Value of our VX

I recently moved to Tampa Fl from Arnold Maryland, after living here for 6 months I decided it was time for a convertible, so I traded my 2000 Ebony VX, last three VIN numbers 301 for a 350Z Roadster, the dealer offered me $6,889.00 for my VX so I agreed. It was a sad date but it was time for a change. Anyway the point of my post is that I was curious as to what the dealer would sell it for, so I went to Autotrader and put in my zip code which is 33647, they are selling my VX for $12,870.00. I was shocked, so maybe the VX is more valuable than what I have read on the internet and in this forum.

By the way my VX had over 83,000 miles I didn't have any problems whatsoever, in fact I recently replaced the back brakes, the dealer said that the front brakes looked as though they were recently replaced.

I am enjoying my Roadster, awesome car, but do miss my VX. I hope it provides me with a trouble free vehicle like my VX.

By the way, I have watched this forum from the first day I bought my VX, it has provided me with alot of tips and information, it is by far the most informative forum out there. I also bought the VX grill off this forum, so if I do happen to see a Ebony VX in Tampa with that particular grill I will know it was mine and I hope I can talk to the new owner about it and how much I enjoyed the vehicle all of these years.

Enjoy your VX like I have for the past 4 years.

That's still a pretty good price they're selling it for... you, on the other hand, got RIPPED!!! I know, it was a trade in and all... but JEEZ! You should have tried to sell it outright first for sure.

For example, I sold my '99 with about 40k miles and a supercharger for $15k. Subtract for SC (not a lot), add a bit for a 2000, subtract a bit for mileage, and you should have been able to get at least what they are asking for it... especially from someone on this board!!

By the way... I don't mean to sound negative. You did what you did to get what you wanted... I've done it before. You also picked a nice car! I love the 350Z!

Dude! You could've sooo easily got at least $11K for your VX! Ouch! :eek:


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Originally Posted by Joe_Black

Dude! You could've sooo easily got at least $11K for your VX! Ouch! :eek:


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Joe, you may remember me. I'm the younger of the 2 Bahamian brothers that came to your Rallycross in August to spectate. Since then i have been looking for an affordable VX, and this would have been the one... hehe. I was going to buy the ebony in Longwood, Fl a few weeks ago for 9500 but that sold fast. There was one in Tampa last week for 12800 but that sold also. There are 2 ebonys in Florida for sale now around 12500 each. I really want a proton though, and they seem to be priced higher. I will be spectating at your night rallycross tommorow also. Best of luck.

And to the starter of the thread you should have posted in in the for sale part of this forum... I would have bought it quick. I wonder if I tell this dealer that I know they paid 6900 and I offer them say 9,000 would they bite? Hmmmm

By the way this is my 1st post after almost a year or two of surfing this forum. I really am very interested in this vehicle but don't have much to say till I have my own.

Kalik,

I like your beer!

I got $12800 for mine. w/50k on it :p

I looked at a 2000 w/ 36000 proton in Mn. for $14,800 which was cheap O.K shape, bought a 2000 in Omaha for $ 15,200 w/ 46,000. I got hosed on my trade also 95 Grand Cherokee in excellent shape $4500. I've learned my lesson, I'll sell my next car for $1500 over trade in and give someone a heck of a deal!

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Originally Posted by Mr. I-MAN

I got $12800 for mine. w/50k on it :p

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And I bought it from the dealership in Chicago for $14,500

Can you say OWNED? Geez. Wow. Damn.

I knowingly got a bit less than I could have trading in my Avenger to get the VX, but nothing nearly like that! At the time I wanted the VX and I wanted it YESTERDAY. LOL! Taking a slight hit was worth avoiding the extra hassle.

Hey Kalik, I remember meeting you both at the rallycross back then too. I was driving the silver VX. Nice meeting ya, and I'll see you again tomorrow! Tomorrow's rallycross should be pretty interesting, eh? Comfortable temps and cloudy with a 30% chance of showers last time I checked. And of course, it will be dark. :-)

had no real clue if bad or good deal at the time. paid 8300 cash for one that had traded in at a dealership in nc. they were asking 10500 but he nearly took my arm off when I said 8000 cash then after tax @tag around 8300. all this went down around christmas. so i guess someone else had done the same thing. its a 1999 ebony with 61000. i'm very very very pleased so far.

