When do wholesale prices equal retail prices? Think about it for a second. When do the prices of a consumer good become so expensive that there is virtually no markup? Here are a few scenarios that I can come up with… given what I've seen at the auto auctions these days. 1) Extreme shortage of product and too many wholesale buyers. 2) Most everyone buying the product is financing it to sub-prime customers who only care about 'the monthly payment'. 3) You have enough seasonal dealers, overseas buyers, and funny money that the laws of economics no longer apply. Now having said that, I ended up buying five vehicles at one sale recently. My purchases were…
2001 Hyundai Elantra, Silver, 150k: $850 2002 Hyundai Accent, Auto, 120k: $2225 2001 Toyota Solara SE, Cloth, 130k: $4680 1998 Saturn SL2, Base, Stick, 175k: $1150 1992 Toyota Corolla DX, Stick, 178k: $885
Were those purchase prices too high? You never know until after the fact. Cars that look like dealer queens can be riddled with gremlins. While a beaten up old jalopy may still have more life left in it than Keith Richards at an all-night party. So let's look at the five vehicles and, based on my reasoning (or lack of), make your own determination. The silver Elantra was supposedly an inop at a 'trade-in' auction that averages a bit over 100 vehicles every week. At this auction the inops are put far away from the rest of the vehicles. Quiet. Secluded. A place where few if any buyers bother to even look at them. What was wrong with it? Couldn't get into third gear. Oh, and the rust. My good god this thing was rusty enough! We're talking deep shades of flake brown on nearly every part of the undercarriage. I looked at the history and found the owners had more or less sat on it for a year once the clutch started to give out. But it looked… nice. Good enough to have it go through another sale where there would be more than a few people looking at it. The wholesale price should be around $1800 at a good sale with plenty of buyers, and I should find out by this Wednesday whether it goes through. The 2002 Accent has new belts, good fluids, and… an emissions issue. Like most metro areas, Atlanta has thousands of people who are compelled to give up their rides due to an annoying and elusive emissions issue. I almost sold an old Camry before I got into the auction business because it had failed emissions three times and was running out of repair possibilities. Based on the Carfax history I got before the sale this Accent looked to be no different. That old Camry only needed a bottle of 'Guaranteed to Pass' and a lot of highway driving. Old Accents though are known for having cheap catalytic converters . So I will likely have to spend around $150 for a new one. Given that small cars with automatics are the most finance friendly vehicles in today's market, that shouldn't be a bother. So long as it doesn't need something else. The Solara needed a new front grille. $80 on Ebay. The Saturn needed a left front quarter panel. 2nd generation Saturns have panels that are flexible to a point. But if you hit them too hard they shatter. The right color panel was found for $50 at Salvage Hunter Auto Parts, so I got lucky there. Finally there was a blast from the past. A 1992 Toyota Corolla DX. Why get a vehicle that old? Let's just say prior owners make all the difference. The prior owner worked at the local university, had the maintenance done at a Toyota dealership, didn't drive very much, and managed to do everything from putting Michelins on the vehicle to keeping the (has to be second) clutch in good shape. The paint was sun burnt to a crisp. But the interior was fine and surprisingly clean. Back in the pre-recession days $885 was about par for cost. Now it's a steal. I ended up driving the thing to the nastier parts of downtown Atlanta and it never missed a lick. As for other vehicles? There were some deals and many dog fights. Here's a short list…
2000 Toyota Camry LE, No Roof, Cloth, 94K : $5600 2005 Nissan Quest SE, Loaded, 74k : $8700 2003 Toyota Corolla LE, 200k, Cloth, No Roof, Auto: $5900 2002 Ford Explorer XLT, Auto, Leather, No Roof, 109k: $5300 2011 Hyundai Santa Fe GLS, Frame Damage History, Base Options, 11k: $16,600 1999 Mercedes E320, Loaded, 126k: $5400 2005 Mini Cooper Convertible, Auto & Alloys, 144k: $6200 (came in second on this one) So what was the best deal? Which one do you think will come back to bite me worse than Marv Albert on a blind date? As with all things in the car business, every opinion is worth telling.
from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com | |||
| |||
| |||
|
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Hammer Time: Buy! Buy Buy!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Archive
-
▼
2012
(7297)
-
▼
March
(728)
- BMW i8 Concept Spyder Debuts: Same Plug-In Hybrid,...
- Sound and Fury
- New or Used: Replacement for Rusty Rocker’d Ride?
- Opel Labor Leader Threatens Mother Of All Plant Cl...
- This Week's Most-Read Stories
- Interest For EVs Fading
- Hammer Time Rewind: Hit Em Where They Ain’t!
- Speed, And The Cop Might Get A Free Pizza
- Pocket Rocket Lovers Of The World, Rejoice! Uhmm, ...
- Automotive Lawsuit History Unearthed, Junkyard Sty...
- Junkyard Find: 1987 Toyota Corolla FX16 GT-S
- 2012 New York Auto Show Preview
- FS: One-of-a-kind Mercedes “Benzamino”
- Most-Watched Video Reviews of the Week
- Car Collector’s Corner: This1939 Rolls Royce Wrait...
- Bye, bye, Miss Emm Kay Five.
