Any Questions for a Car Dealer?

bowke28 · February 2004

never to ask which specific colors. i ask:

"what type of colors do you prefer, light or dark?"

this keeps people from doing the "i like the color that doesnt exist" dance.

perna · February 2004

On the LS430 I like the "Mica Flint" color. It looks like the same dark metallic grey that Porsche uses, and is pretty sharp.

I owned a white car once, and hated it. I'd rather own a car with that "burnt orange" color that Nissan popularized on their 350Z.

vikd · February 2004

...a GOOD white is actually pretty sharp. My wifes A4 has a gorgeous pearlescent white pearl coat paint job that always gets numerous compliments. We don't see any others this color very often.
I was gonna suggest a black LS but then I remembered how often I have to wash my black GTI! The NW winters pretty much renders my GTI to a constant greyish/brown color... ;<

Regards... Vikd

jasmith52 · February 2004

Whither Pearlescent White !

Oh Pearlescent White - How doth you disapoint me !

My love is of the...

Blanched Chestnut Almond

or perhaps the Platinum Abyss Black

or even the Silver Breeze Gunsmoke

It's so hard - Should I pick of the wrong color my life will be miserable, let alone whether or not I can be seen by my friends without the power fog light ashtray option.

It's so hard.

If it wasn't for my lucky astrology mood-watch...
I just don't know what I'd do

Oh Save me and help me choose my car the Lexus way

vikd · February 2004

... lol ... I'm sort of a primary color guy myself so picking vehicle colors is usually pretty simple. It's funny how many adjectives are used to describe or supplement a color choice; kinda like the paint swatches at Lowes ;-)
Don't remember how many fancy words were used to describe the blackness of my black GTI, all I cared about was that it was black...'course I regret the decision every winter since purchase...

Regards... Vikd

vikd · February 2004

...how's the new (or new-ish) Max treating ya? Still pretty solid?

Regards... Vikd

kyfdx · February 2004

Still looking at Maximas?

regards,
kyfdx

vikd · February 2004

...nah, I missed the boat on the '03's as I was purchasing a home...the '04's just dont do anything for me. I guess I appreciate their capabilities and even like they way they drive, but I am really turned off by the option pkgs and feel the interior needs some serious improvement. I might be interested in a low miler '03 SE 6 spd but I havent seen one anywhere around here; I believe they were in short supply to begin with.

Regards... Vikd

ramped1 · February 2004

Missed the same boat you did. I also wanted an 03 Max but had to buy the house. Still mushing my 92 Maxima ... and while I'm trying to make up my mind what to buy, my wife decided to add a porch. Geez .... Hey, here's a question for car dealers: How do you get your wife to quit dumping so much $$$ into a house and furniture so you can buy a car?

prodigalsun · February 2004

There' starting to come available. Check auto-trader. I'd been looking for an 02-03 6spd for about 6 months, and then low and behold a local dealer got one, with almost all the stuff I wanted. I jumped on it (02, majestic blue, leather, bose, 21500 miles) and have been extremely happy. I'm planning on redoing the suspension, at some point, but for now it fits the bill.

vikd · February 2004

...that's funny cuz not only did I purchase the house, but my wife also bought herself a new (used) car! Sheesh...still wondering how looking for a larger vehicle for me turned in to buying a house and a replacement car for the boss...?! At least she got a four door to replace a smaller four door. Love my GTI but it's getting VERY tiresome to deal with the bigger the toddler gets!

Nice grab prodigal!! Enjoy! Still nothing in this area, though I did see an '03 SE Auto sitting at an Enterprise store...but...nah.

Regards... Vikd

shreddedshoe · February 2004

I need to trade-in my 1yr. old car that still has payments. I'm not upside-down...yet, but I just want to make sure I'm understanding what I have researched. The car is worth about 16K trade and I still owe about 13K. So basically I would be getting 3K for it. Is this correct?

Thanks

719b · February 2004

better check your math (20+13-16=20). looks like you just took away the little equity he had in the car.
should be (20+13-16=17).

steine13 · February 2004

Come on now, don't be shy, whaddayagot? Make, model, miles, color, location, transmission, let's have it -- we're all adults here.
Well, except Terry maybe...
-Mathias

driftracer · February 2004

"So basically I would be getting 3K for it."

No, you wouldn't.

You wouldn't get 3k for it, right? You'd get $16k, and because you still owe $13k, you'd have $3k equity.

It isn't like anyone would accept $3k against a $16k car...

joatmon · February 2004

afterall, he's not a customer

driftracer · February 2004

that's not nice.

The guy stated "I'd only be getting $3k for the car", and that simply isn't correct and it sounds like he thinks the dealer is going to nail him no matter what.

Let's say you sold the car privately, leaving dealers out of the mix. It's worth $16,000. You advertise it and sell it for that. You then pay off a $13,000 loan to get the new owner the title. You have $3,000 to use as you wish.

Clear enough?

shreddedshoe · February 2004

Right...I figured that I would get the 16, but since I still owe 13 for it, that would leave me 3K to put towards the new car. Whether I trade it or sell private, I'm still left with 3K in the end. That's what I was figuring, I just wanted to make sure.