When I traded in my van for my VehiCROSS I thought I got ripped off because they only gave me $14,000 even tho the chevy dealer only would give $12,000. The next day a friend said that I shouldn't have traded it in because he worked with someone that wanted it so I told him that it was down at the Isuzu dealer if he was serious. He really was and went and bought it the day after for $18,000, so we both got ripped off. We could have both come out $2000 ahead if we'd just known eachother's plans a day earlier and the dealer wouldn't have made $4000 for one day's work if we'd just communicated better! I've heard that most dealers don't even make any money off new car lots... they just sell them to attract used cars and service bay customers.

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Originally Posted by tampavx

I recently moved to 33647...

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We're neighbors!

Jon

I'll buy any vx for that money!

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Originally Posted by mrtew

When I traded in my van for my VehiCROSS I thought I got ripped off because they only gave me $14,000 even tho the chevy dealer only would give $12,000. The next day a friend said that I shouldn't have traded it in because he worked with someone that wanted it so I told him that it was down at the Isuzu dealer if he was serious. He really was and went and bought it the day after for $18,000, so we both got ripped off. We could have both come out $2000 ahead if we'd just known eachother's plans a day earlier and the dealer wouldn't have made $4000 for one day's work if we'd just communicated better! I've heard that most dealers don't even make any money off new car lots... they just sell them to attract used cars and service bay customers.

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I sold my '90 Trooper to CarMax for $8k some years back. A neighbor that worked at CarMax told me a CarMax employee bought it from CarMax for $12k. I don't feel I got ripped off, though. CarMax just made a typical profit on a used vehicle. Most people aren't aware they typically pay retailers 100%-400% markups on clothing over what merchandise actually cost them wholesale. It's called capitalism.

Boy! After reading that post, I want to punch that dealer in the face for ripping you like that! What an a$$hole!!!!

Its unfortunate that this stuff happens but its the nature of the beast... they are out to make money... the more, the better... I just picked up an '01 VX from a dealer... 46K miles on it... great condition... they were asking $17,499... I bought it for a price I thought was fair to me... I paid $14,000... obviously, they made money on the deal but who knows how much. I know it was a trade-in so I'm sure the previous owner got hosed too... the dealership has another advantage when it comes to hosing people... they can get pretty much ANYONE financed... its tough to purchase a vehicle from an individual because its tough to get financed... people are willing to pay more for the convenience... and so they don't freak as much... plus, in Florida, you have to trade the vehicle in to get the tax break on the new car... whereas in places like Missouri (where I'm at now) you can sell a vehicle and use the sale price (with a bill of sale) to get a tax break... so some people figure that into the equation... ok, I'm rambling... anyway, yes, you got hosed but your happy with the car you got... its in the past now... sooooo... enjoy that FL sunshine... I know I loved it when I was there!

Coach... I mean Randy (I often forget who I really am) ;)
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Let's not forget that most reputable used car dealerships offer some sort of warranty on the vehicle (sometimes up to a year), whereas an individual seller isn't even required to have it inspected in most states (that responsibility often falls on the buyer). Of course, a dealer is going to try to make as much as possible while doing as little work possible.

I personally will probably buy my next vehicle through a wholesaler. I know a couple of guys from San Diego and Alexandria with wholesale auto businesses that buy at auction and can get some really good deals. They deal with mostly luxury autos like Mercedes, BMW, Lexus, etc.

I paid $12,000 for my 2000 Ironman with 50k, in excellent condition. I thought it was a great price. I sold my Unimog which I bought for $8000 in lousy condition, for $7500 after putting in another $6000. I would look at that as a really bad investment and I could have waited longer to get more money. But when the time came to let the Mog go, I wasn't gonna have her sit in my driveway for six months waiting for one of the many prospects to buy it. I was done, and it was worth the loss to me. And when I decided to get the VX, I wanted her yesterday.

