MikeMaj82

I'm looking to trade in my 2005 Corvette coupe with 23,200 miles. I'm getting all different kinds of numbers from different sites:

Kelly Blue Book:
Fair: $24,328
Good: $25,996
Very Good: $26,652

Nada:
Rough: $23,762
Average: $25,712
Clean: $27,337

Black Book:
Rough: $11,730
Average: $18,210
Clean: $21,910

Edmunds:
Rough: $13,881
Average: $15,869
Clean: $19,082
Outstanding: $20,459

Autotrader:
Instant trade-in offer: $21,929

I'm just trying to find the most accurate numbers and which book value/market site dealers are using these days. And yes I know I can get more selling it privately. Just wondering about these trade values, especially the black book ones which seem ridiculous.

Kingman99

Hi

They are all meaningless, because it depends on the following;

Where you live
Time of year
Color
Condition
Miles
Options
Mods

And all of the above is just the start.

Example if you live in the NE or SE or East coast or west coast. Big city or small town.

Too much really goes into it to come up with a blanket price. Nobody here looking to buy your car is going to tell you that you are too cheap. They will tell you that you are expensive in one way or another.

Everything is condition and low miles if it is driven more then 5000 miles a year it is a daily driver. Remember tires (runflats) cost between $1200 to $2000 mounted.

It goes on and on.

Check what your local dealers offer and figure they will bend in price a little and check the condition.

The price is what you think is fair.

Good Luck

Alan

MikeMaj82

All of those things you listed are what I had to enter in order to see the trade-in price. Literally, all of them. The prices I listed are based on a 2005 Black auto Corvette with 23,200 miles in NJ in the condition listed with a glass roof, navigation, 19" polished wheels, and magnetic ride control.

not08crmanymore

Take your car to a dealer and have them appraise it or if you know someone who has access to auction reports,there are your real numbers.
not gonna happen.
definitely not gonna happen.
Average and clean on these two seem more realistic for an 05.However, in the real world these guides ain't writing the checks.Dealers and wholesalers are.

MikeMaj82

I can't see how they can lowball like that offering in the teens when there are a lot of used '05s on dealer lots right now with similar options and mileage priced at $27K and up. Check usedcars.com. That seems a little ridiculous. Would you trade your car in for $15K - $18K knowing the dealer will re-sell it for over $27K? I couldn't even get that much for it privately.

JimmyLee

Assume worse case scenario for trade-in. Reconsider private sell if you are concerned about a $5,000 variance. At 23,200 miles you have a great bargaining chip. If you have taken good care of your car, don't give it away.

Firewater Burns

Unless the dealer knows they can turn the car quickly, I can not see one paying over current auction prices, regardless of trim. If you are a better sales man than the dealer, you may be able to get close to auction price.

Current prices over the last 30 days are:
Above: $25,900 @ 32,000 mi
Average: $20,600 @ 64,000 mi
Below: $15,301 @ 96,000 mi
Total sold: 26

Prices will generally trend downward for the next 4-6 months.

mickey5

Just contacted a forum dealer and requested a trade in value of my '13 1LT A6 base coupe with 1200 miles against a"14 Manual roadster. They quoted my cars value at $27K cause they would have to sit on it til next spring. Is this BS or what??

not08crmanymore

They can ask whatever they want. When you consider that people have purchased 07's,08's for 28-32 grand or so,why would anybody pay 27 grand for an 05 unless they know nothing about Corvettes?? 2013 1LT coupes were selling for 39 grand at the end of the run ... I don't make the numbers.So yea,I think 27 grand for an 05 is way high in the real world.

stp357

I recently sold a truck. Went to KBB and NADA to check the value. It seemed kind of low, so I searched Autotrader to see what they were actually selling for. That info netted me $4000 more than what "the book" value suggested. In my opinion, you are going to leave substantial money on the table for the dealer to make instead of you. Remember, the dealer is going to re-sell the vehicle, and make a profit on it.

MikeMaj82

Exactly. If they offer me say $22K, they're going to price it for sale at $27K and probably get $25K. Profit. When I bought it 2 years 4 months ago I paid $32K. I only put 21k miles on it, and looking at the few that are available on autotrader and usedcars.com at similar mileage, they will definitely get a good amount selling it. Supply and demand.

cor28vettes

Black book is the one dealers will use. The on-line paid (by dealer) subscriber version, not the bookstore otc, or other non-paid subscriber versions.

cor28vettes

Autotrader does not list cars at selling prices.

Kingman99

Go back to K and try and buy your car or as close as possible it would blow your mind.


Bring your vette to Conte's in Vineland and sell it as a consignment car.

stp357

What???? Every car on there has an asking price, after all selling is the reason they are on there. What are you talking about?

Kingman99

Yes you can look at Manheim's auction prices but it still means nothing because they run auctions all over the country and different local's have different prices for the same car.

Also if you are looking for a primo vette you do not want an auction vette for sure. Most auction vettes have major issues and that is why they are there.

Do not listen to anybody if you want to set a price stick to it but keep in mind that at the end of a yearly run they bring in vettes that will sell for $39,000 or so LT1 mostly. Sometimes even less equiped vettes.

Again do not listen to the so called experts.

Good Luck

cuspid

really good condition they are bring 25-26 at manheim dealer auction with those miles. Put it on autotrader, I had dealers offer those prices. CarMax offered 19 for mine, dealers were offering 21. I sold to a used car lot for 25.This was for a 04 z06 16 months ago. Manheim said 25 for mine and that's what I got.

cor28vettes

haha Can't argue that statement in bold.

cor28vettes

OP: are you close to a Carmax? If so, take it there and see if their price will work for you.

purvistechie

I usually average the numbers from a few different sources and go with that. Dealerships will find the LOWEST number that they can find and go with that. Most often, they will look at what they are going for at auction and that will be the number. Unfortunately most of us don't have access to those numbers so we don't know if they are being truthful or not!
There are so many factors to include, each different place puts a different "value" on the information gathered.