Car Max Offer

[RRPRTS]

Purchased RTS early 2005. Had all issues plus some. Took trk to Carmax yesterday. Carmax offer $15,000. Trk has 65,000 miles. No body damage. Few scratches. Everything on trk still original. Has anyone else traded or sold their early purchased Ridgeline?
Thanks,
Mike B.

[wrenrj1]

Hard to tell what it's worth with your info. What trim level is it, where do you live etc. Try Kelly Blue Book and enter info. in on your truck to get a ballpark. If any dealership is offering you $ consider that they'll be low because they have to turn it around and sell it for market value, you will not get market value.

[John01XX]

Just went through this last week with my CR-V.

kelly Blue Book in average condition was $12,200
Dealer originally offered $9100.
Car Max then offered $8000 and another $1000 if I had the original tires and wheels in good condition, that I did.

Talked with Dealer salesman and he told me that no dealers use the Kelly Blue Book value but instead use the "Black Book".
Went online googled Black Book and had to fill out a trade-in quote to get it but got a print out from the Black book with average value set at $10,300.

I told Dealer I had to have $10,300 and they countered with $10,000.
I told them I had a friend 40 miles away that said they would give me the 10300 if it was as clean as I said it was which the local dealer knew it was.

Salesman checked with manager and called me back in 6 minutes and said no need to drive the 40 miles to stop in that evening and they would have my new Nimbus Gray RTL w/Nav ready for me.

I did everything over the net and phone except for the trade in evaluation that took under an hour.

[breakfastchef]

I traded in an '02.5 Passat for my '07 Ridgeline. The dealer offered about $2500 or so less than Edmunds or KBB. Kelly Blue Book and Edmunds estimates are likely national averages that do no take into account the local market for your trade-ins. If they can't get rid of it, they will give you a low offer so they can get something out of the deal. Vehicles much over five years often go to auction. As the old saying goes, "you make friends on new cars; you make money on used cars". (Or something like that)

[rfs830]

Dealers do not use kbb but instead they look at what they can get the car for at an auction. I learned about manheim.com which is the biggest auction site that dealers will use to see how much they can get for a car.

It funny to see how much a used car really sells for at the auction.

[Six Rails]

When I was Ridge hunting last year I went to 3 dealers (sorry if you have already heard this) anyway I researched the internet got a price from a dealer. Printed the quote out and took it to them the very next day * 20 hours later mine you right after work* "I'm sorry Mr. Basinger that vehicle was sold today" I'm muttering words a junkyard dealer would blush at Ok back to the thread, they ask me for my keys to take my truck out back to the garage for a trade in price "Nope" I said its unlocked and right there (I point to it) I tell the sales person (he looks like he is twelve) When I'm tired of listening to your sales pitch I'm out of here and not going to search for my truck. At this point they are not very happy but they do it anyway. After about 20 minutes he comes back with a trade in value of $17,500 dollars. I said thank you very much and left. Dealer # two did not have the Ridge I wanted was very polite the salesman was over 30
and explained that they did not have a large inventory but would call me if they found one. Dealer #3 Very large dealership they have a 07 formal black Ridgeline, just what I want, The Sales person is about my age has kids and very honest. They look at my truck and price it at $19,000 dollars I explain to him I need to get to $21,500 and pay cash for the remaining amount (including sales tax and shipping charges if any) They play big fish small fish for about 30 minutes, meanwhile I'm looking over at the used car lot about the size of Lake Michigan I spot my trucks twin a 2003 - 2500HD Chevy 4 door crew cab 8 foot bed 44 thousand miles (mine had 21) cloth seats ( I had heated leather) CD player ( Mine has the Bose system) no hitch ( I had the trailer package ,tranny cooler spare battery the works) a 6 liter engine (mine the monster 8 liter ) the price $ 26,599 I smile go back in spent another hour bartering. I leave all smiles my trade in $23,500 dollars. My new Ridge formal black,roof rack,rear mud flaps,trailer hitch, $31,000 and a full tank of gas !

[avenger]

Originally Posted by rfs830

Dealers do not use kbb but instead they look at what they can get the car for at an auction. I learned about manheim.com which is the biggest auction site that dealers will use to see how much they can get for a car.

It funny to see how much a used car really sells for at the auction.

I don't know much about this auto auction subject. It appears that some dealers place new (or demo units with only about a hundred miles or so) into these auctions. Or sometimes it appears that a bank will re-po new vehicles right off the dealers lot and place them into auction. Am I right in my thinking or is something else going on ?

What got me curious about this is because my friend bought a Ridgeline (with 150 miles on the odo and he paid $22,900) from a Subaru dealer in central New York State. The originating Honda dealer was Rossi Honda in Vineland, NJ.