Ballpark Trade-in value over phone ?

jprender

Hi there,

Interested in trading in my car and buying a different used car.

Is there any chance a dealer will give me a rough idea of trade-in value over the phone or do I simply have to go visit each dealer individually and negotiate on the spot? Obviously and amount mentioned to me would be subject to a full inspection.

The car I want to buy is in dealerships all over the country in great numbers and I could spend days visiting dealers !!

So should I just get out on the road or start dialling the phones ? !!

Owen

Some Dealers will, but most are aware that it's statiscially proven if you give a trade in price on the phone, that 96% of customers will just phone other Dealerships one after another - so as soon as they give you a price, they have little or no chance of ever getting you into the garage.

I've said it a million times before, but I don't get why people are so hung up on trade in price in this country. Cost to change is what you should be looking at.

jprender

Agreed 100%.

Net cost to buy newer car is what I should have said.

All about the number coming out of my pocket at the end of the day.

Many thanks for quick response.

-Chris-

There may be hundreds of the cars you're looking for in loads of garages across the country, but I'd say your time would be well spent going into the 2 or 3 closest dealers and getting them to give you a cost to change. There's no real point in looking at cars in Dublin & Donegal when there are examples in Cork (presuming you live in Cork, you get my point though...).

Also, post the details & pics here and you'll probably get a pretty good idea from people what it's worth.

jprender

I havent taken any pics of the car but here is what it is.


Volvo s40, 2004, new shape
T5, 2.5 litre petrol
115,000 kms (76-77k miles)
Silver Met, usual T5 spec

I am looking to buy a focus c-max valued in dealers at somewhere in the region of 16k.

(family expanding !!)

-Chris-

I'd say you'd be looking at very early teens.

Car is nice, but I don't know how many dealers will want to take a 2.5l petrol family saloon in in the current climate.

Eoin

ned78 wrote: »

I've said it a million times before, but I don't get why people are so hung up on trade in price in this country. Cost to change is what you should be looking at.

If someone is looking at a specific car from that garage, and they get a rough trade in price, then surely the difference between the two is the cost to change?

To get back OT, I emailed loads of garages when I was looking around to change, and I got very few replies let alone any ballpark figures.

jprender

Thanks Audichris,

I was thinking somewhere around the 12k mark myself which would leave me with somewhere between 3 and 4k to pay for a change.

If that's fairly realistic, I think I will hit the road this weekend and see what I can do.

jprender

Sorry Eoin_S,

messages crossed, thanks for the response.

-Chris-

AudiChris wrote: »

I'd say you'd be looking at very early teens.

Car is nice, but I don't know how many dealers will want to take a 2.5l petrol family saloon in in the current climate.

I just rang a guy I know to see what he'd say, he thinks the car is worth €7-8K or so in the trade, because it'd be hard to sell.

You're probably looking at a trade in value of €9-10k based on that.

jprender

Wow.

Thanks for looking into that for me.

Bit of a shock that one.


I might have to look at an older c-max then at about the 13-14k price tag

jimbo19162

Volvo s40, 2004, new shape
T5, 2.5 litre petrol
115,000 kms (76-77k miles)
Silver Met, usual T5 spec


wow thats a lot of car for 9 or 10 k

jprender

jimbo19162 wrote: »

wow thats a lot of car for 9 or 10 k

I thought it was a lot of car for 12k


I bought it for 28k, 28months ago.

So its gone down in value by about EUR650 per month ! :eek:

-Chris-

jprender wrote: »

I thought it was a lot of car for 12k


I bought it for 28k, 28months ago.

So its gone down in value by about EUR650 per month ! :eek:

I'd say if you went to a dealer or leasing company asking for a leasing rate for an S40 T5, you'd be easily looking at €650pm for that car.

You might have missed the heavier depreciation in the first two years, but you then need to factor in:

-3 years depreciation (it'll be 3 years older by the plate by the time it's sold).
-The economic downturn.
-The reduction in available credit.
-The massive recent increases in the cost of fuel.
-The overstock situation most dealers find themselves in.
-The fact it's a family saloon that costs €900pa to tax.
-The fact that the Irish public has always been very engine-size sensitive.

I don't think it's a fair value, but I think it's probably a realistic one based on expected demand.


Try and sell privately. The cars on Carzone are all €14k+, you should have no problem beating them on price (although that doesn't guarantee it'll sell).

jprender

True.

I think I'll stick it into carzone at 12k and see if I get any bites.

bazz26

Given the current state of the second hand market I'd be enclined to think that alot of dealers will give you silly trade-in prices in the hope you don't take it. They will see a 2.5 litre S40 sitting on their forecourt for a long time.

Mena

I'm going to give some really useless advice.

Don't do it man. I had the exact same car, 05 model in Black. You'll regret it

L-M

On a trade in at a push i'd say 9-10k... Is this market people won't be buying 2.5petrols when 1.8's and diesels can be got. I would say you could even be offered less on a trade in.

whippet

I had an option to buy a 05 S40 T5 when it was 11 months old. It had most to the better extras at the time. I was offered it for 30K cash, then a month later 28K cash plus a years road tax. A month later 25K cash and eventually the company selling it sold it to a volvo dealer for 20K. effectively it lost over half its value in 12 months. That was before the 'credit crunch' and the 'recession'.

My reasons for not buying were simple, a mate who had worked in a volvo dealership told me I would never be able to shift it again. Road tax and insurance were slight factors also.

in the current climate it would sit on a dealers forcourt for a long time, not much of an appealing deal for a sales person to get involved with.

On the other hand, I did drive the car for a month and liked it a lot but not enough to buy it, the GTi was a better option, I wasn't paying for the petrol mind you.

jprender

hmmm, thanks for all the info folks.

It really is a fun car to drive, plenty of pep in it.

Don't really want to give it up but circumstances must.


It will kill me to let it go for a song and so depending on how this goes, the kids might just have to squish !!


I see a few 2004 C-max for sale at around 11k.
I could give my 2004 T5 plus a couple of grand and get one.

Summit doesn't sit well with me there !

L-M

jprender wrote: »

hmmm, thanks for all the info folks.

It really is a fun car to drive, plenty of pep in it.

Don't really want to give it up but circumstances must.


It will kill me to let it go for a song and so depending on how this goes, the kids might just have to squish !!


I see a few 2004 C-max for sale at around 11k.
I could give my 2004 T5 plus a couple of grand and get one.

Summit doesn't sit well with me there !

Just go to a few dealers, don't worry about anything else, as long as it's the same car your, just look for cost to change. If they're all around the same you'll know what your car is worth.

useless

OP, you said you're changing because your family is expanding...

The Volvo will take two child car seats in the back, so do you really need to sell it? Hang onto it and enjoy the car for another few years & let the depreciation blow soften a bit!
Or is the Volvo boot just too small?

If you need three car seats, will they fit in the CMax or do you need a 7 seater?

Rowley Birkin QC

Sell the kids, keep the T5.:P

jprender

bigkev49 wrote: »

Sell the kids, keep the T5.:P

Great idea !!


Seriously though, 2 car seats would do the job alright.
It's the boot that is a pain. My wife drives a focus which is just great.

Also, tbh, thinking of reducing my running costs too

Currently getting about 32mpg from the s40.
Tax 900 + pa
Insurance 650ish


Getting a 1.6 car that does 45mpg or thereabout just makes more sense for me with the miles I do. A diesel that does 60mpg would be even better.

I'll get around a few dealers and see what they say.