I'm a car salesmen, Go ahead and ask me anything

[cral12]

Originally Posted by FCAV

I managed to get my vehicle down to $35,600 (all taxes, GST and dealer fees in) down from the MSRP being $41,800. They'll have room to play.

What did you end up going with FCAV? Jeep?

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Any of the car gurus know if its better to fix body damage before trading in / selling your car?

I have a 2001 Acura el. Pretty low kms and in good shape save for a bumper scrape from a parking lot. There is no dent but it is pretty ugly looking. I can get it fixed for 750 or so. Is there a rule of thumb on % you'd get back?


Sorry if this is in the thread and I could not find it.

[undercoverbrother]

I would love to hear thoughts on buying vs. leasing.

[calgaryrocks]

^ imo it depends on how long you plan on keeping the vehicle. if 3 years or less, leasing is better, although you have to be careful as dealerships have more tricks they can pull with the $ amount on leases. but the bottom line is you don't have to worry about the depreciation in the highest hit years, although you have to pay gap insurance. and you don't have to deal with the hassle of selling your vehicle. payments are lower bottom line.
anything longer and I would buy, as the terms are simpler to understand and the cost of ownership decreases significantly when you are no longer making payments. at some point in the future you can also sell it, and you have more freedom to not worry about being charged upon returning your vehicle. you can customize more, do high mileage, whatever, its your car.

[Nufy]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Any of the car gurus know if its better to fix body damage before trading in / selling your car?

I have a 2001 Acura el. Pretty low kms and in good shape save for a bumper scrape from a parking lot. There is no dent but it is pretty ugly looking. I can get it fixed for 750 or so. Is there a rule of thumb on % you'd get back?


Sorry if this is in the thread and I could not find it.

No dis-respect but...

Its a 12 year old vehicle...

I would find some colour match paint and fix it yourself as best as possible.

When your buyer shows up show it to him and let them decide.

You'll never get your 750.00 back on a sale imo...

[DownhillGoat]

Originally Posted by calgaryrocks

but the bottom line is you don't have to worry about the depreciation in the highest hit years,

How is that avoiding depreciation? You're making payments for 3 years on something you won't own. That's covering the depreciation...

[drew24]

First time buying a (used) car and I have a few questions. I'm looking at a Saab.

• Where would I go to get a quote on insurance on a Saab vs something like a Nissan Altima. I'd imagine the Altima would be cheaper but would it be cheaper by a wide margin? I'm a 21 year old so I understand that it'll be pricey no matter what.
• Are ~2008 Saab's now a total pain to get fixed now that GM owns them? Or does that not really change anything for me?

Thanks.

[Sopure]

Originally Posted by drew24

First time buying a (used) car and I have a few questions. I'm looking at a Saab.

• Where would I go to get a quote on insurance on a Saab vs something like a Nissan Altima. I'd imagine the Altima would be cheaper but would it be cheaper by a wide margin? I'm a 21 year old so I understand that it'll be pricey no matter what.
• Are ~2008 Saab's now a total pain to get fixed now that GM owns them? Or does that not really change anything for me?

Thanks.

I'd do some soul searching before pulling the trigger on a Saab. They're kryptonite. GM shut the brand down, meaning Saab doesn't exist anymore, so getting parts and service is a nightmare. I know someone else in the business who had one, and his key went kaput-- he had to get the whole ignition system replaced from another car. Going to be really tough to ever market the car again. As an enthusiast, I can see why you'd want one-- they're beautiful cars. But as far as dollars and cents (and headaches) go, I'd try something else.

[drew24]

Originally Posted by Sopure

pull the trigger on a Saab. As an enthusiast, I can see why you'd want one-- they're beautiful cars.

^^Pretty much what I read.

Thanks. For every comment like yours I read about Saabs, I also read a very positive one. You are right though... Not a good idea to take a 50/50 gamble on a car.

[calgaryrocks]

Originally Posted by kunkstyle

How is that avoiding depreciation? You're making payments for 3 years on something you won't own. That's covering the depreciation...

ok maybe not totally avoiding it, because the lease is based on depreciation, but if it depreciates more than your lease rate (ie more than the dealer expected - like that model year has unforseen issues) then you can just return it. of course that can go the other way and the depreciation is less than expected, in which case you might be better off buying it at the end of the lease then selling it for a small profit...unlikely but could happen. you avoid some of the risks of depreciation I guess, but you are right, you still are paying the depreciation

[cral12]

Tips on negotiating price of a used vehicle - obviously lots of info out there; looking for the best tips.

