advice on selling my '03 maxima.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 65
advice on selling my '03 maxima.
Hi all,
well, I've just about had it. I bought my '03 SE in December of 2002. About 2 months later I had to replace the windshield because of a long crack caused by a pebble. Then in October my HID's were stolen, so I had the '01 halogens installed to prevent repeat theft. And just this past Wednesday i walked outside to get in my car to go to work and my max was up on a brick because during the night some a$$holes stole the wheels on my driver's side. When i bought the car i installed a hoodlock, had security bolts on the HID's, installed a prox sensor, and the Viper responder alarm ($600 by itself), I also had wheel locks. So, 11,200 miles and $1000 in deductibles later, I've decided I'd like to either sell my max or trade it in for a different car. I know there is a specific forum for sales, and i will list the car there, but since this is my first new car i was hoping to get a few answers from you folks with far more knowledge than I.
1. i still owe about $18000 on the max, and my title shows Nissan motor Acceptance Corp as a lien holder. Can I sell the car without their permission or do i need to dio something special?
2. Like I said, I installed the '01 halogens. If I decide to trade the car in, how much will that affect the trade-in value? Basically what i mean is...will they take the car as a trade in at all or do I have to have all the original parts in the car to trade it in?
3. This sale would not be like selling my '92 Stanza for $800. How do i go about making a $18 - $20 k sale without getting screwed? Anyone here who works for a dealer would be a big help to me.
After i get answers here I'll post pics and descriptions and stuff in the for sale forum. I hate to give up such a beautiful car, but it's becoming too much of a hassle.
By the way i'm in Queens NYC if that matters at al with regard to selling the car.
Thanks in advance.
Dan Cook
well, I've just about had it. I bought my '03 SE in December of 2002. About 2 months later I had to replace the windshield because of a long crack caused by a pebble. Then in October my HID's were stolen, so I had the '01 halogens installed to prevent repeat theft. And just this past Wednesday i walked outside to get in my car to go to work and my max was up on a brick because during the night some a$$holes stole the wheels on my driver's side. When i bought the car i installed a hoodlock, had security bolts on the HID's, installed a prox sensor, and the Viper responder alarm ($600 by itself), I also had wheel locks. So, 11,200 miles and $1000 in deductibles later, I've decided I'd like to either sell my max or trade it in for a different car. I know there is a specific forum for sales, and i will list the car there, but since this is my first new car i was hoping to get a few answers from you folks with far more knowledge than I.
1. i still owe about $18000 on the max, and my title shows Nissan motor Acceptance Corp as a lien holder. Can I sell the car without their permission or do i need to dio something special?
2. Like I said, I installed the '01 halogens. If I decide to trade the car in, how much will that affect the trade-in value? Basically what i mean is...will they take the car as a trade in at all or do I have to have all the original parts in the car to trade it in?
3. This sale would not be like selling my '92 Stanza for $800. How do i go about making a $18 - $20 k sale without getting screwed? Anyone here who works for a dealer would be a big help to me.
After i get answers here I'll post pics and descriptions and stuff in the for sale forum. I hate to give up such a beautiful car, but it's becoming too much of a hassle.
By the way i'm in Queens NYC if that matters at al with regard to selling the car.
Thanks in advance.
Dan Cook
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 265
Hey there,
I am from Queens NYC and have had this frustration as well. I wanted to sell my car and get something else that didn't have this HID problem. First of all in my opinion, you have to make your car look as factory as you can get it if you are going to trade it in. Most people don't like anything aftermarket and will devalue your car and I hate to say that because I know we all put money into it for the looks and feel.
You are going to lose a lot of money on your car. I bought mine for like 27k and have like 15-16k miles on it and having trouble getting $20k for it. Your has less miles and seems to be even in worse shape than mine since you had stuff stolen from your vehicle and I know you will have the same selling problem as me.
If you try to sell it on the internet or newsday, it will take a long time and trade in will be the fastest but again you will lose money and might not be able to get 18k for it to pay off your loan. I tried with Nissan already.
It really sucks because we paid alot for our cars and have to suffer with these things. Get a garage and watch your car where you park it. Enjoy it as much as you can.
My 2cents,
RaZorFiSh
I am from Queens NYC and have had this frustration as well. I wanted to sell my car and get something else that didn't have this HID problem. First of all in my opinion, you have to make your car look as factory as you can get it if you are going to trade it in. Most people don't like anything aftermarket and will devalue your car and I hate to say that because I know we all put money into it for the looks and feel.
