Well fuck you too, CarMax!

"themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles" (themanwithsauce)
07/11/2017 at 14:32 • Filed to: None

Outside of the paint color, this is an identical Fiesta ST to mine. Sunroof + recaro package. 60k miles on both. CarMax has it on sale for 16k which might be a bit much but whatever. I asked CarMax to appraise my own Fiesta. So you figure 16k sale price, minus a grand or two for profit, another grand for reconditioning and another grand for transport/storage/employee comission, etc....I guessed I’d get a 12k offer.

CARMAX OFFERED 10.

Seriously, that was all they gave. ANd they even said it was exactly as they’d expect for the year and mileage. No surprises, no issues.

Guess the Focus ST won’t be happening.

DISCUSSION (55)

diplodicus > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:36

Sell it private for 12k?

Milky > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:36

Do you need 2 cubic feet more storage?

random001 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:39

Burn it to the ground in fiery retribution in the CarMax parking lot?

PartyPooper2012 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:40

sounds like they want little more profit...

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:42

Well sell it private party

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:43

They offered us $5000 for our old Ford flex years ago, which we ended up trading to another dealership for eight grand.

marshknute > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:48

CarMax always gives insultingly low appraisal values. They’re always $1-2K less than low trade-in offers given by stealerships.

The only reason I can think of to sell to them is if you need quick bail money.

DipodomysDeserti > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:48

I always found CarMax to be geared more towards people who don’t know how to, or can’t be bothered with buying/selling cars. Their prices are generally on the high side, and from what I’ve heard they lowball on trade ins and buys.

benjrblant > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:50

I thought most considered carmax as a trade-off. You’re paying for the ease and convenience of not having to sell it yourself.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Milky
07/11/2017 at 14:54

Yes/no. The extra 50hp base is nice. And the yellow paint is excellent. But mostly the deals ford has are so good I could be into a brand new Focus ST for less than I pay monthly for the fiesta while also only having a 4 year loan term....or I do 5 years like the FIesta but pay like 10% less per month or so.

I guess I’m saying I *need* nothing the Focus ST has but to get into a car that has things I *want* while being well within my price bracket....I see no reason to not consider it. But if I can’t make it work financially then there’s no deal. Not worth the financial burden.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > benjrblant
07/11/2017 at 14:56

Yep. I’m well aware of that. Also the guarantee of payment is nice. Selling private could take time and meeting with people and planning on logistics and just....ugh. Oh well, I’m just trying to make an idea I had on a whim come to fruition. No big deal if this isn’t the time to get a new car.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > diplodicus
07/11/2017 at 14:56

If I can do it in time, maybe.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman
07/11/2017 at 14:57

Maybe. The deals ford has on the FOcus end at the end of the month. Plus I’m paranoid about the person throwing a fit about little things thye find.

Ash78, voting early and often > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:57

There are two main phases in the life of a person: Their life before they’ve been eviscerated by a CarMax appraisal, and the rest of their life. Welcome to the club, don’t take it personally. CarMax is the Pawn Shop of car trades.

dropthatclutch > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 14:58

What does KBB or NADA suggest your trade in value is?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > dropthatclutch
07/11/2017 at 15:01

Trade in is around 11k on KBB for my car in “good” condition.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Ash78, voting early and often
07/11/2017 at 15:02

On the plus side I got to oggle some SRT challengers they had on the lot.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Ash78, voting early and often
07/11/2017 at 15:02

On the plus side I got to oggle some SRT challengers they had on the lot.

benjrblant > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 15:12

Yeah. I guess the question I’d be asking: Is my time worth $2k?

Speaking for myself, absolutely not!

nerd_racing > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 15:19

Carmax is usually 2k below KBB good value.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > benjrblant
07/11/2017 at 15:21

Well the new car is a limited time offer too. I have until the end of July for the 4500$ rebate. And I can’t order one. I suppose I could try and walk the line for a few days and like have the papers signed and locked in but not take delivery or something? But then I’m playing games with a very large chunk of money that I don’t have.

benjrblant > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 15:22

Sounds like your net is a $2500 rebate then.

crowmolly > Ash78, voting early and often
07/11/2017 at 15:25

2017 Z06? Best we can do is about $25,000.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > benjrblant
07/11/2017 at 15:31

I agree with your sentiment, but leaving money on the table isn’t easy for most people.

