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When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Old May 2nd 2019, 10:02 pm
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Default When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

So we bought a brand new Toyota Camry XLE back in 2012 when we first moved to the USA! Paid $27K and the title is now in our hand. It has got approx 80K miles on it (over a period of 7 years). We changed our tires in November, 2017. We’ve got our State Inspection expiring end of May and got 2 major repairs- Sway Bar Link needs replacement and Ball Joint needs replacing to pass inspection totaling approx $900.

Question 1: Would you sell the car before sticker expires, or would you do the repairs and keep the car another year? Bearing in mind we live in MA so winters are terrible and it doesn’t have a back up camera nor is it an AWD (Dh used to drive more often but with new job and commuting by train I now drive approx 20miles a day)

Question 2: If you were to sell where do you sell the car? Dealers Or Craigslist/Facebook?

Question 3: Do we lease or buy a car? If buying do we buy a brand new 2019 with all the latest and greatest technology or do we buy a used less miles 2017/2018 car?

Question 4: If we end up buying we are looking to get an SUV. What makes/model do you recommend? We’ve been looking at Toyota Rav 4, Nissan Sport Rouge, Honda HRV, and last/least BMW X1/X3. Features: Heated Seats, Lane Assist bigger boot space for Atleast 3 suitcases that can fit inside.

Any advice/suggestions welcome.
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Old May 2nd 2019, 10:30 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

I would keep it several more years. A Camry can easily go 200k or even much more. It is not much more than broken in with 80k.
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Old May 2nd 2019, 10:54 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Originally Posted by ddsrph
I would keep it several more years. A Camry can easily go 200k or even much more. It is not much more than broken in with 80k.


Hondas and Toyotas you can keep as long as you like, just keep them serviced, and repaired when necessary, which is only going to be occasionally.

I don't know how rust caused by road salt might impact your car because down here in NC that really isn't an issue. My Accord has just racked up 356,000 miles, and I still drive it most days, adding about 15,000 miles a year. It hasn't cost me significant depreciation in at least six years, and as we bought for cash there is no "payment" either, so occasional repairs are not really an issue, though it hasn't needed many repairs, other than the engine which was replaced at 296,000 miles. The exhaust system, other than the cat, is still original, as are the clutch, gear box, shocks and springs, brake discs, and radiator. I think the last repair was new alternator about 15 months ago. The brake pads were last replaced 275,000 miles ago; I don't know why the original pads only lasted 80,000 miles.

Last edited by Pulaski; May 2nd 2019 at 11:36 pm.
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Old May 2nd 2019, 11:20 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Another lease vs buy question. Always buy. Screw leases. Don't buy brand new unless you have a 7 figure net worth.
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Old May 2nd 2019, 11:50 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Camry's hold their value ridiculously well (too well, in my opinion, you can get far "better" cars for the price used Camry's go for) which bodes well for you. 80k is also "low" mileage for a 2012 Camry.

That said; as mentioned before Camrys can do crazy miles (I've seen some cab versions with north of 450k on them) so it's far from done - but if you're wanting something a little newer and more feature rich, I'd suggest you look to trade the Camry on a used, nearly new (ideally certified pre-owned) - the tax savings of trading almost always wipe out near as damnit the entire increase you'd gain in selling it privately (assuming you're good at negotiating with a dealer), making it pointless to sell privately in most situations.

I'm a huge car guy and I also rent a lot (I've spent over $26k with Hertz in 3 years with work..) which gives me the opportunity to drive a LOT of different cars. From the list above I'd say stay clear of the Rouge, it's actually the only car I've ever taken back to Hertz for being so crap. The engine is completely gutless, Nissan is MILES behind the competition when it comes to their Infotainment solution and it just generally feels cheap and crappy. Ironically I rented an X-Trail (the same car) in the UK in the fully loaded Diesel version and didn't hate it - it was a drastic improvement over the US variant. The HR-V is also pretty crap, but the CR-V is solid and hold their value very well and are well built and reliable. I've never driven the Rav-4 but a friend of mine has one and likes it. As for the X1/3 - the X3 is a half decent car, the X1 just feels like a cheap BMW (which in reality, it is), but generally I'd stay away from anything below an X4/5.

My recommendation would be the new (2018+) VW Tiguan: they're well built, their interior is good quality and in the first year or so they depreciate harder than some of the competitors whilst tailing off in the later years, meaning you can get some solid values in the certified/pre-owned world.

As other folks mentioned here; leasing is hit at miss and the financial viability of such actually varies state by state and how they decide to tax you on the lease (on the value of the whole car vs cost of the lease), in some states leasing is legitimately the most logical option IF you want a "brand new" car with intent to change it in 3 years or less.
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Old May 3rd 2019, 9:16 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Originally Posted by ddsrph
I would keep it several more years. A Camry can easily go 200k or even much more. It is not much more than broken in with 80k.
I agree. I drive my Toyotas until the wheels fall off. +_ 300,000. miles.
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Old May 3rd 2019, 10:18 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Originally Posted by brit_usa2014
So we bought a brand new Toyota Camry XLE back in 2012 when we first moved to the USA! Paid $27K and the title is now in our hand. It has got approx 80K miles on it (over a period of 7 years). We changed our tires in November, 2017. We’ve got our State Inspection expiring end of May and got 2 major repairs- Sway Bar Link needs replacement and Ball Joint needs replacing to pass inspection totaling approx $900.