You are going to lose a lot of money on your car. I bought mine for like 27k and have like 15-16k miles on it and having trouble getting $20k for it. Your has less miles and seems to be even in worse shape than mine since you had stuff stolen from your vehicle and I know you will have the same selling problem as me.
If you try to sell it on the internet or newsday, it will take a long time and trade in will be the fastest but again you will lose money and might not be able to get 18k for it to pay off your loan. I tried with Nissan already.
It really sucks because we paid alot for our cars and have to suffer with these things. Get a garage and watch your car where you park it. Enjoy it as much as you can.
My 2cents,
RaZorFiSh
Senior Member
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 364
Originally Posted by dcook22
Hi all,
well, I've just about had it. I bought my '03 SE in December of 2002. About 2 months later I had to replace the windshield because of a long crack caused by a pebble. Then in October my HID's were stolen, so I had the '01 halogens installed to prevent repeat theft. And just this past Wednesday i walked outside to get in my car to go to work and my max was up on a brick because during the night some a$$holes stole the wheels on my driver's side. When i bought the car i installed a hoodlock, had security bolts on the HID's, installed a prox sensor, and the Viper responder alarm ($600 by itself), I also had wheel locks. So, 11,200 miles and $1000 in deductibles later, I've decided I'd like to either sell my max or trade it in for a different car. I know there is a specific forum for sales, and i will list the car there, but since this is my first new car i was hoping to get a few answers from you folks with far more knowledge than I.
1. i still owe about $18000 on the max, and my title shows Nissan motor Acceptance Corp as a lien holder. Can I sell the car without their permission or do i need to dio something special?
2. Like I said, I installed the '01 halogens. If I decide to trade the car in, how much will that affect the trade-in value? Basically what i mean is...will they take the car as a trade in at all or do I have to have all the original parts in the car to trade it in?
3. This sale would not be like selling my '92 Stanza for $800. How do i go about making a $18 - $20 k sale without getting screwed? Anyone here who works for a dealer would be a big help to me.
After i get answers here I'll post pics and descriptions and stuff in the for sale forum. I hate to give up such a beautiful car, but it's becoming too much of a hassle.
By the way i'm in Queens NYC if that matters at al with regard to selling the car.
Thanks in advance.
Dan Cook
well, I've just about had it. I bought my '03 SE in December of 2002. About 2 months later I had to replace the windshield because of a long crack caused by a pebble. Then in October my HID's were stolen, so I had the '01 halogens installed to prevent repeat theft. And just this past Wednesday i walked outside to get in my car to go to work and my max was up on a brick because during the night some a$$holes stole the wheels on my driver's side. When i bought the car i installed a hoodlock, had security bolts on the HID's, installed a prox sensor, and the Viper responder alarm ($600 by itself), I also had wheel locks. So, 11,200 miles and $1000 in deductibles later, I've decided I'd like to either sell my max or trade it in for a different car. I know there is a specific forum for sales, and i will list the car there, but since this is my first new car i was hoping to get a few answers from you folks with far more knowledge than I.
1. i still owe about $18000 on the max, and my title shows Nissan motor Acceptance Corp as a lien holder. Can I sell the car without their permission or do i need to dio something special?
2. Like I said, I installed the '01 halogens. If I decide to trade the car in, how much will that affect the trade-in value? Basically what i mean is...will they take the car as a trade in at all or do I have to have all the original parts in the car to trade it in?
3. This sale would not be like selling my '92 Stanza for $800. How do i go about making a $18 - $20 k sale without getting screwed? Anyone here who works for a dealer would be a big help to me.
After i get answers here I'll post pics and descriptions and stuff in the for sale forum. I hate to give up such a beautiful car, but it's becoming too much of a hassle.
By the way i'm in Queens NYC if that matters at al with regard to selling the car.
Thanks in advance.
Dan Cook
If you trade it, I wouldn't worry about the lights, chances are the dealer is not going to give you near 18K cause they will wholesale your car, its even worse if you trade for a non Nissan, you will get less.
I am in the same situation and it sucks, good luck.
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 131
I have the same problem, I have 2003 six speed. 14k miles. Had the HIDS stolen, I can deal with worrying all the time. I tried sellin it for 21k, and I am having a really hard time doing this. The blue book is already at about 19k.
