Experience with Trade ins?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 381
Likes: 20
From: Cincinnati, OH
2021 GLS580 all black. 2014 GLK black (kids car). formerly: 2014 GL550 Palladium Silver (US)
Experience with Trade ins?
MY GL550 is expected late October and I just took my X5 in for an appraisal. They provided an estimate and the offer is about $4k under the NADA & Kelley Blue book. The car does have high miles (now 128k) but BB factors that in.
I've also looked at cars for sale (Autotrader, Cars.com) and they seem to be selling about $20k.
I'm not sure how to take this. Maybe they don't want to be bothered? Is this common with a non MB car?
They did warn me from the start that I'd be better selling on my own.
I know all their GL allocations are presold so I wouldn't expect so low motivation to negotiate. But I was hoping they would demonstrate some interest in winning a new MB customer. I guess it doesn't work that way.
I've also looked at cars for sale (Autotrader, Cars.com) and they seem to be selling about $20k.
I'm not sure how to take this. Maybe they don't want to be bothered? Is this common with a non MB car?
They did warn me from the start that I'd be better selling on my own.
I know all their GL allocations are presold so I wouldn't expect so low motivation to negotiate. But I was hoping they would demonstrate some interest in winning a new MB customer. I guess it doesn't work that way.
Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 107
Likes: 2
From: Weston, Florida
2014 GL350BT
I brought in my 2006 Volvo XC90 (very low miles and in excellent condition) as trade in on a new 2014 GL350BT I had ordered.
About a year earlier I had gone to Carmax and received a firm offer of $11,500, so I figured a year later it should be worth about $10k. MB offered me $8,500 and Black Book had it at around $11,800 as trade in. I showed them that print out and sent the offer back and they came back with $9,500. As I felt I had gotten a fair deal off on the new GL (my perception of course), I accepted the $9,500.
I would recommend you pay CarMax a visit as their offer should really be your bottomline with MB. Also consider you should get the tax advantage if you trade in vs selling the used car. In my case that was worth 6% of the $9,500 or about another $550, so I came in right about at my original $10,000 I was looking for.
Used cars in the end are only worth what somebody is willing to pay for it. Sure you could advertise it and wait a long time and deal with lots of crazies trying to unload it.
About a year earlier I had gone to Carmax and received a firm offer of $11,500, so I figured a year later it should be worth about $10k. MB offered me $8,500 and Black Book had it at around $11,800 as trade in. I showed them that print out and sent the offer back and they came back with $9,500. As I felt I had gotten a fair deal off on the new GL (my perception of course), I accepted the $9,500.
I would recommend you pay CarMax a visit as their offer should really be your bottomline with MB. Also consider you should get the tax advantage if you trade in vs selling the used car. In my case that was worth 6% of the $9,500 or about another $550, so I came in right about at my original $10,000 I was looking for.
Used cars in the end are only worth what somebody is willing to pay for it. Sure you could advertise it and wait a long time and deal with lots of crazies trying to unload it.
Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
From: SoCal
07 S550
If you prefer to just trade it instead of selling Carmax may be your best bet. Like the above comment Carmax gave me the best deal for my 07 cayman s with 8500 miles for 35k. The dealers were only willing to give 33k, but since I was buying a CPO s550 they played both sides and offered above 35k after we agreed on price of the s class.
Junior Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
2013 GL 450
MY GL550 is expected late October and I just took my X5 in for an appraisal. They provided an estimate and the offer is about $4k under the NADA & Kelley Blue book. The car does have high miles (now 128k) but BB factors that in.
I've also looked at cars for sale (Autotrader, Cars.com) and they seem to be selling about $20k.
I'm not sure how to take this. Maybe they don't want to be bothered? Is this common with a non MB car?
They did warn me from the start that I'd be better selling on my own.
I know all their GL allocations are presold so I wouldn't expect so low motivation to negotiate. But I was hoping they would demonstrate some interest in winning a new MB customer. I guess it doesn't work that way.
I've also looked at cars for sale (Autotrader, Cars.com) and they seem to be selling about $20k.
I'm not sure how to take this. Maybe they don't want to be bothered? Is this common with a non MB car?
They did warn me from the start that I'd be better selling on my own.
I know all their GL allocations are presold so I wouldn't expect so low motivation to negotiate. But I was hoping they would demonstrate some interest in winning a new MB customer. I guess it doesn't work that way.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 6,130
Likes: 1,117
A gaggle of MB's
NADA and KBB are bull-ticky - NADA sets value high for purposes of aon value - KBB sets high as a sales tool to "get you in the door".
For a better realistic gauge of trade-in benchmark on edmunds.com - overall, shoot for the edmunds #
That
For a better realistic gauge of trade-in benchmark on edmunds.com - overall, shoot for the edmunds #
That