Ash78, voting early and often > crowmolly
07/11/2017 at 15:32

“Look, to be honest these go straight to auction, so all we can do is offer you wholesale on it.”

*turns around and sells it to buddy for $50k*

haveacarortwoorthree2 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 15:33

Based on my experiences with CarMax, they are never going to come close to the KBB trade-in value. I’ve used CarMax as a guide to judge the dealer’s offer, and also as a double check to see if they spot anything I’ve overlooked before I go to get the dealer’s appraisal.

BeaterGT > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 15:33

Damn and here I am surprised Fiestas are above 10k.

benjrblant > Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo
07/11/2017 at 15:37

Yeah, my time isn’t worth anywhere close to $2k so I’d opt for a private party sale if possible.

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 15:45

What’s the dealer trade in offer?

Tripper > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 16:07

I always try not to get pissed over appraisals of my cars, but I often do. Particularly when you’re a person that knows about cars, it’s much harder to stomach the mound of shit a place like CarMax is trying to feed you.

The nice thing is that your 10k offer is probably bottom dollar. If you take it to a Ford dealer looking to trade up, they will likely be much more willing to work with you.

When I traded the last car trade in values were all waaay low until I got serious about a purchase. Then somehow 18.5 turned into 24.5...

Jayhawk Jake > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 16:08

If you’re getting it from ford why are you selling it to CarMax?

I don’t know if the law is different where you are, but sales tax here is calculated based on the sales price - trade in allowance. If you were to sell it somewhere else you have to factor in the difference in tax. Muscle the Ford dealer to a better trade value, if they really want to sell you a Focus they’ll give you plenty for the Fiesta.

When I bought my first Mustang I had a Chevy Sonic RS with 39,000 miles. I managed to get Ford to give me $12k for it and the Mustang at invoice. The KBB trade value on the Sonic was about $8k at the time.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > haveacarortwoorthree2
07/11/2017 at 16:13

Eh, the dealers are playing games and it pisses me off. THey say online they estimate 10-12k but then come forward with 8500 and make it a fight to get close to 10k.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Jayhawk Jake
07/11/2017 at 16:14

Yeah, but the ammunition of having a nice offer from CarMax would help out a ton. Basically forcing them to cut the horseshit and give me a competitive price and stop making me jump through hoops.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 16:17

Maybe they are aware of your rallying?

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Tripper
07/11/2017 at 16:17

I’m going back to the dealer who got me my Fiesta inthe first place. I figured since they didn’t have any FoSTs on the lot, they’d be unwilling to discount the price much. At least, when compared to a dealer that has 10+ collecting dirt and dust. But oooooooooooohhhhh noooooooooooooo. They all still think I’m desperate to buy the cars they have a literal dozen of that have been there for over 3 months. Meanwhile I special ordered my FIesta and got I think invoice price before the program discounts of another 1500$ or so at the end of the day. After taxes and fees, I paid a bit under MSRP out the door.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/11/2017 at 16:18

SSHSHSHHSHHSHHSHHSHSHHHSHHSHSSHSHSHHSHH!!!!!!!

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > 2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered
07/11/2017 at 16:19

anywhere form an insulting 8500 to 10,500 but that dealership that offered 10.5 is full of lies. So I’d rather just not bother and keep the FiST.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 16:19

Keep in mind few FiST owners regret the purchase, while I’ve seen many FoST owners want something faster and sell it right away for a wrx or mustang.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/11/2017 at 16:22

No regrets buying mine, but the additional power would be nice as would the larger tires. Oh and being in GS instead of HS at autocrosses. I think since I’d be going from the FIST to the FoST, I can appreciate the differences more as opposed to being one of those “Why buy the Fiesta when the Focus has more power for not much more?” buyers.

