04-15-2007, 06:27 PM
Don't discount trading it in. In August of 2005, I wanted to get a different car, and I picked out a certified used car from a local dealer. They gave me $3,000 in trade for a 12 year old Lexus with 150,000 miles on it. It priced out at about $4,000 in the private party market, but there's a limited demand for some of these older luxury cars. Many people who don't have much to spend on the vehicle itself also seem to shy away from cars they view as expensive to repair or maintain, so selling it could take a while.
I didn't have to worry about getting any work done on it, which I would have done had I decided to sell it myself. I saved $280 in sales tax, and a full detail (here) is $200. Plus, trading was fast and easy and well worth the $520 - assuming I'd even gotten $4,000, which was iffy.
Do a little more research on trade in options before you make any commitments about putting money into the Acura. I have nothing against doing some work when the return is expected to cover the cost, but sometimes it doesn't pencil out, especially when you're working and time is a precious commodity, too. And the longer you keep driving that car, the greater the risk of getting nailed for an expensive mechanical repair. Naturally at the most inconvenient time.
Edit: Mint, have you tried listing the Corolla on AutoTrader? We had great luck selling a car through them in 2003. It was the kind of car that had a limited market, but it was gone in less than a week, for our price. We'd been trying to sell it for months using other methods.
I didn't have to worry about getting any work done on it, which I would have done had I decided to sell it myself. I saved $280 in sales tax, and a full detail (here) is $200. Plus, trading was fast and easy and well worth the $520 - assuming I'd even gotten $4,000, which was iffy.
Do a little more research on trade in options before you make any commitments about putting money into the Acura. I have nothing against doing some work when the return is expected to cover the cost, but sometimes it doesn't pencil out, especially when you're working and time is a precious commodity, too. And the longer you keep driving that car, the greater the risk of getting nailed for an expensive mechanical repair. Naturally at the most inconvenient time.
Edit: Mint, have you tried listing the Corolla on AutoTrader? We had great luck selling a car through them in 2003. It was the kind of car that had a limited market, but it was gone in less than a week, for our price. We'd been trying to sell it for months using other methods.