4Runner resale value?

[lockerc18]

I'm in the very early stages of thinking that I might want to sell my 4Runner. I can't believe that a trade would be that great, so I'd try and sell it myself. I've sold lots of vehicles before with pretty good results.

In looking at NADA and Kelly and cars.com to try and determine what a realistic price would be, they seem to be pretty high, given all the talk in the media about how SUVs are dead these days because of their poor mileage. But, a 4Runner is a 4Runner, and all the great characteristics that convinced me to buy it in the first place are still true, except for the mileage. I can tell potential buyers that I get 20 MPG on the highway, which is great for a vehicle like this, but that's not good enough with gas heading toward 5 bucks a gallon or higher.

Has anyone tried to sell their 4Runner lately, and run into this "SUVs are gas hogs" mentality out there, and not been able to get a good price?

I know this gas crisis is hurting resales of SUVs in general, but how much is it really hurting resales of 4Runners?

 

[toto]

Right now is a really bad time to sell, as there is still too much media hype and fear about gas prices. People haven't gotten over the shock of crossing $4/gallon. Earlier this week, GM announced 4 truck/SUV plant closings set for 2009-2010, including the Janesville, WI plant that makes Tahoes.

If people won't buy the new SUV's/pickups sitting on the lot, it's understandable that dealers won't pay very much to take one into inventory as a trade-in. You could probably do a lot better right now selling it privately than trying to get a good trade value.

I'd say to give it a few months to settle down, and things won't seem as bad anymore.

 

[Even Steven]

You have a couple of really big advantages on your side:

1 - You have a vehicle that is known for its quality/reliability. This is very important to buyers of used vehicles. It is also one of the biggest reasons that 4Runners hold their value much better than many other SUVs

2 - You have a V6 engine. You can promote the higher fuel economy of your V6 as a big selling point. Most potential buyers are looking for any fuel economy advantage they can find, especially if they are looking at midsize SUVs.

If you think about it, there's really hardly any cost associated with trying to sell your 4Runner on your own, so just go for it and see what kind of offers you get.

 

[Climb14er]

SUV's are seen in the used vehicle market place as a slaughter-house for the seller and an opportunity for the buyer... especially the dealer who will most probably offer you three to five thousand below 'market' value... simply to take the 'problem' off of your hands.

With the approx six thousand dollar aggregate 'loss' (depreciation and perceived gas problem) you'll most probably get hit with, you can take that money and drive the 4Runner for a lot of years as 6K buys A LOT of fuel.

Remember, even if you buy a 30mpg vehicle, you still have to pay for fuel and if you avg. 18mpg in your V6, the extra 12mpg that you 'lose' is what will come out of your immediate gas pocket.

6K buys a lot of 12mpg fuel.

Then again, it's your vehicle, your money and your decision.

:

 

[Even Steven]

SUV's are seen in the used vehicle market place as a slaughter-house for the seller and an opportunity for the buyer... especially the dealer who will most probably offer you three to five thousand below 'market' value... simply to take the 'problem' off of your hands.

With the approx six thousand dollar aggregate 'loss' (depreciation and perceived gas problem) you'll most probably get hit with, you can take that money and drive the 4Runner for a lot of years as 6K buys A LOT of fuel.

Remember, even if you buy a 30mpg vehicle, you still have to pay for fuel and if you avg. 18mpg in your V6, the extra 12mpg that you 'lose' is what will come out of your immediate gas pocket.

6K buys a lot of 12mpg fuel.

Then again, it's your vehicle, your money and your decision.


:

That's good and everything, but he never said he was selling his 4Runner because of high gas prices. I think you're making an assumption that may or may not be correct.

His concerns seem to be that he will not get a decent offer because of buyers' perceptions with today's high gas prices.

 

[Climb14er]

His concerns seem to be that he will not get a decent offer because of buyers' perceptions with today's high gas prices.

Same difference.

 

[Even Steven]

Same difference.

Not at all. He may be selling his 4Runner because it's an '04 and he's had it for nearly five years now. Many people change out their vehicles after four or five years, regardless of current gas prices or the fuel economy of the vehicle.