Senior Member
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 1,183
You need to get the exact payoff from NMAC, then once you get the money for the car, you need to pay off the lein. If the buyer is getting a loan for the car, they will probably make you sign a letter they will send to NMAC telling them to foward the title.
If buyer is paying you w/ cash or loan check, they make it out to your lien holder. If you sell your car more than what's left to pay, Nissan will give you the difference and release the title.
Private might be your best bet to sell.
Private might be your best bet to sell.
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 65
Thanks for the replies
Hi all,
Thanks for the replies. A couple of notes:
1. to rent a garage around me would run at least $125 a month. I'm not paying $1500 a year to do that. I thought about it when I first got the car, but figured I'd take my chances. So far it cost me $1000 in deductibles. So i guess i saved $500, but it still sucks.
2. If I trade it in, I'd trade it for something less expensive like a Civic or a galant. I know those cars aren't as good as the max, but I'd like to keep my payments down.
3. I checked the blue book and the trade in value for a '03 max se in good condition (nothing glaring or horrible, but needs some fixing up for resale) is about $16,500. I figure i lop off $3000 for no HID's, but put back $1000 for the Viper Responder alarm, hood lock, and the fact that I got the 6 year 100k mile warranty (Which is transferable to a new owner) and I'm looking at about $14,500 trade in value. For that much, with the financing deals going on right now, I'd be paying about $325 a month for an '04 civic, and less for an '03 galant.
Maybe I'm totally wrong on those numbers, but we'll see.
If i have to sell the car privately, then so be it. It'll be a pain in the a$$ but I'll figure it out.
Does anyone know if there's any luck selling the car here at Maxima.org? I guess it's kind of silly considering most of us already have Maximas.
Anyway, thanks again for all the help folks. And if anyone has any more thoughts, please let me know.
Dan
Thanks for the replies. A couple of notes:
1. to rent a garage around me would run at least $125 a month. I'm not paying $1500 a year to do that. I thought about it when I first got the car, but figured I'd take my chances. So far it cost me $1000 in deductibles. So i guess i saved $500, but it still sucks.
2. If I trade it in, I'd trade it for something less expensive like a Civic or a galant. I know those cars aren't as good as the max, but I'd like to keep my payments down.
3. I checked the blue book and the trade in value for a '03 max se in good condition (nothing glaring or horrible, but needs some fixing up for resale) is about $16,500. I figure i lop off $3000 for no HID's, but put back $1000 for the Viper Responder alarm, hood lock, and the fact that I got the 6 year 100k mile warranty (Which is transferable to a new owner) and I'm looking at about $14,500 trade in value. For that much, with the financing deals going on right now, I'd be paying about $325 a month for an '04 civic, and less for an '03 galant.
Maybe I'm totally wrong on those numbers, but we'll see.
If i have to sell the car privately, then so be it. It'll be a pain in the a$$ but I'll figure it out.
Does anyone know if there's any luck selling the car here at Maxima.org? I guess it's kind of silly considering most of us already have Maximas.
Anyway, thanks again for all the help folks. And if anyone has any more thoughts, please let me know.
Dan
Go private
I'd go private for sure. It will be well worth your time considering the amount of $ it's worth. However, the halogen light swap is going to be a real liability to everyone except .orgers who already know about theft issues. It's kind of a catch-22...if they know about theft, they'll probably be happy with the halogen. But, if they don't know about theft, they'll likely wonder where the HIDs are...and that's when you'll have to explain!! Ouch. 
Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 85
I hear all of you. I am actually in negotiation with a honda dealer to trade my car in (2002 6spd) to put it down towards the price of a new honda accord (04 6spd). I am going to take a loss on my max, but it is not as bad as I thought. It will be like a $1-2G hit. But right now I just want to move on, tired of worrying about this HID **** in NJ. I didn't take my cars to the malls to go christmas shopping (menlo park mall, woodbridge and freehold). The Accord is a step down from the max, but at least I will not worry about it as much.
Your call. Selling privately gets you a good price for your car. But in my experience, you will get a lot of wobbly buyers that will be reluctant to pay over 15K for a used car without a dealer warranty or certification. just my .02
Your call. Selling privately gets you a good price for your car. But in my experience, you will get a lot of wobbly buyers that will be reluctant to pay over 15K for a used car without a dealer warranty or certification. just my .02
what i dont' understand is how you justify 125/month not beign worth to rent a garage. look at ALL the advantages. 125 for 1 is a GREAT price......
