Cheap trade in price for my 2000 e46 330Ci

[far4ngn 14]

The wife was thinking about selling her car for something else and wandered into a local car yard and was offered $16k for her Jap import 2000 e46 330ci (78000km). Is it me or does that sound really cheap...Tardme averages about $25k?

Just wondering what you all thought...oh and she told them to get lost

[Mark 178]

Dealers always low ball you on the trade in price. They'd probably put it on the yard in the low 20's. Just sell your car privately then you have the power of a cash buyer.

[bmw.maniac 1]

Car prices are all over the place at the moment. Last week my Dad bought a mint NZ New 2001 530i of a surgeon in Takapuna. 2 NZ Owners, Full Team McMillan service history, 83,000km all for a grand total of $15,000.

TradeMe lists similar cars with the same km but imports as anything from 20,000 - 29,000.

[3 SERIES 93]

The car is worth a lot more that 16k!

Car dealers offer low prices for trade in's so they can make 5k+ once they put it on the yard.

Trading in does have its benefits such as a quick sale without any hassles (a positive in todays market) but you will be underselling it.

Id says its in the 20-25k ball park

Edited September 14, 2008 by 3 SERIES

[jjs 64]

The wife was thinking about selling her car for something else and wandered into a local car yard and was offered $16k for her Jap import 2000 e46 330ci (78000km). Is it me or does that sound really cheap...Tardme averages about $25k?

Just wondering what you all thought...oh and she told them to get lost

To be honest, $16k seems about right to me. Some may be listed on TradeMe for $25k, but are they selling? Also, the dealer does need to make a margin (they sell cars to make money). In todays market, I think the car you have described should be $20-$22 on a yard. So by the time the dealer prepares the car for the yard then discounts when the purchaser haggles with them leaves them only $1-2k in profit - doesn't seem that unreasonable to me.

The car is worth a lot more that 16k!

Car dealers offer low prices for trade in's so they can make 5k+ once they put it on the yard.

Very few dealers would make $5k on a car under $30k. Remember, you are asking them to buy something off you that they probably don't want. Having worked in the industry, I know that trade in prices are not simply numbers pulled out of the sky. If it is something the dealer wants to keep, they would work out what it should retail for, and work back from there. If they don't want it, they will ring a dealer who sells that stuff who will give a price they will buy it for stock for which translates into your trade in price.

[JiB 0]

For comparison we bought our E46 328i Motorsport for $13,000. In absolutely immaculate condition.

Mind you it's a sedan and prefacelift, so a 330ci will be worth more...