What should I be asking for my car? Dealer offering me $33k on trade...please help.

Just wanted your opinion of what my car may be worth if I sold it outright. I think that $33k trade in seems fair for a 1999, but maybe I am off. Here are the options and a few pics: 1999 Carrera 33,000 miles 6 speed TC with LSD 18" Turbo Wheels w/ colored crests Factory US 030 suspension Factory Sport seats with body color seat backs Factory carbon steering wheel, door thresholds, e-brake and shifter Body color rear center console I would rate it as a 9 on a scale of 10 and I am very picky. Others might rate it a 9.5 or 10. I am interested in any input that you might be able to give. https://rennlist.com/forums/attachme...chmentid=97249 https://rennlist.com/forums/attachme...chmentid=97248

Did you try Carmax to see what they're offering?

It all depends on what cost of the new car is that you are trading it for. It's all smoke and mirrors. If you feel like you are getting a good deal on the new car without the trade, then 33,000 great price. Take it and don't look back. You also get the sales tax savings on the $33,000.

but this dealers told me at $33k that is what they are calling the true money value of my car. They will work with me on anything that I am looking at just as if I did not have a trade and then take $33k off of that negotiated deal. They told me straight up that they can sell my car for between $38k and $40k on their lot. The tax benefit is real at $33k. That will be over $2k at the current rates. I do not want to sell the 996, but a new baby has me thinkng either Audi S4 or Cayenne S.

Patric, Your car is beautiful. Still I'm surprised at how much they're offering.. 33k miles is somewhat low, the color is nice... really nice.. (and the interior mods sound nice too), and the LSD is something an enthusiast would certainly appreciate (not that the 030 hurts, either!). Even still, private party sales of '99s are often (but certainly not always) <$30k. So it doesn't sound like such a bad deal... That said, the 911 has a back seat for a reason The reason I'm in a 911 today is because as a baby, I rode in the back seat of one in my car seat - the sound of an air-cooled 911 engine is burned into the back of my brain, and stuck with me all these years. And as much as I like the V8 S4 (when my car is serviced, I get to drive one), it's not a 911. Slightly more practical, yes, but a completely different beast. A friend of mine sold his 911 a few years ago when he got married for a Land Rover. He tricked himself into thinking he needed a bigger car. Guess what his most recent acquisition was? 997.

i have 2 babies recently, and i suggest you keep the 996, buy a regular suv or mini van as a family car. if u 996 still running fine.

Patric, To be honest, it is actually a good deal for a trade. Although it has good options and low mileage, being a non-aero coupe it won't bring $38-40K in my local market. It is out of warranty, so the local Porsche dealers here would take it as trade, but just wholesale it out to a local dealer. It is too old to be certified. I am curious for what you are trading it against and the discount they are offering on the other side of the deal? If you really want to hold out for the best resale, consider selling the car yourself and doing an in-and-out with your dealer. You basically make the deal with a local party and have the sales transaction go through the dealer. This way the dealer shows your car as a trade and resale giving you the benefit of saving on taxes. Normally they only charge the $100-200 document fee to do this. I have personally done this with great success.

What do you think my car would fetch on the open market? I was thinking myself that it may only bring $34-35k to the right buyer, so $33k seemed like a deal to me. For $1-2k is it worth the hassle to deal with selling it yourself?

For the first time in recorded history someone is getting a fair trade in offer on their car in this case. Even if you sold it for 35k, which would be really, realy, really hard privately, the 6% sales tax savings on the new purchase makes this deal equivalent. Unless getting rid of the trade makes the deal on the new car you are planning to buy a lot better (like 4-7k better), they've made you a very fair trade in offer.

You could get more money for your car if you sell it privately. You will always lose money when you trade your car into the dealership but its a route for owners who do not have time/patience to sell it.

take it!

I'd take the trade if you are buying from the same dealer and can get a great deal on the new car. Otherwise, sell it for $37k asking and target a price around $36k. You'll sell at $35k easy given the low mileage. This assumes the interior and mechanical is great. Put this on Craigslist or autotrader if you want to test the water on the price. Your selling pt is the mileage and upgrades. The color maybe the downside.

with a $2K tax break you are at $35K I think that is a fair price. I would do it to escape the hassle.

It doesn't take much effort (or cash) to test the waters with an online run-til-it-sells ad on trader or cars.com. You're almost guaranteed to get a lot more than what any dealer will give you. The only drawback is there are always lots of Porsches on the market so you'll have to be patient to get a good price.

Seems to be the in private party price range for a coupe with 40-50K mi (a little higher, I know). I bought my cab (double the miles) for that from a dealer, and it's an '00. Don't let that take anything from your car, though. It's gorgeous. With tax savings, it's $35K in your pocket, without waiting. The dealer might have someone on the hook for a cart like that, or has not been watching the glut on the market. If you really need to move the car, this might be the safe way out.

