Looking at getting a back up car, and being sick to death of automatics considering going with a manual. So as an example, I'm looking at a '12 Corolla with the 5 spd. at a local car lot. It has 120,000 miles with the unspectacular price of $8500 - and a doc fee of $399. How much less could it be (or offer) because "no one wants an manual?"
The manual trans penalty when buy used.
- Thread starter Nayov
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With used cars you don't get "no-one wants an automatic" you get "auto enthusiast special" on a manual car.
Nadaguides.com says manual trans is -$300. Here in my area that vehicle is worth about $4900 trade and $7100 clean retail, so it is overpriced. I also use dealers who may charge $199 doc fee, so, to me, this vehicle is overpriced on multiple levels.
The manual is aysmal in recent Toyota Camry and Corolla. They gave up on making it decent likely due to no one buying it.
A few select car makers still care like Honda, VW and potentially others.
A few select car makers still care like Honda, VW and potentially others.
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Originally Posted by Nayov
Looking at getting a back up car, and being sick to death of automatics considering going with a manual. So as an example, I'm looking at a '12 Corolla with the 5 spd. at a local car lot. It has 120,000 miles with the unspectacular price of $8500 - and a doc fee of $399. How much less could it be (or offer) because "no one wants an manual?"
Everybody can drive an automatic.
The proportion of drivers who can deal with a stick is a much smaller subset and is growing smaller by the day.
I've bought a couple of used cars cheaply because they were sticks, just as I wanted them to be.
I'd offer a realistic 5K on this little Toy given the high miles for its age as well as the stick.
Leave your phone number with the lot if you want the car so that when they figure out they can't sell it they can contact you at which point you'll offer them the 4K or so they bought the wee beastie for at auction.
The market for manuals is drying up as everyone already knows.
A shame, but that's what the lazy folks of today who don't know what they're missing want.
Looking at getting a back up car, and being sick to death of automatics considering going with a manual. So as an example, I'm looking at a '12 Corolla with the 5 spd. at a local car lot. It has 120,000 miles with the unspectacular price of $8500 - and a doc fee of $399. How much less could it be (or offer) because "no one wants an manual?"
Everybody can drive an automatic.
The proportion of drivers who can deal with a stick is a much smaller subset and is growing smaller by the day.
I've bought a couple of used cars cheaply because they were sticks, just as I wanted them to be.
I'd offer a realistic 5K on this little Toy given the high miles for its age as well as the stick.
Leave your phone number with the lot if you want the car so that when they figure out they can't sell it they can contact you at which point you'll offer them the 4K or so they bought the wee beastie for at auction.
The market for manuals is drying up as everyone already knows.
A shame, but that's what the lazy folks of today who don't know what they're missing want.
Originally Posted by JayhawkRoy
Nadaguides.com says manual trans is -$300. Here in my area that vehicle is worth about $4900 trade and $7100 clean retail, so it is overpriced. I also use dealers who may charge $199 doc fee, so, to me, this vehicle is overpriced on multiple levels.
I agree.
PS: My 2014 Focus SE is a manual and they sell at a premium because their 'Dual Clutch A/T' is such a POS....I love my M/T Focus...
Nadaguides.com says manual trans is -$300. Here in my area that vehicle is worth about $4900 trade and $7100 clean retail, so it is overpriced. I also use dealers who may charge $199 doc fee, so, to me, this vehicle is overpriced on multiple levels.
I agree.
PS: My 2014 Focus SE is a manual and they sell at a premium because their 'Dual Clutch A/T' is such a POS....I love my M/T Focus...
gathermewool
Site Donor 2023
Originally Posted by fdcg27
The market for manuals is drying up as everyone already knows.
A shame, but that's what the lazy folks of today who don't know what they're missing want.
I no longer desire an economy car that is slower, less economical and less fun to drive than every CVT/auto these days.
I can't imagine having to drive my Legacy with a manual, screaming at 3K RPM at 60 MPH. No, thank you.
