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Ok so I am still thinking about owning a c5. Figuring out what I should really pay for one has been tough. Seems like all I can find around my area is over priced 11-14 year old cars.
I find that price to be out of this world crazy. They didn't really wanna come down in price.
How should I be pricing cars I am looking at? I look at KBB and NADA but the difference between the two have the KBB a great deal lower vs the NADA. It seems like the dealer always takes the super high end and will not negotiate. Its frustrating because there isn't much around my area.
Last edited by senicalj4579; 08-29-2015 at 10:22 AM.
The first silver car seems fairly close at $18.9 for 33k miles . . .the 03's got 21k on the clock, but $26 is crazy money . . . maybe $21 . ..and FWIW, while it is a 2003 50th anniversary year, it's not a 50th Anniversary edition.
Don't let miles and price alone dictate your decision though - - -pull a VIS report and examine the cars carefully for prior damage and prudent maintenance - - -the lower mile car may still be wearing it's original tires and that's a $1500 replacement cost.
Your looking in the wrong place, I would be looking to buy from a private 1st or second owner. That seller will sell that car for close to that price to a convenience buyer that does not want to take the time to shop, That seller is in that car cheap enough I am sure that he is willing to wait it out, all it takes is looking around at CL, autotrader, etc. or even within the C5 for sale forum.
The first silver car seems fairly close at $18.9 for 33k miles . . .the 03's got 21k on the clock, but $26 is crazy money . . . maybe $21 . ..and FWIW, while it is a 2003 50th anniversary year, it's not a 50th Anniversary edition.
Don't let miles and price alone dictate your decision though - - -pull a VIS report and examine the cars carefully for prior damage and prudent maintenance - - -the lower mile car may still be wearing it's original tires and that's a $1500 replacement cost.
Just my .02 - - - good luck.
Thanks. For that 01...retail for dealer on KBB is 17,218. Retail on NADA is 19,775. Why is there such a big gap and how do these dealers determine price? I hear it has to do with auctions but no matter what they always seem to rape the buyer.
Originally Posted by Keith Richards
Your looking in the wrong place, I would be looking to buy from a private 1st or second owner. That seller will sell that car for close to that price to a convenience buyer that does not want to take the time to shop, That seller is in that car cheap enough I am sure that he is willing to wait it out, all it takes is looking around at CL, autotrader, etc. or even within the C5 for sale forum.
Yes I understand but I have been looking for a while and like I said there isn't much around me. When there is its always a dealer.
St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16-'17-'18-'19-
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The first car may be a bit high, but still in the ballpark IMO. The '03 is overpriced from what I can tell. I generally use NADA to get a reasonable pricing guide for a vehicle, but each car may have features that makes that price a plus or minus.
One thing I have learned is patience is golden when looking for a car like the Corvette. Lots of examples out there - some good, some bad, some in-between. Also, don't be afraid to travel a distance to find just the right car. When I was looking for my current C5, I ended up flying from mid-Missouri to Atlantic City, NJ to make the purchase. The car just felt right and was a mint, low mileage example of what I was looking for. Nothing around my area came close to it.
As mentioned above, you are going to pay more going thru a dealer, look for deals on your local craigslist with private owners. And don't get too wrapped up with "book values". And also as mentioned above, take your time to find the right one at the right price.
Thanks. For that 01...retail for dealer on KBB is 17,218. Retail on NADA is 19,775. Why is there such a big gap and how do these dealers determine price? I hear it has to do with auctions but no matter what they always seem to rape the buyer.
Yes I understand but I have been looking for a while and like I said there isn't much around me. When there is its always a dealer.
Go chip away at them it is the end of the MONTH!
