8). I'd drive it for work the last 18-20 months of my job at which point I'd flip it to my son and sell the X3. I would then begin my search for a Z4 M Coupe. 15i M sport, Cayman S, etc.

As for the Abarth, what can I say? I just like it; as Road & Track described it, it's a "motorized barstool on crack." The car I'm looking at is identical to this one except that it has the upgraded sound system:

And it would be cheap to run; 10k mile service intervals and reasonably priced 17" tires. When Jeremy Clarkson reviewed it for Top Gear he said it reminded him of the original GTI(the Mk I)- light, tossable, just enough power- and I think he's right.

nyccarguy · June 2013

That black/black wheels/red interior is better looking than the other Fiats I've seen on the road. Those seats look super supportive.

I'm interested in your thoughts on the latest Wrangler? Which way would you go with that? 2 Door or 4 Door? Sport, Sahara, or Rubicon? Stick or Auto? I like this Wrangler idea better than the Abarth.

nyccarguy · June 2013

I definitely understand pulling yourself in different directions. I'm going to be very busy test driving cars next summer. You know from my ramblings on CCBA that I'm going to drive a Fit Sport, CRV, Wrangler Unlimited, & a HEMI Powered AWD Charger... To name a few.

isellhondas · June 2013

Wow....are you all over the board or WHAT??

roadburner · June 2013

I'm interested in your thoughts on the latest Wrangler? Which way would you go with that?

2 or 4 door: Personal preference; I like the shorter 2 door. CR claims the 2 door is more reliable, but I can't see why one would be more trouble-free than the other.

Sport/Sahara/Rubicon: Unless you plan to actually go on some serious off-road expeditions, the Rubicon is massive overkill- Kind of like buying a Competition Package M3 or Boss 302 Laguna Seca and never taking it to the track.
As for the Sport or Sahara trim levels, the best thing to do is to build them online with the options you want and see what comes out cheaper. I think the Sahara also offers some options which are unavailable on the Sport.

Stick/Auto: Again, personal preference- drive both and see what you like; the Wrangler I'm looking at is a 2 door automatic, which would allow my wife to drive it- it also has the limited-slip rear diff and the Alpine stereo upgrade.

nyccarguy · June 2013

Craig - you know I'm a certified lunatic! Problem is that there is nothing out there that "I gotta have" in my price range anyway (if anybody wins the lottery, I'll take a base 911 C2, you can pick the color). I've actually taken some advice out of your playbook that you've said over the years. How many times did someone come into your store looking for an Accord. They "had to have" an EX-L V6 w/ Navigation when they should have just bought an LX or EX. I absolutely LOVE the way my BMW drives, but for my 65 mile round trip 6 day a week commute do I really need the Ultimate Driving Machine? I barely ever use the car's Navigation, I cringe every time I whack a pot hole with the 45 series 17" low profile run flat tires.

To me, The Fit is about as basic "old school Honda" as a modern car gets. It's cheap to own & operate. I can throw a set of winter tires on to get me through the moderate (very) southern, New England winters. I could buy it, and pay it off relatively quickly, and ALWAYS be able to get out of it as they bring stupid money used.

My mindset with the CR-V is somewhat the same. Except that it has 4WD and could (one day) fit the 5 of us instead of taking the Pilot everywhere.

I just think the Jeep is so cool. I love the idea of a 4 door, 4WD convertible. I'd go with a lightly optioned Sahara most likely. I have to drive it first.

The Charger is just out of left field. V8 (I've always wanted one), RWD (based) American Sedan. They usually have killer trunk money + cheap financing available.

isellhondas · June 2013

Our son just HAD to have a Jeep Wrangler last summer and he bought one.

It's not a Rubicon but the one right under it. It's a four door with the hard top.

The first thing he did was upgrade the tires. I got to store the old ones in our garage until we finally dumped them on Craigslist.

He LOVES his Jeep. I'm happy it's his and not ours.

It's nasty to get into, not very comfortable either.

We drove a 2 door model and they bounce all over the road compared to the four doors. He swears the Pentastar V-6 is giving him over 20 MPG on the road.