With that said, I do see myself in a manual something-sporty within the next several years.
The market for manuals is drying up as everyone already knows.
A shame, but that's what the lazy folks of today who don't know what they're missing want.
I no longer desire an economy car that is slower, less economical and less fun to drive than every CVT/auto these days.
I can't imagine having to drive my Legacy with a manual, screaming at 3K RPM at 60 MPH. No, thank you.
With that said, I do see myself in a manual something-sporty within the next several years.
edyvw
$50 site donor 2025
I am trying to find BMW E90 328i or 335i with manual. It's like people are holding on dear life, very rare, and BMW sells decent amount of manuals.
I can drive a stick as well as anyone, but I got tired of rowing & pedaling it through all the gov-forsaken traffic lights.
Also, any manual used car with any level of performance is much more likely to have been abused than the auto version.
Also, any manual used car with any level of performance is much more likely to have been abused than the auto version.
Originally Posted by madRiver
The manual is aysmal in recent Toyota Camry and Corolla. They gave up on making it decent likely due to no one buying it.
Exactly there is NO R & D on manual transmissions as it's on the way of the dodo, even in Europe though a bit more slowly
The manual is aysmal in recent Toyota Camry and Corolla. They gave up on making it decent likely due to no one buying it.
Exactly there is NO R & D on manual transmissions as it's on the way of the dodo, even in Europe though a bit more slowly
Originally Posted by Pelican
Originally Posted by madRiver
The manual is aysmal in recent Toyota Camry and Corolla. They gave up on making it decent likely due to no one buying it.
Exactly there is NO R & D on manual transmissions as it's on the way of the dodo, even in Europe though a bit more slowly
There's R&D on the smog stuff and resultant ECM programming.
You can, for example, lug the tar out of a stick shift car and make tons more NOx vs an automatic that would have downshifted.
But this does stuff like putting in aggressive "dashpots" so the car won't idle down properly.
As for OP, he should just lowball and walk. There's no reason talking reason with a seller, you aren't going to "psych out" the salesman.
Interestingly, all of my (cheap) pickups have been stick shifts and I would prefer an automatic in that instance... creeping around to unload, etc. Plowing snow is a particular nuisance!
Originally Posted by madRiver
The manual is aysmal in recent Toyota Camry and Corolla. They gave up on making it decent likely due to no one buying it.
Exactly there is NO R & D on manual transmissions as it's on the way of the dodo, even in Europe though a bit more slowly
There's R&D on the smog stuff and resultant ECM programming.
You can, for example, lug the tar out of a stick shift car and make tons more NOx vs an automatic that would have downshifted.
But this does stuff like putting in aggressive "dashpots" so the car won't idle down properly.
As for OP, he should just lowball and walk. There's no reason talking reason with a seller, you aren't going to "psych out" the salesman.
Interestingly, all of my (cheap) pickups have been stick shifts and I would prefer an automatic in that instance... creeping around to unload, etc. Plowing snow is a particular nuisance!
Originally Posted by bdcardinal
With used cars you don't get "no-one wants an automatic" you get "auto enthusiast special" on a manual car.
Exactly so, if you try to trade in a manual transmission, they'll tell you they aren't in demand and thus aren't worth much, but when you want to buy one all of a sudden they command a premium because they're rare.
I did hear, years ago, when Chrysler still offered a 5-speed manual (with the 2.4 litre inline-4 only) in the base model Dodge Caravan (this might have been a 3rd- or 4th-gen model) that one dealership ordered one by mistake. It languished on the lot for months, until someone walked in and asked if they made minivans with a manual transmission. An excited salesman alerted the sales manager who said "That guy's not leaving without the van!" Apparently they gave him a great deal.
For what it's worth, we've owned two manual-transmisson minivans, three if you count our Mazda 5 microvan, and drove a couple of others in New Zealand some years ago.
With used cars you don't get "no-one wants an automatic" you get "auto enthusiast special" on a manual car.
