Hi, first I did a few searches on this topic and didn't find anything. Here is the deal.

I am thinking of getting a new Subaru and am not sure how to deal with my beloved 02 WRX Wagon. In the past I have always sold my used cars and despite having kept every single record, repair bill and everything else, I was always called on by some really shady and weird people who didn't seem to appreciate a well maintained car. It is almost like selling a car is more prone to BS than buying one! BS games over price, asking to not sign the title and other shifty ploys. I hate to say it, but in selling a used WRX, I would also expect to get calls and test drives by speed demons and people interested in seeing what the car can do vs. a true test drive in checking out its condition. I won't tolerate that. In addition, I still have 1 year payments on it and dealing with the payoff and all that requires even more hassle with the bank and the new buyer. So, all of this is leading me to consider a trade in. Honestly, I would be willing to lose out on a grand or so to avoid the aforementioned hassles.

I was thinking of this. Go to the dealer and get the salesperson all geeked up on me buying a new car, but not mention a trade until I have a good price. Then hit him with the trade offer. I'm thinking of a new 05 Legacy Outback, maybe the turbo, for me AND my wife. I will sure miss my WRX, but alas I have to be a family man now... Why couldn't they have made the WRX 10 years ago?

P.S. My WRX has 40k miles. I am NOT trying to sell it here!!!

 

you'll get more if you sell it privately but it's also a bigger hassle.

 

Moved from General forum because it involves a new car purchase.

Yes, negotiate your best price before telling dealer of possible trade-in. This also applies to financing.

Negotiate price first, financing later. You can always look around for alternate financing outside of the dealership but that's hard to do if you negotiated a monthly payment.

--
0==WW==0
"…axles of evil…" - george w. bush

 

Sorry I was in the wrong forum!

Thanks for the advice. Like anything else in life it is always a balancing act... I will follow that line with the new car price. They always try to beat you up and/or get you in the old "how much do you want to pay per month" thing and I am not going for that. I want a price on the car first. I once had a low price all set and bargained for, came back the next day to sign the deal and the jerks had the paperwork all made out for list price. I didn't buy that car. What scum. Buying a new car should be fun!

 

i would trade it in for the reasons you mentioned above. i would think that you would be able to use that as part of your negotiation, but i personally would be upfront about it. cal around to different subie dealers (or email their internet mngrs) and

 

Standard advice from Consumer Reports is to nogotiate the price, then introduce the trade in.

The dealer is not going to give you a better deal because you have a trade in.

The trade in is part of the financing not the purchase price. Introducing it during the price negotations just makes it more difficult for you to keep in mind what you are agreeing too.

Best bet these days seems to be internet bids direct to sales managers.

The other option is to just keep it. I'm a family man and I have a WRX wagon. You have a wagon. What's the problem? If you need to cart more c@rp get a pod for the roof. I have one of those too.

Buy a used wagon/ minivan/SUV if you really need the extra haulage (ie have quintuplets). Yes I have one of those too.

My kids are a bit on the teenage side but we had a Honda Civic and an Accord when they were ankle biters.

So bottom line you just have to live you life like some random anonymous guy spouting advice on the internet. Then you get to keep your WRX

Worth running up the spousal flagpole to see if it flies maybe.

Tim

 

i sell subarus- don't get me all geeked up please
my advice find a good dealer 1st. research on www.kbb.com get the invoice price,msrp and the market value(you will get 3)
then offer the dealer a fair amount over invoice(anywhere from 2-5 %) if your value on your trade is less than what u owe u might have a problem in terms of being in "negative equity" .

basically it will all come down to how much you are willing to pay in terms of total cost(end of payments/monthly) how u can tell if a dealer is being honest is by comparing what they tell u versus your info from the website. my last piece of advice- BE HONEST. we have enough snakes out there. . . (thanks to my "predecessors" )

one last thing- if u want a good payment calculator try this website- www.bankrate.com

if u want further help u can email me @ greg@kaneohesubaru.com

 

gotwrx, you cracked me up! Let me think about applying your spousal advice here! I was actually kind of excited about a new turbo legacy wagon - kind of give us both what we need to some degree. Then again, there are some compromises marriage should not demand!

gdogg, thanks a lot too. I have tried so many times to be honest and up front with cars, a house, and almost anything else, and every time I get the run around. I never seem to run into sales people like you. Are you any where near the east coast? I was starting to feel like I need to be a first class %#&^* myself, but I will try one more time.

 

first, thank you.
second, no i am in hawaii
third, get your price, and go to dealer to dealer until u get your price- its your money, should be worth it.
lemme know if u need help with pricing.

 

I think gotwrx has a great idea, go buy a used minivan or whatever to keep your wrx, It can never hurt to talk options out lol, but if you want that turbo outback, then get it. I would trade your car in, as people have already said it is a pain to sell your car privately, you also don't have to account for taxes I think when you trade your car in.

 

Thanks for all the advice. I feel I have wasted all your time and good advice by not having explained more up front! There are these following considerations:

1. We are moving and I will hardly need to drive (darn efficient mass transit!!!).
2. We want to remain a total "Subaru" family (even my inlaws have subies).
3. My wife doesn't drive a stick (and I am not willing to test our marriage in order to teach her!).
4. Her Legacy Wagon is getting older (99), but runs great and I want to get her a nice new safer car (lord knows she deserves something for putting up with me).
5. I want my wife's new car to be something I can enjoy too.
6. Keeping the WRX and a nice new car would be somewhat affordable, but stretching it and kind of wasteful and selfish on my part.
7. I would use the old Legacy wagon now and again for errands (like Home Depot!).
8. We will be living in a city (Philly), nice neighborhood, but I am worried about the old WRX being sort of a target in the city (2nd only to Detroit for car insurance rates). Also, it or the new car will have to be parked on the street (1 car garage and no driveway room).

For me, it all kind of adds up to trade the WRX in for a Legacy turbo wagon (auto - ugh).

 

Sounds like a new Legacy wagon then.

 

Noooooo - I was waiting for you to come up with a brilliant solution to keeping the WRX!!!

Seriously, the new 05 Legacy's look really nice. With the turbo it is about as close to having my cake and eating it too.

 

Well I was going to spout some more advice but then I thought, he going to buy the Legacy anyway and I have work to do...

But since you mentioned it, here's some more gratuitous advice for this font of wisdom

What you have seem fine if both of you are not going to drive much. A '99 is not that old,unless the east coast has transformed it into a rust bucket. I assume not since you are keeping it.

If your wife is going to drive a lot then getting the new legacy probably makes sense.

However you are going to lose a chunk of change selling your WRX so soon because new cars depreciate so fast. You probably lost 10K already. In general the longer you keep it the better off you are.

That just leaves you being hard to put up with and using a car a bribe to salve this flaw in you personality.

Flowers are cheaper. Buy a "being easier to put up with" self help guide, put your laundry in the laundry hamper, put the toilet seat down, do the dishes without being asked, but most of all just pay attention. That should do it...

Tim

 

lol are you a marriage counselour (ok I can't spell but o well).
you have some great points, but I think the new legacy might be the best for this guy in the long run. We all know how women can be sometimes lol