2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 16:23

I always thought fists kept there value

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > 2Fast2Furious: Rotary Powered
07/11/2017 at 16:27

Eh, the issue comes from the low MSRP to begin with. A used performance car needs to be sufficiently discounted to make it look like a proper deal. Plus FiSTs are mostly bought by “car guys” who are perpetually a) broke, b) car shopping, and c) always looking for that deal they can brag about.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/11/2017 at 16:28

Actually, for all the racing I’ve done, there is very little damage or wear to the suspension and drivetrain. I got the “lifetime alignments” from the firestone repair place down the street and it gets one every 6 months. They said everything is still pretty shipshape down there. And given how much they’d like to charge me to fix issues, I figure they want to find issues.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 16:32

I just mean, the Fiesta is praised as the best fwd chassis available since the Type-R (at least in N. America) while the Focus is just... fine, more powerful but not better handling. Have you tuned it yet? If you are going to actually eat the depreciation from the Fiesta, you might as well get a totally new experience. Used WRX’s can’t be more than a FoST, and Mustangs are everywhere.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 16:32

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/11/2017 at 16:48

I haven’t tuned it, but I don’t really care to. I know that it takes a LOT of investment to get more than 20hp out of these. I’ve owned this car for the past three years and put 60k miles on it. The chassis is great fun, for sure. And I’ve loved exploring the different disciplines of racing like rallycross, track days, bracket racing at a drag strip, and more. It’s done it all and still hauls groceries.....it just isn’t that *good* at any one thing besides autocross.....and if you’re a good driver, the FoST is usually faster due to more grip and power. Yes, doing a dozen track days has been a blast just from chassis feel alone but.....my point by finger gets tired in the more experienced groups and the novice run group makes me want to kick puppies. Also I found out I’m not a huge fan of the local rallycross events. SO to me, it makes sense to go forward with the FoST. I’ve driven them. Hard. They’re not as sprightly as the FIST but they can put down the power and are a blast to push to the limit. THey have more power, more grip, and are still hatchbacks so I can just own the one vehicle.

Oh, and a big appeal is I get a brand new car with a warranty and the like. I don’t want a used subaru. New one, maybe, but not used. Not really a fan of the brand actually. I’m okay with a mustang but....meh. Not my thing.

WiscoProud > haveacarortwoorthree2
07/11/2017 at 16:55

That’s what I use it for, a benchmark against a dealer offer. Every know and then I’m surprised. They offered me only a $1,000 less than I bought my Xterra for a few years back, but I really wanted a land cruiser and they didn’t have any.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 17:01

Shit. Not what I wanted to hear

Was hoping a little more normal cars would get more fair values

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 17:09

Look at it this way though: with the money you would be losing in depreciation, how close could you get to FoST speeds? Also, with the weight difference 20 hp on the Fiesta is actually within spitting distance of the Focus (12.5lbs/hp vs 12.42lbs/hp)

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 17:21

I’ll offer you $9000...

XJDano > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 17:28

since I never took my Chevy metro in for appraisal, I’m thinking about taking my equinox, with it having 194k miles they are probably worth about the same by now. Although I have no intentions of trading it in I’m not sure I even want to waste my time on a low ball offer.

camarov6rs > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 17:40

Also have to be aware of the market for your vehicle. As in any Subaru they will offer top dollar (especially WRX), but most non SUVs have little demand so they effectively care less. As for the price of the car on their lot you’d be surprised at the amount of money they actually put in to each vehicle before it goes front lot. Not saying that Fiesta is worth 16, I wouldn’t pay that close to msrp for something with 60,000 miles

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
07/11/2017 at 18:23

Having driven both on the track, I can assure you it would be quite difficult to get the FiST to FoST speeds for a reasonable amount of money. It’s not just power. The FiST is supremely balanced as-is from the factory. Giving it a boatload of power would just ruin it IMO. You’d need to follow that up with wider wheels/tires, bigger brakes, better sway bars, specialized suspension for what you want to do (lower it for track use, soften and raise it for dirt, etc) to keep the character.

LJ909 > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/11/2017 at 19:09

Screw them. While their warranties are nice and their cars are in excellent condition, they routinely undervalue trade appraisals and overprice their cars, even if you have the exact vehicle they have on their lot, which is your case. Ive called them out on their prices and they like to make it seem like their inspection and condition of their cars is worth the $2-$3 grand they usually overcharge by on their cars.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
07/15/2017 at 10:23

So put it on CL and sell it for 13,000 like tomorrow

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
07/16/2017 at 10:49

Nah. Found a deal willing to give me a decent enough trade plus additional discounts. I didn’t want to wait on CL flakers and mouth breathers. Plus the little niggling issues it has should be dealt with by Ford anyways (blend door actuators, broken boost hose, etc...)