 

[Climb14er]

Not at all. He may be selling his 4Runner because it's an '04 and he's had it for nearly five years now. Many people change out their vehicles after four or five years, regardless of current gas prices or the fuel economy of the vehicle.

You certainly have a reputation here for always getting the last word, eh?
Look what he said:

Has anyone tried to sell their 4Runner lately, and run into this "SUVs are gas hogs" mentality out there, and not been able to get a good price?

I'm not going to argue with you as I'll go back to my stock screens and make some money... you can dissect meanings all you want.

 

[Even Steven]

You certainly have a reputation here for always getting the last word, eh?
Look what he said:

Has anyone tried to sell their 4Runner lately, and run into this "SUVs are gas hogs" mentality out there, and not been able to get a good price?

I'm not going to argue with you as I'll go back to my stock screens and make some money... you can dissect meanings all you want.

Relax killer. Don't worry about my reputation. Besides, if I didn't make this post, then YOU would have gotten the last word. LOL

 

[RonMAIDEN]

Many people change out their vehicles after four or five years, regardless of current gas prices or the fuel economy of the vehicle.

Maybe so but with these prices this is new territory for anybody that has grown up in this country and I doubt we'll see under $3.50/gal ever again and if it hold true those same people might be thinking about their driving habits and what they buy and how long they'll keep it.

Gas prices have just become a major issue with many americans.

 

[Even Steven]

Maybe so but with these prices this is new territory for anybody that has grown up in this country and I doubt we'll see under $3.50/gal ever again and if it hold true those same people might be thinking about their driving habits and what they buy and how long they'll keep it.

Gas prices have just become a major issue with many americans.

Exactly. So if someone is going to sell his 4Runner BECAUSE of high gas prices, then it makes sense to think the way Climb14er mentioned. But for guys selling their 4Runners just because they've had them for four or five years now, it doesn't matter at all. The only real concern is if they'll be able to get a decent amount of money for their 4Runners, which is exactly what this post was supposed to be about in the first place.

In other words, it seems foolish to try and convince someone why he should considering keeping his 4Runner when he never said he was selling it because of high gas prices in the first place.

 

[TechWrench]

Exactly. So if someone is going to sell his 4Runner BECAUSE of high gas prices, then it makes sense to think the way Climb14er mentioned. But for guys selling their 4Runners just because they've had them for four or five years now, it doesn't matter at all. The only real concern is if they'll be able to get a decent amount of money for their 4Runners, which is exactly what this post was supposed to be about in the first place.

In other words, it seems foolish to try and convince someone why he should considering keeping his 4Runner when he never said he was selling it because of high gas prices in the first place.

In the end, I suppose it doesn't matter why one is selling a vehicle. It's value is what a buyer is willing to pay for it. And, how motivated the seller is will determine what he is willing to take for it.

 

[lockerc18]

OK, hold on folks....

It turns out that I might be looking at a new commute of about 60 more miles each way. (You go where the work is, you know?) So, yes, mileage is a big factor in this. I've done lots of spreadsheet exercises, balancing new car payments against vehicle operational costs over various time periods. You know how that thought process goes. And I think it makes sense over the long haul to get as much equity out of my 4Runner now as possible, since it has 66K miles on it, which is not too bad for an '04, and get something more reasonable on the highway. Under normal circumstances, it would be an easy sell, especially since I have a Platinum warranty on it.

But I really love my 4Runner, and I'm not too sure at all that I want to get rid of it, even with this longer commute staring me in the face. If the equity of the truck is really not what it would be normally because of this gas crisis, then heck, I might just hold on to it.

 

[XJeepguy]

Do you NEED what your T4R offers you ? Like the space or the 4 wheel drive ? You must have picked the 4runner for some reason when you bought it .

If the answer is yes , than do what I did when I had to commute ( about the same distance as your saying ) . I bought a early 90's Prelude , or buy a smaller Toyota for commuting . I just bought rock bottom basic insurance on it , didnt even have windshield coverage . Just tossing out something to think about .

It turns out that I might be looking at a new commute of about 60 more miles each way. (You go where the work is, you know?)