I don't mean to sound hypocritical but I did find our '98 at a large Honda dealer were they had taken in our '98 as a trade on a Friday night, it spent Saturday getting there check over before going on there lot and a smog so they could sell it. Sunday morning the wife and I were headed to look at what looked to be a good deal on a silver '97 but I spied our '98 on a Auto trader site they had just listed, when we got to the dealership that morning at 9:30 am couldn't find the car on the lot till i drove around back were it was still waiting a detail so we started looking at it and a salesman came out and asked if we wanted to drive it, the rest is history. Two hours later I had paid cash and watched the wife drive it home, 44,000 miles 2nd owner had owned it past 12 years according to carfax, paid $15k for it and could not be happier!
Good Luck!
Here it is at the Honda dealer ready to drive home...
When I started shopping for my 03 vert the one I really liked was about 1500 to 2 grand more than the others but when I drove to Ohio from Missouri it was in such great shape that I felt it was worth it. One owner, new run flat Mich tires, battery, Corsa exhaust, engine dressed up(with receipts). 2 years later I haven't had to do a repair of any kind so I think the extra cost was worth it.
I looked and looked for my C5. The private owner I was dealing with I caught in several lies. Game over!! I found my car at a dealership. They had put new run flats,turn rotors and new wipers, new battery and a new rear view mirror on it. They showed me all paperwork plus carfax. I had it inspected by a shop that works on vettes among other cars. They found a few more things, dealer paid for them and I drove it home next day. 34000 miles, one owner excellent
condition for $23500. out the door.
Last edited by ttiros; 08-30-2015 at 10:16 AM.
Reason: forgot to add battery
01-04 Don't limit yourself to YOUR area... be flexible and willing to look at different avenues to purchase... Dealer, Private, Ebay, Craigslist, Vettefinders... look everywhere and compare quality, care, color, options, price, etc...
Look till you are comfortable with the car YOU want at the price YOU are willing to pay...
We looked at THOUSANDS of fifth wheel toy haulers all over the country via the innerweb... and took three years to find what we wanted and the price we could afford...
Same thing with the 04 C5 vette... bought it in Kansas from a Dealership... that was awesome to deal with.
I went to look at that car expecting them to work with me on a cash sale but he told me prices were firm. I then told him have a nice day.
How should I be pricing cars I am looking at? I look at KBB and NADA but the difference between the two have the KBB a great deal lower vs the NADA. It seems like the dealer always takes the super high end and will not negotiate. Its frustrating because there isn't much around my area.
I'd skip the dealers. From what I've seen, their prices are always too much for the nice low mileage cars. The 26k asking price for the 03 is crazy. Last winter I saw a dealer sell a 40k mi 03 MN6 Coupe for 17.5 + TTL
Private party is the way to go. Check craigslist and auto trader daily, be ready to travel on short notice. If you want an automatic, I'd especially bargain more on price. I've seen some really nice looking automatic C5s sell cheaply. I saw a mint mag red/oak 00 auto with 64k miles on Tucson CL asking 11.5. Someone bought it and tried to flip it in Vegas for 16.5.
Last edited by Corvette#2; 08-30-2015 at 12:59 PM.
The 26,990.00 car is WAY TOO HIGH! That's over what an 03 Z06 with same mileage would be. This car is about 8 - 9 K over priced. That dealership is going to be sitting on that one for a very long time. At most 20K is about all he could expect, 16.5-18 is about right, due to the low mileage!
In all fairness, it is possible that dealer could have inadvertently been looking at the Z06 with 21K when they priced it. That price would be retail on a pristine Z06 with 21K, so that sounds like what happened. Point that out to them and see what they say. Could be an honest mistake.
The 2001 at 18K and 31K miles in more in line, but is still about 2-3 K too high. This one may be priced for haggling, so you may be able to get a pretty good deal on it. 31K is very low mileage on a 2001 base coupe. Offer him around 14K and see what you can work out. Perhaps you can get a grand or two off the price.
I paid 16k including taxes/transfer for my Mag red 2001. As for the ABS thing i havent heard of this being a problem nor have i experienced it after owning my car for over a year and a half. My vette is a MN6, 74,000 miles when i bought it, interior is a 9.5 out of 10 and exterior is a 9 out of 10. I was searching for a few months before i found it but when i did i immediately knew it was the one. If you want an auto you should be able to get it cheaper than mine. I would agree that you should stick with private party, a dealer will cost a lot more than private. I would also say 01-04, they have the ls6 intake stock as well as a few other improvements that are slipping my mind right now.