1) summer avoid having a really hot car. saves dash fade. away from rain
2) winter no snow on car..pop open garage, car still spic n span clean and can simply drive away.
*3*) no more worrying about your lights while you sleep. given this is a secure garage, then you will NEVER have to worry about your lights or your wheels ever being stolen.
yeah, so it sucks you dont' have a garage. buy a house with one. ok, so you're not buying a house with a garage. well then rent one. fine but you dont' want to pay the rent. at this point, it's just your own fault. looking at it like "oh no, i'm wasting $1500 a year" you're already gonna lose out on the car selling it. you'll prolly lose out enough to cover TWO years of garage renting.
i have a garage, so i guess i can't see it from the other side, but if i didn't have one, i'd rent one asap knowing how "hot" these cars are.
i'm also in queens so i do feel for you. have you considered other alternatives to avoid paying a hefty $125/month. any major streets (ie northern blvd, queens blvd) ...all these well lit areas can really help out.
my friend has a 92 corolla....it's been in an accident, has a dif. color hood and fender than the car. looks stock as all hell....yet they've broken into it twice in the past month....should he just give the corolla in cause "it's just too much bling to keep
"...it's called living in NYC. suck it up or rely on the silver limousine (trains) from now on.
1) summer avoid having a really hot car. saves dash fade. away from rain
2) winter no snow on car..pop open garage, car still spic n span clean and can simply drive away.
*3*) no more worrying about your lights while you sleep. given this is a secure garage, then you will NEVER have to worry about your lights or your wheels ever being stolen.
yeah, so it sucks you dont' have a garage. buy a house with one. ok, so you're not buying a house with a garage. well then rent one. fine but you dont' want to pay the rent. at this point, it's just your own fault. looking at it like "oh no, i'm wasting $1500 a year" you're already gonna lose out on the car selling it. you'll prolly lose out enough to cover TWO years of garage renting.
i have a garage, so i guess i can't see it from the other side, but if i didn't have one, i'd rent one asap knowing how "hot" these cars are.
i'm also in queens so i do feel for you. have you considered other alternatives to avoid paying a hefty $125/month. any major streets (ie northern blvd, queens blvd) ...all these well lit areas can really help out.
my friend has a 92 corolla....it's been in an accident, has a dif. color hood and fender than the car. looks stock as all hell....yet they've broken into it twice in the past month....should he just give the corolla in cause "it's just too much bling to keep
"...it's called living in NYC. suck it up or rely on the silver limousine (trains) from now on.
It's chrome alright...
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,999
what I don't get is, if he lives in a place that's bad enough they'll steal the wheels off his max then he lives in a place bad enough they'll steal the wheels off ANY car. Except for the HIDs, all the other problems are problems with the PLACE, not the CAR.
good luck selling your car and good luck finding one that's nice enough for you to like but not nice enough for anyone else to take a second look at to see what's worth stealing.
good luck selling your car and good luck finding one that's nice enough for you to like but not nice enough for anyone else to take a second look at to see what's worth stealing.
Originally Posted by my02black6spdSE
I hear all of you. I am actually in negotiation with a honda dealer to trade my car in (2002 6spd) to put it down towards the price of a new honda accord (04 6spd). I am going to take a loss on my max, but it is not as bad as I thought. It will be like a $1-2G hit. But right now I just want to move on, tired of worrying about this HID **** in NJ. I didn't take my cars to the malls to go christmas shopping (menlo park mall, woodbridge and freehold). The Accord is a step down from the max, but at least I will not worry about it as much.
Your call. Selling privately gets you a good price for your car. But in my experience, you will get a lot of wobbly buyers that will be reluctant to pay over 15K for a used car without a dealer warranty or certification. just my .02
Your call. Selling privately gets you a good price for your car. But in my experience, you will get a lot of wobbly buyers that will be reluctant to pay over 15K for a used car without a dealer warranty or certification. just my .02
I dont think of my '03 6spd as a step down.....how is this figured? Please enlighten me.
--Don
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 65
thanks again for more input
Hi all,
Thanks for the responses so far. just thought I'd address some direct comments in case opthers are having similar thoughts about what advice to give me.
what i dont' understand is how you justify 125/month not beign worth to rent a garage. look at ALL the advantages. 125 for 1 is a GREAT price......
I'm not saying the price is bad. I'm just saying I'd rather not have my monthly payment go from about $380/month to effectively $505/month. I'm not a rich guy.
