Edmunds-KBB etc.

[yamura]

My spouse & I expect to be looking at a 6s tomorrow (new '06 V6, 5 sp manual) where the I-Net Sales Mgr has already offered what I think is an outstanding price. We will probably offer our current (owned outright) car as trade. I've done some research on Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds, NADA, etc., and have an estimated trade value between the 3 of them that is pretty close.

However, my experience is that dealers seem to dismiss those numbers, "explaining" that their offer is based upon what they feel they can get for it from a wholesaler.

Has anyone else run into this little road block and how do you counter this one, other than by asking them if they want their wives and children to eat this month?

Thanks for any feedback.

[LapisLazuli6]

I got KBB for my trade, but of course I was upside down on mine when I traded it in.

Depending on where you're located, you could take your car to Carmax (www.carmax.com for a location near you). They will evaluate your trade and offer a price that's good for 7 days or 300 miles from the inspection time. That way, you have some 'leverage' when working out your deal.

Good luck and we want pics of the new baby!!

[shutterbug2020]

My spouse & I expect to be looking at a 6s tomorrow (new '06 V6, 5 sp manual) where the I-Net Sales Mgr has already offered what I think is an outstanding price. We will probably offer our current (owned outright) car as trade. I've done some research on Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds, NADA, etc., and have an estimated trade value between the 3 of them that is pretty close.

However, my experience is that dealers seem to dismiss those numbers, "explaining" that their offer is based upon what they feel they can get for it from a wholesaler.

Has anyone else run into this little road block and how do you counter this one, other than by asking them if they want their wives and children to eat this month?

Thanks for any feedback.[/b]

What type of vehicle are you trading? If it's a truck of any kind, sorry but you may get hosed. **gas prices** Trucks are tuff to move right now, especially the used ones. If it's a car or car based suv, well...I would like to say it will be easier, but that depends on the vehicle (mileage, options, repair records, etc.) This is all stuff I'm sure you already know. If the dealer really wants to low ball you, keep it or sell it yourself. Yea, I know selling a vehicle can be a real pita, but you may be able to score a few $$$ more than what you'd have gotten at the dealer eh? Sorry I could be any more help. I just went throught this exact scenario in Aug.

[yamura]

We plan on trading our little PU truck. Has a 2.3L I-4 with 5 sp trans, so good mileage even at its age and the paint's all good, everything works, interior's clean, new rear brakes, tires good....I may talk myself out of this.

[Sigma]

A large percentage of the time, the KBB/Edmunds/etc values are ways off reality. Their prices don't react fast enough to the market. And as slow as they are, they're even more hampered by the fact that by the time you see them they're even older than the already old data was by the time they generate their numbers. The newer the car, the more off they tend to be. And sometimes it's VERY significant, upwards of 20% wrong; particularly on all-new models or towards the end of the year when heavy rebates on prior year models drive down the market price for used ones as well. Published trade-in values also don't assume the dealer is going to wholesale the car, they assume they're going to sell it themselves. If they've got to wholesale it because it's a car that they don't want to carry, they're going to offer even less because they're not gonna get that publshed trade-in value either when they auction it.

On older cars, with established models, trading in to a dealer that will sell the car themselves, the numbers are usually accurate. But on newer models, it can be WAY off. The RX-8 was ranked "Best in Class" for depreciation for 2 straight years. But any one that bought an RX-8 and has tried to sell it can tell you it was anything but. Often KBB trade-in values for used RX-8s was thousands more than the price of a brand-new one at the dealer with the heavy incentives. And private sales, let alone trade-ins, were thousands less than KBB said they should be. KBB and Edmunds said the car should have lost less than $5K in 1 year of ownership. In reality is was more like $10K -- that's a very big difference when you're selling your car.

[yamura]

Well, we are a 6 owner! Whether it was the time of the season/month, lack of demand for that particular (manual trans) model, a slow business Saturday or huge local appetite for used Ford Rangers, we ended up getting over KBB, Edmunds, or NADA trade estimates for the truck. That, in combination with the pricing/rebates offered on the 2006's we got a great deal.

Thanks for your feedback; our contribution to those of you who may be browsing and thinking about buying is that the next couple of days could be a great time, and make sure you have at least 2-3 options/dealers lined up.

Regards

yamura