Efficient, cheap beaters! Used car ads: 35 mpg highway or more for $1500 or less

[Xist]

What was the blue book on them?

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Originally Posted by Xist

What was the blue book on them?

KBB on the Civic was $3400 dealer, $3000-$3200 private party. Listed for $3900, bought for $2900 out the door. Posted it for $3900, sold for $3600. Was worth every cent of what I sold it for because of the maintenance I did to it during the 11-ish months I owned it.

KBB on the Insight was $3400 dealer, $2400 private party. Listed for $2300, bought for $1500.

The HX in Phoenix has a KBB of $2700 dealer and $2100 private party. I say $1500 is a perfectly fair price with all considered if everything checks out, but due to how long it's been listed I'd begin by offering $1300.

When buying the Insight I set $1800 as my walk away price. Offered $1500 and he accepted once we told him we had cash on hand. Cash has power.

[Ecky]

Some nice haggling there.

[19bonestock88]

Indeed, I’m not as good at haggling...

[mpg_numbers_guy]

The Civic had been on the lot for almost 2 months, and it was a smaller dealership. Smaller dealerships need to sell their inventory faster to maintain a profit - they can't have vehicles sitting around for as long as larger dealerships. That helped negotiate on the Civic. Win win for both of us - they got to get rid of a car that had been sitting on their lot for too long, and I got a great deal on my first car.

For the Insight there were a few issues that we pointed out that helped with negotiation. The seller also didn't like the car, had no use for it, and didn't realize the value of the Insight (nor how much I wanted one ). Plus, it was quick cash for him. Win win there too - he got rid of a car he didn't like for quick cash, and I got the car of my ecomodding dreams!

[freebeard]

The second car I bought was a 1946 Ford that was on a dealer's lot priced at $100. It had belonged to the Dallas OR Red Cross. I talked to a local priest in his office and got him to lower it to $60.

OTOH, on the last car I sold, I started at $3000 and lowered the price for months until it eventually went for $1450.

What goes around comes around, I guess.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Mine was/is a bit rough cosmetically, but mechanically it's pretty sound! Carfax also had a LOT of records and it was basically a one owner car.......do you have access to the full Carfax, Xist?

Ecky, isn't that white Insight a manual though? Unless you're talking about a different car.-

[Xist]

For anyone wanting to continue my adventures investigating the Insight, Metro was kind enough to create a new thread here: How many of you want me to buy this dubious 2000 Honda Insight from Tucson?

[Xist]

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

Would you consider a 7th gen HX? https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...758488184.html

This posting finally expired, so I checked to see if it had been posted again, and found this: https://phoenix.craigslist.org/wvl/c...783552521.html



Many things are visible in that picture that were not mentioned in the all-too-brief ad. The windshield is cracked, it seems to have 250,910 miles, and the interior, aside from the grey box under the turn signal, and the D-clip hanging from the hood release cable, looks just like my Civic, complete with the steering wheel cover.

Can anyone tell from the taillights what year this is? Which lights are on?

Right now none of the lights come on in my Civic...

I do not know why he took a picture of the HX without talking about fuel economy. He posted this for people who know what it is?

Then why wouldn't he know about this site, Fuelly, or somewhere similar? Why did he wash the car, take pictures of it on gravel, and stand so far away?



I cropped it:



Def-def-definitely not HX wheels!

He made the same exact post on OfferUp, except he took screen captures of his Craigslist pictures, with the phone the wrong way!



I wonder why there are not any pictures from the front or back, aside from one of the HX, and why it says $1,500 in one place on Craigslist, $1,600 in another, and $1,600 on OfferUp.

I guess they want $1,600.

What is curious is that the weather let up and I wanted to drive down today. See the woman that I have started dating, possibly check out some cars.

No, she drove up instead.

I may still drive down...

Originally Posted by mpg_numbers_guy

276K miles? Makes my Insight almost look like a low mileage car! $1000?

Ad says 1996. KBB for private party based on condition is:
Fair: $1223 ($627 to $1818)
Good: $1398 ($730 to $2065)
Very good: $1559 ($825 to $2292)
Excellent: $1763 ($945 to $2580)

Seems slightly high but the used car market is strong right now.

https://ecomodder.com/forum/showthre...tml#post587400

It cannot be older than 1996 and it seems to have fewer miles, although it says the engine was rebuilt. When? Do they have the receipts?

I see one minor dent and the windshield. What condition would you say it seems to be?

It is 9:43pm here in Arizona. Well, most of Arizona. Reservations observe Daylight Savings Time.

The more you know!

Is 9:43pm too late to ask about a car?

[mpg_numbers_guy]

I wonder if the replaced engine is actually an HX engine. Doesn't look bad but it would depend on the history. Minus $500 for non-HX wheels though.

I've messaged sellers about cars at midnight before. They aren't obligated to respond immediately at that time, but I don't see why not.