Just a short note to say I was pretty depressed earlier this week by being offered $15,500 by a Jag dealer (was looking at a XK8) for my Maxima. 50% off...pretty sad resale on the AE with only 20K miles and in mint condition. I hate baths.

 

yup nissan resale value sucks. I'll bought the car knowing i was going to keep it for a long time...

 

What's the bluebook value?

 

If you hate baths, take a look at a new XK8 price vs. what 2001's are going for...holy sheet!!! Better want to keep the Jag for a while.

 

If you would take a bath more often, maybe your seats wouldn't have that funny odor and they would offer you more in trade.

I find myself WAY to amusing. I must need to leave work.

 

I feel your pain!

 

A five year old XK8 Roadster sells for 50% of original value...this is a 2.5 year old Maxima with a 50% drop off.

 

What the dealer will give you is not necessarily what the true value of the car. Just depends on what they were willing to do with the new Jag price. Too much fiddle room on both car's price to really judge. Look in the Seattle Times / KBB and see what people are asking for your car.

I'd look into an used Jag. You don't see to many of them and I don't think they hold their value especially well.

 

i dont know if u guys know this... but buying a slightly used car is more of and advantage....
how?
well
when u buy a brand new car the valude drops anywhere from 20-50 percent the first year ... after that is 3-8 percent
so buyin a used car wont be as hurtfull

 

Yeah, I have been looking. Park Place has a couple XK8 Roadsters. I drove one the other day. Nice vehicle...for sure.

 

Yeah, so??? Most cars 'level' off after about 4 years and the depreciation is not that dramatic each year. Take a look at a 2.5 year old XK8...

http://www.edmunds.com/used/2001/jag...num3.0.jaguar*

And take a look at a new one...

http://www.edmunds.com/new/2004/jagu...num6.0.jaguar*

That is STILL one hell of a nose dive. Actually just the depreciation could pay for a Max.

 

Of course the other side of that debate is that buying a used car is riskier from a potential damage, previous owner misuse, etc.

 

I always wondered where they get their used cars from. I'd like to work for a place like that. FrontLine Auto in Bellevue. NE8th just east of I-90 has some nice used cars too.

 

damn only $15,500 was offered

 

65% is still better than 50%. But the Jag depreciation is not the point here. The point is that I was depressed that 15,500 was the offer on the Max.

 

Yeah, I've seen Frontline too, but Park Place has some serioius connections. Most of Park Place's cars come from repeat customers...local buyers on trades. But they also have great connections to Saleen, Lotus, Ferrari, etc. They're the only Bentley dealer in the NW. They have some real gems.

For those of you not in Seattle...Jeff and I are talking about this place...deal exlusively in luxury used autos...some low-end models are only results of trade-ins, but mostly they have some amazing cars. Walking their showroom is a hell of an experience.

http://www.parkplaceltd.com

One of my favorites: http://www.parkplaceltd.com/WebInven...ls.asp?id=1856

 

Even the cheapest 2001 is more than $15k
http://classifieds.nwsource.com/auto...ics=1&k=maxima

 

You could probably get more if you sold it to the public. The dealer always trys to get you to bend over on trade-ins. Just my experience.

 

I agree and understand...just being depressed about the trade-in value. If I found an enthusiast that wanted the modifications, I could do pretty well I think...but still depressing.

 

so is BMW, MB etc..but it is different if you loose $10 grand or you loose $30 grand..

 

Can I ask what I consider to be the obvious question of why you are gonna go from a Maxima to a Jaguar, let alone an XK8??

 

Cuz he can?

 

Maybe you should try www.modifiedcartrader.com ; it's advertised on here somewhere.

 

so does that mean that because I CAN fit mustang rims on my max, I should??

 

I am really wanting to get a convertible. I'm waiting for a 350Z Roadster (just to stay with the family), but I'll keep my Maxima if I get that. I saw an XK8 the other day and just decided that I could always dump the Max and go after a nice luxo roadster. It is a hell of a drive. The finesse is unbelievable. Like how the multi piece Walnut wood dash is made from one continuous piece of walnut...no break or discontinuity in the grain. Very slick.

 

yes so your point?

 

yeah just remember Jags are made by Ford now, although increasing reliabilty from none to some, doesn't make it an all around quality car IMO...

if you want a quality roadster, I'd go CLK 430 or a slightly used SL500, but hey thats just me

good luck tho with whatever you choose

 

can you not find a 350z convertible? there are a bunch at the dealers near me in NY. Sticker was 40K on the dot..

 

I feel your pain. I tried to trade in my max for Mini. I was offered $12000 albeit mine is SE base. It was very crushing experience.

 

Ford put Jag's ancient factory into the 20th century. It's not like they are making them in one of the Taraus plants. Does the XK8 use one of Ford's V8s? It says it uses an all aluminum V8 but it's either 4.0 or 4.2 liters. Ford has a 4.6 but nothing that small.

 

You really need to drive a new XK8 to form an opinion on the rebirth of Jag. The quality of assembly, the engine, the comfort, all around is just good stuff. Plus, every review on the rebirth of Jag through Ford suggests that it has done exactly that...make them, once again, high quality luxury automobiles. And the 4.0L in the XK8 is NOT a Ford V8, but a from scratch Jag V8 built after the British engineering group was 'revised' by Ford.

Not a fan of the CLK, but the SL500 would be nice, I agree. Those are up there in price, even used they are often selling over MSRP. I just started looking, I'm not making a decision today...again, the primary emotion I'm trying to convey here is being depressed about the resale value of the Max.

 

Am looking for one in particular...had been on a waiting list for the Black with Burnt Orange, Touring, etc., etc. They haven't gotten a VIN yet for the one I want.

 

For 6G's I'll make you a Walnut dash kit, FK I'll cut the tree down myself, plain the lumber laser cut the pieces and mold everything custom. For another 6 I'm sure we could trun your AE into a convertible. This will still be less that the hit you'll take on the Jag, I'll even throw in an SFC setup on the house.

Life's a...
At least they didn't offer you $12k like me.

 

agreed...fit and finish on jags is quite nice, not there on the maxima, but look at the price difference......

my boss's 03 XJ8 is quite nice, would I spend the $80k to buy it or $800/mo to lease it, hell no...

for that $$$, u'll see me in an S55 AMG baby....it's all about P.I.M.P. factor for me

 

4.0L Jag V8....designed for the return of the E-Type specifically. The XKR is a hell of a drive too...in fact it is an unbelievable drive.

 

I actually think that sounds like a pretty good deal. I might have to take you up on this. Do you have any Walnut trees in your backyard...I mean, you talk a lot, but can you deliver when it comes down to it?

 

That's the way you're supposed to do it. There's no sense in buying a new car if you plan on trading every few years. Lease it and pay for the depreciation. People get upset about leasing because they don't own the car, but the reality is the BANK owns most people's cars anyway, because they never pay them off.

YMMV.

Craig
2kGLE

 

The only Jag that Ford has really touched is the X-type. It's pretty much a Taurus if I remember correctly, same chassis and 3.0 V6. But the other Jags and Astons are still true to their names.

 

I believe they used the European Mondeo aka USA Contour platform to develope that small x-type.

 

Some of the Jags look like they make them in the Taurus plant... I think Ford ruined Jag, GM ruined the Hummers by introducing the H2, and I am sure Ford will ruin the Range Rover in the near future.

BTW, dealers will try to f**k you on the trade in so they can make more money on it when they sell it on the lot or to another dealer.