Question 1: Would you sell the car before sticker expires, or would you do the repairs and keep the car another year? Bearing in mind we live in MA so winters are terrible and it doesn’t have a back up camera nor is it an AWD (Dh used to drive more often but with new job and commuting by train I now drive approx 20miles a day)

Question 2: If you were to sell where do you sell the car? Dealers Or Craigslist/Facebook?

Question 3: Do we lease or buy a car? If buying do we buy a brand new 2019 with all the latest and greatest technology or do we buy a used less miles 2017/2018 car?

Question 4: If we end up buying we are looking to get an SUV. What makes/model do you recommend? We’ve been looking at Toyota Rav 4, Nissan Sport Rouge, Honda HRV, and last/least BMW X1/X3. Features: Heated Seats, Lane Assist bigger boot space for Atleast 3 suitcases that can fit inside.

Any advice/suggestions welcome.
Selling the car before or after the sticker expires makes no difference in MA, it doesn't transfer with ownership, so it would need doing straight away for the new owners.

AWD doesn't matter, neither does a back up camera...

Well to sell, can't help with that. To lease or buy, depends if you want something shiny you can't afford or not. I'd tend not to recommend lease if you're in Boston or nearby burbs due to likelihood of getting bumper scuffs and have penalties on the car return. Living else where, it's personal choice. If you buy, there isn't much difference in new v near new, but if you can still find a new previous year model, you'd get the best deal out of that.

RAV 4 and the Rogue aren't bad, small SUV's. If massive storage in a smaller car is important, and jumping a few price points here, but what the hell, the Tesla, has huge boot storage space, Model S has loads more than both the Rav and Rogue.
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Old May 4th 2019, 12:39 am
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Originally Posted by ddsrph
I would keep it several more years. A Camry can easily go 200k or even much more. It is not much more than broken in with 80k.
Indeed! Wife's truck is a 2002 4Runner with 200K - it's bomb-proof. I've taken two Camrys over 200K. No problems.
Yes, it's boring, like driving an appliance. But I'm at the dealership with my VW every other month.

There is a time when it's smart to lease, but I can't remember what the circumstances were. As the others in the thread said, don't buy new. Keep hold of this one.
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Old May 5th 2019, 2:18 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Thanks everyone for all the helpful replies!! Based on the recommendations here we’ve decided to keep our Camry and use it as a secondary car. We’ve been shopping around for a SUV and narrowed it down to 2 choices-
1. A brand new 2019 Toyota Rav 4
2 A used 2016 Audi Q5 (Brand new tires and got 13,500miles on it).

Both in the same price range...leaning towards the Q5 but just worries about it being 2016?
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Old May 5th 2019, 4:45 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Originally Posted by brit_usa2014
Thanks everyone for all the helpful replies!! Based on the recommendations here we’ve decided to keep our Camry and use it as a secondary car. We’ve been shopping around for a SUV and narrowed it down to 2 choices-
1. A brand new 2019 Toyota Rav 4
2 A used 2016 Audi Q5 (Brand new tires and got 13,500miles on it).

Both in the same price range...leaning towards the Q5 but just worries about it being 2016?
I'd be more worried about it being an Audi than it being a 2016.

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Old May 5th 2019, 5:13 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Since you are in MA, I would 100% get a AWD assuming you don’t plan to change to winter tires every year. I see spun out FWD cars all the time here in CT when it snows. Unless it will be 100% garaged when your not driving it I would get heated seats, and remote start as an absolute. If you have small children or plan on having them within the life of the car I would get a backup camera. These are all pretty standard even on lower trim models. If you plan to keep it long term I would look at brands with long (10 year warranty). I have a Subaru and Mitsubishi, but family have also recently been getting Hyundai’s, were Toyota people before that.
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Old May 5th 2019, 5:22 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

You couldn’t go wrong buying the RAV4. Buying the Audi could go very wrong.
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Old May 5th 2019, 6:12 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

If I was contemplating an SUV (thank god I don’t have to where I live), my search would start and stop with Mazda. The missus has just picked up a CX9 and it’s impressive, even for someone like me that hates SUV’s. For such a big vehicle, it drives remarkably well. If you don’t need the 3 rows, the CX5 is supposed to be even better.
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Old May 6th 2019, 12:45 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Would recommend researching the longer term maintenance costs of both those, suspect the Audi will be considerably higher. My own experience of German cars that they get expensive on maintenance after 5-6 yrs.
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Old May 6th 2019, 5:48 pm
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Default Re: When To Sell Car? Also Any Recommendations?

Originally Posted by tht
Since you are in MA, I would 100% get a AWD assuming you don’t plan to change to winter tires every year. I see spun out FWD cars all the time here in CT when it snows. ...
See AWD in the ditch all the time here too....It's crap driving, not the car. People see AWD and don't brake or corner to speeds and AWD won't help at all with that.

Backup cameras are legally required since last year I think. They're mostly shit though on lower end cars. They're still mostly shit anyway.
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