1) summer avoid having a really hot car. saves dash fade. away from rain
Cloth interior really doesn't get hot, and remote start gets the AC going, so no big deal here.
2) winter no snow on car..pop open garage, car still spic n span clean and can simply drive away.
This argument makes sense. I agree that not having to worry about tracking all sorts of stuff in the car is good, as well as not having to clean her off.
*3*) no more worrying about your lights while you sleep. given this is a secure garage, then you will NEVER have to worry about your lights or your wheels ever being stolen.
Well my lights were stolen in October so I have halogens in now, so I'm not worried about the lights anymore anyway. The wheels are still going to be an issue, though, so your point is still valid.
yeah, so it sucks you dont' have a garage. buy a house with one. ok, so you're not buying a house with a garage. well then rent one. fine but you dont' want to pay the rent. at this point, it's just your own fault. looking at it like "oh no, i'm wasting $1500 a year" you're already gonna lose out on the car selling it. you'll prolly lose out enough to cover TWO years of garage renting.
Your whole comment about not wanting to buy a house or rent one is silly. I'd love to own a house, I just can't afford one right now being a single guy with student loans, so yeah, I guess that's all my fault. Your point about losing money on the trade is a good one, though. If I can find a garage for $1500 a year and I'm going to lose $3000 on a trade in anyway, I might as well keep the max. Good point.
i have a garage, so i guess i can't see it from the other side, but if i didn't have one, i'd rent one asap knowing how "hot" these cars are.
Well, you'd rent one ASAP if you could easily afford it, and if you couldn't, you wouldn't.
i'm also in queens so i do feel for you. have you considered other alternatives to avoid paying a hefty $125/month. any major streets (ie northern blvd, queens blvd) ...all these well lit areas can really help out.
Northern Blvd is too far away, but Bell Blvd. might be an option. I kind of thought I'd be asking for trouble parking it there, but I guess the cops go by there more often than down my street so you might be right.
my friend has a 92 corolla....it's been in an accident, has a dif. color hood and fender than the car. looks stock as all hell....yet they've broken into it twice in the past month....should he just give the corolla in cause "it's just too much bling to keep"...it's called living in NYC. suck it up or rely on the silver limousine (trains) from now on.
I realize its the price of living in NYC, and 2k2wannabe's point is well taken: no matter what I get, if I like it, chances are the thieves like it. So I need to think about this a bit more. The only thing I will say is that where I live, the houses are going for 800 grand plus, so the area is bad for cars, but not bad for living.
I'm thinking I'll throw a couple of sets of wheel locks on and look for a rental garage. I'll see what the prices are like and decide then.
Thanks for all the input, folks.
Dan
Thanks for the responses so far. just thought I'd address some direct comments in case opthers are having similar thoughts about what advice to give me.
what i dont' understand is how you justify 125/month not beign worth to rent a garage. look at ALL the advantages. 125 for 1 is a GREAT price......
I'm not saying the price is bad. I'm just saying I'd rather not have my monthly payment go from about $380/month to effectively $505/month. I'm not a rich guy.
1) summer avoid having a really hot car. saves dash fade. away from rain
Cloth interior really doesn't get hot, and remote start gets the AC going, so no big deal here.
2) winter no snow on car..pop open garage, car still spic n span clean and can simply drive away.
This argument makes sense. I agree that not having to worry about tracking all sorts of stuff in the car is good, as well as not having to clean her off.
*3*) no more worrying about your lights while you sleep. given this is a secure garage, then you will NEVER have to worry about your lights or your wheels ever being stolen.
Well my lights were stolen in October so I have halogens in now, so I'm not worried about the lights anymore anyway. The wheels are still going to be an issue, though, so your point is still valid.
yeah, so it sucks you dont' have a garage. buy a house with one. ok, so you're not buying a house with a garage. well then rent one. fine but you dont' want to pay the rent. at this point, it's just your own fault. looking at it like "oh no, i'm wasting $1500 a year" you're already gonna lose out on the car selling it. you'll prolly lose out enough to cover TWO years of garage renting.
Your whole comment about not wanting to buy a house or rent one is silly. I'd love to own a house, I just can't afford one right now being a single guy with student loans, so yeah, I guess that's all my fault. Your point about losing money on the trade is a good one, though. If I can find a garage for $1500 a year and I'm going to lose $3000 on a trade in anyway, I might as well keep the max. Good point.
i have a garage, so i guess i can't see it from the other side, but if i didn't have one, i'd rent one asap knowing how "hot" these cars are.
