Originally Posted by indyjoe
Okay, I have to chime in here. I own a small import dealership, and the fact is the average auction price for an '05 SRT-6 is $11,350. We usually give "below average" on trades (which is $9,850) simply because we can't afford to get burned on a trade. I know the Crossfire SRT is a special limited run car, but the fact is it's a Chrysler, and the price on all vehicles and especially GM and Chrysler products have dropped dramatically. I can pick up 2 or 3 SRT6's a week for 11k at auctions, so why would I pay more for that on a trade-in? The Crossfire is a hard resale because 99% of the public doesn't have a clue what it is, or that it shares a Mercedes platform.
That being the case, this car is not something that any dealer (besides a Chrysler dealer) wants to keep on the lot, so they quote a price that they know they won't lose money on. You see it as a dealer trying to screw you big time on your trade, but from my perspective I don't want to be put in the position of losing a couple of thousand on a car I can't move.
That's why I always tell my potential customers that they would be much better served trying to sell the car themselves.
I didn't mean to offend you but car salesmen/dealers have consistently been the sleaziest snakes-in-the-grass I've ever dealt with. Granted I'm only in my early 30's but I've owned more cars than most will have in their lifetime so I've have more than my share of their shadiness. Part of the problem is the way the automarket is designed. They are selling a tangible item with a definitive cost yet infinite potential for markup and hidden fees. They always want to dispute Kelly Blue Book values on trades yet will stick to the values when trying to sell them to you.
My last experience was just recently when I went to trade my 08 Mazdaspeed 3 w/ less than 5k miles. When the salesman came back he quickly glossed over a bunch of number and ended on..."and your monthly payment will be $390". I knew this wasn't right because of my 4-5k in positive equity from my trade aaaand his calculations had me putting down 3-4k. I said, "Woah, woah- what are you giving me for my trade". Salesman, "Oh, ummm 14k". I got up to leave- as they scurried like rats to get me to stay. Those bastards tried to pull the ol' "Keep your eyes on the monthly payment" trick all the while botching the numbers in their favor for a HUGE profit.
Now it would be one thing if this was an isolated incidence however this kind of crap happens all the time. They'll try to rape you if they can. I know I'm not alone in my disdain for car salesmen/dealers.