sigp228

First, this is not an ad. I am seeking some input. I have to eventually trade up (or really down ) to a minivan due to a new addition to the family. I have the time to wait (probably wont buy until Dec/Jan maybe) and I want a 2013 model (narrowed it down to either the Odyssey or Sienna). However, I have been contemplating selling it privately prior to buying the new vehicle.

I pretty much only use my X for trips. Most of the time it sits in the garage (I have a work supplied vehicle) and my wife uses her car. I don't let her drive my X!! But, her car which is a 2010 Fusion is paid off and gets great mileage and eventually will be my son's first vehicle so we decided to trade the X when the time comes.

Now I have weighed the pros/cons that I have thought of namely:

I sell the car now and avoid 4-5 months of payments (I have plenty of equity in the car and although the value of the X goes down each month so does my loan balance so the equity pretty much washes).

I don't have to negotiate two times with a dealer.

I get more money for the car than I would get for trade in (and the buyer naturally gets it for less than a dealer would charge).

However, I would loose some in the fact that by not trading in, I will pay tax on the whole amount of the new car vs just the part above my trade in amount.

I have to deal finding the time to meet and have them check the vehicle out (test drive ,etc). I don't mind for a legit buyer but I live in S Fl so there are alot of morons out here.

I also have to figure out how to sell it as it still is financed via Acura/Honda and I have never sold a car that was financed and that I did not have title to (exc trade-ins of course). In fact, they are now electronic. I am going to call Acura Finance on Mon to see if there is a procedure or how its usually done with a private sale.

And of course, the main question is what is a reasonable price. I have been all over the net and it seems its hard to find an Adv/Ent private sale (and very few dealers as well). I am not sure if its because people don't give them up so easily or its a rare trim, or both.

I have a 2011 Adv/Ent that I bought new in Oct 2010. Its got 13.4k miles on it. Its Palladium Met/Ebony interior with the Advanced Running Boards, factory tow package, body side moldings, door edge film, all season mats, cargo liner, cargo tray, cargo cover. I think it classifies as excellent based upon the following description:

★★★★★
This vehicle would be in exceptional shape in all aspects. The engine runs well and its maintenance records are complete. The tires match and have lots of tread on them with no uneven wear patterns. The inside and outside are free of damage. The car's paint has no flaws and is free of excessive chips and dings. The title is clear and the car can pass all required local and state inspections. According to kbb.com, only 5% of all used cars fall in this category.

KBB lists it around 43k and Edmunds at 42.4k. Blackbook weekly does not do private party but lists a clean trade in at 41.6 and retail at 46.3. Is 42-43k a reasonable expectation? I found some 2011 Advanced with 20-25k miles on it at carmax, ebay, etc averaging about 42.5 and that is w/o the Ent package. Techs w/o Ent go for about 40 and w/ about 41k. If I do decide, I am trying to figure out a good price to list/end with.

vulches

Better lower your expectations, quickly. Brand new 2012's with tech are going for $39k (and currently with 0.0% - 0.9% financing not available to private party buyers). Go to Autotrader and submit a request for a trade offer. That will be your lowest amount to consider as you could walk into any dealership that takes those certificates and get that trade value. My guess would be around $35-36k. You'd be lucky to get $39k selling it private party, IMHO.

sigp228

I did that and that is a joke. I went to carmax and my acura dealer and they wanted to give me 40 and 39 (so much for loyalty) respectively about 1 month ago when I started thinking about this. That was lower than the value guides said but at least carmax was closer. I checked and the prices have not moved all that much. I also did the "certificate" and it came back at 34 then. I think that was for a base even though I put it in as advanced/ent. As far as the new prices, sure, you can get a good price now but that won't last much longer as its designed to move left over 2012 inventory to make room for the 2013. I did see some people getting Adv/Ent for about 49k for a 2012 but I am sure that 2013's will be back into the 50's.

Gen4MDX

2013 will be selling for the same as the 2012, no changes and it will be a short model run as the 2014 (completely redesigned) will be released about mid 2013.

Unfortunately, your accessories will add little to no value to the trade in price. You are probably money ahead if you just keep the X.

