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Smart Shopper Real-World Trade-In Values
36650 messages, Last post on Dec 04, 2008 at 8:59 AM
You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester
Appraise your car
get trade-in, private party, dealer retail values.
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Well, this is a no acronym board, so I'll repost this now that Terry's back. And sorry, kcram, I didn't even use that intentionally--just a normal thing I use on boards. _____________________________________________ For posters that haven't seen this template, since most people aren't like me, bowke, akangl, drift, et al and don't see it everyday, here's a guideline of what should be included for Terry to give you the quickest, most accurate response. Year, Make, Model, Trim line (incl style--coupe, sedan, hatch, etc) Engine (cylinders, size--especially in trucks, there can 2, 3 or 4 different V8s) Color, exterior and interior (it does matter--black on black in Dallas is a lot different than white on tan) Mileage! LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! Zip codes are NOT, NOT, NOT a location. If you are in a metro area, something like "Milwaukee" is fine. if you're suburban, something like "Whitefish Bay, WI (northern Milwaukee suburb)" is great. Something like Beaver, WI is not-so-great. In this case, "rural northern WI" is probably better. Features (the trim line will often tell the story) but more info is better than too little--does it have a 3rd row seat? Rear air? For lower end cars, these that are obvious in higher end cars are not so much here: Is it stick or auto? Does it have air? Cruise control? etc (I have an 01 Pontiac Sunfire, that in probably the most unlikely assembly ever, has air, a power moonroof, traction control, ABS, CD player. But....it has no cruise. What the hell! Somebody less desperate than I was would think twice about this car...) Condition--bear in mind, absolutely no car more than 6 months old with more than 3000 miles is "excellent". It's just not. Tell us about the dents, the little scratches, any carpet stains, Picasso masterpieces, Dairy Queen mishaps, whatever. Problems, repairs done, accidents: If it's a 100K mile 00 300M but you did the timing belt and new water pump, say so. It's ok. Trust me, as someone who likes the 300M, I have no problem with a 100K miler, but I'm a lot more interested if that biggie is done. How old are the tires, the brakes, etc? If it's higher mileage 50-60K a lot of this stuff should be newer. Finally: If your car has over 100K, you should NOT write a post. First, read post #20851. No, really, I'm serious--read it and it will help you in the long run. A car's true value is not a personal attack--it's just a reflection of the market is paying for your car. The mantra: Terry loves details!
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Replying to: tornado25 (Sep 07, 2004 9:10 am) 
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Replying to: qbrozen (Sep 07, 2004 9:17 am) A Lexus or Honda owner usually knows that their cars are in a different category than a miled-up Ford Escort, so while a 130k Lexus LS400 can't be a normal retail unit at a dealership with normal warranties, financing, and dealer support, they have a strong place in the used car market with private buyers and BHPH places. |
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Hello there, how are you doing? I'm planning to sell my 2001 BMW 530i and was wondering how much I can expect to receive if I trade it in. I have meticulously taken care of the car and it is truly in extremely good condition. Here are the details: 38500 miles; dark blue exterior; beige leather inside with wood trim; dual front air bags, side-impact airbags; traction control; dynamic stability control; power doors, windows (1-touch up/down for all windows), driver seat (10 ways); automatic climate control; 6-disc CD player, cassette & AM/FM with premium sound system; navigation system and park distance control; vehicle and key memory. The interior is spotless - no scratches or stains. The exterior only has a small scratch on the rear fender. The car suffered some hail damage on the hood and trunk which was fixed by replacing the hood and trunk panels. I don't want to go through the hassle of selling to a private party so I'm leaning toward trading it in. I wish there was a CarMax in my state (NJ) bcoz then I would have tried it. Is there anything else like it? Thanks a lot in advance for any help you can provide. Have a great day! spc |
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Replying to: spchan (Sep 07, 2004 10:20 am) Premium package includes the sunroof, right? He'll need to know where in Joisey, and whether it's manual/auto. Good luck!
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| You don't say, but I assume this is an AT with a moonroof. Sport package? | |
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Thanks for the feedback. It seems like all the positive things people say about Lexus reliability (& longetivity) is true. I think I may try to get away from my German car fetish with my next auto purchase....... >>Our 94 LS400 has been fairly flawless although we've only driven it 10,000 miles in the last 3 1/2 years........ I wouldn't be scared of a 10 year old SC300 or 400. >>
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Replying to: alfox (Sep 07, 2004 10:28 am) Yes, the premium package does include a powered moonroof. I forgot to mention that the car also has an auto-dimming rear view mirror and rain sensing automatic wipers. The car is a 5-speed automatic with "Steptronic" and it's garaged in Monmouth County, NJ. Thanks for pointing out the missing details - I'm new to this message board. spc |
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Replying to: stickguy (Sep 07, 2004 9:02 am) But most important, the the words: supplier plans, "A/X" plans, etc, don't guarantee anything - and it's important that folks know *Exactly* how they work and take full advantage of them (if they qualify) .. I just spent the last hour on the phone "unwinding" a deal that went down in Ohio for a friend (a 25 year Ford employee) who's Dad went in to buy an Escape (that I picked out last Wednesday) and he went home in a *04 leased* Exploder on Saturday and I didn't find out til' late this morning, so much for that deal ... they need to read those programs VERY closely and know them "inside and out" ~ just because you go in saying I'm on the "A" plan doesn't mean your going to get one, they might end up driving home on the Bozo plan ......................... Terry. |
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that's why you need to have them put it in writing. It's a lot harder to obfuscate a purchase order than when you're tossing numbers around a cubicle, and as a buyer not quite sure what's going on (not that a salesperson would ever intentionally want that to happen
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Smart Shopper Real-World Trade-In Values