Last month he talked me into an off road "adventure".. It was fun, scary, and exciting all at the same time. Everyone get's lost on those primitive trails that I would be afraid to even hike on.

Still, I had to admit I was impressed by that Jeeps ability to get through some NASTY terrain, mid, boulders, tree stumps etc.

I think I would take a Fit or a CRV !

corvette · June 2013

Just split the difference and put a HEMI in a Fit! :P

(Sacrilege, I know...)

corvette · June 2013

How many times did someone come into your store looking for an Accord. They "had to have" an EX-L V6 w/ Navigation when they should have just bought an LX or EX.

I'll bite, since my GLI is the top-of-the-line model, and I was comparing it to an Accord EX-L V6 or Accord Touring. Some things I'm easily willing to live without--built-in navigation, XM radio, and a power driver's seat. Some things I really like but aren't essential--xenon headlights, leather/pleather. Some things I would strongly prefer not to live without--keyless access and keyless ignition, a sunroof, Bluetooth audio streaming, and audio controls on the steering wheel. A mid-level Accord or Altima has most of my essential features, and I will consider that again when the time comes.

nyccarguy · June 2013

That could work. Make it rear engine/RWD...

nyccarguy · June 2013

Like I said too, there are many things I LOVE about my BMW. It's brilliant driving dynamics are a given. The swiveling bi-xenon headlights are bright as day, the heated seats & steering wheel make cool mornings a lot easier to tolerate, the AWD was simply amazing on those few days we got nasty storms, but I lived with FWD & snows from 2002 until 2009. I like these, but could definitely live without them. In addition to the navigation which I could definitely live without.

ohenryx · June 2013

Xenon headlights are a big plus, I'll admit. Not absolutely necessary, but ...

XM radio is nice, as is a USB port which will play MP3 files from a flash drive and display the song titles.

Decent power, ability to merge with the freeway traffic and pass on a 2 lane road.

The only thing I need less than a heated seat is AWD. Definitely not on my list.

Also not on my list is a sunroof, it detracts from the headroom, and I need all I can get. The last time I was looking, I knocked the Honda Accord off the list because I could not get the V6 without the sunroof.

Navigation, no way. I usually know where I'm going when I leave the house, and if I don't, google maps is wonderful.

Would I like to have a Charger with the Hemi? Well, yeah, who wouldn't? But when I looked a few months ago, there were none in the greater Houston area for less than $32k. Now perhaps a Mustang GT like Qbrozen recently bought...

jpp75 · June 2013

My uncle had a 2002 DeVille that used oil, about a quart every 1,000 miles. He took it in for service and called Cadillac several times but was told this was "normal". He drove it for about 8 years and swore it would be his last Cadillac.

isellhondas · June 2013

In addition to leaking oil, I've heard that Northstars tend to use a bit of oil as part of their normal operation.

For me, using a quart of oil every 1000 miles wouldn't be a big deal assuming it didn't get worse.

By 2002 I think they had solved the oil leak problem so it was probably just burning a bit.

So, if his next car uses a bit of oil he will probably never own another of that make either?

ohenryx · June 2013

I have seen a great many cars (newer and older) that used oil. It was a fairly common thing back in the 60's and 70's. If I purchased a new car today, and it went through one quart per 1,000 miles, I would probably be unhappy about that. Back in the day, no, not so much.

With my 99 Northstar, I never added oil between changes. With the 98, it did happen once or twice when I tried to extend oil change intervals out to 5k miles. When I changed the oil at 3k miles,I never once added oil between changes.

roadburner · June 2013

My 1995 318ti has used a quart every 2,500 miles or so since it was new- no big deal. My other cars hardly use any oil.

isellhondas · June 2013

Back in the "old days" it wasn't uncommon for cars to use a quart of oil every other gas fillup. Nobody thought anything about it. It was normal.

Of course, some of beaters I had as a kid used a LOT more than that.

