When buying a used car in the USA...

[Berkut]

Hmmm, I generally would not pay over KBB at all.

Have you checked Edmunds?

KBB lists it at ~$10,000
Edmunds lists it at ~$10,500

Trade-in value:
KBB lists it at $7800
Edmunds lists it at $8000

Overall, the price of $13,100 is way over priced, imo.

Cool, that works.

So you know what they paid for it - somewhere around 8k.

A reasonable profit for them is going to be $500-$800.

So offer them $9,000, negotiate from there.

If you pay over $10k, you are too eager.

[Berkut]

The thing to realize is that for the dealer, selling you a car at a lower profit is very much prefereable to them NOT selling you a car at all.

Therefore, you have to make them realize that you are not approaching the negotiation from the standpoint of "I want this car, but want to pay as little as I can for it!" but rather "I want *a* car, and this one would do, but so would some other one from somewhere else if I cannot get the price I want on this one".

That seems like a pretty subtle difference, but it is huge in practical effect. The best way to make sure they know you are willing to just walk away?

Be willing yourself to just walk away if you don't get the price you want.

There are lots of other cars out there.

[Grey Fox]

Best advice Berkut ever gave out.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I concur.

[merithyn]

The thing to realize is that for the dealer, selling you a car at a lower profit is very much prefereable to them NOT selling you a car at all.

Therefore, you have to make them realize that you are not approaching the negotiation from the standpoint of "I want this car, but want to pay as little as I can for it!" but rather "I want *a* car, and this one would do, but so would some other one from somewhere else if I cannot get the price I want on this one".

That seems like a pretty subtle difference, but it is huge in practical effect. The best way to make sure they know you are willing to just walk away?

Be willing yourself to just walk away if you don't get the price you want.

There are lots of other cars out there.

Brilliant advice, Berkie.

The good thing is that neither Max nor I are huge car people. This is a nice car and it would work for us, but not if it's too much. I've already found two other cars - one a year newer with more options - with the same amount of miles in the price-range that we're looking at. Plus, it's a Toyota over a Jeep, so it will ride/drive better, imo, and probably last longer.

It also helps that we're not in a rush to get a car. If we got one today, great. If not, well, we've been without for over a year. What's a few more weeks? It's not going to hurt our feelings to say thanks but no thanks, but I think you're right in that it may hurt them.

[mongers]

From what I remember you're supposed to walk around the car to kick all four tyres, tap the each of sills with you hands and see how much play there is in the steering; that's just about it isn't for checks ? 

[Grey Fox]

Oh god, don't buy an old American car. Unless its like 1970's old or a pickup.

What are the details meri?

[merithyn]

Oh god, don't buy an old American car. Unless its like 1970's old or a pickup.

What are the details meri?

2006 Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 w/ 50,500 miles

Asking $14,995; offering it for $13,165

Found a 2007 Hyundai Tuscon that I like better, anyway.

[Barrister]

Oh god, don't buy an old American car. Unless its like 1970's old or a pickup.

What are the details meri?

2006 Jeep Liberty Limited 4x4 w/ 50,500 miles

Asking $14,995; offering it for $13,165

Found a 2007 Hyundai Tuscon that I like better, anyway.

I don't think the Liberty was very well received or reviewed.  No comment on the Tucson - had bad experience with Hyundai, but supposedly are better.

[Jacob]

Apparently Hyundais pre 2006 or 07 or so were crap,  after that they're supposedly very reliable. I hope it's true, since mine is from 09.

[Admiral Yi]

Oh god, don't buy an old American car. Unless its like 1970's old or a pickup.

What are the details meri?

Everything I've read about car quality states that in the last 15 years or so American makers have closed the quality gap and buyers are in effect paying an unwarranted premium for non-American brands.

[Darth Wagtaros]

I have a 2006 Hyundai and like it.  It is a Sonata, so on eof their midrange vehicles.  I was thinking about getting a 2012 Sonata last week, but hwen the sticker price was 22k and they said they'd sell it to me for 23k - but only if I signed right then and there because all the deals were going to go away in minutes - I decided on Toyota instead when I get another car.

[mongers]

What's the mpg on these things ?

[Barrister]

Oh god, don't buy an old American car. Unless its like 1970's old or a pickup.

What are the details meri?

Everything I've read about car quality states that in the last 15 years or so American makers have closed the quality gap and buyers are in effect paying an unwarranted premium for non-American brands.

I dunno man - its not just an American car, it's a Chrysler...

[merithyn]

What's the mpg on these things ?

Crap on the Liberty (23 highway/15 city), but 28/23 on the Hyundai.