- Volkswagen Reveals Alltrack Wagon Concept, Don’t G...
- How To: Mess With Your Buddies’ Cars
- 2012 GMC Yukon and Sierra Heritage Editions Announ...
- Volkswagen Alltrack Concept; A Diesel Wagon, But A...
- 2013 Lincoln MKZ Shows Off a Big Retractable Glass...
- 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee Tested: 470 HP o...
- GMC Celebrates 100 Years With Heritage Edition
- You Thought That Car Was Expensive? Wait Until You...
- 2013 Subaru Legacy Quietly Drops 2.5GT Model
- 2012 New York Auto Show: What to Expect
- Dodge’s Facebook Campaign For SRT Viper Backfires
- Boo, Hiss: Daimler And BYD Launch Denza Brand
- Cars.com Buzz Index: March 2012
- Sergio Marchionne Confirms Third Fiat Model By 201...
- Fiat Brazil: Uno Kicks Gol Off Top Spot. Films At ...
- 2014 Fisker Nina Spied Nearly Completely Uncovered
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 30, 2012
- What Is The Model T Of Our Time?
- SRT Reveals one More Viper Pic
- Recall Alert: 2002-04 Honda CR-V, 2003 Honda Pilot
- LeMons Good/Bad Idea of the Week: Two-Stroke Miata!
- Junkyard Find: 1975 Mercury Comet Sedan
- Modern Marvels: IG Metall Hires Bob King As Opel B...
- Young People Drive Less, Surf More
- Cars.com Family Reviews the 2012 Volkswagen Passat...
- Cadillac XTS' Seat Buzzes for Danger
- Car Collector’s Corner:1948 Plymouth Convertible w...
- SRT Previews 2013 Viper’s Interior on Facebook [Ne...
- Mini Baker Street, Bayswater, and Highgate Special...
- 2013 Volkswagen CC First Drive: New Nose, Same Goo...
- Shake, Rattle, and Squeak: Long-Term 2011 Mini Coo...
- Chrysler Dealers Who Regained Their Franchises Bac...
- Mitt Romney Slammed for Joke Referencing Plant Clo...
- What Car Would You Buy if You Won Mega Millions?
- Edmunds Sees SAARing March Sales
- New Ram Truck Teased Before Debut, We Expect Refre...
- You Won’t Need A License To Drive This Renaut
- 2013 Subaru Legacy at the 2012 New York Internatio...
- Mercedes Will Cut Platforms In Half
- Capsule Review: 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport 5-Door
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 29, 2012
- 2013 Subaru Outback at the 2012 New York Auto Show
- Introducing The 2014 Mercedes C Class
- Toyota Bumping Up RAV4 Production By 50,000 Units ...
- Americans Paying Off Car Loans Before Mortgage, Cr...
- New C/D YouTube Channel to Launch May 1; Here’s Ou...
- Honda Fit. Officially Hecho En Mexico
- OnStar's Family Link Helps Parents Keep Tabs on Te...
- Junkyard Find: 1975 Ford Maverick
- PSA And Toyota Open Tie-Up Season
- Opel Supervisory Board Meets, Decides Nothing. Eis...
- Would You Buy It? 2013 Ford B-Max
- 2012 Audi Q5: Car Seat Check
- Vellum Venom: 2012 BMW 328i Sedan
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse: Hard Candy Shell, Soft Go...
- 2013 Acura RDX First Drive: A More-Mature Compact ...
- 25 Cars Worth Waiting For: The Choicest Rides Arri...
- Italy Seizes Gaddafi’s Stake In Fiat
- EXCLUSIVE: Jost Capito, Head of SVT and Performanc...
- Lotus Vehicle Development on Temporary Hold, Long-...
- European Patent Filing Reveals Possible Chevrolet-...
- 2013 Lexus ES Confirmed for NYC, Previewed in Phot...
- Cadillac Previews Driver-Assistance Systems for XT...
- Name That Exhaust Note, Episode 129
- 2013 Chevrolet Traverse at 2012 New York Auto Show
- Ford Explorer Sport Gets 3.5L Ecoboost
- 2013 Ford Explorer Sport: First Look
- 2013 Ford Explorer Sport: The Closest Thing to an ...
- Fiat’s Future In America And Elsewhere: A Counterp...
- Ontario Cutting Electric Vehicle Subsidies, $43 Mi...
- GM Issues Media Black-Out For Ellesmere Port
- Renault Opens Import Company In Allegedly Closed M...
- Hammer Time: Buy! Buy Buy!
- Generation Why: Jeep’s Old Man Truck, Pinterest An...
- 2012 Jaguar XFR Video
- 2013 Maserati Quattroporte Spied: Maserati’s Next ...
- Cars.com News Briefs: March 28, 2012
- New Lexus ES at New York Auto Show
- Buick Encore May Get Chevrolet Variant
- New Mitsubishi Outlander Sport at New York Auto Show
- UAW’s Bob King Will Fire 7,000, Close Two GM Plants
- Azure Dynamics Files For Bankruptcy, Suspends Ford...
- Junkyard Find: 1970 Toyota Corona Sedan
- Car Collector’s Corner:1966 Coronet 426 Hemi 2 Doo...
-
▼
March
(728)
No comments:
Post a Comment