I am really looking into getting a used scion but my father and I cannot figure out why any of the scions arent any cheaper. It doesnt make sense. Technically Base Price is 17,000 and when a car goes off of the lot it looses 20% of its value. These cars that I have been looking at have atleast 30,000 miles on them. Ive been looking up all the scions up on www.Autotrader.com Here are some that i have been looking at.

Scion 1
Scion 2
Scion 3
Scion 4
Scion 5

Basicly what were looking for in the TC is:

Manual
Dark Color (Black, Grey)
Side Airbags
And 100 Miles within the 34228 Area (In Sarasota, Florida)
Something Pefferably under $14,000-15,000
Milage does not matter



Any help/suggestions would be greatly apprieciated!

 

because people are stupid enough to pay for them.

 

why not just borrow another 3k and get a new one?

 

Dont meen to be rude but please dont post anything that does not help. The reason why were not going to get a new TC is for insurance. The insurance would go crazy if it was to be new.. Please dont post anything about getting a new one or useless comments. Thank you!

 

Exactly. Another few thousand and you can know everything about your car. Ive seen people do some dumb stuff with cars and then try to sell them. Go to an automotive store and ask how much engine block sealer they sell. You will probably reconsider your decision to buy used when you hear how many people buy that stuff.

Example. I had a friend with a sporty Nissan when I lived in Montana. He would go out in the below freezing weather, dry start his car and spin cookies in frozen parking lots. That is engine suicide. He sold it to some dumb kid and a few weeks later, got a phone call that the engine was burning coolant and smoking something fierce. Sure enough there was a break in the water jacket, likely due to the vehicle not being properly warmed. But, AS IS, NO WARRANTY kepy my buddy off of the hook.

Think about it.

 

It's a good thing, they've held their value pretty well from what I can tell, but it hasn't been very long.

 

Actually he is helping and asking... just cause you are buying it used doesn't mean your insurance will be cheaper at all you have to get a loan right?? well the bank requires you to have full collision on it!! sames as new!! sooo...

and please done post looking to buy cause you need 50 posts!

soo buying it new as of now...makes alot more sense...

 

I was like you, I was looking for a used tC, but all the used ones shared a valued close to a new tC. I can't believe I even saw a used tC that is worth more than the new tC. Back to the story, the tC still holds its value for some reason, so your best bet is to buy a new tc and shop around for a cheap insurance policy.

I was nervous about insurance cost too, but after shopping around I found Mercury insurance which cost me $765 for 6 months.

 

Its called 'supply and demand'. You can build your own tC at Scion.com then take that paperwork to the dealership and have them order it for you. That process can take anywhere from 2-12 weeks before you get your ride depending on what 'options' you include. People don't want to wait that long and will pay THAT MUCH $$$ because they want their tC NOW. Plus, the tC is one hawt car right now.

In essence; the tC is still relatively new so there is not that many used ones for sale. And the ones that are for sale cost pretty close to a new one. Therefore, the used 'supply' doesn't meet the current 'demand' and can yield a higher $$$ price tag. (I saw a used '05 IIP tC on the lot where I bought mine at and they wanted $21K. My '05 SSM out-the-door was $18,300. Go figure?) Maybe that will help you.

P.S. Just buy a new one!

 

Simple economics: supply and demand.

I've kind of thought this through and I have a few assumptions.

1. When you go to buy a scion, such as the one you want (tranny, color, etc)... likely, you're going to have to wait what, 4 weeks, to have a chance? With that being said, many of the buyers out there either have to compromise on paying extra for the airbags, or the color, or the tranny, or a combination of the three. If they choose not to, they look into the used market...

So apparently there must be a large enough population looking to do that to opt out of the long wait-list which has been driving the cost up of the 2005's that are selling above $15,000. If everyone was choosing to only buy new, obviously the used prices would come down, but since there doesn't seem to be enough supply to keep pace, the prices are holding their values.

