I’m day-one into a promotion and raise from 9$/hr to 12$/hr. YAY!
I’ve done the it’s-paid-for thing for a good while on a '96 Mazda B2300 with A/C and that’s about it.<— note period. It’s got got no power steering pump. The bench seat has enjoyed being Duck-Taped and baked in Texas sun till the Duck tape separates and you’re forced to sit on gooey Duck-Tape mess.
There’s a Kia Rio5 within free transfer distance that’s an '06 but only has 34k miles(verified).
I’m big on manual transmissions & mileage. Paid-for is a plus as I don’t expect to cause an accident and spending a lot on comprehensive isn’t my idea of fun.
2006 Kia Rio base model with 34,k for 11k. your thoughts?
15K should get in a new car of the same size/caliber. So 11K for a 6-7 yr old Rio is too much regardless of the mileage. Low miles could be city stop & go miles and harder on the car than 100K fwy miles. So there you have it…
Now, you can check the car and if everything is fine make and offer. Do not put too much faith in carfax or similar reports. Check the private party prices on edmunds and kbb.
According to Edmunds.com, that car–in very good condition–would retail at a dealership for ~$6k.
$11k?
I don’t think so!
As galant pointed out, the unusually low odometer mileage on this car means that it has been driven less than 6k miles per year. That is a good thing ONLY if:
The oil was changed every 6 months. Can you verify through service records that this was done? If not, you have to assume that there is already an accumulation of damaging sludge in the engine.
The car was taken out on the highway at least once a week in order to rid the exhaust system of accumulated water from low-speed, local driving. However, I don’t know how you would verify this. If you can’t verify this, then you have to assume that the car would need to have the entire exhaust system replaced fairly soon.
Also, if the battery is the original one, it is on its last legs. Factor the price of a new battery into your negotiations.
If you are willing to take a chance on this car, then I would suggest that you offer $5k. However, if the seller is so delusional about the value of the car that he/she thinks it is worth $11k, they probably won’t be willing to let it go for that low a price. Personally, I would not pay more than $5,500 for this car if it is being sold by a private party.
I agree with others. Although I would not hesitate to buy this car if it checks out well, the price should be 50% of new, and no more ($5500). These cars were dirt cheap, as was the Hyundai Accent.
Way too much money for the Kia,as Docnick says it should probaly worth about 5K,they including cars like that as a bonus onetime when you bought an upscale Kia-still,its a good little car if the price is right(sure you wont miss the truck?)-Kevin
For the difference in pay with with your promotion, three hours of work @ $3 will buy you a terry cloth seat cover for your Mazda at Big Lots. I did this with my 1978 Oldsmobile that I drove until last October. It covered the ripped vinyl upholstery and actually looked pretty good. It was also more comfortable than the vinyl upholstery.
The base Rio model was advertised back then at $9995 at local dealers. A lot of them were snapped up on monthly payments. $11,000 is WAAAAAY out of line. If you have your heart set on a Rio, check with a Kia dealer to see what NEW ones are bringing these days. A carry over 2012 might be a real deal in a month or so.
Edited at 10:33 PM
Quoting @FrankenPengie "There’s a Kia Rio5 within free transfer distance"
I think I just figured it out. It’s Carmax isn’t it? Who else would even dare to ask MORE THAN NEW PRICE for a six year old car? What a great business model!
Check out craigslist. Even other dealers won’t ask that kind of money for this car.