tb
tb HalfDork
7/16/15 11:25 a.m.

First of all: I hate selling cars even more than I dislike buying them. The process is tedious and too many variables to deal with. I haven't counted, but I have probably just donated more cars to charity when done with them versus dealing with trying to sell them off.

I am thinking of selling off my Honda but really am not sure how to get a good price and what I should be looking for. It is an '08 Civic lx sedan in good condition with about 50k miles on it. White with brown / tan interior with plenty of options (just not the nav / upgraded stereo). Exterior has a couple of scratches and a dent in the front bumper but otherwise straight and clean. Interior is pretty minty with almost no sign of wear. I've added vent shades all around, spot mirrors both sides and new wipers and battery; otherwise just oil changes / scheduled maintenance at the dealer (with records). The engine (1.8 vtec) revs very nicely and is willing enough to do its job. The chassis is tight and typically excellent Honda quality, if slightly under damped and numb in the steering for this crowd...

A quick glance around the internet was not that helpful; these cars are all over the place and do not have any significant markers to help me get a handle on them. I have seen similar cars for sale from 6k - 13.5k between several sites and different sellers. It is easy to see that low mileage for these is a huge selling point and many consider this the gold standard of transportation appliances. I just cannot seem to figure out where the real market value is and how I should best approach this sale. Honestly, I have considered simply showing up at CarMax and taking a check and walking away. I don't know of anyone who sells on consignment but paying someone to handle it is an appealing idea right now. Dealing with CL or Ebay doesn't really sound like a whole lot of fun right now and my time is valuable...

Sorry for the ramble, but I am trying to get my head around this concept. I know it has some value to it and would be worthwhile to get something solid for it so I can finance a turbo for the e30 or just a down payment on something more fun. Getting top dollar isn't my ultimate goal here but I am so tired and over medicated these days that I don't want to look back and feel like a sucker when it is all over either.

So, can the more experienced and knowledgeable chime in here to help me out? I very much appreciate any shared insight. While I have sold off a dozen cars over the years I typically just under price things to move them immediately; for some reason I feel like I really need to nail the transaction this time. Thank you in advance.

p.s. Yes, I know that some of you said that I should never have even taken this car and I appreciated the input. I have tried it out for a few months now and while it runs great and drives really well I (and my wife, more so) just do not really care for it.

glueguy
glueguy HalfDork
7/16/15 11:56 a.m.

just did a quick autotrader search, 300 miles around Philly, 08LX under 50k miles was the criteria. 33 hits (a good sample pool). Range 9-13k, average is $10,900. This is listed asking price, and all are dealers. Based on this if it were me I'd list it for high nine's and try to get $9k for it.

tb
tb HalfDork
7/16/15 12:53 p.m.

In reply to glueguy:

Good looking out; I neglected to check autotrader when that should have been a first stop.

I guess it just strikes me as odd that there is a 50% difference in those prices, a relatively wide spread. 10-20 percent variances sound normal for slightly differing examples in the market but I have seen some being advertised for twice the amount of others and just don't understand it.

Pretty much every previous car I have owned was a bit of a special niche so this one threw me for a loop.

Thanks!

neon4891
neon4891 UltimaDork
7/16/15 1:11 p.m.

$9k private sale, $10k retail sounds right. See what Carmax would give. Should be around 8.

johndej
johndej Reader
7/16/15 1:22 p.m.

List for $10, take highest offer above $9?

tb
tb HalfDork
7/16/15 1:38 p.m.

Excellent info, thanks! I knew that there would be people here that know the market much better than I do.

I will probably go to CarMax this weekend when I have some time... in and out in half and hour sounds like it is almost worth a grand or so.

I appreciate the education.

92dxman
92dxman Dork
7/16/15 2:32 p.m.

If Carmax can give you a decent deal, i'd do like the Steve Miller Band and take the money and run!

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