| Test Drive (finally), Have Questions
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I've done my research and I'm scheduled for a test drive tomorrow morning (weekends are not available for test drives due to demand). I was wondering about a few things:
- Has anyone done a trade-in along with the purchase, and if so, how easy was it to get a reasonable price for the trade? I know that MSRP is the going price for the MDX but I'd like not to get hosed over on the trade as well.
- Is there anything that I should know/do about the test drive?
- I'm getting wait times of 4 - 7 months. Any current inputs on current times would be helpful.
- How does the MDX compare with the ML320 (test drove and enjoyed, but too small) and the Mitsubishi Montero? Are there any other SUVs that are comparable to the MDX? Because of the ordering frenzy, I'm trying to keep my options open, even if it means that I'll have to settle for a vehicle that may not match the MDX on all fronts. Of course, I may get trapped in after the test drive...
- Any dealers that I should stay away from in the Boston area? I read about Acura of Boston on this site (I also had a bad negotiating experience with them for an Integra 10 years ago), but if any of the other dealers are not so good, I'd like to know as well.
Thanks. |
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Don't forget about the rx300, although if you think the ML320 is too small, the rx300 will be horrible. I thought aout the Montero sport also, but just couldn't do it in light of the Mitsubishi recalls and the company trouble and such. The BMW x5 is also nice, but again, a little too small and over priced. The MDX is great, smooth, quite (till you get to high speeds, cause of the roof rack, but not any more loud than any other cars that have roof racks) I wouldn't do a trade in, I'd sell the car outright, you'll get much more for it. The dealers that I've spoken to haven't been nearly as knowledgable as most members here. I'd test drive the MDX, then post your questions here, you'll get straight unbiased ;-) answers. Just go enjoy the test drive, notice as much as you can, and think about whatever comes to mind, you could try to ask the dealer, but they may give you bs answers.
DBastian |
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Hammer,
Here's some thoughts to add to what DBastian had to say. Unlike many others on this site, I do not have an anti-american bias when it comes vehicles. I believe your next best alternatives, which will not be as good but cheaper, than the MDX are the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer or the Oldsmobile Bravada. If my MDX is not delivered on time or some other problem occurs, these are my next choices. I am not sure either is available yet for test drives but will be soon.
As far as trade-in goes consider the following:
1. The sales tax basis on the MDX will be reduced by the amount of the trade-in which is a savings to you.
2. If the dealer has a used car lot, you are likely to get a better trade in than if they don't because they will have to wholesale the car and you will get less money.
3. Although I have never tried it, you might go over to a Car Max who advertises they will buy your car even if you don't buy theirs to see what they would offer.
4. Look up the Kelley Blue value on either Carpoint.com or autosite.com as another source of pricing information
5. If your car is worth more than $10,000, most anybody you would sell it to would have to get financing which makes this alternative a bit of a hassle.
6. When I have bought a new car with a trade-in, I offer the dealer a cash amount plus my car which is based upon what I consider a good deal for both ends. Set an acceptance range based upon the MSRP of the MDX you want and halfway between wholesale and retail value for your trade-in. For instance, if the MDX is $38,000 and your car has a retail value of $12,000 and wholesale of $8,000 try to get a price of $26,000 to $28,000 for the MDX plus your car for example.
Hope this helps |
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There is no way in hades you'll get as good a price on a trade-in as compared with a private sale. This is made quite clear when you look up trade-in vs retail values on edmunds.com, KBB.com, consumer reports, etc. A dealer will only give you actual cash value (ACV) or wholesale value for your vehicle or offer you more but expect a higher price on the new car. This has been my experience in many places in the country that the military has taken me.
Decrease in tax basis is not universal - neither Virginia nor California will reduce the taxable portion of your new vehicle based upon a trade in value.
Pro: trade-in is quite painless.
Con: expect ACV.
Pro: private sale gets you a better deal.
Con: Private sale includes getting your car professionally detailed (~$100.00), place an ad in the newspaper (~$20.00),
deal with every walk of person calling you up, wanting to drive your car and dickering with you, the wait for the buyer to produce a certified check to pay for your car, delaing with your bank if their is a lein on the car and timing your car sale with your new vehicle purchase.
Now, all that said (my fingers are numb from typing)
I am currently selling my 97 Camry privately BECAUSE I want the extra cash AND my Acura dealer is going to give me the use of an Acura FREE (I pay insurance and gas) until my MDX arrives (hopefully next 2 weeks.)
Both edmunds.com and the April issues of Consumers Report go over the pro's and con's of trade vs private, check them out. |
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Just remember that whatever Kelly Blue Book (KBB) says you will likely get offered considerably less.
Carmax will usually offer you more than a dealer, and Carmax advertises that all their cars sell for below blue book, so.... you can where this is going .... you'll get less than blue book from them and like I said, they're usually on the high end.
