I was going to trade it in...

[tk1971]

The Nissan dealer took my mom's 96 Geo Prism with 280k+ miles on it and a salvage title in trade for their new $10k Versa sedan.

They gave her $200 for it, but they took it. I don't get how dealers get to be choosy, other than the fact that the BRZ / FRZ are probably selling like hotcakes and they're not making any deals. Maybe they were not interested in haggling over trade-in values. Just full MSRP in / out, and calling out "next".

[why?]

Originally Posted by tk1971

The Nissan dealer took my mom's 96 Geo Prism with 280k+ miles on it and a salvage title in trade for their new $10k Versa sedan.

They gave her $200 for it, but they took it. I don't get how dealers get to be choosy, other than the fact that the BRZ / FRZ are probably selling like hotcakes and they're not making any deals. Maybe they were not interested in haggling over trade-in values. Just full MSRP in / out, and calling out "next".

Dealers can do anything they want. One thing that was not mentioned is whether the car was modified or not. But either way, it is certainly unusual for a dealer to not at least make a lowball offer.

[nookandcrannycar]

Originally Posted by tk1971

The Nissan dealer took my mom's 96 Geo Prism with 280k+ miles on it and a salvage title in trade for their new $10k Versa sedan.

They gave her $200 for it, but they took it. I don't get how dealers get to be choosy, other than the fact that the BRZ / FRZ are probably selling like hotcakes and they're not making any deals. Maybe they were not interested in haggling over trade-in values. Just full MSRP in / out, and calling out "next".

Yep. Having something that is hot or hard to find means they don't have to make accommodations that they think don't make sense. My General Manager knew I wasn't doing to walk away if they refused a trade and had me sell it to their wholesaler (for $50.00...Blue Book = zero...couldn't keep it...I was on a trip).......he knew he had one of only 5 manual transmission 3-doors in the entire Northeast.

[SKurj]

Originally Posted by why?

Dealers can do anything they want. One thing that was not mentioned is whether the car was modified or not. But either way, it is certainly unusual for a dealer to not at least make a lowball offer.

The car actually is slightly modified but the dealer didn't even look out the window at it and I didn't tell them that, I just said AC, Cruise 5spd 2dr HB, indash satnav etc.

I'll be quite happy to keep it for winters, though financially it will be a little tougher.

[tk1971]

Originally Posted by SKurj

The car actually is slightly modified but the dealer didn't even look out the window at it and I didn't tell them that, I just said AC, Cruise 5spd 2dr HB, indash satnav etc.

I'll be quite happy to keep it for winters, though financially it will be a little tougher.

Sounds like you've already made the choice to keep driving your Yaris for now.

Why not wait until the FRS/BRZ is no longer THAT hot? If/when the stars align for you, one thing that helped me in selling my Yaris was over $4 gas. When gas gets expensive, my Yaris sold (to Carmax) for $1500 more than I was expecting to get. I asked then why so high... they said when gas is $$$, 4-cylinder anything sells.

[husaynkhan]

What is the best reliable site to order a car from Japan?

[El Kapitan]

Originally Posted by Kal-El

What country are you in? I've never heard of a situation (in the US) where a dealer refuses a trade in. A dealer will take anything, even complete trash. They may not give you much, but they'll take it.

i've had a couple dealers laughingly turn down my 1992 civic with 400 000 miles, but i expect that reaction and it's mostly a joke that i try to trade it.

[El Kapitan]

Originally Posted by Captain Slow

Even if there are a few automatics which are technically getting better mileage than 5spd manuals....compare that to a 6 or 7 speed manual and you will see once again that the manual is more efficient. There is more drivetrain power loss through a slushbox and it also weighs considerably more than a manual box.

Not to mention that manual gearboxes are cheap and easy to fix should anything go wrong. Couple that with the better control it provides for performance or economy driving and it's a no-brainer. Manual transmissions will always be the choice for gearheads and for good reason.

over in the hypermiler forum and the mitsubishi mirage (best regular gas car mileage car) forum, all of the most harcore people drive standard, even though the CVT for the mirage does better on paper.

[attrapereves]

Manual transmission cars sit on the lot far longer than autos here in the US.

The dealer came off $2000 off the asking price because it had been on the lot a while and because it's a manual.

Personally, I'll only ever buy a manual tranny car.

[ern-diz]

Surprised to read they wouldn't take your Yaris on trade. Last I looked into it around here, these cars were holding value quite well and reselling for not a whole lot less than I paid for mine new.