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Dear Terry,
I have a 2002 Chrysler Sebring convertible in very good condition with only 34,000 miles. The high Blue Book value is $8,000.
Would I look like an idiot if I went into a Toyota dealership with it as a trade and told them I wanted $12,000
for it and was only willing to pay $1,000 over sticker for a new two-wheel-drive, four-cylinder, Dodge PU Club Cab with all
the bells and whistles?
-- Laura
Dear Laura,
I don't know exactly where to begin to unravel this muddle.
First off, high Blue Book value generally means the retail value of a vehicle -- what a dealer would charge to
sell it. So you want the dealer to pay you $4,000 more than what the dealer could reasonably sell the car for?
Then, you want to pay $1,000 over the window sticker for a pickup, when you should be negotiating for a purchase
price under the sticker?
If you go into a dealer with this sort of wacky deal, you're going to get fleeced. The dealer will manipulate the
numbers so that you will end up paying more than you should.
Check you car's trade-in value and negotiate the price of the truck before even mentioning the trade. Then, see
what the dealer will give you for your car. You may be better off selling the Sebring on your own.
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