Well, you'd rent one ASAP if you could easily afford it, and if you couldn't, you wouldn't.
i'm also in queens so i do feel for you. have you considered other alternatives to avoid paying a hefty $125/month. any major streets (ie northern blvd, queens blvd) ...all these well lit areas can really help out.
Northern Blvd is too far away, but Bell Blvd. might be an option. I kind of thought I'd be asking for trouble parking it there, but I guess the cops go by there more often than down my street so you might be right.
my friend has a 92 corolla....it's been in an accident, has a dif. color hood and fender than the car. looks stock as all hell....yet they've broken into it twice in the past month....should he just give the corolla in cause "it's just too much bling to keep
"...it's called living in NYC. suck it up or rely on the silver limousine (trains) from now on.I realize its the price of living in NYC, and 2k2wannabe's point is well taken: no matter what I get, if I like it, chances are the thieves like it. So I need to think about this a bit more. The only thing I will say is that where I live, the houses are going for 800 grand plus, so the area is bad for cars, but not bad for living.
I'm thinking I'll throw a couple of sets of wheel locks on and look for a rental garage. I'll see what the prices are like and decide then.
Thanks for all the input, folks.
Dan
i was being sarcastic, more to prove a point, but yeah, my bad.
it's a complaint that you'll always have man. we live in queens. it's always gonna suck enjoying your car unless you protect it enough.
you didn't realize how much it would cost to keep this car and if you just wanna get rid of it w/out thinking twice, then you WILL lose out, guaranteed. at this point, if it's dangerous to have the car in front of your house, then try bell. see what happens. is your block that dark. if so, near a street lamp. avoid trees (they create shadows, that's how they got my headlight). i know it's minimal to the ultimate garage protection, but again, it's something you choose to live with or you get a beater. good luck though.
it's a complaint that you'll always have man. we live in queens. it's always gonna suck enjoying your car unless you protect it enough.
you didn't realize how much it would cost to keep this car and if you just wanna get rid of it w/out thinking twice, then you WILL lose out, guaranteed. at this point, if it's dangerous to have the car in front of your house, then try bell. see what happens. is your block that dark. if so, near a street lamp. avoid trees (they create shadows, that's how they got my headlight). i know it's minimal to the ultimate garage protection, but again, it's something you choose to live with or you get a beater. good luck though.
Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 85
hey Pearl96Max, just .02 - Doesnt mean I won't like the new car, I think it is a sweet ride.
I think of it as a step down cause I will be giving up seat memory, heated steering wheel, and heated side mirrors, minor stuff, but I do use them.
Also after test driving the accord, I did notice it has a little less power then the max. Don't get me wrong I rarely drive 100% so in the long run it is about the same.
One good thing is that the accord runs on regular, so I won't have to always put in premium if I get into a bind.
I guess it is in my mentality too. I am getting somewhat hosed on my trade in. Which makes me angry but is no ones fault, just how economics are.
hit me up and let me know how your 03 is doing, I would love to hear about any issues problems etc... shadytype@yahoo.com
I think of it as a step down cause I will be giving up seat memory, heated steering wheel, and heated side mirrors, minor stuff, but I do use them.
Also after test driving the accord, I did notice it has a little less power then the max. Don't get me wrong I rarely drive 100% so in the long run it is about the same.
One good thing is that the accord runs on regular, so I won't have to always put in premium if I get into a bind.
I guess it is in my mentality too. I am getting somewhat hosed on my trade in. Which makes me angry but is no ones fault, just how economics are.
hit me up and let me know how your 03 is doing, I would love to hear about any issues problems etc... shadytype@yahoo.com
j/k
Thread Starter
Member
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 65
Originally Posted by MannyNJ2k2max
$3000 including fender/bumper damage maybe
Actually the fenders and hood were repaired beautifully. I was lopping of 3k just because I like to think in worst case scenarios. That way I'm pleasantly surprised when I'm wrong.
I figured no HID's was a big hit to the selling points of an '03 max. When you get down to it, other than the HID's there's really very little difference between an '01 and an '03 max, right? (Besides different color tail lights and other cosmetic stuff).
And if I sell it private, I'd just like to sell it for a bit over what I owe to cover the down payment on a leased car.
Thanks for the input.
