OK....so if I go by Kelly Blue Book pricing, and buy from a private person....the vehicle is say $1000. So I go to the guy and say KBB is $1000. He agrees and I pay the money.
NOW...to buy from a dealer, and say the vehicle is sweet... but is over priced on the 'buy it from dealer price' by a thousand (say KBB dealer price should be $12000....but dealer is asking $13500?.
Is that KBB price before taxes/dealer prep etc? My thinking is for private party....price is cash in hand. Dealer price, if I have to ad in taxes/tags/dealer prep etc.....KB B price means squat.
Looking for a 2004-2009 Ford F-150 super cab (XLT or Lariot would be nice). Cash. So, do I have to add on to KBB price a thousand bucks...? I know how negotiate, but negotiate from the KBB price....or where?

 

I'm assuming KBB is also factoring in that a dealer may spend more time cleaning a vehicle up and fixing minor problems as well before selling a used vehicle.

I also cross reference the same vehicle with NADA used values. Sometimes there is a pretty big difference in price between the two and I like to average the two prices.

Also just curious, why are you considering '04-09 F-150's only? Since my truck was totaled 2 weeks ago I've been driving a loaner '04 F-150 Lariat/ leather, crew cab, 5.4L and I absolutely hate it. I know the owners have had it since new, gargae queen, low miles, well cared for, and I'll say drivetrain wise it has been 100% reliable, but the rest of it is awful. Seats are horribly uncomfortable, seats also have lots of play in the backs, interior rattles like hell on anything but the smoothest roads, has had multiple window regulators fail (the rears a few times which rarely get used), paint is peeling in the bed and rough in a few other spots, rusting cab corners, handles worse than my lifted 2500 did, hard to see out of despite the massive windows, throttle response is comical and requires lots of pedal travel before anything happens, the brake pedal actually is closer to the driver than the throttle thus making it harder to slide your foot over to the brake (ive noticed this on other Ford's as well,) and the transmission is a whole story in its self. Transmission is very slow to shift into a selected gear, then comes when you're on flat ground above 40mph and need to give it a little throttle to maintain speed or come to a slight hill it starts buck and shudder shaking the whole truck and you can see the passenger seat move and flop, and it feels like somebody is kicking your seat. Not trying to scare you away from them, but just some things I've noticed with what I've experienced with the truck im currently driving and some things you might look for on a test drive.

 

A dealer is not going to put a vehicle on the lot for $15,000 and have $13,000 tied up in it for example. If you are looking at a used truck that a new car dealership has taken in on trade then it is hard to tell how much they could have invested in it. They may have it priced at $15,000 but only have $7,000 or $8,000 in it because of the screwing they gave the person that traded it in.


It doesn't matter to me if I am dealing with a private party or a dealer. I use NADA and Kelly Blue book for my guide. There are a ton of used vehicles out there and you have to be willing to walk away from ones that are priced too high.

 

Some folks are different, but the goal should be to pay as little as possible, OTD "out the door", like driving down the road. SO goal if using whatever sources is to get it for the low book price, driving..but IMO, at least in my area, with the used truck market right now, you can forget it..unless you find a private party person that is willing to go by the book price...craigslist, signs in windows, etc...and you might....

Look at KBB, NADA, ebay sold prices and get a feel for where you want to be..then the hunt begins...good luck!!

 

Nothing in stone, but I owned a 97 f-150 4.6 V-8...and was completely happy. Never owned a Dodge, and have driven plenty GMs as company trucks. 2004-2009 is in my 'cash' dollar range.
I was just wondering....since one dealer has a nice truck, low mileage BUt hey are asking above KBB, ask $599 dealer fee...and emission testing certificate (which is not required in Florida). This
dealer is known for providing top notch vehicles.....but to buy this truck, I am already 2K over KBB. So I was wondering how close to KBB would a dealer be? I have bought many vehicles from private persons, and
they pretty much went by KBB (+/- a few dollars).....but a dealer...adds on. I am JUST talking here. I am not going to pay a huge amount over KBB. Just think of this post as a conversation starter. I realize I will
never win with a dealer.

chuck


I also cross reference the same vehicle with NADA used values. Sometimes there is a pretty big difference in price between the two and I like to average the two prices.

Also just curious, why are you considering '04-09 F-150's only? Since my truck was totaled 2 weeks ago I've been driving a loaner '04 F-150 Lariat/ leather, crew cab, 5.4L and I absolutely hate it. I know the owners have had it since new, gargae queen, low miles, well cared for, and I'll say drivetrain wise it has been 100% reliable, but the rest of it is awful. Seats are horribly uncomfortable, seats also have lots of play in the backs, interior rattles like hell on anything but the smoothest roads, has had multiple window regulators fail (the rears a few times which rarely get used), paint is peeling in the bed and rough in a few other spots, rusting cab corners, handles worse than my lifted 2500 did, hard to see out of despite the massive windows, throttle response is comical and requires lots of pedal travel before anything happens, the brake pedal actually is closer to the driver than the throttle thus making it harder to slide your foot over to the brake (ive noticed this on other Ford's as well,) and the transmission is a whole story in its self. Transmission is very slow to shift into a selected gear, then comes when you're on flat ground above 40mph and need to give it a little throttle to maintain speed or come to a slight hill it starts buck and shudder shaking the whole truck and you can see the passenger seat move and flop, and it feels like somebody is kicking your seat. Not trying to scare you away from them, but just some things I've noticed with what I've experienced with the truck im currently driving and some things you might look for on a test drive.[/QUOTE]

 

KBB does not buy or sell vehicles, it's only a guide. Do a search on CL or auto trader to get an idea of the pricing vs. KBB. Offer what you feel it's worth, worst they can say is no. There probably is plenty of those F-150's around don't be afraid to make and offer and walk away.

 

You can look on CL or Auto Trader to see how everyone is pricing a certain vehicle, but that doesn't mean squat because those vehicles are still for sale and haven't sold.


We were selling an older motor yacht years ago. The market was down so I looked nation wide at what my year and model was selling for and the average was around $80,000. I told my boat broker I wanted it priced at $79,000. He said he would list it there but it wouldn't sell. He produced a broker's list showing what my model and year had SOLD for recently, not what they had been listed for. The average final sale price had been around $50,000.


My point is people can list a vehicle for whatever they want, but is it worth it? NADA and Kelly Blue Book will serve as a guide.

 

What is Black Book? Never heard of it until we bought a used Suburban recently.

 

That's not what I said. I said offer what you think it's worth but use CL as a guide.