trade in value
 

has anyone traded in their E53?

how much did they got?

i have a 2005, wondering how much they will give me for....:nanana:

check edmunds.com, kbb.com - there are some other sites that will give you an idea of how much unaltered, factory spec'd vehicle is worth, based on the recent sales in the given ZIP code...

that info will be more accurate - most of us on this website are too crazy about our rides and we might have a tendency of "over" valueing these cars... hahaha

Ditto TX5's reply above...and here's more websites (all nice a quickly accessed right at our fingertips :) ) set-up to give an approx fair market price when trying to determine the value of a vehicle that's being considered for sale or trade-in (private sale or car lot trade-in):

1. New Cars, Used Cars, Car Reviews | Cars.com
2. New Cars, Used Cars - Find Cars at AutoTrader.com
3. N.A.D.A. Home Page

TIP: I usually use 3 or more sites then take the average of all their results especially if there's a big enough difference between what they come up with for the market in which the vehicle is being sold or traded.

thanks guys...

but, like to find out if anyone had the chance for actual trade in experience...and if anyone tested the water and back away, those advice would help greatly!

thanks again!

If you want a personal testimony versus websites that track this stuff nationally then breaks it down by zip code...then you may want to indicate which market you're in so that anyone on the forum in your same neck of the woods can chime in. Local prices can vary by thousands of dollars depending on if there's a lot of models to choose from or not...or how popular an X5 might be in the same & surrounding zip code. :)

My trade in is like 5500 !

The trade in value is irrelevant unless you compare it with the new car cost. They might give you a great trade-in, but then charge you MSRP on the new car. Or the opposite, give away the new car and offer you a crappy trade-in.

If you are thinking of simply selling the car to a dealer without buying a new car from them, that's when you really want to bend over.

sell it on your own. buy from a consignment place or someone with access to a dealer auction

Not sure what you're asking, but i'll give it a try.

1- If you want to get rid of it quickly, take it to Carmax, need to have clean
Autocheck report.

2- Not sure if you want to find out your trade in value or experience. Go test
the water yourself, because every trade in situation is unique.

3- Want to know the book value, as dealers call it, "back of book value" got to
have access to dealer auction, there the whole sellers and dealers they
can determine the value of your specific vehicle with respect to condition,
mileage, options, etc.

In theory, the trade in value is never more than the auction value.... the reason is if the dealer can't retail your trade in in a few months, it will ends up at the auction.

Just went throught the carmax process on my 05 4.4L Sport w/ 109,500 miles. $8K offer. Note my brake pad sensors are lit and someone rubbed some paint off my rear bumper. I would expect a dealer to offer a bit more say $9,500. I will probably list it somewhere between 13,000-14,000 privately (after I address the issues above).

Can you share details of your model? I have a used dealer license and can check manheim values

It really depends on what you trade it in on. I was in the car business for years, my old man still has a car lot to this day.

If the dealer has a good amount of cushion he can "show" you more on your car. If not, he's going to try and get the cushion back on your trade.

If your ride has problems or any engine/brake/warning lights on, he's really going to hit you with a low offer, especially on one of our E53's..

The very best thing to do is (1) Sell it yourself. You will probably get close to 30% more. (2) Be prepared to walk away from whatever you are looking to buy. Act super interested, but walk. Usually the dealer will call you back a bit later to try and make a deal. (3) Above all, educate yourself about both vehicles values in YOUR area.

Definitely sell it privately. I was able to sell it for 50% more than what the VW dealer was offering. Don't ask why about the VW dealer. :p:

tell me you werent buying a Chrysler, erm, VW Routan minivan... :yikes:

exactly dialog i want...
 

thanks Qsilver7, but, see the following posts...that is what I meant...

people chiming in for the experience.

Matter of fact, I did traded my in....everyone i knew told me to take it to CarMax...(as jspdr said already)

now, I will put up my value to the sake of this topic...

now, its interesting that mike_dmt and CTSportX5 talked about brake light lit up...

because my did...the day before i trade her in...(its saddens me that she knew that I'm gonna trade her in....:(...)

i got a $10K offer from CarMax (SoCal) - 2005 3.0 97,000 factory xenon lights with tow hitch installed

just want to put it out there for people also want to do their trade in/sell their E53s

you are spot on...!!

I did want to move forward, as matter of fact, I balance some estimation of overhauling the E53 approaching 100k miles. I think i better just go forward with it....

I just thought someone might be in the same boat as I'm on this forum, start a thread that might help people to conclude their decision as well.

wouldn't you say so?

that is very similar to my offer as well, but, my is a 3.0

thanks for your input...:thumbup:

my tires were just replaced, car was serviced and documented by Carfax

(interesting enough, I went up to registered Carfax, and check up on all the repairs i have done, and found some missing one a while back, and then, they validated with the dealer, and show a strong track history)

Like i said, this thread is suppose to help some one on here are thinking what is fair and what not...as their going forward with BMW journey...lol

hmm...interesting...

i want to know more details...:D

Local Audi dealer offered $7K for my 04 3.0 w/ 98000. Spotless Carfax, never been in an accident, all service records. What a low ball offer.

I just did a blackbook online value estimator on a VW dealer website for my X.

They give a range of values, anywhere from 3k-$9500 in great condition, 2003 3.0i with 68,000 miles. I'm sure having the manual transmission would kill a trade in anywhere, that's why I'm keeping the X for a long time :)

Definitely don't think I'd get top dollar trading in, someday when I do sell I most likely will do it privately, or by the time its time to sell it will be worth so little that I won't even care about trading in!

sold dead 2002 4.6iS with 148K miles for $3100 - they came and hauled it away. car needs replacement engine... i tried to fix it (hired a mechanic) but it seemed that geting rid of it was the only way to go...

so sad! now you have to change your avatar pic!

Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road.

Oh sorry to hear that terminator....best of luck for the next...hoping to see you stay in the forum....you should start to charge us :thumbup:

sorry to to hear that about the car is dead...

what ya gonna get?

well, i still have the 2006 E53 4.8iS, so i am still in the game!!! I will need to change the avatar to have the 2006 model in it, instead of the 2002... it is just that the 2002 car really has been around, i have a picture of it with the St. Basil's Cathedral on the background, with a stallion next to it, dirty as a Jeep after a Jamboree, in front of some nice hotels... that car had some battle scars on it, from different countries - but unfortunatelly, it succumbed to its wounds...

As far as charging - i will take a beer or two!!! Assuming, that i had helped in any given problem!!!

Life goes on!!!

Term,

87s still look great when dirty. The looks will stand the test of time! :thumbup:

:saad:couple more pics...

:saad:

You meant sport car with 18 cups holders?
C'on Twins show us your new ride ... I know you got some better then 18 cups holders thing....

Tread Hi Jack is over ....

MrBMW right - i hi-jacked the thread with my story... sorry guys - it just was a bit too much for old me... so much was connected with this car, that i just posted away... i probably should have made a separate post, to post all these pics...

T,

Really enjoyed the pics, really tells the story of your old 4.6is! You and the wife look happy as can be with the X in the background!

Thanks Jay... That particular picture is on the Lake Gatun in Panama, part of the Panama Canal system... Some good, ol' times... lol...

time to mod the 4.8iS!!! :)

:thumbup::thumbup:

first step, get those rear fogs working (I hope you swapped the European headlight switch in your 4.8is before they took the 4.6 away!)

:)

PM me with your address I can send you those extra Posi-tap's I have from when I hooked up the wires, think I have 4 left.

Thanks ricky, just sent you a PM with the address and my bucket list of mods for the 4.8iS!!! lol...