[bostoniant]

i hope this isn't a reposted topic. I got a jetta that i need to get rid of when I take delivery on the xi.

[1] does anybody know the benefit of trading-in over private sale, other than convenience?

[2] my existing car has a performance chip... I'm thinking that a dealer would be less inclined to take a car with a modified ECU, than would a private purchaser. what do you think.

[3] my existing car also has a rather sizable dent on the side. should i get this fixed before I sell it? or would i not be able to recover the repair cost?

I never sold a car before, so I'd appreciate any help.

[Asiann]

Selling it privately will usually get the most money. Try Carmax that is located near you. They will give you more than the dealer and the process is quick with an inspection that may last 10-20 mins and they will give you a check without having to buy another car. I did it once and as long as you own the car outright or if you owe they expect for you to pay the lender off and they will give you a check! I got about $1000 more than the dealer was going to give me. They don't care about mods or the dent. If you have time try and put it in the craigs list or in the local newspaper. If that doesn't work take it to Carmax!

[Sedan_Clan]

It just depends!

[chicagolab]

the only financial advantage I see in trading a car to a dealer is the tax savings, e.g. if I buy a $40,000 and the dealer is giving me $15000 for my trade in , I only pay sales tax on the difference$25000. If you sell your car to carmax or privately you have to pay tax on the entire cost.

*even with this tax advantage the dealer will most likely be the least financially advantageous way to sell your car.

CARMAX is a relatively hassle free way of selling your car, but if you have any frame damage that was repaired , etc. this will not yield you a great advantage over trading in the car.

Private sales seem to bring the most amount of $, but usually require more effort and time

[bostoniant]

thanks for the help guys!. i'll definitely check out carmax.

[Nikki]

Carmax is great if you need to get rid of a car faster or have a car that isn't too easy to sell. I've always sold my car on autotrader and have had great results. I sold my Acura Integra GSR in less than a day and my Acura TSX within a month. My boyfriend sold his Audi A4 Avant within a month. I would fix the dent before selling. I did paintless dent removal on my TSX twice and it ranges between $75-$125 per dent and afterwards it was completely removed like it never happened.

[tl_boy]

I second the Carmax idea. Just go in and see how much they're willing to pay, won't cost ya anything. And like i posted before in another thread, they have their own service center so are able to fix minor damage at a lower cost to them.

[kobechrome]

the only pro is convenience. you will for sure lose out on price though. i sold my wife's old honda accord beater on craig's list. got 10+ responses in 2 days and it was sold to the highest bidder in a week.

[hotsand5]

I also had a VW, 03' jetta GLI VR6 6spd, 44k miles and put it on www.kbb.com, which also posts on www.cars.com. Dealer wanted to give me $13k for the car, carmax 12k. I found out that dealers were selling the car on the lots for about $17-18k. I put it online online and sold it for $15k within three weeks! It's worth a shot!

[bostoniant]

terrific advice guys, just terrific. so i'll go to carmax, see what price area my car is in, then list in craigslist and cars.com. thanks a mil.
as for the dent, i'm getting mixed responses. fix before sell? or sell without fix?

[Asiann]

Originally Posted by chicagolab

the only financial advantage I see in trading a car to a dealer is the tax savings, e.g. if I buy a $40,000 and the dealer is giving me $15000 for my trade in , I only pay sales tax on the difference$25000. If you sell your car to carmax or privately you have to pay tax on the entire cost.

*even with this tax advantage the dealer will most likely be the least financially advantageous way to sell your car.

CARMAX is a relatively hassle free way of selling your car, but if you have any frame damage that was repaired , etc. this will not yield you a great advantage over trading in the car.

Private sales seem to bring the most amount of $, but usually require more effort and time

Not every state or dealership allows for tax reduction with cars you trade in. So ask before you do anything.

[Asiann]

Originally Posted by bostoniant

terrific advice guys, just terrific. so i'll go to carmax, see what price area my car is in, then list in craigslist and cars.com. thanks a mil.
as for the dent, i'm getting mixed responses. fix before sell? or sell without fix?

Ask Carmax what the difference would be and then make a choice to fix it or leave it based on the damage.

[QwaZyWabbiT2]

Carmax is able to offer a bit more for a car than local dealers because they are not buying just for that location-they are buying for all locations. It makes sense to them to give you a bit more for a car if they know they can ship it somewhere else for a few hundred bucks and get a few thousand more.

[javajaws]

BMW of Austin gave me a deal on my tradein that was (after the tax savings) about $400 better than what Carmax was offering. And I thought the Carmax offer was pretty good. So I'd suggest trying both and see who makes the best offer.

[tl_boy]

i find it amazing that dealers are paying more than Carmax. Not my experience, but guess this means its all up in the air, dealer, carmax, private party, etc....

[Asiann]

Originally Posted by tl_boy

i find it amazing that dealers are paying more than Carmax. Not my experience, but guess this means its all up in the air, dealer, carmax, private party, etc....

I find it amazing too! Usually my experiences at the dealer are the worst and find better elsewhere. Take your car to a dealer that the car is and they usually give more since it is their own brand!