Question From Sergio: I’m thinking of buying a 2002 Nissan Xterra from Car Max. They have no haggle prices. Two questions. Can I still haggle with them? What should I pay for a 2002 Nissan Xterra?

Follow Up Comment: Its a 2002 Nissan Xterra SE
4WD
6 cylinders
Automatic
Sunroof
Supercharged
51,000 miles
Asking: 12,998

I spoke to someone there and they told me the prices are final. If they are, I want to make sure I’m not paying too much. Thanks.

Queen of the Road: Hi Sergio. Sorry, my friend. $13,000 for the Xterra is a bad deal. It’s too high.

For a 2002 Nissan Xterra 4WD V6 SE Supercharged with 51,000 miles, wholesale prices range from $8,800 (being in above average condition) to $7,700 (being in average condition) and $6,700 (being in below average condition).

Keep in mind that the numbers above are the wholesale prices. A dealership will usually aim to sell it for +12%-14% more than wholesale, so their estimated retail prices could range from $7.6k to $9.8k. I’d never pay $13k for that car. Carmax really marked up the prices.

Have you tried looking on Craiglist or AutoTrader for used cars from private sellers? Private sellers generally sell for prices close to wholesale.

CarMax is a very well run business and a publicly traded company although their stock is getting creamed like everyone else. However, I’d have to say that CarMax enjoy some very good margins which is great for shareholders but not so great if you are looking for an incredible deal.

What you get with CarMax is one of the largest if not the largest used vehicle dealer in the US backing their product.  Is their a premium for this?  Absolutely!  Is it worth it?  Well…you don’t have to deal with sleazy used car dealers because CarMax is a no haggle dealer and they won’t budge.  It’s just too bad their Xterra is marked up too high.

This Is An Update To A Previous Question

Follow Up Comment: Thank you very much for your prompt reply..The dealer is asking me for 880 and totally on road would be 9800..I am in a fix whether to take this deal or not..I have one more question..How much this resale price this car will be having after 2 years after adding 20000 miles to it..

Queen of the Road: I’m assuming that “880″ is actually “8,800″. If it’s in great condition, then $8,800 sounds fair. $7.5k to $8k would be a good deal if the car is in average condition. If that’s the case, offer $7.5 just to get it to $8.

After DMV fees, dealer fees and sales tax, expect about $1k added on. It’s hard to determine what the car will sell for in 2010, but it shouldn’t be a problem because people generally try to avoid buying cars older than a decade and by then, it’s only 2 years young of a decade.

Question From Phani:

year:2002
Make:Nissan
Model:Altima
Trim: SL
Mileage : 99393
Leather interior,power setas,sun roof

Can anybody please advise me for how much I can buy the car and any idea about depreciation

Queen of the Road: Hi Phani. There’s a whole team of us who can help you here. Below is the the wholesale prices based on the car’s condition.

For a 2002 Nissan Altima SL with 99,400 miles, prices range from $8,000 (being in above average condition) to $6,500 (being in average condition) and $5,000 (being in below average condition). Keep in mind that the numbers above are the wholesale prices. A dealership will usually aim to sell it for +12%-14% more than wholesale, so their estimated retail prices could range from $5.8k to $9.1k.

In regards to depreciation, the first year of a car’s life, the average depreciation is 20%. After that, it averages 10% to 15%. Here’s a Car Depreciation Calculator, but you’d need the purchase price of the car.

Are you buying from a dealership or a private seller? Be sure to check carfax and do plenty of research on the history of the vehicle. Ask for their maintenance records. You can even bring a mechanic for a brief inspection. Good luck and keep us posted on how the purchase goes!

Question: Could I get some numbers on what I should expect to pay for the following:

2002 - 2003 Nissan Maxima SE

- 75k miles or less
- automatic transmission
- leather interior

don’t care about the rest. Dealer and private parties would be helpful. My local market (DC metro) seems to be WAY higher than
Edmunds/kbb values.

MuscleCarGuy: For a 2002 Nissan Maxima SE with 75,000 miles, prices range from $8,950 (being in above average condition) to $7,550 (average condition) and $6,150 (being below average condition).

For a 2003 Nissan Maxima SE with 60,000 miles, prices range from $10,600 (being in above average condition) to $9,050 (average condition) and $7,500 (being below average condition).

Keep in mind that these are average wholesale prices. Good Luck!!!