Thank you everyone.

manamal · February 2004

I agree that, on paper, SAABS have horrible resale values. However, when you factor in the incentives at purchase, I am not sure if it is that bad.

As an example, I will use a 2001 SAAB 9-5 SE wagon compared with a 2002 Honda Odyssey EX. I chose these two cars,because in Dec 2001, my wife and I cross shopped those two and I know what they cost to purchase.

SAAB: 30500 + TTL (MSRP ~39500)
Honda: 29500 + TTL (MSRP ~27000)

Note that the only way to buy the Oddy in DC area at that time was to pay about 2500 over list (had to buy appearacnce package, pinstriping, ... + at least 1K ADM).

Today, a 2002 Honda Oddysey EX w/ 30K miles runs about 22K in the DC area. The SAAB could be bought for about 20K.

Sure, the SAAB depreciated faster, but when conmparing actualy purchase prices, it is not as bad as it looks.

driftracer · February 2004

they thought I was scamming you and I don't even know you!

thel · February 2004

I think joatman was just pulling your leg, relax bro.

driftracer · February 2004

that's why I didn't yell.

bowke28 · February 2004

ill ask again. what do you have? what are you lo0oking at? curious minds want to know! ;-)

shreddedshoe · February 2004

Acura RSX, auto, cloth, white, 11,600 mi. After doing an obscene amount of research on dozens of suvs and cars for way too long, I thought I knew what I wanted. The Acura seemed to suit my needs very well and really, on a daily basis, it does. After living with the car for the past year I've come to realize that although it's a great car and at the time it was the right choice, I should have gotten something like a CR-V or maybe a Subaru...something a little bigger, a little more versatile. I'm thinking in the long term. I have 4 more years of payments on this car...at that point I would get rid of it and get something else...my problem with that is I don't want another 3-4 years of car payments. I'm locked in for the next 4 years, fine, but at the end of that I want to be done...I want to pay off the car and be able to keep it for a few years or longer. The bottom line is that this isn't a long term car and I would rather be making payments on something that I know I will be keeping for a while after I pay it off.

shreddedshoe · February 2004

And I guess, to be honest, I'm just not 100% satisfied with the car. It's a great car don't get me wrong, but I guess things that I didn't think really mattered to me then, do now. The whole thing makes me feel irresponsible and indecisive. But there are far worse things in world, right?

bowke28 · February 2004

with lots of honda/acura experience, $16k is a good number to shoot for in a private party sale...maybe even $16500. but trade-in will more likely be around $14500-$15000. your region can affect that, of course, but usually not more than a few hunskys. check out "real world trade-in values" in the smart shopper boards.

shreddedshoe · February 2004

Thanks, I will.

ramped · February 2004

You're doing the right thing. I did about the same thing you did when I bought a '96 Integra back in Jan. 1997. I loved the car and it was great, but I realized very quickly that with two small children a compact two-door manual shift just wasn't going to get the job done over the long haul.

Kept it for a couple of years before trading it for the wife's SUV. Sometimes even great cars like the small Acuras turn out to be the wrong choice. Good luck on your shopping expedition.

vikd · February 2004

...I bet you could go to your local indy car stereo store and get a sat system with a cd chngr installed for less than you might think; certainly less than what you might pay at the infinity shop. not sure if you desire the clean, OEM look, but I bet you could find a pretty unobtrusive aftermarket head unit that will perform what you require without the current growth protruding from your dash ;-)

Good to hear all is well with the Max! Still bummin' I missed the boat on those 03's. I occasionally scan the pre-owned areas in my neck of the woods for an SE 6 spd but to no avail thus far...

Shred- What is it about the RSX that causes you to be less than 100% satisfied?...other than the fact that it's really not a vehicle that can grow with you...? just curious.

Regards... Vikd

shreddedshoe · February 2004

Thanks. Someone at work told me the same thing...they had a car that was great but for various reasons had to get rid of it before it was paid off. Traded it for something more suitable. I may be returning to school at some point in the future which is going to require me to work part time...can't have a car payment. There is also going to be a new puppy and a new bicycle in the near future and down the road kids could happen too.

shreddedshoe · February 2004

You know, to be quite honest, I think my disatisfaction is really more with my decision than with the car itself. I really can't say anything bad about the car. What kills me is the fact that I spent over a year researching dozens of cars and suvs, buying tips, test drives, etc. and I still didn't get it right. This was my first new car in 9 years and I was really trying to get something that would be suitable long term. But when it came right down to it, I just couldn't forsee what my needs would be 5 or so years down the road. I kept thinking well, I really don't need this or that right now...buy what suits you now. A year later however I think I have a little bit better direction and inclination of what I am going to need.
The more I think about it though, the more I think I'm making a bigger deal out of this than necessary. People seem to do this alot (buy and trade short term, outstanding balance, upside-down, whatever), it's just that I never have, so it kinda bugs me.

stevenq99 · February 2004

I am surprised the pro's haven't said this yet but you should just live with your "mistake". You have all ready taken the big hit on depreciation and to sell it now and but something else just because you might need it 5 years down the road seems like a poor idea. I like to think of it as an investment(a poor one at that)if you were to trade now the aprox. $3000 in equity you have now would dissapear from the instant off the lot depreciation of whatever you buy. I would be happy to know I wsa upside-up and could trade if needed.

rroyce10 · February 2004

.... ** But when it came right down to it, I just couldn't forsee what my needs would be 5 or so years down the road. **

You, and 12 million other people that year ....