While the Odessy and Siena are the coolest mini vans on the market, they don't even come close to how awesome the X is.

Do you really want to be a mini van driver?

sigp228

It's not so much that I WANT to be a minivan driver but add two kids, one being a newborn with stroller, carseats, a dog (she is only 7 lbs and a lapdog but still have to take her bowls, food, cage, bed, etc on a vacation) and all the stuff needed to travel. I checked out the Sienna and Odyssey and even with the third row seats up, there was still a huge amount of cargo room. Not to mention the ease of entry/exit with the baby car seat/traveler with the sliding doors and it does not compare even to the X. Don't get me wrong, I could never drive a mv in the mountains like I do my X. Besides, the wife wants one and the wife gets what the wife wants

db22

OP - you are putting a lot of thought into car buying about a year too late. The MDX that you have "mostly sits in the garage" and is going to be one of your costliest purchases if you dump it now. It makes me wonder why you ever bought it in the first place? I know you have a "new addition to the family" but you must have known that it was a possibility when you bought the car.
Somebody will get a great car for a good price and somebody will lose their a$$.

ntwillie1

OP, don't listen to TSTurbo. The Mini-van rocks. My 3 year old doesn't even want to go near the MDX. And it is so convenient with getting my 4 month old into and out of the car and it has all the space I need for strollers, luggage, road bike, etc.

I have a 2011 MDX Advance and a 2012 Odyssey Touring Elite. Everyone by far likes the minivan much better. I always thought I would never buy or like a mini-van. After owning my Ody for 4 months I am in love with it. My wife and I actually argue over who gets to drive it, hahaha, and thats no exaggeration. I am 35 years old and by no means consider myself old or feel old in my minivan. And my Odyssey actually drives more like a car than a big ole clunky van so it feels great. My $50k plus MDX just sits in the drive way most days. She looks great and I'll love her in the snow this winter but the van is the man! Peace.

wrestrepo

I have to agree with what has been said about loosing a lot of money in the sale or trade in. If what you need is more room for the occasional trip, get yourself a roof box, or two roof boxes.
I also have two kids, we moved up from an RDX and I think that the MDX offers plenty of room for MY family of 4.



Keep in mind that all that extra room that you have in the minivan will go unused most of the time, you just need the additional space for trips.

ntwillie1

Also keep in mind that the van will get you at least 7 more mpg than the mdx. My 08 MDX use to do 22-25mpg on the highway. For some reason my 11 adv can't even do 21. The only difference I know of between both cars is that my 11 has a 6 speed auto and the 08 had a 5speed auto. I though the 6sp would do better but I was wrong. The ody gets me about 26-27 on the highway and it takes regular, not premium like the MDX so you save some money at the gas station too.

Don't get me wrong, I like the MDX very much, but for a family, I think the mini-van is a better option. Why go spend another $400 for a rooftop box that will prevent you from getting into certain garages, is a pita to get too for the most part, and can be a hassle to install and uninstall all the time. Thats just my opinion.

chetanw

Have you considered that the MDX has full-time SH AWD into these fuel-economy calculations?

I have seen a situation where my neighbor could not climb up his driveway in his Odyssey while the MDX had no problems at all. My wife started work recently and with the hills in this area, AWD is not a luxury, it is a necessity.

If you ask me, I'll take the additional $4000 in the initial purchase and the $1500 per year in fuel and get the MDX over the Odyssey any day for the peace of mind.

Just my opinion.

wrestrepo

While the minivan is better for families, the problem here is how much money he would loose on the deal. If he doesn't care, so be it, but it seems to me that a roof box would solve his problems very economically.


Meh, I have lived in New England, and while the SH-AWD is awesome, what you really need is better tires in whatever car you have. I think that with the exception of a RWD car, any car would be able to drive safely in the snow with the proper tires.....And just to be clear, I do think that AWD is superior than FWD, and unless you are in an area that doesn't get plowed regularly the FWD will suffice.

chetanw

I agree about having good tires no matter what car you have, but you make a good point about the regular cleaning of the streets. In my area, when I leave the house at 0600, they are just starting to plow and salt and it's quite some time before they get to the inside roads, so like I said, AWD is a necessity for me.