Tubulus

I am trying to estimate what my 06 TSX will get on trade-in (at an acura dealer). It has 80k miles, with nav. No major damage, no accidents, single owner, but plenty of little scratches, etc (live in NYC).
Every dealer (acura and not) I have been to has quoted 9k.
Galves quoted 10k.
KBB quotes 10,500 for good condition.

Simba91102

Sounds like they're right on the money. Website estimates are most often generous to begin with, and don't really take the regional impact into consideration (and historically, TSX prices have been pretty regional). Nav no longer has that much of an impact. Actually, in an almost 8 y/o car it's probably worth at the most.... nothing (very expensive if it fails, most likely not up to date, much better and way cheaper portable aftermarket units available now). And no offense, but your car sounds like a 7-8 year old used car in average condition. I'd guess you're looking for better news (or wouldn't be asking for numbers here), but nothing is worth more than someone is willing to pay, and it sounds like the dealers have a pretty good idea what they need to pay. You might do better trying a private sale, even if you just took a stab at it over a weekend for instance.

redpoint

For someone concerned with getting top dollar for their assets, trading in is the worst. If you want top dollar, post it for sale on Craigslist. You can sell it above dealer trade in with no haggling, or with haggling you can get even more.

I bought a Subaru for $1,000 under value from someone that posted in CL, and 1 month later sold it for $1000 more to the first person that contacted me from CL. No haggling on either end.

Boulder TSX

Good point, Redpoint. I too have always sold my cars privately and have gotten much more than dealer trade offers.

BTW, just out of curiosity, why did you buy the Subaru and sell it a month later? I'm assuming it was not just to make money...(A $1,000 profit is good, but not sure I'd consider it worth the hassle on the time needed for both the buying and selling transactions, along with short term insurance, vehicle tax payments, licensing, etc.

redpoint

I had a 1996 Legacy with 200,000 miles on the clock, and frequently took it off-road. With chains on all 4 tires, my limiting factor in the snow was ground clearance. So, with the clearance issues I had and given the mileage, I decided to purchase a 2007 Outback. At $1000 under the market value, I jumped when I saw it.

After driving it for a month, I was disappointed by how poorly the Outback handled compared to the Legacy (2" higher ground clearance). Not only that, but my fuel economy went from 29 MPG in the 5-speed Legacy, to 24 MPG in the automatic Outback. That and the Outback felt gutless with the automatic tranny. I would dream about driving my Legacy out in the woods even though I had my luxurious Outback.

I sold the Outback for $1000 more than I paid for it, and went back to driving my beat up Legacy. A year later, I was rear-ended and Su was totaled. And that is the story of how I ended up with my TSX.

I'm looking again to purchase a hatchback that could possibly sleep 2 in the back, and get good fuel economy. Perhaps I'll get another late 90's Legacy. My Jeep Liberty is garbage and needs to go.

Boulder TSX

Well, that all makes sense. In retrospect, being able to get rid of it at a profit makes it even better.

I'm surprised to hear about the differences in various Legacy & Outback models. I live in Colorado, and Subarus are everywhere here. I have several neighbors with them and there are probably 4-5 of each of the cars you had within a block of me...and I just assumed they all handled similarly and got the similar gas mileage.

Like you, I love the TSX...and I do just fine with it in the winter snow, (change to winter tires and 16" wheels) -- and I know I'm having more fun in the lighter, nimble TSX than my Subaru-driving neighbors in the summer!