Any knowledgeable car folks here?

[VaCollector]

I know there are….just needed to get you here :cool smiley:

My darling MIL has decided to sell her deceased husbands car and it is way out
of my league and am hoping for some idea of value. The car is a 2000
Mercury Marquis that looks like new with less than 28,000 miles….and is a total
cream puff…all oil changes, no body damage, interior like new…we've even put
new tires on it thinking they might be dry rotted

If the area of the country is pertinent we are in Virginia. As she can use the money,
I'm looking to explore pricing possibilities.

Thanks for any input!

[gauss]

Have you checked Kelley Blue Book at kbb.com for used car values yet? That might be a good starting place.

-gauss

[youbet]

Quote:

Originally Posted by VaCollector I know there are….just needed to get you here :cool smiley: My darling MIL has decided to sell her deceased husbands car and it is way out of my league and am hoping for some idea of value. The car is a 2000 Mercury Marquis that looks like new with less than 28,000 miles….and is a total cream puff…all oil changes, no body damage, interior like new…we've even put new tires on it thinking they might be dry rotted If the area of the country is pertinent we are in Virginia. As she can use the money, I'm looking to explore pricing possibilities. Thanks for any input!

+1 to gauss' suggestion of looking at the Kelly info. It's usually pretty good. Also, take it to a CarMax, if there is one nearby, and let them give you a quote.

Unfortunately, older "creampuffs" sometimes don't bring as much of a premium price as you'd think. Compared to the same model and year car with more miles, a few minor scratches but no issues and running well, it may only demand 30 - 40% more. The problem is that buyers are looking for creampuffs at regular car prices. Your "creampuff" will certainly sell much faster than a higher mileage and/or blemished car. I've seldom heard of someone paying a large premium for an older creampuff, collector cars excluded of course, but they do seem to get snapped up when priced at a modest premium.

You also have to find someone interested in a 2000 Mercury Marquis. Large, rear wheel drive cars have their fans I guess but not up here in snow country.

Based on Kelly data, I recently paid my MIL $1,900 for a 1999 Buick Century with 29,000 miles but a few minor scratches on the passenger side door trim where she got too close to a post in her condo's basement parking garage. Also had new tires.

[Walt34]

Edumunds.com is another source.

[retirementguy1]

Older cars with lower mileage don't fetch much. Better for me I guess. Three years ago I bought a 2000 Mustang V6 convertible for $6400, only 15k miles. MSRP was probably $30k.

[imoldernu]

Last year I bought a 96 Marquis estate car w/28K miles, for $2500 and thought I got a good deal 'cuz it was immaculate, including brand new tires
One tiny problem... on the way to Florida, the intake manifold burst. A 2 day $1500 repair and another $200 to stay over.

The problem is very common because Ford used a plastic blend manifold until 2001. The many years with little use exacerbated the problem... explained here...
AGCO Automotive Repair Service - Baton Rouge, LA - Detailed Auto Topics - Ford 4.6L Plastic Intake Manifold Problems

private party price for a 2000, all options and excellent condition should be around $2500.

[samclem]

I wonder if a cab company would be interested? Big cars with big trunks are popular with cabbies. The "low end" (esp independent) cabs often go for used cop cars, and they don't need something that is scratch-free. But the combination of low miles/wear, size, and savings (vs newer vehicles) might interest them.

I think cops and cab fleets are going to miss the ol' Crown Vic.

[Mr._Graybeard]

Panther platform cars have a following, enough of one that they have Internet forums to share car stories, maintenance tips -- and to buy and sell cars and parts. I'd search these:
Crownvic.net - Forums powered by UBB.threadsâ„¢
UPOA.us Forum – Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis, Town Car, and Marauder
GrandMarq.NET - Panther Headquarters
PantherBB.com Forum - P71, Crown Victoria, Town Car, Grand Marquis, Marauder

You should be able to find honest information on market values and possibly attract some interest from buyers in your area. Be prepared for some frank assessments but valuable insights from experienced enthusiasts.

[Koolau]

I bought a 2000 (not a Merc.) a couple of years ago. I'm pretty sure i overpaid, but it was well within the budget and also a "cream puff." I haggled some and got a better deal. Just for fun, I recently looked up the KBB or Edmonds (I forget) value. I was kind of shocked by the low price it gave. My car was "loaded" with factory "goodies" and it was also shocking to see what each item added in overall value ($8 for this, $14 for that, $21 for the other, etc.) My point is that most folks figure their cars are worth way more than they actually are worth on the open market. But my other take away is that, at the time of purchase, those $1000 and $2000 add ons aren't worth much in 15 years.

A couple of strategies to consider: If the cost of keeping the car is small (relatively low insurance, parking, tags, etc.) one might as well keep the car and drive it a few thousand miles a year. Otherwise, swallow your pride and offer it for mid-range price and get rid of it. The final strategy would be to give it to a charity and take the eventual sale price as a tax write off. Doing it this way takes some of the "emotion" out of it. No, you probably will not get top-dollar as a write-off, but neither will you have to deal with "tire-kicking, double-clutching jerks who wouldn't pay a fair asking price, just because...

All of this has convinced me that I'll never purchase a new car again. Assuming you have options (already have a serviceable car) one can simply shop for a "cream puff" with a very low value. Even if a significant repair crops up, the cost per mile is very likely to be much lower than when buying a new car (do join AAA or similar program for towing/road repairs, etc.) Obviously, this will not work out for everyone nor is it "pleasing" to everyone. (Full disclosure: I occasionally fantasize about buying a new Z-06 or BMW. Even though I could afford to do so, the feeling passes quickly when I think about cost per mile.) More than ever, YMMV.

[38Chevy454]

NADA Home Page is a good source for values as well. KBB tends to be higher than real sales, NADA is closer to actual. Carmax will be a low-ball offer, but will give a sense of the range you are at. Those cars do have a good reputation, excepting the intake manifold problem, otherwise are good solid reliable cars and are desireable. It will sell, just price it fair and you will be able to get money for your MIL.

[ratface]

I would also go to Kelly's. They price by condition, Good, bad and ugly I think. To sell it faster price it at the middle ground of their recommendation. Also go to Craigs List- Virginia-private party and search for similar vehicles. You might also consider buying a Car_fax or equivalent history report to make the sale easier. Ebay is also good for pricing under Ebay motors. CarMax won't give you anywhere what you could get privately. They are better for buying and testing vehicles. In a similar situation my mechanic gave me a fair price for a Jeep I sold him after Carmax offered me almost nothing for it. If it has been serviced so well then that mechanic can easily resell it to another customer and make a small profit and you don't deal with tire kickers and parking tickets down the road.

[MikeTN]

I find it useful to search on cars.com or autotrader.com Do the advanced search for low-mileage version of the same car within 250 miles of your home. The cheapest one may have something wrong with it, but the highest ones are overpriced.