Used Car Bargaining

[AZjeff]

The vast majority of car dealers use the Manheim Market Report (MMR) to determine what to give on a trade or what to pay at an auction. Give or take a little depending on their business. That's why you see similar cars priced the same at different dealers. If you can access that through someone you know you'll know pretty close to what they really paid for the car and can work back to that as far as you can. Profit center add on stuff is a different story. Smaller indie dealers are less likely to add things on in our area. It seems the lower cost cars get higher markups.

 

[SC Maintenance]

I am seeing $2500 wholesale for 2013 Fiesta and new car dealers asking 6, 7, 8000 for similar used Fiesta w/about 100,000 miles.

I would guess $2500 wholesale is $5K retail but what you need is input from @macarose

 

[JTK]

I am seeing $2500 wholesale for 2013 Fiesta and new car dealers asking 6, 7, 8000 for similar used Fiesta w/about 100,000 miles.

Aren't those equipped with the DCT transmission? I'd definitely avoid those.

 

[The Critic]

It all depends on how close they're priced to the market, whether you're financing or paying cash, whether or not you have a trade that they can make money on, what they can sell it for at auction vs. to you, etc.

Instead of focusing on a fixed dollar discount in your negotiations, I would do your homework and figure out if that vehicle is priced appropriately to market for its condition and mileage/trim.

How you "sell" your position to the dealer can often impact the success of your negotiations.

 

[Tdbo]

It was 6 years ago but I got almost $1k off the advertised price on my Accord. That price was already lower than others I had found in a reasonable distance and vehicle mileage. Why? I presume not many were looking at a 3-4 year old base model, manual transmission, cloth seat Accord at a Mercedes dealer in a well to do area. It was on their lot for over 2 months.

The only time that type of vehicle would be popular in that venue would be in the summer before some affluent family needs to send a kid to college.

 

[SC Maintenance]

The only time that type of vehicle would be popular in that venue would be in the summer before some affluent family needs to send a kid to college.

No one wants a manual Accord except a handful of enthusiasts here.

 

[alarmguy]

@SC Maintenance
I always loved the Xterra.
First acquainted with them in 2005 when we were first considering moving out of New York to the lake Murray area of South Carolina. We would fly in and rent an SUV each time and one of them was an Xterra.

We’ve had grand Cherokee’s and whatever else, but I always liked that you utility look of the Xterra. Tell my wife one day I wanna get one and then they no longer made them. I think that was a big screwup on Nissan’s part but what do I know?
I think I know more than Nissan does because I look around and I see all the jeeps on the road and I would prefer the Xterra

 

[97prizm]

How much will a New Car Dealer go down on used car price? What percentage?

Truly depends on market demand how long it has sit, and how desperate they are to offload it. Unlike new stock where the corporate directors might say (For the month) sell 25 cars, 25 trucks, and 20 cpo for bonuses a pre-owned may or may not be cpo.

 

[97prizm]

Aren't those equipped with the DCT transmission? I'd definitely avoid those.

Yeah my tax lady had her transmission go out in hers at 97k miles, and it's still an ongoing saga to get a good replacement.

 

[IndyIan]

It all depends on how close they're priced to the market, whether you're financing or paying cash, whether or not you have a trade that they can make money on, what they can sell it for at auction vs. to you, etc.

Instead of focusing on a fixed dollar discount in your negotiations, I would do your homework and figure out if that vehicle is priced appropriately to market for its condition and mileage/trim.

How you "sell" your position to the dealer can often impact the success of your negotiations.

Yep, if you have some reasonable comparable numbers, like an ad from the next town over with a similar car at your price, or during your inspection you find some blemishes, or cheap tires, or dirty transmission fluid, that shows you are a bit educated, they probably are more willing to meet your price.

You have to have a good sense of their cost to replace that same car on the lot, and get some idea of their overhead per vehicle sold. A big used car dealer might have a lot lower overhead costs per vehicle, but they tend to deal with newer cars that they hopefully can just flip with only some detailing.

If you are looking for $5-6k cars, I would just go private, as the extra dealer costs become a large part of the price, and they tend to be worse to deal with than someone on facebook market place. I'd rather look at 3-4 private cars and get the one that is being sold by the no B.S. regular person, in front of their house.