2. That segways to my next comment, which is Scion isn't keeping up with demand. Now fortunately for new car buyers, the price still stays the same, which is why people seem puzzled at how little the difference in price. If Scion wanted to throw away the pure-price strategy, they could likely up the cost by another $1000-$2000 and still move their inventory. The used inventory would likely still stay at or around the 15k mark, but you'd have more of a dilineation between the two price points. So that segways into my third point, which is...

3. The price of a stock Scion is a great bargain. As part of the "pure price", the negotiation/mark down is already worked into the price. In other words, we're buying a 17k-18k car, but we've essentially negotiated 2k off, which is why you see the new/used prices to be so close to each other. Obviously we all know they make their money on all the accessories, but when you have a base car that comes with as much that the tC has, you're getting a great deal.

 

I should have read the whole post (meaning your response) before ranting...

 

Don't forget that some insurance companies are now doing "New Car Discounts". Plus, It would seem that the 2 or 3k more will pay itself off knowing nobody completely ____ed it up internally.

 

Thanks soo much for the help CuseHokie that gives a good explanation!

And to kdog_1981 I was not asking to buy a car or look for a car, I just simply wanted an explination for the reason why used car prices are almost the same or sometimes higher than new car prices. Sorry if it came out another way!

 

What insurance carrier are you using? 2007New/2005Used should not matter too much if you are going with similar policies. If you dont want full coverage and that is the reason you want used let me tell you that you are making a mistake. Many people drive without insurance and if they run into you and they are without insurance chances are you wont be able to sue them for much either. Basically if you are driving a vehicle worth more than about 8k you want full coverage.

You said you were looking in the 10-15k bracket which would place you in the full coverage category. So, you would be foolish not to get full coverage and full coverage on a new vs. 2005 vehicle is like 10 bucks per month. They price insurance above other things on value and 14k vs. 17k is not much of a difference.

If you want to get the insurance down up your deductible and max out your discounts like putting house or other policies together.

Bottom line, if you cannot afford the insurance/tax/title, then you cannot afford the car.

 

Very good point jake thanks! Ya I think ill have to rediscuss with my father about the car. Were revisiting the dealer next week because thats when sapposedly the new models come into the dealer and all the prices on the olds ones will drop.

We are not positive what insurance company i am going to use and I have no idea if I am paying for my own insurance or if my father is splitting it with me. Off the top of my head i dont know what insurance he has but if I am paying for my own insurance I am going to look around for the best deal + benifits!

 

Yeah, the insurance rates I wouldnt expect to be too much different, especially with the used Scion tC holding their value. Insurance is based on many things, age of the car, and value of the car at said age. As you are finding, used isn't much less than buying new, so I'd expect insurance rates to be pretty similar.

If the extra costs of fiancing new, and insurance really are an issue, consider a cheaper vehicle (I know many don't like to hear it). Its just a bad idea to buy a car and make it affordable by:
1. increasing your ins. deductible
2. lowering insurance coverage
3. etending your loan over a longer period
or similar sort of shifts to lower payments.

Good luck with the search. I looked used, and decided to buy new. The loan rates were less, and I really didn't spend much more money.

Paul G.

 

well if u can get a new one for 16400 then go with a new one... i mean unless the used 1 got aftermarket dealer accesories then go with tht one!!!

 

I have framers insurance and they have been good to me, but I dont know much about others. If you can get the ol man to split insurance with you, that would be bonus, but if not, you may just have to hike your deductible, which in a sense defeats the insurance. If you get a bare bones Tc, you can customise as you go, which is great, because in my opinion the Tc is pretty nice stock.

Its kind of trial and error. I have just had terrible luck with used cars of various types and dont want to see others make my mistakes.

Shop around and donate blood plasma, Ive done it.

 

In Florida, watch out for any "Katrina-leftover" scions. I don't know how bad it is but from what I've read about Florida, the fraud protection and laws in the state leave much to be desired. A fully flooded car can never be made "right".

Caveat Emptor - buyer beware.

 

Yeah when i got my tc in nj, there was a 6-8 week wait. Someone even offered to buy mine within a week of getting it. that's why!