When I bought my VX in May 2001, Don's Isuzu on Rt 22 in NJ almost wouldn't let me leave the lot until I agreed to buy it. It was listed at $31.5 and I actually argued with the sales guy that I didn't want it 'cause it was yellow and an automatic. The manager finally said "how much would you pay for it." After seeing the invoice, which was $28K and change, I said $24.6, with tags, taxes, a zero interest loan and my 1993 Escort GT as a trade.

I am the crappiest wheeler dealer in the world and I tend to get ripped off all the time. So, you know...Don's Isuzu was trying to unload the VX on me at any reasonable price. I think I saw the sales manager jumping up and down for joy when I driving it off the lot 3 hours later. He probably got a $50 commission on the deal. Wow, looking at the used prices they're going for now, I was so fortunate (which I'm usually not) to have purchased it new.

Driving home down Rt 22, the very first comment I got about VX was from a guy in a car yelling out his window... "that's the ugliest THING I've ever seen." Oh great, I thought. I bought a vehicle with fangs and it's not a cookie cutter yuppie SUV to go with my stupid corporate management job.

Bing! Right then and there I knew I loved that little VX! I hope I don't ever have to sell it. As the years go by, I tend to be more protective of it because it draws a lot of attention and there are some wacky people out there that have no respect for other people's property. Last May I officially retired the little proton as my secondary vehicle and got a Wrangler as my daily driver. So it sits in the garage until the weekend. My favorite thing to do is to take my dog Suede (a dog, part Basenji, that sat in a kennel for 3 years and no one wanted until I adopted her from North Carolina) for a ride to the park. I guess I have a tendency to collect things that no one wants. :)

Oh well, that's my short story. Thank you to all the folks that make this web site happen. It's great reading about all your VX experiences.

Bumblebee

You have to want the VX. I had been looking for one for a few years and finally purchased the 2000 green dragon in excellent condition with 38,000 miles. I took some time to find the right VX. Purchased from a private seller and I probably would have paid more if he asked.

Was curious about the fj cruiser, went in to see what I could get for trade of my vx 2001 90,000 m. they offered me 10,000 dollars. this was last week :p not gonna take it though, think i'll keep the VX for awhile longer!

10k for a Proton is a rip. There's a high demand and short supply of them. :)

I bought my foxfire VX 3 years ago for $17,000 from a private owner. It had only 11,000 miles and had been mostly stored in a garage. Now it has 27,000 miles, I imagine it has depreciated a lot.

Depends on what people are willing to spend to get one. I'd be interested in , if you are considering selling.

I just got mine from tampa. $9500 with 34K miles. I think thats pretty good. great shape. now itll be another 5 grand in mods, hope the wife wont mind.

I just recently ordered a new 2006 Jetta TDI from a local VW dealership to replace the VX as my daily driver/4-door family vehicle. I was planning to trade the VX in, but they only offerred me $5000 for her! I'm sure that was their low offer and could have been talked up, but I was thinking I would get about $10k. I guess she's worth more to me than the stealership, so I'll just hang onto'er for a while. :_steering

So sad.... How the dealer got her for that much.... I would have bough it for that much...

My first was a '99 ebony that I saw on the local lot on a Sunday (in '99) - the best day to look - no sales weasels. It stickered at 31k plus $5000 "market adjustment". I knew immediately that I wanted it, but I wasn't about to pay sticker plus. Six months later I was trading a Nissan Sentra SER with a lot of Stillen mods for a neglected new '99 VX with 124 miles at $250 over invoice at 0%. Almost got it paid off when I thought I needed a pickup. Traded the '99 for a Tacoma, hated it, traded that for a Lexus IS300 SportCROSS (sound/look familiar??) Then found an '01 coming off lease with 24k miles - on to VX #2.
Now Ebony #377 is going to Joe_Black to become a rally monster, and his Dragon will soon nest in my garage.
I made some stupid moves with this vehicle when it was still in production, even though I knew it was special. Now that our VX's are downright EXOTIC due to parts availability and general ignorance from dealers, body shops and insurance companies, I worry about every moron around me on the streets.
The secret is to own at least three... ;)

