[cornflakes]

I know i asked a similar question but this is a different question.


I am thinking about upgrading my 04 focus to an 07 focus. My 04 focus was purchased on a 60 month financing plan. So basically 36 months is all paid off for and there's still another 24 months to go in the payment plan.

My question is: will i get more value out my car if i sell it privately (transfer over the payment plan to the new owner, so owner pays me current value + the remaing 24 months they need to pay to the dealership)

or

if i simply trade it in when i purchase a new 07 focus?

[Frost__2001]

it depends on how much mileage your car has, plus the condition its in that really depends on the value. If your selling it privately you can get the high value of it, rather then the lower value of trading it in.

One thing you should do is add up all of your payments and see if it it's higher then the cars value, if it is then you should keep the car untill your car is worth more then what you owe as then your not in a situation of reversed payment plan, as they are more costly and tend to have much high payments.

[Alec Brandon]

cornflakes,Aug 2 2007, 01:24 AM Wrote:I know i asked a similar question but this is a different question.


I am thinking about upgrading my 04 focus to an 07 focus.  My 04 focus was purchased on a 60 month financing plan.  So basically 36 months is all paid off for and there's still another 24 months to go in the payment plan.

My question is:  will i get more value out my car if i sell it privately (transfer over the payment plan to the new owner, so owner pays me current value + the remaing 24 months they need to pay to the dealership)

or

if i simply trade it in when i purchase a new 07 focus?
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Neither, keep the car, and in 24 months when it's paid for use your new found extra cash to start doing the MODS you couldn't afford to do before...

[hardk0re]

save the money, buy a house.

[NOS2Go4Me]

You can always ask them what they'd offer you for it considering you're coming back for a new Focus. Then, compare what they offer vs. what you expect for it and what you have owing on the car.

Then, check AutoTrader and see what the average price is for that car between listed dealer prices and private sale prices.

Then go back and hammer the dealer some more. Generally, I've found that if you're giving them repeat business and your car's in good shape, they'll take care of you. Plus, you have the Ford Family Pricing on right now which makes a significant difference.

Good luck. :)

[oldeguy]

If there's nothing wrong with it, other than it's a 04, keep it, do the regular maintenance, fix the things that get broken, because all cars will break, add a couple of mods, and save for a house in Bowmanville.

[ZTWsquared]

As you've no doubt noticed by now there are a lot of factors to consider ... but one that hasn't been mentioned so far is interest rates.

The current FMCC finance rate for Focus is 2.4% for 60 months. If your current loan is considerably lower than that (say 0%) I'd say do anything you can to keep that car until it's paid off.

If, on the other hand, the interest rate was considerably higher than 2.4 (say 5%) then it might actually be worth it to trade and refinance the difference at the lower rate.

Another factor to consider is the likely cost of maintaining your out of warranty '04 through to the end of the finance term.

There's nothing worse than being faced with an expensive repair on a vehicle you still owe money on ... except of course, being faced with an expensive repair on a vehicle you still owe money on that isn't worth what you owe.

My personal M.O. is to never lease or finance a vehicle beyond it's primary warranty period ... which means a shorter finance term or a longer warranty.

At the end of the day the thing that will best help you make the right decision is to be ultra-realistic about the value of your car - because a dealer will never give you more than what they could get your car for at a wholesale auction, and they always try to pay even less than that.

cornflakes,Aug 2 2007, 01:24 AM Wrote:I know i asked a similar question but this is a different question.


I am thinking about upgrading my 04 focus to an 07 focus.  My 04 focus was purchased on a 60 month financing plan.  So basically 36 months is all paid off for and there's still another 24 months to go in the payment plan.

My question is:  will i get more value out my car if i sell it privately (transfer over the payment plan to the new owner, so owner pays me current value + the remaing 24 months they need to pay to the dealership)

or

if i simply trade it in when i purchase a new 07 focus?
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