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HighlanderGeneral discussion forum for the Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid.
This is a discussion thread titled "When To Sell, Resale Value?", within the Highlander forum, part of the SUV Forums category.
Sorry about your health issues, hope things improve dramatically.
Yes, the drop in value seems excessive.
Any way you could pay the neighbor kid to wash the HL for you rather than take the huge hit on the trade? Godspeed.
I've been out of town with the HL and wife and out of contact. I have a 2000 GMC Truck with 25000 miles on it, that she can drive but does not like to because it is too big to park (extended cab short bed). I got her to agree to keep the HL for a year to get used to it, but we have the same argument every time we get in it. On the trip, we were headed out of town with me driving and I looked over and she is clinching her fists and gritting her teeth. I pulled over to turn around and she starts crying that she is having a panic attack riding so low but will try to get used to the HL and reiterates we will keep the HL.
I swear I am going to find someone with a '97 Explorer and measure from the ground to her eye as she sits in it and then measure her in the HL ( I am an engineer and deal with hard numbers all day long) to quantify how much lower she actually is as opposed to her old Mountaineer. I claim it is no more than an inch or so lower and she cannot possibly tell the difference.
We are a DINK (double income no kids) couple so the extra money is troubling ( I hate to piss away a few thou) but not totally out of the question. We wrote a check to pay for the HL but it decimated our saving account. I should probably send her off to talk to a psychologist, but the trade may be cheaper.
To answer the extended warranty question, my dealer really put the high pressure on in the F&I part of the deal and I usually keep a car for 8 or 10 years and not 2 weeks. I negotiated what I thought was a decent deal for $825 for 7 years for $50 deduct and $100 for the glass warranty. The dealer makes it sound like you absolutely have to get the extended.
I may talk to the new car manager this week to see how bad it will be to trade out of the HL for a 4runner. On paper the 4runner is a little taller than even a new Mountaineer, but criminy is it pricey. I liked the HL because of the gas mileage but the 4Run is not too bad with the 6.
Life is too short to have the same argument for the time we keep the HL. Even though I am right, the cost of winning the argument may be too high.
Carnutz, Take it from an old guy married for 31 years. It's worth the cost to keep (or try to keep) your wife happy.
Us guys will never really understand women. It's like trying to make sence out of a crazy person. Not going to happen.
The total cost of making her keep the vehicle will be much higher than getting her what she wants (or think she wants).
On the other hand "if" she is an impossible woman to live with no matter what you do. Then it might be time to trade in the wife.
Us guys will never really understand women. It's like trying to make sence out of a crazy person. Not going to happen.
.
Who made you the spokesperson for US guys? Women are really easy to understand, theres only two ways to deal with them, eather give em what they want or put em in their place. The latter being the one that takes balls, something "US guys" are suppose to have a pair of. Cource alot of us will just give em what they want so we can get what we want . However i learned sometimes in a matter as important as this its better to make a stand.
"The cheese is only free inside the mousetrap"
Green V6 2wd highlander
(alarm,wheel locks,vin number on windows options)
Manik Full Front Guard
Manik Rear Guard
Manik Side steps
Velvet seat covers
Chrome Exhaust Tip
Hyper White xenon bulbs
Tint 20% rear, 30% front
Who made you the spokesperson for US guys? Women are really easy to understand, theres only two ways to deal with them, eather give em what they want or put em in their place. The latter being the one that takes balls, something "US guys" are suppose to have a pair of. Cource alot of us will just give em what they want so we can get what we want . However i learned sometimes in a matter as important as this its better to make a stand.
sorry if this constitutes a thread hijacking
Sorry about that Brklyndriver. I didn't mean to include you in "us guys".
Been married 12 yrs, lived together for 8 before that, so a 20 year partnership. Only had one fight and it started 20 years ago and has been going on ever since.
Went by dealer today to look at 4run. She drove a Limited and liked it, list price $39k. They appraised our 1100 mile, 2 week old HL and offered $24k (sticker was a tad over $35k) and said they would pro-rate the extended warr and refund unused portion. When you count the TTL on the difference, I would have to finance about $12k to get the 4run limited. Doable but I calculate it cost me $5k to drive 900 miles in 2 weeks. If I had tried to do a deal on the 4run with my '97 MM, I figure I could have gotten it for $6k more than the HL. Oh well, live and learn. They said to drive HL down to CarMax and get a bid from them. The KBB trade value for a 04 HL with 1100 miles is $27k and the value if I sell it myself to another person is $29k. I'll try CM tomorrow and see what they say.