 

[Boston_Runner]

Everybody is trying to make money off the high gas prices. If you try to ****e in your truck, your dealer will try to tell how bad trucks are selling and that he has tens of them in the lot he cant get rid of. You can try to sell it privately, maybe you might get lucky and find a honest buyer. Most buyers already knows that trucks are not selling and will try to talk you down in price. The best thing to do is wait, the gas bubble will burst. It may take a year or 2 but it will level off.

 

[lockerc18]

Do you NEED what your T4R offers you ? Like the space or the 4 wheel drive ? You must have picked the 4runner for some reason when you bought it .

Ay, there's the rub. I got my 4Runner because we were downsizing out of a minivan, and we still needed some "utility" space. And, living in NY, having 4WD in the winter is goodness. And, I figured a real, true off-road vehicle would be more sturdy than a mere crossover, and would last longer, and being a Toyo, it would be more reliable, too.

And, to be honest... we were at the beach in '03, and I saw this guy and his girl having a cook out on the beach, and he had this beautiful grey 4Runner right there... and I got the exact same one (the 4Runner, not the girl...) and took it on the beach the next year, and did some surf fishing. So, OK, there was a little mid life crisis in my decision, too...

So... do I "need" the 4Runner? What is this word, "need"?

 

[alaskaman]

my 2coins

my perspective is from a trauma RN perspective. safety is my number one priority. i am sure that there are others here who want to save bucks on gas and it is expensive. However, if you get hit
- I mean really hit hard from a bad angle not one of these accidents that they make happen to prove safety-, you must have a strong frame with protection to survive, and/or survive with limited injuries. Although the smaller cars do well in crash protection, they cannot compare with the 4Runner. Last night on the Philly turnpike coming out of the Airport, my traveling companion was at the wheel and having a hard time seeing the road. Two semi trucks one on each side blew by us at 70mph avoiding us by inches...scary. IF we had been hit in a small highly rated commuter car we would not have survived. Working in ER and Trauma I see it all the time. Broken long bones from legs getting jammed up into chests, torn organs and vessels from impacts it goes on and on. In a bad or severe crash, you are safer in the 4Runner or that size vehicle with air bags. period. if I want to save money, I turn down the air conditioning and shop cheaply go to supercuts and on and on. If I want to stay alive or avoid a life of disability I drive a 4Runner. Shit happens out of the blue.

 

[Even Steven]

In the end, I suppose it doesn't matter why one is selling a vehicle. It's value is what a buyer is willing to pay for it. And, how motivated the seller is will determine what he is willing to take for it.

Personally, I wouldn't sell my 4Runner because the price of gas is too high. Surely that's not the case with all people.... In the end, a seller is always going to want to get the most money for his/her vehicle and a buyer is always going to want to buy a vehicle for the best price possible.

At the same time, I wouldn't try to convince someone either way, especially if I didn't know why he was selling in the first place! That's the point I'm making here....

 

[Even Steven]

Re: my 2coins

my perspective is from a trauma RN perspective. safety is my number one priority. i am sure that there are others here who want to save bucks on gas and it is expensive. -

Very good point, and I agree completely. There's a guy on the Jeep Commander forums who has a new Smart car on order. He's buying it because it is much better on gas than his Hemi Commander and he doesn't want to sell the Commander, so he's buying it to use as a commuter car.

That's all good and well, but it seems to me that he's trading his safety for a few dollars per week in gas money. Then again, when you start to add the purchase price of the car, the insurance payments etc... I'm not even sure how long it will be before he breaks even in total costs.

He argues that the Smart car is very safe because it got a good rating for frontal and side crashes. That may be true, but have you ever looked at the back of one of those things? There's like 12 inches between the seatbacks and the rear of the car. Getting rear-ended by a truck or SUV looks like it would hurt something awful! No thanks, I'd rather pay a few bucks more at the gas station and keep my SUV---there's just too many big vehicles on the roads here in the USA.

 

[Climb14er]

Relax killer. Don't worry about my reputation. Besides, if I didn't make this post, then YOU would have gotten the last word. LOL

The market is close and I'll make a comment.

I'm totally relaxed little man, you've just made another enemy on this forum.

And by the way, I don't care about you in the least... you've been a loser poster who has alienated many on this forum.