Velvis

i live in cali and bought my vx for $15,000 with 16,500 miles. like a 2 years ago...i see some every now and then still going for $15,500 with 40k+ miles...so they are definitely holding value. if not by kelley blue book then by the consumers... :)

The value of ANY vehicle is what someone is selling it for, but more importantly, what a buyer is willing to pay for it.

I understand sort of. I got ripped a little trading in my Dodge Avenger, which I loved. Had the deal had anything other than the VX on the other end of it, there wouldn't have been one. I was on a VX high and wasn't entirely lucid. LOL

Honestly now the VX annoys me as much as I enjoy it. Not its fault really, but more just the way other drivers behave around it. It really brings out their feelings of inadequacy or something, and it's just getting old. So many think they have to cut me off, want to race, whatever. I won't play their game. Ya ever notice how people with nice Vettes or such have better road manners? It's usually the young kids in something generally unremarkable that are out there trying to prove something. The people in the nice sports cars generally don't have the need to prove anything nor want to wreck their investment THEY paid for. That's my experience anyway. I am most likely going to do away with my PV2. It draws the attention of the aforementioned types.

I looked up my 99 at kellybluebook.com 4 months ago, and it was $5000 trade value in EXCELLENT condition. Rated as good, about $4K.

Carmax was willing to offer $5K on good condition, as it was a unique SUV. I laughed at the sales guy.

(I got it appraised for fun, while we were getting my wife a car).

Here's something funnier. Today, the KBB trade value is $5370. Up since 4 months ago.

John M>

Then the $$$ value has finally started to officially swing the other way!!! The salesman promised me that would happen 5 years ago today when he sold it to me! :cool:

:D Ok, we now officially own collector's cars!

Looked up our value (for 2000 model @ my zip) on Edmunds.com...........shocked how low it has sunk. :eek: ..especially since I bought mine new for full-price (32k)

http://www.edmunds.com/used/2000/isu...07/prices.html


Also shocked that I "have" direct injection :p AND my IronMan edition gives me a "special" hood insert :yesg: :p

http://www.edmunds.com/used/2000/isu...07/review.html

On a more positive note, those of us who decide to become "VX lifers" will be able to pick up spare vehicles for parts inexpensively & maybe even have a few to choose from as in...

Hmmmmm...which VX should I drive today ? :p

I've been shopping for a "replacement" VX for a couple of weeks now. I've noticed an interesting disconnect:

Not many VXs are getting sold on eBay!

The sellers all want more than the buyers want to pay. Not many auctions are completed; usually because the "Reserve" price wasn't met. One auction was completed for $11,000

I'm still looking, though! Anyone wanna sell me a low-mileage Ebony?!?

I am so proud. I bought my 2001 Proton brand new off the lot 128 miles on it in June 2002. I got it for $23,000. I did the search and found a ton of VX's still new at this time. 60 of them were priced at $23,995, I let the salesman talk me up the $5 difference. The others were priced up to the regular sticker price. Not only did I get a great deal but the salesman followed me 20 miles to my house in my Amigo and his girlfriend followed him in her car to get me and my extra car home. We went round and round I wanted the Proton as it is close to Steeler colors and it was the only one I found. We talked about about the cost of going to pick it up I told him I had frequent flyer miles he said I would have to drive it all the way back, I told him I was looking forward to it, he said $24,000 and I said sold. I used to sell cars never pay sticker and never buy the first day.

Ebay's car section isn't quite the same as most of the rest of their listings. It's more like an automobile classifieds than an auction - sure you can make a purchase through the regular auction mechanism, but many buyers will contact the seller directly for inspection and that sort of thing and then work out a sale. Last time I checked, and it has been quite a few years, ebay had different listings fees and policies for cars because of this factor.