And BTW, Don is the hizzle for shizzle, no? Holler at a player, dog. (How's my ghetto? My former students would be so proud.
)
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I figured no HID's was a big hit to the selling points of an '03 max. When you get down to it, other than the HID's there's really very little difference between an '01 and an '03 max, right? (Besides different color tail lights and other cosmetic stuff).
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,701
Sell the SOB and buy a cheap car for a few grand and call it good. If you have no $ for a house-you need to be savign not trading cars in. Sell it and be done. Too many people -mostly young people-try to buy all these fancy material goods and it gets them deep in debt. Buy a 96/95 Maxima with 100K plus miles. Drive the crap out of it for 3 years and sell it for $1k less than you paid. Let them door ding it-who gives a crap. Take the $ you save-pay off the student loans and get a down payment for a house. Owing on a car when you have limited income is just silly. I will never have a car payment again-I only buy with cash in hand...Better price that way too
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 65
Originally Posted by kratz74
Sell the SOB and buy a cheap car for a few grand and call it good. If you have no $ for a house-you need to be savign not trading cars in. Sell it and be done. Too many people -mostly young people-try to buy all these fancy material goods and it gets them deep in debt. Buy a 96/95 Maxima with 100K plus miles. Drive the crap out of it for 3 years and sell it for $1k less than you paid. Let them door ding it-who gives a crap. Take the $ you save-pay off the student loans and get a down payment for a house. Owing on a car when you have limited income is just silly. I will never have a car payment again-I only buy with cash in hand...Better price that way too
You're right, though, I am definitely tightening my spending and paying off credit card debt and the like. The car was purchased while I was married. The two incomes made it far more feasible than it is now. If I were buying a car today I'd get a 2 or 3 year old accord or something similar. Nice, but not overly expensive. But I'll keep it in mind if I find a very good deal on a used car.
Thanks,
Dan
Originally Posted by dcook22
I hear what you're saying Kratz, but buying an old beater is not an option. I'm in Real Estate sales and I can't drive clients around in a junky car.
You're right, though, I am definitely tightening my spending and paying off credit card debt and the like. The car was purchased while I was married. The two incomes made it far more feasible than it is now. If I were buying a car today I'd get a 2 or 3 year old accord or something similar. Nice, but not overly expensive. But I'll keep it in mind if I find a very good deal on a used car.
Thanks,
Dan
You're right, though, I am definitely tightening my spending and paying off credit card debt and the like. The car was purchased while I was married. The two incomes made it far more feasible than it is now. If I were buying a car today I'd get a 2 or 3 year old accord or something similar. Nice, but not overly expensive. But I'll keep it in mind if I find a very good deal on a used car.
Thanks,
Dan
I understand your predicament. I used to live in a bad area where I had to worry about my car all the time and ended up getting a garage for it. What I would suggest is look into getting a car that is not a POS, but one that doesn't get broken into often. I'm sure you can dig up some research on what models are out there that might not be appealing to thieves. An old POS would probably not help because that's what most of the people drive in bad areas - causing your POS to become a parts department.
My g/f lives in queens and although it is a good area (around Bayside) I would never park my Max there. Too bad about this car - it ruins my enjoyment of it. On the bright side, I've only got 4000 miles on my 03!
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 146
Originally Posted by dcook22
I hear what you're saying Kratz, but buying an old beater is not an option. I'm in Real Estate sales and I can't drive clients around in a junky car.
You're right, though, I am definitely tightening my spending and paying off credit card debt and the like. The car was purchased while I was married. The two incomes made it far more feasible than it is now. If I were buying a car today I'd get a 2 or 3 year old accord or something similar. Nice, but not overly expensive. But I'll keep it in mind if I find a very good deal on a used car.
Thanks,
Dan
You're right, though, I am definitely tightening my spending and paying off credit card debt and the like. The car was purchased while I was married. The two incomes made it far more feasible than it is now. If I were buying a car today I'd get a 2 or 3 year old accord or something similar. Nice, but not overly expensive. But I'll keep it in mind if I find a very good deal on a used car.
Thanks,
Dan
So I feel ya bro. But on another note I have had good experiences recently when dealing with the dealerships. My advice is to try and work with the dealership and trade in the vehicle. Go in with your needs up front tell them that blue book is $16.5 and you need to get at least that or hell tell them you have to get $17K. Find yourself a used car and tell them to knock off more money on that care if they want to give you less. Or if your concerned about a certain payment tell them you don't want a payment over $$$ a month. And see what kinda numbers they put together for you. The used car market still sucks right now. It can be an addvantage and disadvantage to you right now.