My personal experience in selling 3 cars over the last five years is that you can reasonably expect 15% -25% less than dealer trade-in, and about 30%-40% less than retail. It's a saturated used car market what with a) eight years of record auto sales, and b) the popularity of leases and therefore floods of good quality leased cars hitting the used car market continually.
KBB is not a reliable guide for figuring out what you'll get for your car. I have not found a reliable guide yet other than go to Carmax and see what they'll offer. They usually set the price structure in the markets where they have a presence.
Good luck! |
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Hammer.
Remery is absolutely correct about the value of your trade in. The higher the value the harder the sell. We have a 99 CR-V that we are going to try to sell outright. We need to get about 17k to break even on the sales tax difference vs. what the dealer tells me my trade-in value will be. That is a lot for most private transactions even though I own it and there aren’t any title hassles. I have the vechile listed on autotrader.com and I will try the local papers soon. I’m debating on using e-bay but I don’t know if I want the hassle. I don’t expect an outright sell, but you never know. Have your facts when you talk trade with the dealer. http://www.kbb.com or http://www.edmunds.com along with the sites Remery mentioned are your best bet. Look up the trade-in value when you use these sites. Dealers only think in “wholesale” or “trade-in” values. I could not get a firm trade-in value when we gave our deposit so my biggest fear is getting jerked around by the dealer when our GG base arrives (hopefully) in about 6 weeks.
Good luck.
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Lots of responses in just a few hours! Thanks for the inputs!
On the trade-in:
It's a 93 Ford Explorer with 117,000 miles on it. It's in OK shape considering it's a Ford product, but it has given me a lot of repair grief in the past few years. Because of its age and mileage, I'd assume that an Acura dealer would not want to sell it on their lot, so I would not expect to get any more than ACV on a trade. If I can sell the vehicle for a reasonable price (say, the trade-in cost quoted by KBB), I'm pretty sure that I could make out much better than with a trade-in.
Does anyone have any experiences in trying to sell an older vehicle like this? I have long commutes to work during the week and my weekends are pretty full with errands and stuff, so I really need to minimize my hassle factor. Any suggestions/success stories would be welcome.
Thanks again (12 hours to the test drive). |
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My Acura dealer in New Hampshire gave me $3500 for a 1994 Ford Explorer 4-door XLT 4x4 5-speed manual with 122,000 miles. Trade-in value calculated at http://www.edmunds.com was $4000, so I was happy with what the dealer gave me. It ran pretty well but needed some work and had a little rust at the bottom of the rear doors.
As for selling older vehicles, my previous car was an 1986 Mazda 626 LX with 105,000 miles. The car was in excellent condition, ran like a champ and just had routine maintenance. The blue book was around $3500 back in 1994, but during my private sale attempts people were low balling me at $1000 to $1200. I finally sold it myself for $1800. My wife and I decided to skip the hassles this time and just trade-in the Explorer.
Good luck and happy test driving!
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I do not know in which area you live, but here in Southern California several dealers (Acura of Valencia, Cerritos Acura and Acura of Pasadena) I visited are now willing to sell for MSRP with only a 4 to 6 week wait for the Touring+Navigation which has the longest wait. They even said that sometimes a few slip through the cracks (some cancel their deposits and some don't get financed) and then the list moves quicker and I might get one sooner.
If you don't have the flexibility to wait, the Lexus RX 300 is pretty much the MDX's only competition as it's the only one in Acura's reliability league, but the MDX is still better overall. My brother (who incidentally was also in the market for an MDX couple months ago but could not deal with the wait and dealer BS) bought a fully loaded RX 300 4WD with Navigation system, wood steering wheel, HID headlamps with dynamic auto levelling, heated seats,etc. for approx. $37,700 ($800 over invoice) from http://www.carsos.com
If you want my sincere advise, stay away from the Mercedes ML 320 and BMW X5 like the plague. Really, Unless you want to get to know your mechanic real well stay away - they're "plagued" with reliability problems.
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Hammer,
Consider vicpai's advice about the RX300. Paying close to invoice for an RX300 versus MSRP for an MDX? At about the same price as an MDX, the RX300 is a true competitor. If you do not need the extra room of the MDX, it might be worth serious consideration. However, if after driving the MDX you are smitten, then shop around.
My experience has been that dealers offering quotes over the internet tend to be more competitive because they are laying their cards on the table. Get quotes from more than one Acura dealer that include your trade-in. You might be surprised at the difference. When I bought my 1993 Jeep Grand Cherokee, the difference was $5,000. Also, if a dealer knows you are shopping around, they are more likely to give you a better net price. Expecially since there are some preliminary indications that MDX supply may be actually starting to catch up with the demand.
Unless you have a friend or a relative that is interested in your Explorer, my advice to you is trade it in. Dealing with the public is a royal pain, every try to sell your house yourself? Don't recommend it. Life is too short, take a grand or so less and be happy. |
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