Fuel efficient SUV/Car search

[treehugger]

Had the 4runner washed and waxed yesterday, getting ready to throw it on Craigslist and see if I can sell it for what I want. Debating if I need to go get the 20,000 mile service done (I am at 22,500). Figure, I don’t need to sell it. If I am able to sell for what I want, great, if not great I keep the 4runner not a big deal. I can always buy a 4runner again, not the end of the world.

All roads point to the prius, with 50 mpg average, I did the math that is 2.7 X better than my 4 runner that averages 18.5. We took the tape measure to the dealership when we test drove and they still have lots of room, plus I have so many friends that drive them and love them (I am convincing myself to drink the Kool-aid). The electric vehicles are interesting, especially the Rav4 but still with such limited mileage it hardly seems right. After doing the online research and price game it comes down to whether I want to get the upgraded package with bigger wheels and stuff I don’t understand. My husband thinks it makes the Prius look “sporty” and is worth the upgrade. I am cheap and have a hard time justifying the $2,000 cost for the upgrade.

Have not costed out new vs used, since the incentives seem to be on new right now.

[zzz]

TeCK….Interesting feedback on the RAV4 EV…I’m in the market for a car as my lease is almost up. I started out leasing hoping to get an electric car at some pt.

Were you able to negotiate off MSRP at all, or do they just offer the incentives and thats it?

Anyone had any luck selling a car off lease? I don’t want to deal with some fixes I need to make on the car before I return it, and I know I will get dinged. Plus I put very few miles on this car, so I’m thinking I can at least break even, if not make a few hundred just compared to residual. But will definitely SAVE if I can just sell at residual and not have to do any repairs.

If so, please pass along details. Suggestions on how to handle security issues- how do you handle test drives, etc and where do you meet people? Office isn’t an option. Thanks

[spdrun]

Don’t be a fearful little fraidy-cat is how. Speak to the people over the phone first — if they seem like scumbags, you can always be unavailable for the test drive.

Meet them in front of your house. It’s just another house, and they won’t be seeing the inside, only what’s visible from the street.

[bearishgurl]

Run your vehicle in the Auto Trader. In the past, AT used to come out to your house to take photos of the vehicle. That’s when the AT was available at most convenience stores for 75 cents.

Now, you can download your own photos to autotrader.com and screen inquiries from there. spdrun is right. Your buyers will come to your house. They will leave their OWN vehicle parked out front (and possibly other adult family members with kids waiting there) while one of the buyers takes it for a test drive with or without the owner. It’s not very likely that they are going to take off with your vehicle under these circumstances, even if the owner does not accompany them. ESPecially, if the vehicle they leave parked in front of your house is more valuable than the one you’re advertising, lol.

Serious buyers will ask you the mileage and options (if not all listed in your ad) by phone or e-mail and then run a private-party blue book valuation online at kbb.com before visiting to test-drive and inspect your vehicle. If a buyer wishes to make an appointment that day or for a later time to take your vehicle to their mechanic before deciding whether to buy it, you, as a seller, should allow this, within reason (their mechanic is a LOCAL shop, they leave the vehicle they came in with you and they return your vehicle within ~3 hours). If a buyer has a friend or relative who is a “mechanic” but doesn’t have a shop, you should make your vehicle available for them to jack up (if they wish to) and inspect on your premises.

If a lender or leaseholder has your title, you will have to do the actual selling transaction at their nearest office.

I have bought and sold several vehicles this way in the past (sold vehicles I had the title to but bought several where the PP had a lien). Whether one is the buyer or seller, it is w-a-a-a-a-y better for all parties to buy and sell vehicles yourself and create your own bill of sale than to deal with stealerships, who often won’t sell a used vehicle unless they can make at least $3K over PP value in the transaction (preferably $5-$8K on a $10-$15K sale) after stiffing the previous owner royally in a “trade-in.”

As we all know, the vast majority of trade-ins for new vehicles are not held by the stealership but immediately farmed out to other used-car dealers. That’s part of the reason why a new-car stealership doesn’t offer much for a trade in, and, if they do, they charge more for the new vehicle. There’s no free lunch.

[bearishgurl]

Gosh, treehugger … if your 4Runner with just 22K miles was a 4WD, I’d sure be interested in it IF you were selling it 14-18 months from now. But unfortunately, I won’t be “in the market” for a 4WD/AWD vehicle until then.

Years ago, I had a Toy HiLux with a boot/custom matching shell (w/SR-5 pkg and fully loaded) and LOVED sitting up higher while driving the open road with professional drivers 🙂

It even had a 5 spd overdrive transmission + granny gear. I’m not sure they make those anymore, probably just “sissymatics” now (as spdrun would say). It was really fun to drive, even in the ice and snow 🙂

[bearishgurl]

I forgot to add that, as a PP vehicle seller, you need to make your service records available for inspection. Arrange them chronologically latest to earliest and put them in a folder.

