I posted a message yesterday about swapping my fully loaded 98.5 1.8QT for a 98.5 2.8Q (Fully loaded).. After talking to a dealer in North Jersey, he offered me a price which was $7,500 less than the invoice of the car that I purchased 7 months ago.<p>Is this reasonable???<p>I am sure other automoblies in this class have such an accelerated deprciation schedule.<p>I welcome any and all comments.<p>Thanks<br>

The offer from your dealer was like wholesale (rock bottom). In other words it's what he could get for the car at a used car auction. If you sold that car yourself, you'd get significantly more.<p>In the Dec. issue of Kiplingers, they rate 99 cars. All Audi's projected resale values were extremely good - in fact one of the best in each class.<p>Tom<br>1.8TQMS Silver/Ecru

Like T2 said,... they will be able to sell your car back to the general public for ALOT more (almost pure profit). I've seen 97 1.8Ts going no less than $25K!, and these are not demos. <p>IMO, if you really want to go up to the 2.8, then sell the car yourself. <p>Cris<br>

At that price, I'll buy it from you!!!!! Too bad I live in Australia. But seriously, I think a lot of people on this board would offer to buy it from you at that price.

All cars(except collectables)loose at least that much as soon as they leave the show room, or are plated. Despite post to the oposite, the resale on these cars is very good.T2 is right in his post. You can always get more selling it yourself cause you are getting a retail price from the buyer. The dealer pays you a wholesale price based for the most part on the auctions. He will not pay you more for a car he can buy for less at the auction. The 30% figure is for the first year, after that it drops only 10% to 5%, depending on the market.I bought and sold about 400 cars per year when I was in the Automobile business over an 11 year span. I have expressed these numbers and marketing of cars before and almost always get flammed by people with no automobile sales experience, take it for what it's worth, but most people know more about buying food than buying cars.

You are getting hosed. That large a depreciation hickey is unreasonable, even given the dealer's need to make a profit. Let me give you an example. In early 1996, I paid $23,000 for a Maxima SE. I recently traded this car, in late 1998 (2.5 years later), for $15,000. That's $8 k over 30 months. And the car was in relatively poor condition (needed tires, had cracked windshield, had two body repairs, one of which was major, dent in drivers door, dings all around, etc.)<p>The dealer is attempting to rip you off. You do take a larger than ratable depreciation hickey up front, but $7k on a 1.8 is unreasonable. Go to another dealer.<p>Peter 98.5 2.8QM

I traded my 98 1.8t for a 98 2.8 and got about 2500 less than what i paid for it 7 months earlier. I wasn't thrilled with it, but it was quick and painless and an overall good buying experience. J, call Alan Cogbill @ YBH Audi in PA, he'll give you a very nice no haggle deal. I'm of course not affiliated with them, just a very happy customer.<p>Jim S<br>98 2.8qms

If you paid, say, 27K for your '98 1.8T, that would indicate he's offering you 19.5K. Even if your car has 30,000 miles, I can almost guarantee you could sell it for 22-23K tomorrow with an ad in the paper. Depreciation is probably greater if it is FWD, but then your purchase price would have been lower too.

1) What were you trading for, this can make a difference as the dealer can "over allow" on your trade to make a deal.<br>2)You are comparing different makes and models, look at bank residual books for lending and you will see depreciated value depends on brands, and market.<br>3)what would the drop in value be if you had tried to trade your car in after only 7 months like this fellow?<br>4) What was the milage on your trade?<br>5) What factory incentives were involved, if any on your deal, you may not have even known if Nissan had any cash to dealer help to put into your deal.<br>6)what is the condition of the 7 month old Audi?<br> My point is not that you are wrong, but that there are many factors involved with putting numbers on cars. The best price you can get,is from the guy(or Gal)who comes up with the cash, not opinions sight unseen on a discusion board.You say the dealer is ripping him off by trying to get the car at the lowest possible price, yet I'm sure when you buy, you try to buy at the lowest price and don't think you are ripping the dealer off, right.<br>BTW if the dealer had an extra $1500 to $2000, in profit to give away, or "over allow on your Maxima Trade, and you got a dicount on the car new, then my 30% in the first year and 10%each additional year works out to be the deal the AUDI guy was offered, is it not. <br>

I agree with your estimate of his retail number if he sold it privatly. If I took that car in on trade, for $19,500.00, I would ask about $4000.00<br>over what I paid and hope to make about $2000.00 after negotiating. If I took a German car that was out of warranty, I need a good safety net for repairs as these cars can be VERY expensive to repair and can end up costing you money.

<br>J:As someone else has pointed out already, Rule<br>#1 remains: the price of the new car and the number for your car are two independent pieces of<br>the puzzle. That having been said, invoice -7500.<br>after seven months sounds like the dealer's open-<br>ing bid; if you're inclined to play that game, <br>he'll have to do considerably better.

I traded my 96 A4 for the 98 model and only lost $3500 from what I paid for it new. This was a 2 year old car with 30,000 miles. I traded with my dealer and he gave me over 2 grand off my new 2.8Q. These guys are pulling a fast one. Don't pick up the soap. I suggest you shower someplace else.