[ThirdCoast]

This isn't a sale listing. I'm hoping for some help with pricing my car in preparation for sale. Willow seemed to get some good info from their recent similar question.

My son is having some medical issues so I'm strongly considering selling the P*. Love the car but I'm just not using it enough. It's a '17 S60 in Onyx Black with roughly 3300 miles. I'm original owner and it's still under factory warranty until 2021. Unfortunately had an accident at 2700 miles (guy ran a red light and hit my left quarter) which has been repaired correctly by a Volvo-authorized shop with all OEM parts (with pics and documentation). NADA shows clean trade at 37 and retail at 40. KBB shows private party range of 38 to 41. Prices on sites like Cargurus and Autotrader are all over the place.

Any suggestions for where to price it considering the mileage and accident? As in, what's aggressive but fair? Is 38 realistic? 35? 32?

Thanks for your help.

 

[George @ ViVA]

Location of vehicle will also have an impact on the resale value. Where are you located?

 

[Wayne T5]

I would start at $37-38k and go from there. How extensive was the damage in terms of $$$? If it was a fairly minor hit then it shouldn't have that much of an impact on price. If it was more significant then that may turn people away unless there was more of a discount. Just my 2 cents.

 

[ThirdCoast]

Thanks for your input.

Car is in Michigan.

 

[ThirdCoast]

I would start at $37-38k and go from there. How extensive was the damage in terms of $$$? If it was a fairly minor hit then it shouldn't have that much of an impact on price. If it was more significant then that may turn people away unless there was more of a discount. Just my 2 cents.

Appreciate your perspective. The damage that required body repair was limited to a small dent and scratches on the quarter panel. Everything else that was damaged was replaced with genuine Volvo parts. I have pics of the damage and a complete list of repairs so a prospective buyer could see exactly what happened. It wasn't cheap but I know it was done right.

So assuming that the car has been repaired to as-new, how much of a discount would outweigh the risk? You suggested 37 as a starting point. How much more of a discount do you suggest?

 

[Wayne T5]

Appreciate your perspective. The damage that required body repair was limited to a small dent and scratches on the quarter panel. Everything else that was damaged was replaced with genuine Volvo parts. I have pics of the damage and a complete list of repairs so a prospective buyer could see exactly what happened. It wasn't cheap but I know it was done right.

So assuming that the car has been repaired to as-new, how much of a discount would outweigh the risk? You suggested 37 as a starting point. How much more of a discount do you suggest?

In your case it sounds like the damage was pretty minor (small dent and scratches on the quarter panel as you indicated) so I don't think much of a discount is appropriate, as least in my way of thinking so I would be starting at $37-38k.

 

[ThirdCoast]

In your case it sounds like the damage was pretty minor (small dent and scratches on the quarter panel as you indicated) so I don't think much of a discount is appropriate, as least in my way of thinking so I would be starting at $37-38k.

So assuming you're right, how much more of a discount to make it a great deal? What price do you think would make people take notice? I mean, I'm sure it would be gone tomorrow if I listed it for 25, right? So what's a fair but aggressive price? Does anyone else think a '17 with 3300 miles for $37k is a great deal?

 

[Wayne T5]

So assuming you're right, how much more of a discount to make it a great deal? What price do you think would make people take notice? I mean, I'm sure it would be gone tomorrow if I listed it for 25, right? So what's a fair but aggressive price? Does anyone else think a '17 with 3300 miles for $37k is a great deal?

There's this comp in your state that has a lot more miles, but looks to be CPO and is the more desirable rebel blue, for $33.8k so if you wanted to make it a great deal I would be thinking lower 30's? Just a guess.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for...ode1=S60&digitalRetail=true&clickType=listing

 

[ThirdCoast]

There's this comp in your state that has a lot more miles, but looks to be CPO and is the more desirable rebel blue, for $33.8k so if you wanted to make it a great deal I would be thinking lower 30's? Just a guess.

https://www.autotrader.com/cars-for...ode1=S60&digitalRetail=true&clickType=listing

I saw that one, too. I wondered how a buyer might weigh things like mileage, color, and history. This is exactly what I'm trying to calculate so thank you for bringing it up! So if you were in the market, would you choose the car you linked to over mine if the price was similar? Does Rebel Blue with 24 months of unlimited mileage warranty and a clear Carfax beat Onyx Black with 14 months/46,700 miles of warranty, one more free factory service, one (photographed and documented) accident, and 30,000 fewer miles? I know that different things appeal to different people but which would you choose if I listed mine for the same price? What factors affect your decision the most?

 

[ckmack]

To me it sounds like a $35k or so car. Yes the miles and warranty are low, but being black and a sedan makes it slightly less desirable. Even if the accident was minor, it will still be on a Carfax and the next owner would be worried about their own resale value

 

[Wayne T5]

I saw that one, too. I wondered how a buyer might weigh things like mileage, color, and history. This is exactly what I'm trying to calculate so thank you for bringing it up! So if you were in the market, would you choose the car you linked to over mine if the price was similar? Does Rebel Blue with 24 months of unlimited mileage warranty and a clear Carfax beat Onyx Black with 14 months/46,700 miles of warranty, one more free factory service, one (photographed and documented) accident, and 30,000 fewer miles? I know that different things appeal to different people but which would you choose if I listed mine for the same price? What factors affect your decision the most?

