motohide

Below is a "black book" wholesale auction price. Basically what a dealer will pay for your car as trade-in as base value, and is the actual value avarage bid by wholesale auctions. Blue book gets adjusted very close to this figure about few months later. Retail price is therefore, 5~10% on top of these prices to cover fees and expenses as well as dealer profits. It's a commonly used guideline for most private dealerships. New car dealerships have a little more play in trade in values as profits can be greater and with incentives from manufacturers if profits decline.

As of week of April 9th 2007
Sale Price (successful winning bids)
Nationwide Wholesale Dealer Auction Prices
2004 LS430 Ultra Option
Above $26,540 21,925 mi
Average $23,353 43,850 mi
Below $20,166 65,775 mi

Aggragate Average last 12 months

Feb 2008 $24,186 43777 mi
Oct 2007 $26,524 44412 mi
Apr 2007 $30,706 43911 mi


Something you can use as a guideline in addition to KBB. In some seasons or some economic anomalies occur and KBB and this type of auction values differ greatly, that's when you see dealer trade in values seem to vary greatly, as KBB lags behind a sudden change.

It's occuring now as US is going through sudden economic depression combined with rapid hikes in gasoline prices. Auction values for larger cars as well as cars typically having high payments drop suddenly as it floods the marketplace and bank repo and dealer trades flow into the auctions.

motohide

Based on the above information, the best way to sell the car is through PRIVATE PARTY SALE.

2004 LS430 has a very high gap between Auction Average and KBB value as seen above. Dealers know this already and will not give you much over the auction value (unless you are buying a NEW car)

Still the general public does not know much about the wholesale auction value, and still assumes KBB to be the guideline. So you will likely get near KBB on Private Party sale. Only limiting factor is that since the dealers can get them very cheap, you are competing against the dealer retail values significantly less than KBB retail and aggressively listed in online advertisements.

Good News is that Sienna has come down in price too as minivans are proving to be plenty and becoming less of a choice than a few years ago, especially for those who can do without the 7 seats in a commuter car.

BTW: Congratulations on the new baby!

masterech

I just bought a 2001 Ls 430 with 49 K for 21K which was a good deal but still around 3K more than i should have paid (beacuse i traded in some old crap)

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

motohide,

The car original poster's want to sell is a 2003. Not a 2004.

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

and 03 and 04 price has a huge difference since the body change.

03 UL with 53K probably sells at 24K the most.

How many baby you have? the first one? the LS could still do the trick!
Might as well keep the car for another 2-3 years.

motohide

Sorry, here are the figures for the 2003 Lexus LS430

For Week Ending Apr 9
2003 Lexus LS430
Auction Winning Bid Sale Price

Above Ave $22,618 32,702miles
Average $18,519 65,404 miles
Below $14,420 98106 miles

Past Figures:
Feb 2008 $18,838 63,750 miles
Oct 2007 $21,978 51,439 miles
Apr 2007 $25,375 50,242 miles


Again, these are auction winning bids, and that's what a private dealer will likely estimate as trade-in.
And how KBB will look in a few months time...

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

No problem, just wanted to point it out.

Do these price guide tell you the options these cars has and the condition they are in? Or they just put all LS430 into one general group?

drink300

Yeah. 37k is outrageous. I am putting my 2004 LS430 Ultra Lux w/ 42k miles on the market this next week and I am asking $30,995.

I am trying to be realistic and am even taking a loss compared to what I owe. But, you gotta do what you gotta do.

lexusthai

These numbers are even LOWER than GALVES!
I have access to GALVES. How do I obtain the figures you wrote, Motohide? Is there a list somewhere online/offline, getting weekly updates?