All cars use "some" oil. They have to.

ohenryx · June 2013

The 2nd car I ever owned was a 59 Chevrolet. Cost me $75, had stuck piston rings and used a quart of oil every 75 miles. I used to buy recycled oil, if I remember correctly it was 19 cents a quart.

Both rear floorboards were rusted completely out, we patched it with tin, as in roofing tin. Nice car, I remember it fondly.

isellhondas · June 2013

Rust was unheard of in So. Calif where I grew up but I had a 62 Rambler American Convertible that used a quart of oil every 300 miles.

It didn't smoke and it didn't leak it just used oil and the previous owner told me it had always done that and it never got worse.

I didn't have the heart to use reclaimed oil so I used just 30 weight.

corvette · June 2013

2007 Audi A4 2.0T - burned about 1/2 quart after a 3,000 mile road trip.
2013 Jetta GLI - no noticeable oil consumption in 5,500 miles.
2013 Dell laptop - I'm gonna scream if the Windows 8.1 Preview doesn't install on the 10th try. :mad:

28firefighter · June 2013

2008 Audi S5 Quattro Coupe
Prestige
6-spd
Deep Blue
Ivory Interior
80,000 miles

All options with Prestige including Nav, Bang & Olufsen, Keyless start
Car as a 1 accident history (not salvage) that was repaired - minor parking lot incident

Car is otherwise in pretty good shape - serviced regularly at Audi but wear consistent with 80k car.

Trade and Retail values?

I think my Dad is nuts on this one, but I said I'd ask the gurus. Philly area.

corvette · June 2013

Deep Blue
Ivory Interior

That is a beautiful color combination and I can understand why your dad might be infatuated with it!

28firefighter · June 2013

Funny enough, it is not the color combination that he is drooling over. He likes the 4.2 V8 engine it has paired with the 6spd stick -- a similar engine to the one he had in his 1998 A8.

The dealer is asking 27,900 which seems insanely high to me given the accident history and miles, but maybe I'm off base.

gtrips07 · June 2013

Atlanta, Ga
2012/Acura/MDX
Advance w/ Tech
12,000 Miles
White
Tires like new
No damage dealer serviced

qbrozen · July 2013

tough for me to pin down without really seeing the repaired damage. Without that history, it would be a $26k-27k car at auction. So it sounds like they are taking the history into account to some degree.

A few ways of looking at this, I suppose. Its not like a buyer can walk down the street and find another one. So how much does that history really hurt it? I suppose that's for you to decide.

qbrozen · July 2013

maybe $36k.

robbieg · July 2013

32,000 is a lot. When I price cars, it is what else could I get for the same amount. I don't necessarily stick with a cars competitors. 32,000 gets you some pretty nice cars. Especially, when you are open to a gently used car.

I have been looking for a used 2012 or 20113 Enclave but my go to dealer hasn't had one in a few months. Typically my go to dealer would have 5 or 6 on the lot at all times. Are used ones out there or did the 2013 refresh screw up the used supply?

28firefighter · July 2013

Apparently it was only a front bumper replaced - which really isn't bad. Does seem priced close to fair.

The Mustang is going on AutoTrader this week and once that goes, the search for a replacement will heat up.

Thanks, Q!

sebring95 · July 2013

Whoof. I'm hoping the resale bounces up on these once all the '13 models are blown out. The '14 models are rolling out now so there will soon be a much wider margin between an new MDX and a lightly used one. I think I would have to wait a few months before getting out of a '11/'12/'13 MDX.

steine13 · July 2013

For a new colleague -- recently arrived from the Vaterland:

2010 Mazda 3s
5door
2.5L 4cyl
5sp auto
44,548 mi

'Graphite Mica' = dark gray.
Clean car, no paintwork, appears to have
been maintained.
Two light accidents shown on carfax; one "cyclist" one "animal."

Easy on the car, harder on the targets...

At a local mazda dealer, has been
in inventory for a little over a month.
http://www.crippencars.com/used-inventory/JM1BL1H56A1308078#Details

What are they doing at the auction?
And what should he pay for this gem?

As always, your help is much appreciated -- many thanks in advance!