For tires, alignments, batteries and oil changes (maintenance, etc), include only the latest receipts of each for viewing.

Also, if it is due for a smog check in <60 days, do it now and have that report available for inspection.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=bearishgurl]I forgot to add that, as a PP vehicle seller, you need to make your service records available for inspection. Arrange them chronologically latest to earliest and put them in a folder.

For tires, alignments, batteries and oil changes (maintenance, etc), include only the latest receipts of each for viewing.

Also, if it is due for a smog check in <60 days, do it now and have that report available for inspection.[/quote]

Also make a copy of your vehicle's title for inspection (if you have it) to prove the vehicle has not been salvaged. If it has, state this fact in your ad so you don't waste everyone's time.

[zzz]

thx BG, its a 3yr old german car, i negotiated a good deal on it, so its pretty straightforward. i think i can make a quick few grand on it just based on the very low mileage i put on it and there have been very few services required and its required for me to keep maintenance records. good shape, still under warranty. thx for tip on selling it through leaseholder, i haven’t even asked the lender what needs to happen – i think theres some paperwork i need to fill out.

i still dont’ know about having them to come to my house. not worried so much about the car getting stolen – thats why i have insurance right? but as a woman, i don’t know if want someone coming to my house.

[bearishgurl]

[quote=zzz]thx BG, its a 3yr old german car, i negotiated a good deal on it, so its pretty straightforward. i think i can make a quick few grand on it just based on the very low mileage i put on it and there have been very few services required and its required for me to keep maintenance records. good shape, still under warranty. thx for tip on selling it through leaseholder, i haven’t even asked the lender what needs to happen – i think theres some paperwork i need to fill out.

i still dont’ know about having them to come to my house. not worried so much about the car getting stolen – thats why i have insurance right? but as a woman, i don’t know if want someone coming to my house.[/quote]

Have a friend or relative be present with you when you show the vehicle, even if it is only a handy neighbor. If you live alone, get an agreement with a retired or otherwise usually available neighbor to be present when someone comes to view to the car.

In the past when selling my own vehicle thru an ad, I have never seen a buyer come alone. They usually always come with a more knowledgeable friend/relative in tow to look under the hood, chassis and snoop around the dash and interior. Some come with their HS/college-aged or recently divorced kid for whom they are purchasing the vehicle. And others come with a family of six with kids in tow who are tired of driving around :=0.

In the past, I’ve had several buyers come with a few thousand cash in their pockets. This was for vehicles under $4K and before technology made counterfeiting easier. Now, I wouldn’t be able to tell if large bills presented to me ($100 or over) are actually counterfeit and for this reason, would prefer a cashier’s check after I hold a 10% deposit, give a receipt and remove the vehicle from the ad while waiting for the buyer to bring me one. Meanwhile, I would get the bill of sale ready on your agreed-on price and have my title at the ready, or, in your case, make an appt with your leaseholder for you and your buyer to meet at their nearest office after instructing the buyer to make his/her cashier’s check out with both names. In this case, show the buyer a copy of your registration to verify “ownership” and give them the correct spelling of yours and your leaseholder’s names.

[bearishgurl]

zzz, I am also female and have sold LOTS of items off CL from my garage, mostly sporting goods. I’ve also had VERY profitable hours-long garage sales with only female help.

Joe and Suzy 6P really just want to go to Big Bear, etc with their kids and can’t afford the ridiculous prices for clothing and equipment which will only fit for a year or two. Or they just need a kid’s bike or old running TV/furniture for their kid’s room or nice electronic X-mas gift (used) which they can’t afford new. They’re REALLY not out to “rob” anybody. Often they bring the kid with them to try the item(s) on!

It’s really okay. The closer your house is to lower-income households, the more successful a CL seller of household goods, clothing, tools and sporting goods will be, IMHO.

I’ve also purchased off of and accompanied other purchasers off CL, UT ads and Reader ads and NEVER had a problem, even after entering sellers’ homes. This is actually a good way to meet interesting people.

It really isn’t that difficult to do either, except for the several extra steps involved in selling a motor vehicle.

[spdrun]

If some dumbass is bent on robbing you or stealing your car, he doesn’t need an “invite” to a garage sale or Craigslist deal. He’ll just as soon break in to a random house that looks vacant or carjack a random driver whose car he likes at gunpoint.

[Anonymous]

But how do we prefer another car for long trips ? I mean to say that there should be the one in which you go for long as well as short trips..In short you can prefer one for every type of work…Check out http://www.salvagereseller.com/

[flu]

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