But I say go into a few dealerships that have a couple of cars that you would be interested in and stick to your guns. Tell them this is what it is going to be or I will take my business elsewhere. Dealerships are used to dealing with people that have what they want in mind and what they want to pay. The most powerful thing you can do is get up and walk away if the deal isn't going your way. They will chase after you and do what they need to to get you to stay. It's worth a shot worst comes to worst you list it privately and you only have a couple days of dealership visists to make up for.
If you do decide to go private I recommend Auto Trader. Cheaper than the paper and they offer their adds to run until the car sells. No matter how long that maybe.
Sorry for the book hope there was somehting useful here.
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 65
Originally Posted by 2k2wannabe
dcook22, don't look now but he's being sarcastic.
It's cool wannabe. I'm happy when i press the accelerator and the car goes forward. I don't much care what's under the hood as long as I like the total car package. If there's a HP difference that's nice, but it's not why I bought the max. i bought it for its reliability and its good reviews.Kratz, you're right about those things and thanks for the good wishes.
Dave Jr...thanks for the post. I don't mind posts with chapters, I appreciate you putting in the time and thought. And your idea is exactly what I'm going to do. I work with a guy who used to sell cars and he said one sentence that made up my mind: "Any deal can be worked out." So I'm going to take his advice and yours. I was thinking I had to move the car fast because I wanted to capitalize on year end deals with low financing and all. I'm going to go to the Nissan dealer where i bpought the car and see if I can trade the car in for a '99-'01 sedan that looks pretty and runs nice. They are a Nissan/Audi dealer so maybe I can find something for $12,000 or less, but they also have a couple of older Lexus and infinitis, but I don't know if they're for me. I'm going to look around, though and give myself time. Thanks again for your post.
Dan
Originally Posted by 2k2wannabe
what I don't get is, if he lives in a place that's bad enough they'll steal the wheels off his max then he lives in a place bad enough they'll steal the wheels off ANY car. Except for the HIDs, all the other problems are problems with the PLACE, not the CAR.
good luck selling your car and good luck finding one that's nice enough for you to like but not nice enough for anyone else to take a second look at to see what's worth stealing.
good luck selling your car and good luck finding one that's nice enough for you to like but not nice enough for anyone else to take a second look at to see what's worth stealing.
Damn Polo! Relajate mijo!!
I think you should try all the alternatives, just like they say you will lose more money selling it than paying for parking...
or just move to Long Island....
The Key is to be aware.
I think you should try all the alternatives, just like they say you will lose more money selling it than paying for parking...
or just move to Long Island....
The Key is to be aware.
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Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 1,362
You are probably upside down on the car, you owe more than it is worth. A dealer could just add what you owe onto the new loan but then you start out even more in the hole. If you try to figure the cost of the new car and your trade at the same time your chances of paying to much increase. If you are shopping based on a payment you also increase your chances of getting screwed.
If you insist on a high trade in the dealer will usually just make that back in the price of the new car, they are masters with manipulating numbers. Most people think their trade is worth more than it really is, but you seem to have a realistic idea.
Your best bet is to find out what a good price for the car you are looking for is. Probably $500 over invoice or so, check message boards to find out what they are going for. After you settle on a price for the new car decide what your trade is worth.
You will probably get more from a private sale but dealing with getting the title from Nissan will be a bit of a pain. Since the new buyer will probably be getting a loan that is more of a hassle. It is up to you to decide if getting more money is worth the aggravation. In Mass you do not have to pay sales tax on the amount of the trade.
IMO I think you are better off keeping the Max
If you insist on a high trade in the dealer will usually just make that back in the price of the new car, they are masters with manipulating numbers. Most people think their trade is worth more than it really is, but you seem to have a realistic idea.
Your best bet is to find out what a good price for the car you are looking for is. Probably $500 over invoice or so, check message boards to find out what they are going for. After you settle on a price for the new car decide what your trade is worth.
You will probably get more from a private sale but dealing with getting the title from Nissan will be a bit of a pain. Since the new buyer will probably be getting a loan that is more of a hassle. It is up to you to decide if getting more money is worth the aggravation. In Mass you do not have to pay sales tax on the amount of the trade.
IMO I think you are better off keeping the Max
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