Hi guys! As much as I hate to sell my Prius C (I love my car) I don't have much choice.... My family has gotten bigger and we simply don't fit in the C anymore My question is do you think there is a strong enough market out there for people looking for used C's for me to try and sell it by owner or am I better off trading it in? Thanks!
You might have better luck selling it to someone close to you on Priuschat otherwise if you think it would be easier to trade it do that
I would probably just trade it in. While the resale is still fairly high, I don't think too many people would want to pay it, when they could just pay a little extra and get a new one. You won't get as much, but it's much less hassle to trade it in, and if the dealership offers you close to kelley blue book value, go for it. That's not to say you couldn't try selling it yourself. But again, since they're fairly new and most people aren't familiar with the c, you may have to haggle quite a bit.
This is why I say to find someone on priuschat who has maybe totaled their c and wants another or who has knowledge about them and is interested
I've seen a couple on Craigslist in my area. If you're not in a huge rush, might not hurt to list on sites like that for a week or so and see if anyone bites.
Where in KY and what are you hoping to get, a few people at work have been interested in my car and haven't pulled the trigger yet....
I would have thought that the resale would have been better but one place originally wanted to give me 14,000 for it. I told them they were crazy. My C is a Summer Rain three with sunroof and alloy wheels. I wasn't able to find another one like it for sale in a 200 mile radius so I felt like it should be able to get a lot more than 14 thou. KY- I am in BG- I really am not looking to make money on it. I owe 17,500 on it. I am sad to have to sell it. I had it special ordered to get the color and options on it that I wanted and I absolutely love all the tech stuff and of course going two weeks between fill ups!
It's always tough to get rid of a car in the first year, especially if it's new, and especially if it's a pretty niche car (hybrid and small). I think your biggest hurdle with buyers will be this, why buy used if I can get new for a few thousand more? And if toyota is running 0% financing then you'll be at a disadvantage there also. I bought my C2 for about 1k more than you are wanting to get last summer, with 0%. While not a C3, I'm guessing that if you really haggled, especially as the 2014's are rolling in, that you can get a C3 for under 20k new now and get a heck of a financing deal. You may have to decide if you can take a small loss on the car, or somehow make it fit your current use. Best of luck selling it though! I've sold all of my used cars on Craigslist lately. The last one, our old mini van, I listed on Autorader for $$$$ and Craigslist for free. Not 1 hit on autotrader and craigslist got it sold! If toyota has a replacement vehicle that suits your new needs, perhaps they'll give you a decent deal on trade as compared to another dealer, you can try that new site, maxtrade.com I think, where multiple dealers compete for your trade. I used it before I got to the point where I could lemon law my Nissan Altima, and it was by FAR higher than any dealer had offered, luckily as I got my final, highest offer the tranny went out and Nissan bought the whole thing back. Chris
You might as well try to sell it yourself first if you have the time. You're almost always going to get less money trading in vs selling it yourself.
Thanks guys for all the good advice! I have had it almost two years now and had planned on having it a lot longer but we will see... I may try the craigslist thing or if the dealership doesn't offer enough- just try and keep it a while longer. It is still a fun little car and I get lots of compliments on it...
with 17k or so still owed, it's going to be hard one to sell, no matter the type of car. I doubt anyone has that kind of cash laying around, or would be willing to take over the loan. Your going to be digging a deeper hole for yourself if you trade it in. but I guess if you're patient, Craigslist or a good word of mouth around can work. I say no matter what, just keep the car, and maybe get a bigger used car for the occasional full family event.
Very good points... Shame of it is, I remember when I bought the car, everyone talking about its great rating depreciation wise... Now I have paid off 6500 dollars in less than two years and apparently 17000 is way off from what the car is worth so it depreciated 45% in those two years? Ugh... I hate that. Still love the car though so maybe I will figure out a way to keep it. Was trying to convince hubby to take the C as his everyday since I tote the kids around more than he does and I would get a bigger car but I don't think he loves it as much as I do..LOL
I know the feeling, I'm pissed because the 2007 Tacoma truck I traded in for this car went up in value, and my 2010 Prius went way down.
Also noticed in your past threads the accident, if that was reported to insurance and is on the carfax, dealers will instantly knock down their offer a lot.... Best of luck in however it works out for you! Chris
Yes- I told the dealer about that up front. They acted like it wasn't a big deal but I know it is. Thanks!!!
BG girl I'm not sure what your looking at to replace with but I just got great trade in value for my truck at a dealer in Lexington.. More than I was going to list it for.. Happy to give you the sales persons name etc if you want but it's going to be a drive for you. XT1060 ?
I am looking at used mid size SUV's... Test driven the GMC Acadia, Acura MDX and BMW X5. Give me the name of the dealership/salesperson. I can get online and see what they have available.
Toyota on Nicholasville sales person was Catherine Zimmerman no idea what they have but I got a good deal with great trade in.. Had to haggle a bit from sat to Mon but not much she was very nice to work with. Good luck. XT1060 ?