Exactly so, if you try to trade in a manual transmission, they'll tell you they aren't in demand and thus aren't worth much, but when you want to buy one all of a sudden they command a premium because they're rare.
I did hear, years ago, when Chrysler still offered a 5-speed manual (with the 2.4 litre inline-4 only) in the base model Dodge Caravan (this might have been a 3rd- or 4th-gen model) that one dealership ordered one by mistake. It languished on the lot for months, until someone walked in and asked if they made minivans with a manual transmission. An excited salesman alerted the sales manager who said "That guy's not leaving without the van!" Apparently they gave him a great deal.
For what it's worth, we've owned two manual-transmisson minivans, three if you count our Mazda 5 microvan, and drove a couple of others in New Zealand some years ago.
Originally Posted by fdcg27
Everybody can drive an automatic.
The proportion of drivers who can deal with a stick is a much smaller subset and is growing smaller by the day.
I've bought a couple of used cars cheaply because they were sticks, just as I wanted them to be.
I'd offer a realistic 5K on this little Toy given the high miles for its age as well as the stick.
Leave your phone number with the lot if you want the car so that when they figure out they can't sell it they can contact you at which point you'll offer them the 4K or so they bought the wee beastie for at auction.
The market for manuals is drying up as everyone already knows.
A shame, but that's what the lazy folks of today who don't know what they're missing want.
I like how you think!
Everybody can drive an automatic.
The proportion of drivers who can deal with a stick is a much smaller subset and is growing smaller by the day.
I've bought a couple of used cars cheaply because they were sticks, just as I wanted them to be.
I'd offer a realistic 5K on this little Toy given the high miles for its age as well as the stick.
Leave your phone number with the lot if you want the car so that when they figure out they can't sell it they can contact you at which point you'll offer them the 4K or so they bought the wee beastie for at auction.
The market for manuals is drying up as everyone already knows.
A shame, but that's what the lazy folks of today who don't know what they're missing want.
I like how you think!
$120K mi on a car that size, I don't care if it's a Toyota or not, I wouldn't give a penny over $4K.
Then again I have no grasp of what you mean by "being sick of automatics" because there's nothing to be sick about. Being sick of having a free hand to shift a manual is a real thing rather than a mental impediment. Don't buy something with known weak tranny design. Like Honda.
Then again I have no grasp of what you mean by "being sick of automatics" because there's nothing to be sick about. Being sick of having a free hand to shift a manual is a real thing rather than a mental impediment. Don't buy something with known weak tranny design. Like Honda.
Buying a manual ( I personally do not want another one ) is another form of theft prevention . 
8500 for that car is highway robbery! If clear retail is 7100, I would pay tops 7500 with CPO warranty through toyota directly. That dealer is in dreamland if he thinks he will get nearly $9K for that car. That doc free of $400 is high as well for a used car.
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
$8,500 for a penalty box 5-speed 7 year old Corolla?
Uh, what?
Uh, what?
That just seems really high for a Corolla with that many miles on it. I've seen newer ones with less mileage than that as I too am looking at Corollas now myself. Although originally I wanted a stick, after reading a few suggestions on here and elsewhere, it looks like the sticks are more problematic and weaker than the autos, go figure! Toyota's not going to waste time or money on R&D for something that's not making them money.
The manual transmission is dead in America, whether people want to accept it or not. I enjoy driving them myself, but there's no denying it's already doomed. Perhaps once they're no longer being put in new cars, the used market for them may spike a little as I'm sure there will be a lot of purists out there scrambling to get their hands on the newest, low mileage M/T equipped cars they can find.
The manual transmission is dead in America, whether people want to accept it or not. I enjoy driving them myself, but there's no denying it's already doomed. Perhaps once they're no longer being put in new cars, the used market for them may spike a little as I'm sure there will be a lot of purists out there scrambling to get their hands on the newest, low mileage M/T equipped cars they can find.
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