I bought my Prius back in Sept last year as a company car when I work here in LA. I was going to drive it back to FL, or ship it, but since I read in the USA Today that the HOV stickers are transferable and I might be able to get my money back plus maybe alittle more , I am considering selling it. The car is a 2006, Black, Package 8, loaded, tinted windows and side molding installed. It is a sweet ride. It as 4900 miles and I am taking it in this week for it's 5000 mile check up. I love this car, but I can always buy it again in Florida. Just wondering what would be the best way to sell this car and maximum my return? Thanks in advance. Steve [attachmentid=7112]
Was watching the news last night and saw a piece on cars with HOV stickers. A dealer was quoting a premium of up to 4k for a car with these stickers. I have no idea if this is true or not but this is what came out of the dealers mouth when he was flapping his gums Ken
I would NEVER pay a $4,000 premium just so I can drive by myself in the carpool lane for another 4 years. Cheaper, and more environmental friendly to take a bus.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(H2OSkier @ Mar 27 2007, 07:31 AM) [snapback]412917[/snapback]</div> They were talking about this on the radio yesterday as well. (KFOG/7am-ish). I only heard the news item, not the public responses, but wow! Steve, you should check out all your options before putting the car up for sale. Those stickers are obviously a valuable add-on.
That is a sweet looking car! Black when clean is the slickest. The golden I have does better when dirty but never looks that slick... You tint makes me want to tint my windows too!
I was in Las Vegas this past week-end, and saw a Prius with Nevada plates, and California HOV stckers. I could see if the guy spends a lot of time in LA, but how do you get California stickers with Nevada plates?, unless he just moved to Nevada, and just left them on. Wierd.
I am in the same boat. Moving this summer and will be selling my 2004, package 7, with 60k miles. I think the time is right to sell. With gas at $3.25, 45-50 mpg looks good. And I personally think the stickers are priceless. On average, my commute is 45-60 minutes less everyday. 200 hours a year that I am not in traffic is worth more than $4000, at least to me.
I think you could do a search for private sales of similar Prii with same model/package/mileage and then ask the high end or a little more. When you sell, make sure you advertise that this car has the HOV stickers. You've got people looking for a good, used Prius because gas is going up and you've got people looking for a car with HOV stickers now that there aren't any more. I think you'll find it easier to sell the car and easier to get a good price for it. I really doubt the $4,000 premium the dealer was quoting. That may be what *he's* asking and he may not be getting it. Still, the stickers do make your car worth more than a similar car. Will you be buying another Prius when you get to Florida?
For the record, $4000 is not unrealistic. Since we moved to Lake Tahoe, we sold our 2004 Pkg 9 with HOV stickers. We got a nearly $3K above KBB private seller excellent. I would say our car was better than good but not quite excellent. Our buyer had just got a new job and was facing a significant commute (both gas and time issues). By selling, we were able to upgrade to a 2007 with little out of pocket cost. The buyer called us to say how happy he was with the car. Win-win for everyone.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Mar 27 2007, 09:08 PM) [snapback]413292[/snapback]</div> Yes, depending on where my next project is, I will buy another Prius. I really love the car. I am considering selling it if I can get a good price for it. I have not determined that price yet, but if I sell it, it will be in the next 3-4 weeks. Here is my options that I can currently looking at: ebay cars.com autotrader.com craigslist I need to tarket the CA market.
We used Craigslist. It's free and we found a buyer within the first week of the listing. Had about a dozen calls but only had one come to look. Took a test drive and he bought so it was a great seller experience.
I've used ebay twice. The first time I got double what I paid. (Bought 1960 Cadillac sedan de ville for $1500, sold three years later for $3,000) The second time I tried both eBay and autotrader and couldn't sell my Saturn SC2 coupe. 9 years, 49,000 miles. My sister bought it for her son and loves the car. I think if I tried it again I'd go with Craigslist.