That's not bad, I was offered $35K on my car as a trade in ( 8/10 low miles 2000 C2). Trading it saves the hassle of ads and phone calls, plus you get the sales tax benefit.

There is no such thing as a good deal when you are dealing with a trade in! When you trade your car in, the dealer will simply over allow on the trade if he thinks you need to hear a high enough number for your trade to make the deal. The entire deal is predicated on the difference between the trades real wholesale value after deducting for any reconditioning and advertising, and the profit margin the dealer needs to hold on the new car. It is simply a balancing act that the dealer must perform in order to make the customer happy with the price he thinks he is getting for his trade in, as well as, what he is paying overall for the new car.The only advantage a dealer has with a good clean trade in, is that when he gets it for the right price, he hopefully will turn it for a good profit. The profit structure in most used cars, normally, far exceeds what can be made on a new vehicle. If you are going to deal with a trade in, you must first ask yourself how much money are you willing to throw away for the simplicity of making the deal. If you don't go into the bargaining phase knowing that you will never win dealing with a trade, then you are simply ignorant, or a fool. By the bye, most people feel that somhow they are being cheated by Auto Dealers. Of the many years I spent in the business, I found the majority of dealers to be more honest then the customers that we were dealing with. The problem with car buying vs. shopping at Wal-Mart, is that the public wants to make a deal. When was the last time you went into Wal-Mart, walked up to the cashier and told her that you didn't want to pay their price, and by the way, I have some used up items I would like you to take in trade? This is a throw back to the horse trading days, and when the car came into being, the horse trading continued. In order to stay in business, Auto Dealers, just like Horsetraders, learned to deal with the pie in the sky public who for the most part are totally clueless. They were forced to use smoke and mirrors to make the public believe what they wanted. It became simply a means of remaining in business. Tom L 2002 C2

Personally, I would hop on that $33,000 in an instant. I do realize that the car has low miles, but there are car dealers selling for $28-29-30, which means they gave 25-28k for them.

It's amazing what's happening to Porsche's vaunted resale value! It'll only get worse as Porsche becomes more mainstream.

While most of the time what you are saying here is true, it appears that he may have found a pretty fair dealer and is making a better overall deal this way. The truth of the matter is, if someone is taking "barter" instead of cash as you so eloquently put it, the offer needs to reflect that with additional potential margin on the bartered item. If you went to a store and saw and new plasma tv for $3000, you wouldn't offer them 2500 and the used tv I no longer need that could sell for $500 to someone, would you? No, you'd offer 2800 and a $500 TV for 300 dollars--you get my point. I think this dealer is being fair for giving you 33k for a car he'll have to advertise & promote to hope to sell it for 38k. If you are happy with the price you negitiated on the new car, the trade in deal is excellent.

I am the sales manager for my company, so I am well aware of what you are talking about. However, I feel that I could sell the car outright to a buyer for $35-36k maybe. The dealer says that they can sell it for $38-40k on their lot with their clientele. If the dealer gives me $33k + I get the $2200 tax benefit, I am right at the $35-36k that I thought that I could get myself. I do not understand how this is a bad deal in your mind.

I think it is a pretty good deal!!

I dont think you will get more than that on the open market. We looked at a minty mint 01 M6 with the sport seats, 18" , PSM and possibly lights with 23k miles for 38, the msrp was 74,500 for reference.

Sounds like a good trade in to me. I've sold about 10 cars privately including my Z06 two months ago. If dealer offers you a value close to what you could get privately (including sales tax savings) Trade it in. IMO it's not worth the hassle trying to get another $1,500. If dealer only offer you $28k, then yeah sell it privately. Just make sure they give you a good price on the new car. I have an 2005 Audi S4 and I got 4k off sticker when I bought it almost two years ago. If they only give you $1k off sticker you know why. The S4 is a great car. I bought mine when my daughter was born. It's a great daily driver. To me it feels faster than a 99-01 911 and with minor mods, chip, sway bars, exhaust you can really open the S4 up and it will handle like a sports car.

If you need to get rid o it, then trade it.. I know someone in 6speed that has his 99 cab for sale for 6months now.. and it's clean , he only wants 34.5 for it, but it wouldnt sell, trade it.. btw i have an 01 with cpo and the highest I got from the dealer was $37K.. do it!

good deal.

Patric, There is no tax benefit here in California, so since you evidently have such a benefit, it certainly makes a difference in your dealings. However, if you think you can sell the car for what the tax savings would be plus the 33k the dealer is offering, than do it and work the deal from the dealers MSRP downward. What you need to look at, and maybe I did not see it in your earlier post, is how much discount you are getting on the new vehicle you are buying? Believe me when I say that the dealer will not come very much off his price and still hand you the 33k for your trade. If your trade was not involved, you would be in the drivers seat as to how much the new vehicle will be discounted. As long as you involve the trade in, the dealer is going to hold the maximum profit on the other end. Tom L 2002 C2

Worse! Not if you're buying used!!!!! I'm so close, this 25k is burning a hole in my pocket.