 

[borgward]

Aren't those equipped with the DCT transmission? I'd definitely avoid those.

A lot are. Some have the Getrag IB/5 5 speed manual. A lot of them advertised as having manual transmission actually have the DCT. I guess you could shift them manually. I could shift my old Silverado with automatic manually also.

 

[IndyIan]

A lot are. Some have the Getrag IB/5 5 speed manual. A lot of them advertised as having manual transmission actually have the DCT. I guess you could shift them manually. I could shift my old Silverado with automatic manually also.

Those manuals aren't the greatest either I read... A manual mtx75 Focus isn't much more money and is a very good comfortable car with not many problems.

 

[borgward]

The Focus uses the IB/5 which is not good enough for the Fiesta, let alone the Focus. I bought my Fiesta new. I considered the Focus but that year it got a lot bigger so went with the Fiesta.

 

[PandaBear]

No one wants a manual Accord except a handful of enthusiasts here.

I would say unless someone is tearing the engine / transmission out to swap into another car (say a Civic), very unlikely even for enthusiast. Manual Accord is likely more valuable shipped oversea instead.

 

[macarose]

How much will a New Car Dealer go down on used car price? What percentage?

How much does a dog bark?

How often does a cat meow?

The answer is moot!

 

[SC Maintenance]

@SC Maintenance
I always loved the Xterra.
First acquainted with them in 2005 when we were first considering moving out of New York to the lake Murray area of South Carolina. We would fly in and rent an SUV each time and one of them was an Xterra.

We’ve had grand Cherokee’s and whatever else, but I always liked that you utility look of the Xterra. Tell my wife one day I wanna get one and then they no longer made them. I think that was a big screwup on Nissan’s part but what do I know?
I think I know more than Nissan does because I look around and I see all the jeeps on the road and I would prefer the Xterra

We love our Xterra. Its by far the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned by a long shot. When my daughter ran into someone the 18 year old airbag and seat belt pre-tensioner fired like it was new, and she walked away unharmed.

When I was replacing it I asked her what she wanted, something smaller, something that gets better MPG. Nope, another Xterra. Thats Daddy's girl! Doesn't hurt that she can recline the front seat and put her surf board all the way in. No idea how there are enough waves here to surf but these kids get it done.

So bought the new one, and by rights I should have scrapped the other but it was all cosmetic, so I almost have it all repaired. So then we will have two!

As for Nissan sunsetting it - they only sold 300K across 10 years, and half that was in the first two years. In the last few years they only sold 15-20K a year. They really were not popular. They keep teasing there will be a new one, but I find it hard to believe with Nissan's current financial position. I guess we will see.

 

[alarmguy]

We love our Xterra. Its by far the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned by a long shot. When my daughter ran into someone the 18 year old airbag and seat belt pre-tensioner fired like it was new, and she walked away unharmed.

When I was replacing it I asked her what she wanted, something smaller, something that gets better MPG. Nope, another Xterra. Thats Daddy's girl! Doesn't hurt that she can recline the front seat and put her surf board all the way in. No idea how there are enough waves here to surf but these kids get it done.

So bought the new one, and by rights I should have scrapped the other but it was all cosmetic, so I almost have it all repaired. So then we will have two!

As for Nissan sunsetting it - they only sold 300 across 10 years, and half that was in the first two years. In the last few years they only sold 15-20K a year. They really were not popular. They keep teasing there will be a new one, but I find it hard to believe with Nissan's current financial position. I guess we will see.

I used to surf when I was a teenager. I wish I still was.
Oops, I was using text to speech and my wife heard me

I remember hearing that sales have fallen off. I don’t understand it honestly I thought they were so cool.

 

[IndyIan]

The Focus uses the IB/5 which is not good enough for the Fiesta, let alone the Focus. I bought my Fiesta new. I considered the Focus but that year it got a lot bigger so went with the Fiesta.

In N.A. the last IB5 in a focus was 2004 on the split-port engines only. The zetecs and duratecs had the mtx75 until the end. In europe the Focus had IB5's for a while longer as they stuck the fiesta motors in the Focus for many more years I think.