We like to ask questions at The Autopian. We wanna know about your favorite cars, or the challenges you’ve had keeping your fleet on the road. Normally, we throw out friendly questions to learn about the automotive lives of our readers. But not today!
I’m here to ask you an altogether rude and more pointed question. What’s the cheapest price you’ll sell your car for, mate?
I’m intimately acquainted with how annoying this question can be. I just spent the better part of a fortnight trying to sell my old Mercedes.
I didn’t have high hopes for the sale from the outset. I threw it on Facebook for $2,500, which was quite a bit less than I paid for it three years ago. When used car prices were at their hottest, you were lucky to get a runner for under $2,000. Given my Merc was not just working, but also relatively clean, I figured scoring two stacks shouldn’t be too hard.
I sat and waited, hearing from none but the crickets. After a day, I dropped my price to two large, and the offers started to trickle in. Not inquiries to see the car, not questions about its condition. Just crude mouth breathers that saw fit to dispense with any respectful pleasantries whatsoever.
“last price” said the first drongo. They weren’t interested in inspecting the car, or even talking to me like a fellow human being. They didn’t have time for pesky things like greetings or question marks. They just wanted to see how much they could screw out of me before they got off the couch.
Shortly enough, I met an even cruder customer. They weren’t asking, they were telling. “1100” came the message. Just a number! I suppose I was expected to beg this person to come relieve me of my car for such a princely offer.
I made the mistake of interacting with one of these people. I responded to “Last price” indicating I was firm at $2000. They offered $1,400, and I figured I might as well try and deal. It had been a week and the car was still here, after all. I countered with $1,500 and they agreed. I figured I was well on my way to selling this thing. “Done dell,” they said. I figured they meant deal, but whatever.
Of course, that wasn’t the case. They failed to show up to our morning meeting despite promising they had $1,500 cash to exchange for the car. They eventually rolled up two hours late, looked over the car, and seemed disappointed. They offered “1100 my best brother” and as you might imagine, I sent them packing. They had the gall to keep pestering me the rest of the day, still refusing to meet the $1,500 we’d agreed upon. I elected that I’d sell the car to a wrecker for $500 before this philistine would ever touch my Mercedes again.
I abandoned Facebook Marketplace entirely. Two weeks had netted no serious inquiries—just a continual parade of feckless jagaloons.
Instead, I paid $19 to list on Gumtree at $1,800. The next day, somebody rang and asked to see the car. They came down within two hours, liked the car, and didn’t even haggle. They wired me $1,800, I signed the papers, and off they went with their shiny Mercedes-Benz. Everyone left happy.
Ultimately, though, this isn’t Lewin Bitches, this is Autopian Asks. So I ask you, what is the lowest price you’ll take for your car? You can answer honestly, telling us what you reckon your car is worth on the used market. Or, you can respond as if I’m a crude, disrespectful chancer from Facebook. Tell me off for asking you to haggle against yourself to satisfy my own selfish goals.
Bottom line? It’s hell out there. Be nice and deal well, and the world will be a better place. Lewin out.
Image credits: Lewinous Bergatron The First
I’ve always found that ‘for sale’ pics in soft afternoon light work, and I don’t even reply to people who can’t be polite. Also, anyone who opens a sales conversation with “last price?” gets a “best price?” from me.
Gumtree is a whole different (and often better) selling scene than Marketplace.
2013 4Runner, 172K miles. Despite the miles, it’s quite clean, and doesn’t have a nasty frame despite being a New England vehicle. It’s also the “Trail Edition”, with rear locker and Crawl Control, which is semi-rare for those years and to some, it’s the most desirable 5th gen.
I’d probably take 17,500 for it, or if I was trading it in, I’d want at least 15. That’s actually in line with book, I could probably sell for more. In 2021-2022, the book value was more than I paid for it in 2018.
Every once in a while, I consider trying to trade it straight up for a decent 80 Series Landcruiser.
My 07 Volvo XC70 with a clean interior but 233k and a list of (fixable) issues I’d probably list for 1,200 and take 800 for.
Can’t touch the wife or kid’s cars…
Practical-
I would probably go with $30k for a PCA Spec Boxster race car that I am currently putting up for sale.
After Boxster sells –
2008 V8 Touareg with all the bells and whistles (air suspension, etc) at 105k… probably $4k. Will get a bigger rig and a 20-24’ enclosed trailer for longer road trips to more tracks to replace it.
Theoretical only –
2022 Mini Cooper S – 13k miles – 2 door, no sunroof… $25k, I guess.
2004 GT3 – caged race car – 50k miles – maybe $85k? Boxster was told to find a new home when this one came home. I want this to be my ‘final track car’ but we’ll see how that goes…
1988 Carrera 3.2 Targa / gorgeous Diamond Blue Metallic (aka silver like for non Rennbow peeps), whale tail, 150k, rebuilt motor 2k miles ago… maybe $60k, but that money would have to be sent to my future divorce lawyer. Wife may love that car more than me, or the dog. She hasn’t driven it, just likes being chauffeured evening drives.
I had a project car in graduate school, a 1988 Nissan Pathfinder 4×4. I misjudged how little free time I would actually have and didn’t work on the car at all. The apartment complex towed it away at some point. Oh well. I didn’t even follow up on it. I only paid $650 for it, so no biggie.
I “proudly” sold my 1986 Chevrolet Celebrity to the guy from the junk yard for the princely sum of $75 in cold hard cash.
Well, the car had seen lot of better days and been long past its expiry date. It decided to commit hara-kiri one afternoon by popping the gasket that allowed the anti-freeze solution into the oil pan and frothing oil and water into split-pea soup. Everything inside the engine stopped. What a liberating feeling!
> Lewin Bitches
Charlie’s Angels, bogan edition
I have no interest in selling my DD (2002 Subaru Impreza Outback Sport). I’d need about $4k to get anything similar to replace it, and no sane person would pay me so much for this car. I’ll just keep driving it, thank you.
I just keep cars until no sane person would buy them then give them away. Note I have “interesting” friends. They then manage to put another 100k on cars that look like crap.
I’m not in the market to sell either. But I would be happy with 40K for the Gladiator and 60K for the BMW.
Slightly off question, but relevant: The absolute bottom of the used car market when I got my license was $500. A car was always worth $500. I think that number is currently $1500. A car right now, running and driving, is always going to be worth $1500.