Reasonable dealer price for my 2002 Acura 1.7EL Premium?

[vincent]

I'm looking to trade in my car for a TSX...i have been offered $14,500 for my car:

2002 Acura 1.7EL Premium
Black/Black leather interior
Automatic
20,000 km
Excellent shape

This seems like a real lowball offer to me.  The "median" asking price for this car, according to AutoTrader is $18,796, most of which have more mileage than my car.  My guess is that the dealer would turn around and want $20,000 for this car.

What would be a reasonable trade price for this car?  Obviously there are some tax benefits to trading, so i'm willing to take less than i would get selling privately (duh).  I'm thinking roughly $17,000 from a dealer is fair.  Am i out to lunch?}

[Mdxtasy]

Low: $15,100.00      
High: $16,200.00
less Reconditioning Costs is what the black book says.  You can get there from the www.toyota.ca site.  

I had a 2001 and was offered 14G for it 8 months ago.  I had 88K on it and it was a 5spd.

[vincent]

Thanks for the link MDxtasy.

So just so i understand you correctly, the dealer should be offering me something in that range ($15,100-16,200)?

I should also have added that they offered me $1500 off a 2004 TSX (brand new, not manager driven like my other thread)....and that was all from a phone call, no visit yet.  I'm thinking that if i could get the dealer closer to 16k for my trade that it will be a done deal.

[johngenx]

Dealers won't pay retail for a trade.  Sell it privately for retail price.  You'll NEVER get a good price trading.

Acura products are easy sellers.  Don't trade it.

[Mdxtasy]

If you have the time to sell yourself, the extra 2-3 G will be nice to have.  Trade in offers less hassle and time.  Your car sounds like it's in good condition...no accidents or anything.  Glass is good.  No scratches or paint chips.  Each one of those things the dealer will ding you for.  As for 17G...you are a little high.  I would expect them to come up from their offer into the range from the black book.  As for the 1500 discount on a TSX...should not matter.  Try and deal with each transaction indivdually.  He WILL make money on your EL.

[eax]

It would be VERY tough to sell that car privately.  Customers would rather buy a like new car from a dealer.  More likely than not, they will also require financing.  I'd trade it in.  My # would be $15200-$15400.  You would have to get around $17500-$17700 privately to get the same deal.  If the median price in the trader is $18000G, how much discount would you negotiate for on a used car?  The DREAMERS also pull up that median price, so it has to be taken with a grain of salt.  I think you have to be realistic.  Your trade-in # is fair.  

[wing]

Do cars actually sell in the auto-trader?  Newer cars I mean.

All I see are overpriced ones.  Come on '03 and '02 S2000's for $45,000, you can get a NEW one for less.  What are these people smoking!???

[eax]

exactly my point...most people selling 1 yr-2yr old cars have loans/interest ON TOP of the actual value of the vehicle....they need to pay that off and think that someone's crazy enough to pay more for a used car...

[Roadrunner]

You sure got that right Eax. Even a lot of the older ones sell the same way!

[johngenx]

My wife has sold some late model used cars through the auto trader.  One was an E-Class Mercedes that we sold for nearly $50,000.  She NEVER trades, and gets full retail.

Sure, people have to have financing for pricier used cars, but so what?  That's what banks are for.

We have only traded one car, and that was a broken Acura that would have required some serious bucks invested prior to sale.  We took wholesale to get rid of it.

Not sure about you rich folks, but for the extra $2000 or more, I'd at least try to sell it privately.  Guess I just don't have the disposable cash to toss $2G without thinking...

[ovr50]

I've had good luck selling thru the AutoTrader; that's how I sold the Z28 in April '01 and how I just bot the Bullitt. I also sold several others in AT over the past 10 years or so. Good exposure and beats just running local ads (especially if you're in a smaller city like Kelowna).

[Mdxtasy]

For me, time is money.  Being on the clock, every minute I am not working, I am not billing and thus not making money.  Personally, I would rather not spend the time selling privately and forgo the extra few thousand and trade that sucker in.  It's not a matter of just tossing it in....the time it may take to sell a car...I might lose more than 2G in billing hours.  That....would be not good.

[Snowman]

AT works for me….sold trucks, cars, boats, and sleds…. even had a bidding war for my sled last year. The guy deposited the money in my bank account then picked it up a week later.

[leteyz]

Hey Vincent,

How's it going? If you are serious about selling your Acura 1.7, give me a shout.  My email is patrickleung@hotmail.com.  I am SERIOUSLY shopping for an Acura 1.7 right now.  Email me and if you want, we can meet up so I can take a look at it.  (if possible, reply soon b/c i am looking to buy soon)

Patrick

[leteyz]

Hey vincent,

by the way, whereabouts do you live???  I forgot that this might not be a local site.

Patrick

[countrybear]

I am a newbie when it comes to buying new but when it comes to used try this.  Ignore what value of the car they want to give, narrow in on the difference because that is what will affect you in the long run...  Pay too much difference in the beginning and the car will depreciate faster that you pay it off, get a good difference and then you are ahead of depreciation...  Anyone disagree?