[StrykerSteve]

I have an 08 Equinox, fully paid off. It's in great shape and runs like new, but has 183KM on it, so I'm looking to move into something newer.

We have 3 kids, so would like to pick up something a little bigger, possibly a third row of seats. There are a few options out there that I've looked at, but all are over $30,000, which is kind of where I'd like to land.

I'm thinking new is the only way I can do this, as a 0 interest offer would have to be something that was included. Anyone have any suggestions?

[Igster]

Dodge Journey? You can get third row seating on it. I bought an SXT 2013 about 5 months ago and really like it. Should come in around where you are thinking price wise, especially if you think about a 2013 that they have rebates on now.

This thing has great tech features. A 8.4 touch screen with sat radio and a rear DVD player for the kids. Built in cooler in the rear seat floor, and 283 HP for the V6 model (which I bought)...some good pep. Dual zone climate control, and just about everything else you can think of.

[Table 5]

Get a Caravan. Best bang for the buck when you need space and versatility. The Pentastar is a great engine, and the interiors these days are really nice.

[Deegee]

Originally Posted by StrykerSteve

I'm thinking new is the only way I can do this, as a 0 interest offer would have to be something that was included. Anyone have any suggestions?

Make sure you ask if there is a cash discount for not taking the 0%. Sometimes it is worth it to pay interest if it makes the purchase price lower.

[the-rasta-masta]

Old thread, but relevant title. Apologies if the Bump offends. I'm looking at trading in a vehicle, and am looking for some advice on what percentage a dealership is typically looking to make off a trade in.

For example, based on a several comparables, I'm confident that they will sell my car for 50k, and they are offering me 41k plus a GST tax credit of 5%. So all in it works out to $43,050. Two Questions:

1- Does offering this tax credit really cost the dealership anything? Or is this just technically removing the trade in value from the full GST cost of the new vehicle?

2- If I'm looking at the above correctly, and the dealer sells my car for $50k, they are looking at an 18% profit off my trade in for what it costs them at $41k. What range is typically expected?

I realize it's likely easier for me to sell privately for $50k. I'm just trying to determine what I should go back to them and if that would be worth the trade off for my time of selling it privately.

Thanks in advance for any help!

[stang]

Originally Posted by the-rasta-masta

Old thread, but relevant title. Apologies if the Bump offends. I'm looking at trading in a vehicle, and am looking for some advice on what percentage a dealership is typically looking to make off a trade in.

For example, based on a several comparables, I'm confident that they will sell my car for 50k, and they are offering me 41k plus a GST tax credit of 5%. So all in it works out to $43,050. Two Questions:

1- Does offering this tax credit really cost the dealership anything? Or is this just technically removing the trade in value from the full GST cost of the new vehicle?

2- If I'm looking at the above correctly, and the dealer sells my car for $50k, they are looking at an 18% profit off my trade in for what it costs them at $41k. What range is typically expected?

I realize it's likely easier for me to sell privately for $50k. I'm just trying to determine what I should go back to them and if that would be worth the trade off for my time of selling it privately.

Thanks in advance for any help!

1. No doesn’t cost the dealer anything.

2. They will have to do a little re conditioning, plus if they put it up for 50k they need to account for negotiating room.

You can make more money selling it yourself obviously. But sometimes it’s a friggin pita especially on a higher end vehicle

[the-rasta-masta]

Originally Posted by stang

1. No doesn’t cost the dealer anything.

2. They will have to do a little re conditioning, plus if they put it up for 50k they need to account for negotiating room.

You can make more money selling it yourself obviously. But sometimes it’s a friggin pita especially on a higher end vehicle

Thanks!

I do believe the car wouldn't need any reconditioning. Vehicle is two years old so anything it has needed has been done ASAP under warranty. I wash and vacuum it nearly daily. To clarify, I think they will aim to sell it for $50k, and will list it for higher for that negotiating room.

[White Out 403]

Do people follow the scheduled maintenance or is that a rip off?

[Northendzone]

^ I try to do most of it; however, the bill can sometimes be painful because it can add up to a couple of hundred (if you are having a bunch of fluids changed) and there is nothing wrong with your vehicle, it is preventative.

I should also note, that sometimes shops will want to flush various things - like a transmission. Like almost everything, there are two schools of thought on flushing systems:
1. It cleans out stuff out of your system
2. It stirs up stuff that has settled in corners and crevices

So no real answer for you, I guess your budget needs to be your guide