Resale of the T

[turbotom]

1/ There are runout sales on current model cars right now. I've seen advertised prices (with options and kickbacks) which offer an XR6T at a lower price than what was available 12 months ago.

2/ There is a definite reluctance to buy a second hand turbo-charged car. I was considering a 2nd hand late model Toyota Supra or Nissan GTR, but decided against it due to the uncertainty of how the car was driven. So I bought a brand new XR6T. My intention is to keep it for a longer term.

3/ like someone above stated, there is a flood of cheap grey imports which offer extremely good performance for value ( potential buyers of XR6T's weigh it up and let "bang for the buck" decide)

4/ There has been a lot of negative feedback about the BA range, especially in this forum regarding production quality control which eventually gets into the public forum and detracts perceived value.

The current recall on AU falcons won't help the cause of resale on BA's either... Some potential buyers will consider the BA will also have similar faults ("guilt by association")

5/ There isn't as much money available now. We have had our honeymoon period with extremely low interest rates, and lots of people have borrowed to get in on property purchases and investments. A lot have borrowed money for vehicle purchases also, probably more than they would have if the economic climate was NOT as favarouble. The climate is changing... Interest rates are going to climb. There is greater media reporting of pending property bubble busts and turndowns in global economies.... Meanwhile, council rates, water rates, electricity bills and other household costs have risen, and wages have NOT increased at same levels. There isn't as much disposable income in the household as there was 12 months ago.

6/ Ease of accessing finance by going to a dealer (they will organise everything and all you have to do is sign) is also an issue detracting from buying privately. You'd be surprised how so many people can't be bothered to chase finance on their own. It's too hard (time consuming?) Whatever. I guess its also that buying a car can be an emotional thing, and people tend to bite the bullet when they see it and the dealers can close the deal whilst the customer is in that frame of mind. Going off, the next day for example, and seeking finance with all the reality of the interest rates, and the loan repayments and the multitude of forms required makes some people think twice and decide NOT to buy that private sale car as they lose the emotional content.

Theres a lot more I could write, but the other issue is our expectation of retained value in new cars is not realistic. Our cars are mass produced, so there will always be an abundance of them. The price will always be determined by a basic analysis of supply and demand. The longer you hold out for that one special customer who might pay that extra bit, the lower your potential easy sale price will become.

Hope you find that special customer soon.

cheers

tom