Private Sale or Trade-In?

I'm hoping I'm breaking any of the forum rules by asking this:

 

My family has grown by 2 children since I bought my '05 LGT and although I can fit 2 carseats and my wife in the car, there's times when we need more room (dog, other family members, etc.). So we're shopping for a minivan. Today a dealer offered me $9K as a trade-in. I think it's fair considering he won't give me anything for the Stage 2 setup (UP,DP, Cobb AP) or any extras (Hella Supertones, AVO filter, etc.). I won't have time to remove and sell off all of the stuff. I'd rather sell to a forum member but, I don't see much movement in the car sale section.

 

Should I try my Legacy privately or should I take the trade-in offer?

 

Thanks,

Brian

I would trade it in for that price. In my state, the sale tax paid is the difference from new car and trade in. So 30k car with 9k trade in would be charged sales tax on 21k. So that is over 500 difference vs not having trade in.

Does the Leggy really have to go? IMO a minivan should essentially have at least a dvd player. You have kids & I'm pretty sure you know what wonders dvd players can do. Get a basic & reliable trim then go aftermarket dvd. Might be around 10K difference in price from a high end trim. Besides, hard working daddy would need his playtime too - hence justying the Leggy. 0.02¢

Thanks for confirming my thought, "It's a reasonable offer". It still is depressing to give up the car to a dealer. Like dropping a pet at a shelter. I'd much rather sell to a person who wants the car.

With that said should I leave the Stage 2 stuff or should I try to take it off? The Cobb AP needs to stay w/ the car with the UP&DP otherwise the CEL will go on.

Well it sounds like you're pretty much decided with the "pet shelter". I'd say the time to take the aftermarket stage 2 components off would be a crucial factor for the simple fact that you can sell them separately as part out. Car would be traded in closest to stock, reflashed back to stock map & unmarry AP. I see a lot in the FS threads sellers not making that much monetary value out of the additional installed upgrades.

 

Notwithstanding, I'd still try & exhaust every possible solution to keep the leggy.

Have you given any thought to trading the OB rather than the GT? If the GT is your car and the OB is being driven by your wife, then chances are your wife will be the one driving either the van or the OB (just an assumption.) Of course there are other things to consider that we don't know about, such as if your car is a standard and if you frequently swap cars or need the drive-ability etc. I'm just trying to throw other things into the mix that may help you think.

 

As for minivans, if you have 2 kids and need just occasional space for a dog or other family, have you considered a Mazda5? They're great to drive and are compact but fit 6 when needed. It's probably one of the most underrated cars out there, but if I had a family that would be on my list of possible vehicles. They have sliding doors for car seats and can be had with a manual tranny if that's on the list. [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9Riwm8sP-0]Mazda5 Review from Consumer Reports - YouTube[/ame]

 

Just all kinds of things to think about really, keep your options open. Private sales will always net you more cash, but I think the price they gave you is reasonable as well.

The mazda 5 is quiet possibly one of the worst minivans ever. I used to sell cars and I can't tell you how many were returned because they just did not work (as a minivan). You want the rear to be roomy so that you can fit rear facing seats. It's not easy in a mazda5.

I don't have any first hand experience, so that may very well be true.

 

As in any case, the most important thing is to try before you buy. And good luck!

Remember how sad you were when you sold the '92 SS? DON'T DO IT MAN!

don't do trade in unless you have a knife under your throat

Well the deal fell through. Dealer sold the minivan out from under us. Not disappointed considering the van smelled like a barn (literally) and had big dent in the tailgate. Wound up buying an Odyssey from an Albany dealer.

I appreciate the enthusiasm guys! If only there were the same energy motivating buyers!

Wasn't meant for your family. On with the search & good luck!

I have a couple thoughts......

 

As a father and a driver for my kids/wife etc. When your kids are in school, you're going to find......

 

A: Every other family has a mini-van or Suburban and mothers who don't work and are happy to take your kids along, when everyone is going on a play date. You don't need to own a school bus.

 

B: If you and your kids and your wife and your in-laws and your neighbor all want to go to the beach, guess what? Your mini van will be short 1 seat and you'll have to take 2 cars anyways. Start out right. Keep the LGT and let the in-laws drive separately. We've done that many times.

 

C: The dealer was likely NOT giving you $9k for your car. He was giving you $6k and you were overpaying for the van. Seriously.....$9k for an 05 as a trade? That's retail sale price. Dealers are not "nice".....giving you great trades. He's hosing you on the van.

 

If you want a larger car, why not something like a Ford Taurus? AWD and they are huge inside. Or even a new Outback. They're huge everywhere. Or an Altima....again....huge on the inside. If you're dead set on a minivan, look carefully into the crash ratings. They don't have to meet car standards and don't.

So did you trade in the leggy to the Albany dealer or do you still have it?

Still have the LGT in the driveway. I swear she's frowning at me!

bman Im still interested in your LGT can you shot me a pm with the vin so I can run a carfax.