espi_007

Hello all,

Could you guys please help me to sell my 2004 TL at a reasonable price. I am looking to buy a rear wheel drive for work and must sell my TL because I can't afford to have two cars :/ I've listed it on Craigslist for 9500$ and I have 130xxx mileage on it. I know the price is high for that mileage but I have priced it that high for the following reasons:

1) My transmission died on me last year so I had it replaced with a new one. it was very expensive to replace but i love this car so I was not ready to let it go anyways I believe this would be a big plus for the buyer for evident reasons
2) The tire are not even a year old and the brakes are fairly new as well
3) I got all the oils changed last week, transmission, engine oil, power steering oil along with wheel balance and alignment

After reading above do you guys still think I am asking for too much. If so, could you please please recommend what would be a reasonable price for me list. I would appreciate it very much.

Thank you for reading!

Hugo L.

For what it's worth (and take into account that I'm a newbie here), my inlaws were offered 6 000$ by the stealership for their 2006, which had 120k miles and was in pristine shape, garaged last three winters, etc. And that's in Canada where the car was pricier than in the US when it was new.

Only bug was the navigation «please check your disc» issue. Apparently, this played a big part in the low price they were offered. In the end, they gave the car to us for our kids to use.

But this shows that a car in good shape, two years newer and with less mileage, in a market where it was a more expensive car to begin with, is not worth what you're asking.

espi_007

Hey, thanks for sharing I guess its dealerships job to offer you pretty much nothing for the cars they buy. One of the reasons I wouldn't go to the dealership to sell my TL.

I will leave it at that price for a week or two because I have received couple of e-mails asking for a test drive and more pictures. So I'm hopeful to sell it soon perhaps at a lower price but not lower than 6k However, the reason for posting here is just to get an idea of what I can expect to get and help me sell it at a reasonable price even if its lower than the current price.

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

What your inlaws were offered for their car at a random dealer is insignificant. You're comparing a dealer trade and a private sale, for starters. Dealerships try to "steal the trade" every day, because they know a small number of people will actually accept their lowball initial offer, which is generally borderline hysterical to anyone who knows cars and what they're worth, or to anyone who has at least done their homework regarding their specific vehicle. When I bought my TL in 12/07, the dealer offered me $6500 for my '03 Accord with 50k on it. After an hour of playing with them, they ended up giving me $10,500, putting new rear brakes in it and putting it on their lot for $13,000.

OP, you're right in the middle between NADA clean trade and clean retail, so just see what happens. Having fairly new tires and brakes is insignificant, since they're general maintenance items that don't warrant a higher price. And honestly, the replaced tranny may actually be a deterrent more than anything. What about the 105k service? Was it done?

espi_007

^ yes I had the 105k service done at 104k because I didn't want to risk anything

pohljm

I would keep it! Why do you need to replace with RWD?

leo221

then do it when you are ready. trying to put personal emotions into it won't get you anywhere. for potential buyers, how much you love your baby car is not very important. they want to pay minimum bucks for best conditions possible, your lost is their gains. it's a business, get rid of the non-business stuff then it will be much easier.

for your entertainment, and your buyers

Hugo L.

I'm totally aware of that, and in a way I'm happy that my inlaws were gullible enough to think «gee, if we're only gonna get 6k$, we might as well give it to our grand kids».

Local research showed that similar cars generally sold here between 9500$ and 11k$. That said, the non-functioning navigation system is a pain for non-tech savvy buyers, or those who want a turn-key deal, which is pretty much every one in the market for this vehicle.

And, this is still for newer vehicles with less mileage in a pricier market.

05_NBP_TL

iTrader: (1)

GLWS. I just sold my 05 TL about 3 weeks ago on craigslist. Just be honest with the buyers, and don't take the first offer. I was offered 9k from CarMax, then 11.5k from my local dealer, then sold it 4 days later for 14k. Don't let the buyers know you "have" to sell. Even if the sell doesn't go through with the first or second buyers, be sure to get a contact # from them and come back with a counter offer later on if needed.

I think your price is fair, but be prepared for low ballers and negotiators. If you can hold out long enough you will get your asking price (or close to it).

espi_007

Because I will start working soon for a Limousine company on my days off and RWD is the best option I got.

Good point Leo

espi_007

Niceee Thank you for your input!!

nttstt444

iTrader: (1)

Because your going drive a limo part time you have to have a RWD car? I don't get it?

SharksBreath

iTrader: (33)

DaeHanMeenGuk

you're selling the TL to buy a limo for work? or is that limo company providing you one from their fleet? if you feel like you need a rwd vehicle to get used to whatever the limo company gives you, i would say that's a poor reason for selling the TL. especially when you've done all the big maintenance things done along with a new transmission. my two cents.

espi_007

No, I will have to buy my own car to work for a limo company as an independent driver. They have list of cars that I must pick from in order to work there. It's UBER in DC, perhaps some of you know about this limo service. But yep, TL is not on that list and even it were I still wouldn't drive it because FWD cars do not last for too long in this driving business according to one of my close friends who owns a limo company.

carz0159

I feel that is too much for that car. I would list it at 8k

anx1300c

iTrader: (2)

Do this conversion.

tee_el

Ask yourself this, if someone paid you 8k, can you find a car better than that TL for 8k? i doubt it. keep the car

Hugo L.

He has to buy a limo for wok and can't afford to have two cars. Selling it is mandatory, it seems.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

dont quit your full time job.

pohljm

So..... your going to sell a great car with all the maintenance completed at a price tgat will not allow you to replace it with something comperable.........and then your going to buy a new/recent model shiny black car so you can be an on call driver??? that sounds like an aweful decision. what do you think your insurance and maintenance are going to run? This is going to be a combination if a personal vehicle and a business vehicle? taxes will be interesting too. I would suggest looking for a different job.

But if you insist i would go for the Mercedes Benz 550S

erdoc48

The employer that wants you to buy a new car for the job...are they paying for it and insuring it as a limo/ livery car with appropriate high liability limits in the event of collision and injury? If not, I'd pass on that job. Otherwise, you're going to be on the hook outside of an insurance settlement (defined by what the policy states in limits).

Keep the TL for yourself (not as a livery car). At 130,000 miles and nearly 10 years of age it's lost significant value, so if all work has been done on it and it runs well, get your money out of it by NOT selling it. It will have lost value despite all the work you put into it.

I'd use the TL until you're completely done with it, then pass it down to a family member who may be able to use it. We did the same with my wife's Cadillac CTS- we gave it to her daughter's fiancé such that he would take over payments on my wife's daughter's car (as my wife was making payments on her Nissan as well as the insurance)- it was a win-win all around. The fiancé got a good working but high mileage car and it got my wife out of payments on her daughter's car. For the insanely low money you get on a trade in, I'd rather give a car to a family member that could be in need.

turbo_oxide

I agree... Similarly, putting a new roof on a house isn't going to raise the price of your home, it's just going to make the house more appealing to a potential buyer because there will be less maintenance they will need to do themselves.

Same thing goes for a car: new tires, oil change, maintenance is just going to help make it more appealing to a buyer, but probably not going to justify the increased price. Plus, a fundamental part replacement such as a transmission or engine would probably hurt the value. With that said, $9500 a quite a bit higher that what I would expect to pay... unless you have an a-spec emblem on it.

paperboy42190

iTrader: (7)

So you're gonna spend money on a new car for a job that you don't even have yet... Even if you start working there, what if it doesn't work out? You will have invested all that money for no reason.

erdoc48

I assume that's a photoshop job...nicely done. I actually like the look of that.

espi_007

I am not quitting my day time job I work 9-5 M-F and the reason for working as a driver is to help out the family and myself financially.

I will use the money I get to buy a car at a auction with a friend who owns a dealership. I am hopeful to find a good deal at the auction and if I had a choice and I was financially stable I wouldn't sell this car. Most of my friends have said the same thing that I am crazy to sell it after all the work and money I've spent on it.. then there is big BUT...

Nope everything is mine, insurance, car, hire tags,... etc. The only thing they will do for me is give me a phone and clients. I know it sounds like a bad deal, but it will help me financially.

I'm not planning on spending all the money on the car I will buy. I can find decent deals at the auction

espi_007

ooooo This looks hot!

espi_007

I've added to the post 9500$ or best offer. Hopefully, one of the test drivers will buy for the price I listed or close to it.

erdoc48

Based on the fact that you're on the block for everything (car, insurance and I assume high liability limits as well as business liability insurance, and I assume a livery license that needs to be renewed), are you sure you want to take on that much responsibility and expense when the limo co. isn't giving you much except client names?

Just friendly advice...I don't want to come across as adversarial. Also, if you go ahead with the plan, you may want to consider a well maintained Mercury Marquis (at least that's what was available the last few times I used a limo service- they're big and apparently, the engines last a very long time- the last few cars I was in had > 200,000 miles on them).

Best of luck in your decision, and I really mean that.

pohljm

I second the docs feelings! If you were my son I would advise against this decision. If this is truly the only way for you to make ends meet then gods speed! I was newer able to see what the "acceptable vehicles" were to the DC operation. What I did see in the few minutes I spent researching Uber was alarming .....especially for someone in the DC Area. I will keave it at that and assume your doing your own due dilegence.

Hugo L.

At least set up an LLC company and buy the limo through that, this way if things go sour the damage to your personal credit rating and liability will be limited, and you will be taxed as a company, as opposed to the revenue from this sideline job being added on top of your current income source.