For the same money I would take yours all day long as long as I was comfortable with its condition. A minor accident would not bother me. Though some will disagree with me I tend to favor low miles because I don't drive my cars a lot. Some folks may weight color and CPO more than miles but I just see it as less wear and tear, less opportunity for the car to be beat on, etc.

The other thing to keep in mind is that since this is/was a pretty low volume car there isn't a huge market for them so it may take longer to sell, even though your price may be perfectly reasonable.

 

[ThirdCoast]

To me it sounds like a $35k or so car. Yes the miles and warranty are low, but being black and a sedan makes it slightly less desirable. Even if the accident was minor, it will still be on a Carfax and the next owner would be worried about their own resale value

Thanks for the feedback. I don't disagree with your logic. What's funny is that I totally prefer the sedan over the wagon (even if the wagon is awesome) and prefer the Rebel Blue as an accent rather than as the primary color. However, I understand that my opinion is irrelevant when it comes to selling the car. I appreciate your input.

 

[mightar]

Everyone is going to have different priorities. For me, I value certified pre-owned and color over very low mileage as my vehicles are not daily drivers.

I do think $35k is a good starting point but given this is a private party sale, expect haggling to be done due to non-clean carfax...

Good luck!

 

[tunahoagie1]

Having recently traded in my 04 Crossfire to get my wife a 19 Miata RF, I can say the dealer did put emphasis on the non-clean Carfax. It was a deer kill and repaired at the insurance-approved shop. Reason stated was the next buyer would have doubts if the repair was done well.

I would list the car at USD35,000 firm. Personally, I prefer the CPO and the blue is a striking color IMO. Black is tough to keep clean and clearly our tastes are different. An unlimited miles warranty might appeal to someone who racks up the mileage.

Just my $0.02 and good luck w the sale.

 

[ThirdCoast]

Everyone is going to have different priorities. For me, I value certified pre-owned and color over very low mileage as my vehicles are not daily drivers.

I do think $35k is a good starting point but given this is a private party sale, expect haggling to be done due to non-clean carfax...

Good luck!

Thanks for your feedback. I agree that a Rebel Blue exterior is probably adds the most value but I'm not sure I follow your reasoning about CPO being more important than mileage. Regardless, I appreciate your willingness to put a number on it and agree that haggling is as certain as death or taxes. Thanks!

 

[ThirdCoast]

Having recently traded in my 04 Crossfire to get my wife a 19 Miata RF, I can say the dealer did put emphasis on the non-clean Carfax. It was a deer kill and repaired at the insurance-approved shop. Reason stated was the next buyer would have doubts if the repair was done well.

I would list the car at USD35,000 firm. Personally, I prefer the CPO and the blue is a striking color IMO. Black is tough to keep clean and clearly our tastes are different. An unlimited miles warranty might appeal to someone who racks up the mileage.

Just my $0.02 and good luck w the sale.

Thanks, tunahoagie1. Yes, you need to be a bit of a masochist to own a black car, especially if you actually take care of it.

Gotta love negotiating a trade-in with a dealer. Years ago, I actually had a dealer tell me as he inspected my accident-free trade that an accident provided a chance to "update" the car and that was why my car was worth less.

I'm still confused about the whole CPO thing. As mentioned before, a CPO car extends the warranty by a year from the original in-service date and switches the mileage to unlimited. However, my car still has 14 months and 47k miles (over 3300 miles per month) of warranty left and you could still add an extended warranty from Steingold if you wanted more time/mileage. It just had its annual service and was thoroughly inspected by a tech who appreciates the P*. I guess my point is, would you rather buy used from a dealer who may/may not know the history of the car (Carfax accuracy?) or the original Volvo-nerd owner who has a folder of everything that's been done and personal experience with the car? As you said, different strokes for different folks.

BTW, I'm a big fan of the RF. I bet your wife loves it. Thanks for your input.

 

[Wayne T5]

I'd rather buy from the Volvo nerd with all records. The recently revised CPO program doesn't really get you that much but folks here talk about reasonably priced extensions that may make it more palatable.

And like with anything, dealers, buyers, use carfax accidents as a negotiating tool, no matter how minor the accident was. I've traded in a few cars with accident histories and got very good trade-in values (and good purchase prices on the other side) and accidents were never mentioned by the used car manager/buyer. YMMV.

 

[zn14]

curious what was the $ amount of the repair bill from the accident?

 

[ThirdCoast]

curious what was the $ amount of the repair bill from the accident?

Appreciate your question. How does that impact your perception of the value? In other words, if you were buying from a dealer, you'd just see the accident on the history report but probably wouldn't have any info about the damage. How much of a discount would you expect from the dealer due to an accident, assuming the car appeared to be repaired properly and was in great condition and a color you liked?

Since I have an itemized list of parts/repairs with pictures to back it up, does that make my car more or less valuable relative to a dealer car (if you were in the market)?

Not trying to evade the question. Want to understand how much an accident really affects value and it appears to be completely up to the buyer. Kind of like color preference. I suspect that I should just price it at market value as some have already suggested and hope for a buyer who is more concerned with the mileage and condition than with the history.

 

[zn14]

What I consider to be a slight accident may be very different from what you think. I am aware body work has gotten very expensive and was curious what the bill was. You are asking how the accident may effect value, it will, but it depends on how much damage was done in the accident. By your answer I apologize for putting you on the spot.