I sold my first car at CarMax

"Team6.1" (Tagsrover)
05/14/2014 at 20:34 • Filed to: CarMax

And had a really enjoyable time actually.

2002 Chevy Trailblazer, 135,000 on the ticker. Moderate/Major oil leak, hole in the front bumper from hitting a chair on the highway, ding/damage to 3 doors and 1 quarter panel + a roof dent. Rear windshield wiper broken, rear window broken. After market head unit + ipod & Xm. Car spent 8 years in Indiana/Michigan (aka rust) before a year in Florida and NV since. They offered me $2500 and I sold it. KBB was around $3000 for a 3rd party sell and $1900 for a trade in.

The whole process was very transparent, and at no time did I ever feel pressured to sell or to buy another car. I worked with a floor guy and a technician. We walked around the car, they told me everything they were checking and if something came up as a problem or a detractor of value. Then they drove it and I ride along to check startup, how it shifted, vibrations, etc. Whenever there was computers involved the screen was angled so I could see exactly what was happening. Once the carfax and other data came back they went through everything with me (has never been in an accident) and then handed me a piece of paper with the price on it, good for 7 days. After I accepted a 3rd lady did the title work and cut me a check.

Upfront they told me the car was too old and had too many miles and too much body damage to be sold on their lot, but that they would be selling it at their weekely dealer/wholesale auction. I believe their cutoff was 2003 and < 130k unless the vehicle was immaculate.

All told I was in and out in about an hour (on a Tuesday afternoon about 5 o'clock). Could I have gotten more money on craigslist? I'm sure. Enough to make it worth all the haggling, bullshit, shady, low balling, meeting up hassle, for a vehicle with relatively minor, albeit multiple problems? Not to me. I have no idea where the oil was from nor did I care to find out. I actually drilled the back window shut because a new assembly was like $150 and a screw was about $.02 I beat on it, This was a 3rd car that my roommate was paying me to borrow.

So yes, I would recommend selling an older, not great but not terrible car to carmax. It was a higher offer than I was expecting, and the entire experience was very pleasurable and LOW STRESS. Those first car feels though, I haz a sad :-(

DISCUSSION (5)

CPT Speedbump > Team6.1
05/14/2014 at 20:39

I'm fighting myself to hold on to my first car

Team6.1 > CPT Speedbump
05/14/2014 at 22:28

What did it for me was being at the point of a bunch of stuff about to need replacing. Tires were balding, brakes were near the end of their life, shocks and struts were on their way out. I had other more fun cars, and at some point the nostalgia wasn't really worth anything to me.

CPT Speedbump > Team6.1
05/15/2014 at 04:52

Err *shuffles over so his Beetle is behind him* nothing needs replacing here, nopenope ^^...ok well..it's a 65' Beetle..so...alot needs replacing, lol, shocks, lots of transmission parts, the seal between the engine and the transmission all for starters

Team6.1 > CPT Speedbump
05/15/2014 at 08:26

At least the beatle has flavor. The trailblazer was a glorified minivan

CPT Speedbump > Team6.1
05/15/2014 at 11:26

Valid point, unless of course you'd of had a SS instead, lol