01-04 Don't limit yourself to YOUR area... be flexible and willing to look at different avenues to purchase... Dealer, Private, Ebay, Craigslist, Vettefinders... look everywhere and compare quality, care, color, options, price, etc...
Look till you are comfortable with the car YOU want at the price YOU are willing to pay...
We looked at THOUSANDS of fifth wheel toy haulers all over the country via the innerweb... and took three years to find what we wanted and the price we could afford...
Same thing with the 04 C5 vette... bought it in Kansas from a Dealership... that was awesome to deal with.
In my opinion, this is the best recommendation you've received so far. Don't limit your search to private parties as some have recommended. When I was looking, private parties were priced higher than dealers. Consider all years C5s, but know the differences and the risks associated with each year. Yes, the pre-01 cars have some parts that are hard to find, but if you obtain the car you want for $3K less than a 01 or newer, then you saved the cost of the repair if a failure occurs. Open your search range to a few hundred miles. Consider that 300 miles is a one day trip. I consider that I purchased mine relatively close to home, about 110 miles from my house. As for the "books", KBB, NADA, etc. my opinion on them is take all of them with a grain of salt. None of the books have real cars at the prices they list so they are something you should be aware of, but don't get too concerned about paying more or less than book value. Be careful about recommendations on the forum that you are paying too much for a car. A Corvette is a car of passion, buying a bargain that isn't what you want can't match paying an extra $1K or $2K for the ideal car that you'll look at with pride every day. Yes, the 03 you listed is high priced, but the 01 would be a good asking price if it's exactly what you want. Besides, it's asking price, maybe you can negotiate a better price. Hope things work out for you.
In my opinion, this is the best recommendation you've received so far. Don't limit your search to private parties as some have recommended. When I was looking, private parties were priced higher than dealers. Consider all years C5s, but know the differences and the risks associated with each year. Yes, the pre-01 cars have some parts that are hard to find, but if you obtain the car you want for $3K less than a 01 or newer, then you saved the cost of the repair if a failure occurs. Open your search range to a few hundred miles. Consider that 300 miles is a one day trip. I consider that I purchased mine relatively close to home, about 110 miles from my house. As for the "books", KBB, NADA, etc. my opinion on them is take all of them with a grain of salt. None of the books have real cars at the prices they list so they are something you should be aware of, but don't get too concerned about paying more or less than book value. Be careful about recommendations on the forum that you are paying too much for a car. A Corvette is a car of passion, buying a bargain that isn't what you want can't match paying an extra $1K or $2K for the ideal car that you'll look at with pride every day. Yes, the 03 you listed is high priced, but the 01 would be a good asking price if it's exactly what you want. Besides, it's asking price, maybe you can negotiate a better price. Hope things work out for you.
Thanks roadbike56 I know I'm NOT the sharpest knife in the drawer...but, I try my best to learn from the forum and pass on the things that have helped me. It's nice of you to mention it...
So there isn't anything to the 01 having ABS issues?
Im pretty set on 01-04 because of the issues I have known of on earlier models. I owned 3 ls1 Camaros so I know the 01-02 f bodies came with ls6 intake. I'm not looking to swap intakes or fix column lock (or whatever it is) issues so I need a 01-04.
This one http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...07423342&Log=0 I really wanted to check out but get this...they told me the car is un-drivable but wont tell me whats wrong with it. They want money down in order to get it fixed before I can test drive it.
08-29-2015, 10:20 AM
Pricing out used c5s 01-04
Don't limit yourself to YOUR area... be flexible and willing to look at different avenues to purchase... Dealer, Private, Ebay, Craigslist, Vettefinders... look everywhere and compare quality, care, color, options, price, etc...
