misterjensen
09-02-2007, 09:02 AM
I traded my car in yesterday! Yup; we are a one car family until we get our HHR SS. Before you call me crazy, I'll explain my situation.
I had been looking at cars all summer long. When I found something I liked, I tried to see what the numbers would look like including my trade (an ultra loaded, ultra clean, low miles, 2003 PT Cruiser GT). In short, dealers either offered me several thousand dollars below trade in book value, or told me that they didn't want it. Their usual explaination... "we don't do well with those cars".
I tried selling the car myself, again, priced as low as $2000 below private party book value, and didn't get a single call over a two month period.
The car was just about to roll over 50,000 miles and therefore need tires, and had begun to exhibit some usual "I'm becoming an older car" minor glitches. The values of cars like mine had begun to drop sharply. I needed to do something... FAST!
The dealership I've been dealing with offered to buy my car now for only a few hundered dollars below trade in value... so I took it! I'm #1 in line to order an HHR SS and will be called to do so as soon as they get their allocation.
What are my wife and I doing in the meantime? Well, my wife should be nominated for "wife of the year". She is opting to ride her bike to the school she teaches at (about two miles one way) until her parents go down to Florida for the winter in October; I'll be driving her car on my long commute. (She's actually loving the idea because it's an opportunity to have some more physical activity, reduce emmissions, save gas $, etc...) We are then going to get her parents minivan for her to commute in until we get the HHR SS.
The situation is a little annoying, but I was able to get rid of a car that was quickly depreciating and was in the "soon to be needing things" category. I was able to get VERY close to what it was worth in my area. I'll be able to put some $ away not making car or insurance payments over the next few months. I'm completely unattached to a car to get rid of and am ready to pick up the HHR SS as soon as possible!!!
I had been looking at cars all summer long. When I found something I liked, I tried to see what the numbers would look like including my trade (an ultra loaded, ultra clean, low miles, 2003 PT Cruiser GT). In short, dealers either offered me several thousand dollars below trade in book value, or told me that they didn't want it. Their usual explaination... "we don't do well with those cars".
I tried selling the car myself, again, priced as low as $2000 below private party book value, and didn't get a single call over a two month period.
The car was just about to roll over 50,000 miles and therefore need tires, and had begun to exhibit some usual "I'm becoming an older car" minor glitches. The values of cars like mine had begun to drop sharply. I needed to do something... FAST!
The dealership I've been dealing with offered to buy my car now for only a few hundered dollars below trade in value... so I took it! I'm #1 in line to order an HHR SS and will be called to do so as soon as they get their allocation.
What are my wife and I doing in the meantime? Well, my wife should be nominated for "wife of the year". She is opting to ride her bike to the school she teaches at (about two miles one way) until her parents go down to Florida for the winter in October; I'll be driving her car on my long commute. (She's actually loving the idea because it's an opportunity to have some more physical activity, reduce emmissions, save gas $, etc...) We are then going to get her parents minivan for her to commute in until we get the HHR SS.
The situation is a little annoying, but I was able to get rid of a car that was quickly depreciating and was in the "soon to be needing things" category. I was able to get VERY close to what it was worth in my area. I'll be able to put some $ away not making car or insurance payments over the next few months. I'm completely unattached to a car to get rid of and am ready to pick up the HHR SS as soon as possible!!!