Cheers -Mathias

explorerx4 · July 2013

My next door neighbor is going to sell his mom's car as she doesn't drive anymore.

Central CT, if the location matters

1996 Olds Ciera SL
4 door sedan
3.1 V6/Auto
FWD
White/Burgundy
78K
A/C blows cold air!

Just spent 5 hours cleaning it.

Paint is really good, but front bumper has a gap between it and the grille and the headlights look like they were replaced. Back bumper show some crazing, also.
Interior is immaculate(I found 1 wear spot on the driver's door grab handle, all carpeting looks new).

Tires and battery are in new condition. Oil needs changing and emissions are due next month.
It has a small oil leak.

Steering and brakes feel fine, but it did hesitate the first time I left from a stop sign. After that, it started/stopped normally.

Looks like this except no pin stripe:

ohenryx · July 2013

This ought to prove interesting. I seriously doubt there are very many of these going through the auctions. What is that, 17 years old? (smile)

explorerx4 · July 2013

Q is always willing to provide a number range.
It's not going to be a big number, no matter what.

tjc78 · July 2013

What a great car for a new driver! I'm gonna say list it at 3000 and take anything over 2400. I'm sure Q can do better but that's my gut feeling on it.

explorerx4 · July 2013

How about list at 2995?

My same neighbor sold his 10 year old Saab a couple of months ago, and was happy with what he got for it, so he is willing to do some negotiation.

mkupneski · July 2013

Hoping you can help me get a good a good real world trade in estimate.........

2010 Lexus IS350C F-Sport Convertible
Mason, OH 45040
3.5l V6 automatic
22k miles
Black / Black
All majors options including NAV
Good condition - 17 months warranty remaining

Michael

qbrozen · July 2013

I don't think it will go up. I believe what has always hurt these is the existence of the Pilot. When I can get a brand new Pilot Touring for $37k, it makes the used MDX a much tougher sell.

sebring95 · July 2013

Could be. But the resale on the MDX was quite strong until they started discounting the heck out of them last year. There's also a bigger difference between Pilot and MDX than I thought. On paper, we were quite interested in Pilot. Back-to-back test drives with an MDX and that Pilot needs to be a LOT cheaper to close the deal. At the time we bought there was only about $2k difference between new Pilot Touring and MDX Tech. Now the 2014 MDX is about $10k more than the Pilot.

qbrozen · July 2013

sorry about missing this before (and the others I'm about to post).

In MI, it would be right around low-to-mid $12k at auction. Probably low 12 given the history. So their asking price is quite fair. I'd only be looking for another $500 off.

qbrozen · July 2013

tough one as I can't really pin down comparables. Should be in that $30k zip code.

qbrozen · July 2013

I really really thought I responded to this. Well, could be the car is sold already, but I think the others have already said it. Its worth what someone is willing to pay. I think $3500 asking wouldn't kill anyone. If he's real patient and bold, maybe even $3995.

explorerx4 · July 2013

Not a problem and thanks for the reply.
Not exactly a high demand car.

billiejod · July 2013

what is the value for jeep cj5 1977
new top
new seats
56,000 miles
-floor board rust
-3 spd, 2nd gear out (transmission)

ohenryx · July 2013

Qbrozen continues to get the weird ones! I mean, really, a 36 year old jeep with the floor boards rusted out and the transmission busted?

Being a jeep, it will be worth more than one might think. But I really, really doubt there have been very many similar vehicles going through the auctions lately.

And by the way, it really does matter what part of this wide world you are in. Jeeps are much more popular in some areas than in others.

qbrozen · July 2013

This is a far more suitable discussion for your question.

There is no way to verify the miles. You almost have to assume it has turned over AT LEAST once.

When you repost there, much more information would be helpful. What is the condition of the rest of the vehicle? All 4 fenders rust free and no diamond plating covering them? How is the spare tire carrier? Any rust there? What about the rollbar joints at the floor? How about the frame? How has the vehicle been bastardized since inception (nearly impossible to find a jeep that is all original).

Real-World Trade-In Values

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