.....for my 2004 Corolla CE with 75,200 miles, automatic, with CD/Cassettte, in excellent condition. What do you think the dealership will offer me as trade-in value. What is a fair offer? Thanks
By
enotoga, January 14, 2008
.....for my 2004 Corolla CE with 75,200 miles, automatic, with CD/Cassettte, in excellent condition. What do you think the dealership will offer me as trade-in value. What is a fair offer? Thanks
KBB and NADA are more for a point of reference, not to be taken as the exact amount you would get. It really depends on the dealership, the car's condition/demand, and what type of deal you strike. A while back, I was looking to trade my Corolla into a Nissan dealership which had recently gotten in a Lexus SC300 (the car I absolutely love). At first, they were only going to give me $3500 for my car, even though KBB listed it at $4400 trade-in at the time for good condition. When I backed out of the deal, they started offering me more incentives, such as higher trade-in or a lower sticker price.
It all really depends on how much you push the dealer. Usually they will try and start you off with a low-ball price to catch the suckers who don't know how to negotiate. From there, you can either work on the trade-in price, or work on the sticker price.
Bikeman982
I would check KBB. You never get what you want from a dealer, unless he can make it up on the sale of the new car (sometimes hidden in longer payments or higher interest).
You always get more if you sell it to a private party, although it takes longer and you might have to pay to advertise it.
I would check KBB. You never get what you want from a dealer, unless he can make it up on the sale of the new car (sometimes hidden in longer payments or higher interest).You always get more if you sell it to a private party, although it takes longer and you might have to pay to advertise it.
I got $7,500 for my 03 CE 57K miles from Carmax. Beat dealer offer. Bought 08 CE in December.
If nearby, you can get a 7 day binding offer from them.
Bikeman982
What was your 03 CE really worth??I would check KBB. You never get what you want from a dealer, unless he can make it up on the sale of the new car (sometimes hidden in longer payments or higher interest).You always get more if you sell it to a private party, although it takes longer and you might have to pay to advertise it.I got $7,500 for my 03 CE 57K miles from Carmax. Beat dealer offer. Bought 08 CE in December.
If nearby, you can get a 7 day binding offer from them.
Gotta remember that each dealer is different.
I know I am not answering your question, but just something to keep in mind.
MANY years ago, I was looking to trade in my RX7. One dealer offered me $3500. I ended up trading it in to a dealer for $7000. -- it was prob worth $3500.
More recently, I helped a few friends sell their cars to various dealer (new & used lots).
It was usually because they had to leave the country quickly (company transfer - not b/c they were running from the law).
There is a car broker close by, and I send a lot of friends to them. They have usually offered to buy for a little below KBB.
Dealer always will try to low-ball (unless they are desperate to make a sale)
good luck
tdk.
What was your 03 CE really worth??I would check KBB. You never get what you want from a dealer, unless he can make it up on the sale of the new car (sometimes hidden in longer payments or higher interest).You always get more if you sell it to a private party, although it takes longer and you might have to pay to advertise it.I got $7,500 for my 03 CE 57K miles from Carmax. Beat dealer offer. Bought 08 CE in December.
If nearby, you can get a 7 day binding offer from them.
Didn't think that much since there were a few cosmetic issues like three small hail dents and a lot of microscratches on the windshield and hood.
Car did have meticulous service history, Optima battery, and nearly new tires.
Carmax paid more than KBB good value in my ZIP area. Dealer was about $300 lower but salesperson picked me up at Carmax to complete deal after I got the draft from Carmax.
Worked out quite well in my judgment. Love the many improvements the 08 has compared to the 03.
Bikeman982
As long as you get what you want for your car when you sell it.
Basically the KBB is a good ballpark amount to start with and can go up or down.
Dealers want to pay as little as possible for your car, since they have to resell it or send to other dealers.
They want to sell you a new car and will pay more for your car than it is worth, just to make the new car sale.
Improvements are part of the technological advances and manufacturers trying to satisfy customers requests.
Great that you are happy with your '08.
As long as you get what you want for your car when you sell it.Basically the KBB is a good ballpark amount to start with and can go up or down.
Dealers want to pay as little as possible for your car, since they have to resell it or send to other dealers.
They want to sell you a new car and will pay more for your car than it is worth, just to make the new car sale.
Improvements are part of the technological advances and manufacturers trying to satisfy customers requests.
Great that you are happy with your '08.
KBB is just a ballpark overall. Should you want to sell it on your own I have a couple of tips. Take really really good pictures and list it on the big three. Autotrader,Cars.com ,Craigs list. Make sure you have 20 plus pictures taken early or late in the day. Check with AAA or a credit union on how much an extended warr. and add that to your price. Optimize the photos by right clicking and going under summary put in a name,description and keywords. The search engines will pick up your listing right away. Have the car super clean when someone comes over and the car will sell.This is a tip from a car dealer Stevens Creek Toyota.
Have the car super clean when someone comes over and the car will sell.This is a tip from a car dealer Stevens Creek Toyota.
Cleanliness is key. In 2002 I looked at a 2000 Mazda Protege ES with every option at my local Ford dealer. It had low miles and was well cared for by a friend of a friend who was the previous owner. The thing was she didn't keep the car clean at all. When she traded the car to the dealer it had a sticky coke ring on the cup holder, mud on the floormats, etc. All the car really needed was a good 2 hour cleaning, but the dealer did not do it. The car sat and sat and no one wanted to drive it because they assumed that it was not well taken care of since it was filthy. It was a tad too small for what I wanted and I was concerned about getting a Mazda serviced locally so I passed on it.
They had the price marked all the way down to $7,500 when it was worth almost $13,000 to try and sell the thing. It never sold and was taken to auction.
In contrast, the 1999 Contour SE Sport I looked at was a low mile car (only 12k) with a couple of options. They wanted $10,000 for it, which was over Blue Book, but it was immaculate inside and out. I bought it the day it came to the lot for $9,000. Unfortunately it turned out to be a bad purchase. The electrical system was quirky and took many trips to the dealer to sort out. By the time the electrical problems were all fixed I was tired of the car and it was going to need some big ticket maintenance items so I traded it on the 2005 Corolla LE that I had as my previous car.
Edmunds.com is also a good place to get a starting point for value. Carmax gave me the best trade-in when I bought the 4Runner. I've heard some "we buy cars" mobile buying agency advertise on the radio. They'll come to you, write a check and leave with your car. They say they will be any dealer offer, even Carmax.
What a dealer will offer will depend on what you are buying from them, the local market, what they already have sitting on the used lot, and the auction value of your car.
Private sale can be the most $$$, but potentially more work. Search locally to get an idea of value.
With expensive gas prices, the used 4-cyl small car market is pretty good.
Bikeman982
You can pay someone to "detail" (clean) your car and that will definitely get you more for it.
A clean car is more desirable for a private party.
Dealers just want to sell you a new car and as long as your old one runs, will accept it as a trade-in.
I would not accept anything less than the KBB value for your area.
