Advice Needed: 2013 Rogue Purchase

[arbryant1]

Hello all! My wife is in the market for a "new" vehicle, and it looks like she has settled on a Rogue. I'm currently looking at two options which are pretty much identical in features. One is at a local dealership, and the other is at Carmax. Here is a summary:

Dealership: 2013 Nissan Rogue SL, Pearl White Exterior, Charcoal Interior, 25,000 miles, leather seats, moonroof, heated seats, etc. Dealer certified. One owner. Asking price: $24,000. KBB Value: $22,064

Carmax: 2013 Nissan Rogue SL, Pearl White Exterior, Light Gray Interior, 12,000 miles, leather seats, moonroof, heated seats, etc. One owner (it was a lease). Asking price: $22,998. KBB Value: $22,843

Like I said, all the features seem to be the same other than the interior color and the number of miles.

Now, straight-up I would lean towards Carmax because it's $1000 cheaper and has half the mileage. However, there is no haggling on the price.

The advantage of the dealer is since it's certified they offer: "up to a 7yr/100,000 mile Warranty, but also a 156-point inspection/reconditioning, 24/7 roadside assistance, trip-interruption services."

Also, I'm sure I can show them Carmax's price and lower mileage and negotiate them down. I just don't know yet how much lower. I would probably offer 10% off the asking price ($21,600).

I've never owned a Rogue before and thus haven't had to negotiate on one, nor have I ever purchased from Carmax. So I was hoping to get feedback and thoughts from those of you who are more familiar with what this vehicle is worth and what you may have paid for a similar version.

On paper, what looks to be the better deal, assuming I can get the dealership below Carmax? Even if they came in at $1000 less than Carmax, is it worth $1000 for 13K fewer miles?

I appreciate any feedback you can offer.

[TrevorK]

One thing to keep in mind with the extended warranty bit is whether it will require a deductible. Many extended warranties charge you a deductible for each repair, many minor repairs not worthwhile. You should look into this before negotiating with it. For some, a better alternative can be accessories or service you would use (lifetime oil changes, etc). This depends on you and what you want to do, but the dealer is often flexible when it comes to their service department.

On such a new vehicle, it really depends on your driving habits and what you plan to do with the car. For example, if you drive an average amount, or slightly above average, a 13K difference is not a big deal if you plan to sell in 5-7 years.

I do not live in the US, and have only seen Carmax commercials while traveling in the US, but I find it hard to believe they will not negotiate. The Rogue is an extremely popular vehicle in it's segment and you can certainly find many examples for sale unless you are looking for the unpopular trim levels/models.

[phmichel]

Hello all! My wife is in the market for a "new" vehicle, and it looks like she has settled on a Rogue. I'm currently looking at two options which are pretty much identical in features. One is at a local dealership, and the other is at Carmax. Here is a summary:

Dealership: 2013 Nissan Rogue SL, Pearl White Exterior, Charcoal Interior, 25,000 miles, leather seats, moonroof, heated seats, etc. Dealer certified. One owner. Asking price: $24,000. KBB Value: $22,064

Carmax: 2013 Nissan Rogue SL, Pearl White Exterior, Light Gray Interior, 12,000 miles, leather seats, moonroof, heated seats, etc. One owner (it was a lease). Asking price: $22,998. KBB Value: $22,843

Like I said, all the features seem to be the same other than the interior color and the number of miles.

Now, straight-up I would lean towards Carmax because it's $1000 cheaper and has half the mileage. However, there is no haggling on the price.

The advantage of the dealer is since it's certified they offer: "up to a 7yr/100,000 mile Warranty, but also a 156-point inspection/reconditioning, 24/7 roadside assistance, trip-interruption services."

Also, I'm sure I can show them Carmax's price and lower mileage and negotiate them down. I just don't know yet how much lower. I would probably offer 10% off the asking price ($21,600).

I've never owned a Rogue before and thus haven't had to negotiate on one, nor have I ever purchased from Carmax. So I was hoping to get feedback and thoughts from those of you who are more familiar with what this vehicle is worth and what you may have paid for a similar version.

On paper, what looks to be the better deal, assuming I can get the dealership below Carmax? Even if they came in at $1000 less than Carmax, is it worth $1000 for 13K fewer miles?

I appreciate any feedback you can offer.

Welcome to the forum. Have you considered buying a program car? We bought a 2013 Rogue S from Hertz in July for $16.1k with 28k miles. I've put another 8k miles on it. It's a great vehicle and we really like it. Hertz has a rent-to-buy program that gave me 3 days to test and check the car. If you buy it the rental is waived. At least with Hertz they mostly offer base versions, though.

[arbryant1]

Somebody I know had mentioned the rental program deal, but two of my wife's must haves are leather seating and the moonroof.

Her preferred color is Pearl White.

We've been looking at Rogues for about a year, and I've discovered that the combination of pearl white, leather, moonroof, and low mileage has been hard to come by. That's why I'm excited about actually having these two options.

As for Carmax not haggling, I did some research and most people report in their dealings that Carmax won't budge on price. I can always try to ask if they'll waive the documentation fee or throw in some floor mats.

My wife's 1999 Lexus ES 300 (that she brought brand new) has 186,000+ miles on it; so that should let you know how long we hope to drive this one!

[DTASFAB]

Both these vehicles still have the original 3-year/36,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty in effect, as well as the 5-year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. I wouldn't worry about any dealer extended warranty or certification. You will have the option to extend the warranty as long as you don't allow it to lapse. However, the in-service date for each vehicle will determine when the clock was started on the 3-year/5-year portions of the original warranties. If they're drastically different, you may want to consider that as a factor in deciding which one to buy.

[KristiHipp]

In my experience, Nissan dealers are really willing to haggle, especially toward the end of the month. I bought a 2013 Rogue toward the end of June. Pearl white exterior, gray/black interior, 8.5k miles (yes, 8.5k), walked out the door for under $20k.

Mine is a base model, so that probably accounts for the price difference; but I went in knowing exactly the car I wanted and told them what I wanted to pay. Traded in an old '99 Chrysler Concorde and got $400 trade-in value, but otherwise put nothing down. Got the extended warranty and so far no deductible required (I have used it once for a very minor repair.)

[Lone Wolff]

I would start at the Dealer. Initial offer of 20K and see how willing they are to work with you.