'06 Toyota Avalon

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
what are you trading in? I thought there was no trade involved. The big question is "is your car worth more than $4000 to you?" Can you get lot more by private selling? How much a BITOG'er will give you for your car?

I hope you take the 97 month loan and proudly announce it here

(then quietly pay it off the next day but don't tell anybody)

Ha!

No, I'm going to trade the Buick if I go for this. Yes, I could get more for it in a private sale . . . but I don't want to deal with having people call or email me, say they'll show up, but don't, and all that sort of thing. And I really can't keep two cars in this insurance-insane state.

If I were buying a Buick in as good a condition as mine now, I'd cheerfully pay $6K for it. Somebody else might, or might not.

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
If I were buying a Buick in as good a condition as mine now, I'd cheerfully pay $6K for it. Somebody else might, or might not.
Then you need to definitely keep the Buick instead. And NEVER pay a doc fee on a used car. It is [censored]...

 

[KitaCam]

On a used car the only added fee should be the title/tag transfer fee that should be no more than what it would be if you brought the tags to the tax office yourself...

 

[Benzadmiral]

As I said before, it may not happen. In my view the salesman is totally unprofessional: You don't keep a potential client hanging for hours on end. If he's busy, he could ask the receptionist to call me, or he could email me.

Scruit. If I haven't heard from him by the time I leave work, I'm calling his sales manager and explaining how they just lost a sale.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: KitaCam
On a used car the only added fee should be the title/tag transfer fee that should be no more than what it would be if you brought the tags to the tax office yourself...

Yes, well, in this state, it could well be 200 smackeroos to register a car, depending on its value and how rapacious the particular parish is that year!

 

[01rangerxl]

I would tell them no thanks. They aren't moving much on the price, especially considering you would be trading a car that needs nothing for one that needs significant suspension work.

Since you don't have to sell the Buick right now, I'd keep looking. People don't really beat Avalons up too much, so there will be plenty of other nice ones.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I would tell them no thanks. They aren't moving much on the price, especially considering you would be trading a car that needs nothing for one that needs significant suspension work.

Since you don't have to sell the Buick right now, I'd keep looking. People don't really beat Avalons up too much, so there will be plenty of other nice ones.

I think you're right. Ah, well, it was nice to think about while it lasted.

 

[addyguy]

Question: Why are you SO determined to get rid of the Buick?

You've posted here a ton of times about what a great, reliable car it is, yet you constantly shop for a replacement...just gotta have something newer?

 

[Tdbo]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
I did wait, and heard from the salesman about 30 minutes ago. They offer $13,900 for the Avalon and $4000 for mine. Our lovely 9% sales tax adds another $891, plus the usual "document fee" of $199, brings me to $10,990. Sound good?



Keep the Buick. I don't think that 3 years newer than what you have on a car w/70K on it is worth 11 grand.

 

[k24a4]

Originally Posted By: Tdbo
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
I did wait, and heard from the salesman about 30 minutes ago. They offer $13,900 for the Avalon and $4000 for mine. Our lovely 9% sales tax adds another $891, plus the usual "document fee" of $199, brings me to $10,990. Sound good?



Keep the Buick. I don't think that 3 years newer than what you have on a car w/70K on it is worth 11 grand.


I agree. If the Buick is serving you well, keep it. We all get the itch for something new; let the desire fade as you remember the good qualities of the Buick, and recall the money you're saving by not buying something that may be, at best, marginally better.

 

[dwcopple]

Originally Posted By: Tdbo
I don't think that 3 years newer than what you have on a car w/70K on it is worth 11 grand.
especially one that needs suspension work and "chrome rims and tints" yet too.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: addyguy
Question: Why are you SO determined to get rid of the Buick?

You've posted here a ton of times about what a great, reliable car it is, yet you constantly shop for a replacement...just gotta have something newer?


Believe me, I know how insane it is. One day I tell myself, "Life's too short to drive only one car for 5-6 years"; two days later I'm congratulating myself on what a great car the PA is, and how much money I'm not spending!

I'd love to keep the Buick and have a smaller, fun car -- a Miata, say, or a Mercedes SLK. But two cars in this insurance-crazy state would be far too much for me to handle; nor do I have any place to keep them both safe. So, for now, I default to "What a great car the Buick is! Time to get its front seat recovered, fix the various missing lights, and enjoy."

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: k24a4
Originally Posted By: Tdbo


Keep the Buick. I don't think that 3 years newer than what you have on a car w/70K on it is worth 11 grand.


I agree. If the Buick is serving you well, keep it. We all get the itch for something new; let the desire fade as you remember the good qualities of the Buick, and recall the money you're saving by not buying something that may be, at best, marginally better.

Yes. Maybe I'll treat it to some new rubber floor mats from Sears!

 

[IndyIan]

Why not just keep the PA and get an old Miata, and get the minimum amount of insurance on it?
$3 or 4k for something in good running order and then sell it for the same amount in a few years? My Dad had a '90 in for a few years for only the cost of getting a new rear plastic window sewn in.
My Neon was only $500/year for liability insurance and that was with it being used for commuting. For "pleasure use" only must be cheaper again.