Terry.

exb0 · February 2004

Enjoy driving your sporty coupe now, because youll probably never have that luxury after you have kids. By the time they are out of the house, you will be too old and your back will hurt too much getting in and out of the sports car.

When I got married, my wife wanted a 626 coupe. I told her that she should get a four door because eventually we will have kids. Well guess what, the car was stolen and it was recovered damaged. We traded it for a four door Camry, because we were planning to have a child. Three years later we had twins instead of one. Camry had to be traded in for a minivan, because twin stroller wouldnt fit into Camrys trunk. Fifteen years later my wife is still reminding me that I didnt let her have the experience of a sports car.

Like you said, you cant foresee the future. You have already taken the biggest depression hit on your Accura; from now on your equity will only get bigger. When you need a bigger car then get it. Financially it probably wont make any difference in the long run.

shreddedshoe · February 2004

You are all absolutely right and I have no regrets about buying my Acura. I'm glad I got the opportunity to drive a sporty little car, not everyone does...although not everyone wants to either, that's really a matter of likes and dislikes, but that's a whole other topic. Anyway, I know I will take a hit if I trade right now and to be honest I really don't "need" to at this moment. I'm just researching my options. The bottom line is that right now, while I'm working full time and have no other committments, I can make car payments. In 4 or 5 years there is a very good chance that I will not be able to. I'm planning on returning to college possibly this fall to pursue a new career and at some point I will have to stop working full time to accomodate my curriculum. Also, if we have children, I or possibly my husband will be staying home, at least for a while in the beginning. That's why I'm looking into this now. And on a lesser note, I need to put a bike and/or a roof rack on the car and I'm striking out with that. Those are two things that I didn't need when I bought the car but I need now. But we'll see.

I do appreciate everyone's comments and thoughts though, any info always helps. (It all makes time go by faster at work too!) ; )

ipoddin · February 2004

In a lease, how is the consumer supposed to know what the acquisition fee should be or if it's being marked up considerably? Is $700 for an '04 Chrysler Pacifica marked up? By how much? How do I know? How do I negotiate this part?

chorton · February 2004

That fee is not set by the dealer. It is set by the lease company. The dealer has nothing to do with it. just pay it and go on.

ipoddin · February 2004

But can't the dealer mark it up? How do I know this is the actual fee? I have no problem paying it and I am not trying to negotiate out of paying it, but I just want to make sure it's fair.

raybear · February 2004

In some instances a dealer can mark up the acquisition fee.

kyfdx · February 2004

He may be marking it up, but... All the acquisition fees on manufacturer lease programs that I have seen are between $495 and $700. (Excepting the Northeast). Some leases run through independent banks may have higher fees.

At $700, he can't be marking it up much, if he is. Maybe a Chrysler dealer can chime in with the base acquisition fee from Chrysler Finance?

chorton · February 2004

In the lease program there are three things the dealer can mark up, the price of the car, the lease factor (money factor), and any extended warranty or service contract. Like I said earlier, the acq. fee's are set by the lease co. and they get all of it. According to my memory.

kyfdx · February 2004

In fact, BMWFS specifically allows their dealers to mark up the acquisition fee. They may charge up to $725. BMWFS only gets $525 of it.

regards,
kyfdx

bowke28 · February 2004

dealers cant mark them up...only with independent banks...most of which are out of the leasing business now.

kyfdx · February 2004

but look at the example above.. If you don't believe me, call one of your buddies at Sam Swope...

regards,
kyfdx

bowke28 · February 2004

i was talking about the money factors, not the acquisition fees. sorry.

audia8q · February 2004

marking up the money factor isnt too beneficial for the dealer. Usually a portion of the mark-up is kept by the leasing company. Some as much as half.

volvomax · February 2004

can be marked up most of the time.
Its rare though. Most of the time the dealer would rather mark up the acq fee.

raybear · February 2004

I will usually mark up a rate before a fee.

driftracer · February 2004

with Isuzu, we marked up money factors, but not with Honda and VW...

Our ADP screen doesn't allow us to mark up the acquisition fee (if there is one) - it's a prompt based on choosing the lender and lease program - it's just there in the screen and can't be modified. If it was modified somehow, I could see getting us in trouble for it.

ipoddin · February 2004

The money factor is not marked up. I checked on this site for the top tier money factor and I saw on paper that that was what he was giving me.

I'm not saying he is marking up the acq fee. But $700 seems a little high to me.

Any Questions for a Car Dealer?

Comments

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles