2009 Prius: Tips for negotiating trade in value?

never make a deal until the trade in price is locked in. there will always be a negotiation between trade in price and new vehicle discount.
these days? the dealers are in total control. like it or lump it

 

agreed, they'd probably sell it for $3-4,000. these days, maybe more

 

question is what does Carmax do with it? Because they don't list any Gen2 on their website.

-- edit, anyways..

what about independent sales / auction sites, like autotrader, caredge, or even... carsandbids.com ?

 

Sell it yourself on facebook or craigslist. Meet in neutral locations and only take cash.

 

What are you kidding me You should have already sold this car in your market and have the cash in your pocket before you can even write this thread practically of course I don't know where you are you're talking about rust bubbles and whatnot so I didn't look to see but here where I am even where everybody's driving brand new cars blah blah blah. I could take a fairly crappy Prius and not even do much to it clean it up have all the information for the person that really wants to do it up right and get $1,400 for it and not do anything but clean it then God forbid if I put a battery in it and take care of the brakes or any of that stuff 4 grand around here and people will pay it in a second and all the lights come on in the car the next day. These cars have been given to me for free for the last 30 years I don't remember the last time I bought a car. No kidding The last five Toyotas I've had from not mistaken we're all given to me for a stupid reasons too I mean just really keep up with the Joneses type of stuff You can have my Corolla I'm on my way to the dealership to get a new car. Yeah okay

 

They're planning to flip your old car for a few thousand in profit, whether through auction or direct.

If they don't get to earn that by taking your trade for cheap, I think you are likely to see a sudden increase of a remarkably similar amount somewhere else on the deal sheet.

Not how I'd want it either; just calling it like I see it.

 

Stressed well okay but that's a personal problem people get very stressed out when I call about their car because I'm asking real questions that they have no answers to and I already know this I'm asking them to justify their $5,000 price when the next day all the lights are going to come on ABS is going to be needing a pump the hybrid battery is now 14 and a half years old It is by right time to deal with it and the heads up display is probably flaky etc I get blocked discredited and everything for even mentioning this kind of stuff on any of the places where cars are sold dealers come out of the woodwork to tell me they've been in this business for a hundred years blah blah blah it is really ridiculous and people just say well it's a Toyota Prius and it's got $190,000 miles and we've never had a problem with it and dealers say oh I've been selling these cars forever nothing like that has ever happened I'm like yeah okay sure so yeah all that stressful to me not at all they're the ones squirming at the questions because they have no answers they just know I demand or command this and that's that I've seen people send them to the junkyard before to not bend to someone else's offer I've seen it many times It happens very regularly.

 

Your kidding yourself if you think the dealer will remove their addons. Of course these are 75% pure profit as is the low ball trade price.

They will send your trade to a wholesale auction and get at least what they offer you after fees. Most likely they will make an extra thousand and then that buyer will flip it for another $2k. Sell it yourself and make $3k extra. Just be straight as-is with your buyer and require cash and proof of insurance. Most states have an online form to notify of a change of ownership.

The finance department is where you can say no and you will have to even if you have your own financing.

You might consider taking a knowledgeable friend with you to the dealer when its pickup day.

 

Rhode Island protections? Geez when I lived in Newport that was the The mob hub to bring stolen limos from the city I've driven a few up from Long Island to Providence I wouldn't think you'd get any protections in Rhode Island but hey you never know I had a record store on Thames Street in Newport was quite an experience The law was very affordable at the time Not sure about what goes on there today I was right down the street from all the mansions the trawler restaurant was my favorite eating place and then back to New York City to pick up.

 

Its easier to say no to warranties and unexpected fees if you have a friend to back you up. The dealers generally do a waiting game to wear you out before and during the paperwork. So having someone to talk to and potentially judge the situation without new car fever helps.

You will pay more in July 2023 than you would have in 2020. Keep in mind Toyota hybrids were hot even before the pandemic, especially rav4s. Now its any hybrid by Toyota, interest rates are high and dealers are making up for lost profits.

They know your new car will sell in a day to someone else on their list. They have the leverage.

 

to make things short, you didn't do things right... trust me how I know (I got in court with these)
You never get a good deal from a trade-in that's just how car business works. Sell it privately, do the proper forms (transfer of sale) and sleep quietly. Make the buyer sign over the "AS IS" portion of the bill of sale.
I buy and sell cars on Marketplace and the good deals doesn't last a second.. I just don't see the stressful side of it..

 

You have to ride with them. You may want a friend or relative with you.