Sounds like your situation is very similar to mine as far as trade-in value. Carmax really lowballed my 04 which had about 800 miles at the time. Most of the dealers were just as bad or worse except for one. I'm going to take the $28,000.00 offer on mine and run with it. I actually paid $31,700.00 for the HL. Sticker was $35,867.00. I'll probably be in a new Volvo XC-70 by tomorrow. Fortunately, Volvo is offering unusually high incentives on the remaining 04 stock and I'm getting the XC for $31,520.00. MSRP is $39,690.00. You should have your wife check out Volvo's XC-90. Amazing but hot selling SUV. It was Motor Trend's SUV of the year. The 04 stock is now selling at invoice which is about $5,000.00 below MSRP.
No matter what the outcome, a good wife (and I suspect you have one) is worth a hundred bad car deals. Before your next purchase, you may want to consider renting your target car for a few days and get to know it before you commit. You know....kind of like that 8 year thing before she finally pinned you down.
You may be right on the value. I think KBB is a compilation of trades that happen and not many '04 HL's have been traded in yet so the value may skewed by a small data supply.
I went to CarMax and they will not appraise the HL until I get the title and Lic plates in a few weeks.
I was able to cancel my extended warranty on the HL, but the $100 road hazzard tire and windshield policy is non-refundable and non-transferable.
We will have to keep it a few weeks and maybe the wife can get used to her "low driving position".
I'm going to take the $28,000.00 offer on mine and run with it. I actually paid $31,700.00 for the HL. Sticker was $35,867.00. I'll probably be in a new Volvo XC-70 by tomorrow.
Good luck.
I took the $28,000 and traded away my HL. Going to miss it.
For my current needs and health situation the XC70 just makes more sense. I have no more Toyota's in my garage which will seem a bit strange after owning them for so many years. Great products that have given me years and years of trouble free ownership. Funny coincidance. While driving home in my new Volvo last night it dawned on me that I ended up paying exactly the same price as I did the Highlander. Of coarse the differance is that the Volvo has a MSRP of $39,935.00 vs. the Highlanders $35,867.00.
Carnutz, good luck on your situation and I sincerely hope that you and your wife find the perfect solution.
I tried NADA.COM but they have no data on 2004 HL sales which is probably why the Used Car Mgr lowballed my trade.
Ethical or not?
I had an idea to sell the HL once I get the title. I could contact my salesman and have him call me if he had a customer who might buy my low mileage HL so I could negotiate with the customer. Pay the salesman a bird dog fee and then buy a 4run from him once the sale is done. Any thoughts?
It has been ages since I sold a car to an individual, probably my '79 Corvette to a friend. And I sold my '71 Gremlin to a friend, and sold my 66 SS396 to a friend, but other than that I have usually traded them in.
Ethical or not?
I had an idea to sell the HL once I get the title. I could contact my salesman and have him call me if he had a customer who might buy my low mileage HL so I could negotiate with the customer. Pay the salesman a bird dog fee and then buy a 4run from him once the sale is done. Any thoughts?
Yes, I think that it is ethical, especially compared to "putting your wife in her place..." as suggested by the macho types that have VELVET SEAT COVERS (yup, check his signature).
I say just do it and get it over with and enjoy the peace in the family! When you look back in 10 years it won't make any difference.
Steve
__________________
"I don't understand everything that I know about it"
Carnutz - what color is the exterior/interior? My wife is nagging me daily about how tough it is for the kids to get in/out of the backseat of her Solara... I was hoping to hold out upgrading to a Highlander until next year... but a purchase may be coming sooner than I thought.... as they say "when mom's unhappy, the whole house is unhappy"
I guess I meant if I would put the salesman in an unethical position. He would be steering a would be dealer customer to purchase my HL vs one from dealer stock.
The other question (maybe not germain in a HL forum) is how about waiting on the '05 4run to come out, vs getting a late left over '04 4run limited. When do the '05 4run's debut?
The wife is warmimg up to the HL a little, maybe by the time the title arrives she will consent to keep it for a while longer. Someone at work suggested to put a spacer under the seat tracks to raise it up some.
I don't want to get into any flame wars on velvet covers.
Dealers wouldn't steal your car from you... would they? 
but... I TOTALLY agree with you though! Might as well laugh... as to cry about it?! 
. However i learned sometimes in a matter as important as this its better to make a stand.
