Bought a 2004 Pacifica back in October for around 30K. Life demands
(New dog, new child) have started us thinking about a larger
SUV/Minivan. Went to CarMax to price our Pacifica: They told
18.500(Wholesale). KBB quoted 19.5(Wholesale)/22.6(Retail). Pretty
sad for just 9 months later. I think I'm learning my lesson about
buying a new model. With all the 2004s still out there, i guess its
to be expected.

However, i will admit, we love the Pacifica. Mini-Van vs SUV debate
aside, it drives great and we have been very happy with it, except for
the extra room we need. Considering its current value(and Loan
payoff) the dog and kid will have to learn to ride together cozily for
the near future. ;-)

Charlie

On Tue, 3 Aug 2004, Charlie Smiley wrote:

It doesn't sound as though you've learnt the real lesson here, which is
that buying a new car of any model means taking an immediate and large hit
in its retail value the moment you drive it off the lot.

A car is not an investment. It is money spent.

Interestingly, most light aircraft keep appreciating in value. Car makers
ought to do a scientific study why their products are reduced to scrap
metal value in a couple of years while planes are as good as gold... or
better.

Can't imagine you needing a larger vehicle just for one child and one dog.
How big is the dog?

The big thing here was going to CarMax to get a trade in value. They will
quote hundreds, maybe thousands less you going to a new car dealer. You
were getting a quote on trading a used car for a used car.

=====================================

"Charlie Smiley" <csmiley (AT) mindspring (DOT) com> wrote

You're very right about cars not being an investment, but I hear people
refer to cars as investments all the time.

How can you compare a car to an aircraft? Cars don't have to have it's
parts FAA approved, there aren't 2 to 4 aircraft sitting in everyones
driveway, there aren't hundreds of thousands of light aircraft made annually
and should my car break down while driving it, I can roll to the side of the
road. There aren't used light aircraft (any kind of aircraft) for sale lots
on every street corner.

The fact that fewer aircraft are built, new ones are terribly expensive
compared to cars, they are built better (I hope) and built with lighter and
more modern composites, I would think that aircraft would hold their own or
increase in value. I still wouldn't consider an aircraft an investment
because of the upkeep, insurance, certifications, etc are not cheap.

=====================
"Nomen Nescio" <nobody (AT) dizum (DOT) com> wrote

"CopperTop" <ccpptcc (AT) earthlink (DOT) nospam.net> wrote

Actually, I've had the opposite experience. CarMax had always given me 10% to
15% more than any trade-in deal I've tried to make.

Charlie Smiley wrote:

That and the fact that Chryslers don't hold their value all that well.
Maybe better than Fords, but worse than almost every other brand.


Matt

I've owned Chryslers, Fords, Toyotas, Subaru's, GM and others. None hold
their value worth a darn. That is why I drive them a good 6 years or so and
if I wanted to save more money I would drive them longer.


"Matt Whiting" <whiting (AT) chilitech (DOT) net> wrote

Art wrote:
I agree in an absolute sense, but the Japanese brands hold their value
much better than American brands. Same for Harley motorcycles vs.
Japanese brands. Doesn't make any sense to me, but that is the reality.


Matt

Matt Whiting wrote:
I always get a kick out of complaints of low resale value primarily
because it is a two-sided coin. The fact that Chryslers have a low
resale value meant that I could afford to buy an (IMO) excellent 3 year
old car that cost $25k when new for around $10.5k. IOW, the bad thing
about Chryslers is that they have low resale value. The good thing
about Chryslers is that they have low resale value. Just depends if you
are a new car owner selling or a used car owner buying.

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")


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