How Much Is This 1999 Q45t Worth?

[TRUEST]

Yeah, i'm talking about my infiniti. If were to sell it to someone who would give me cash, how much is it worth? I currently have almost 179,000 miles on it and when I bought, I had pretty much everything faulty replaced in it.

I got all four tires replaced which of course increased the smooth driving. I mean, if a much older Q45 can be sold for around 3 to 8 grand, I expect this Q45 to be worth quite more.

also, Kelly's blue book has it for around 8 to 10 grand but hey this car was/is properly maintained

i'm thinking of switching this 1999 Q i have for a 2002 Q.

[elwesso]

I dont know, its hard to say.. You bought it for $6000, right?

Lets see some pics, i **might** be interested.....

[Jesda]

What Wes says sounds about right. One of the most realistic pricing guides I've seen is at http://www.consumerguide.com.

Look in their used car section, and under your year Q45. Now, bear in mind that they assume normal mileage, which is about 70-80k for that year. Take off 2.5 cents for every mile above 100k.

I dont base that on anything scientific, thats just a method I use which seems to work when applied to real-world pricing.

Of course, http://www.kbb.com has a vehicle condition questionnaire which might be more accurate.

When you get your 02, show us some photos!

-Jesda

[elwesso]

Use edmunds TMV (true market value) its pretty close.....

[TRUEST]

Use edmunds TMV (true market value) its pretty close.....

elwesso, are u sure? i just put it through edmunds and they have it for $13,771 private party with 185,000 miles which isn't the actual mileage on the car. the actual mileage is between 178,000 to 179,0000.

[elwesso]

Well i guess the market value and what someone would pay are 2 different things.....

Personally, depending on the condition, id only pay about 6500, 7500 TOPS if it was in perfect mechanical....

Lets see some pictures, if you cant post them, email them to me and Ill post them for you!

[Q45tech]

"Take off 2.5 cents for every mile above 100k."

Why is a brand new lease 15 cents per mile, then most used down to 8 cents.

I use the converse method..........how many miles are left in the car..........we know that 250,000 miles is pretty much it, even with 15 cents per mile maintence and repairs from day one.

A 180k car in pristine condition will have 70,000 miles left that would yield a selling price of $5600 @ 8 cents per mile.

About HALF what the owner wants!

It really doesn't matter what the car cost new, it's what it will cost you to drive till it terminates that counts.

Paying $13,771 for a car that only has 70,000 miles left is 20 cents per mile plus repairs and maintenance.

Those INET calculators are not accurate when you exceed 15,000 miles per year or much over 100,000 miles.

Does any sane person want a 6 year old car that cost more than 30 cents per mile to drive [depreciation +M+R] plus 12 cents in gas and 8 cents in insurance that's 50 cents per mile minimum

[elwesso]

Quote »Does any sane person want a 6 year old car that cost more than 30 cents per mile to drive [depreciation +M+R] plus 12 cents in gas and 8 cents in insurance that's 50 cents per mile minimum

[/quote]With that statement, we can reasonably call 9/10 of the people on this board insane.....

Dennis, how do the Y33 Q seem to hold up in high miles in comparison to the G50.....

[Jesda]

99Qs are going for $15k-$18k with 60-100K on the odometer, in good condition.

$5800 is WAY too low.

Sure, we here at NICO know the value of a second-gen Q, the cost to maintain/rehab, but to the public its attractive (to a wide adult audience), free of personality issues that may turn some people off (like the 90-93 G50) and free of major defects. In all, its a very desirable sedan.

$9000 is where this Q bottoms out, if you stomp on it and shove it down a bit.

Also, mark me down as one of those insane people! When I was looking around for a Q, I would decide on one I liked and decide to come back a day or two later to find it was sold. All of the first-gen Qs I looked at had 160-180k, and all sold for close to their asking prices ($3600 and up, mine was $3800). Book value at the time was about $3550.

Also take into consideration what some people pay for the mid 90s LS400 at a Lexus/Toyota dealer. The public believes there will be an extremely long period of trouble-free ownership from a Japanese car, moreso a Japanese luxury car. Prestige, brand cachet, and perception of quality are enough to overcome doubts some people have about higher mileage and age.

-Jesda <-- Insane!

[qship96]

q45tech hit the nail squarely on the head here-why do people even consider buying cars with the majority of their useful life GONE! if it is a net dollar amount set aside for purchase,purchase a lesser,newer vehicle{accord,camry,altima} i think it is sheer stupidity and the lust for the unaffordable that makes people fall into this trap,and then what happens when the first 1000 plus repair bill hits? the car sits,and sits,and sits,finally maxing out the poor souls credit card,which said debt revolves round and round.stupid!remember its all about the COST,not the PRICE

[Q45tech]

"99Qs are going for $15k-$18k with 60-100K on the odometer, in good condition. $5800 is WAY too low."

You didn't read what I wrote: 250-100k=150 x 0.08=$12,000

250-60k=210 x 0.08= $16,800250-180k=70 x 0.08= $5,600

If you want you could add $1,000 for salvage value.

Not to say you can't persuade some uninformed buyer into over paying. That's why used car lots are 3 times more profitable than new car sales and buy here pay here lots are up to 5 times more profitable if you don't mind repoing weekly and breaking a few fingers.

"Typicaly these lots buy cars from auction houses or from the new-car dealer trade ins in the $1500 range. Then they give the vehicle a good detailing. The car goes on the lot with a sign that says $1500 down, $150 per month for 24 months. Most buy here-pay here used car lots require that the buyer bring a paycheck to the dealership every pay period. The dealer deducts the payment and returns the rest of the paycheck to the customer. If all the payments are made the dealer realizes a profit of $3600.

Since 40% to 50% of sub-prime customers default on their contracts. They usually can't afford the repairs and insurance necessary to keep the cars on the road, The used car lot ends up repossessing and repeating the process which raises their profit even higher.

[Jesda]

A vehicle is worth what the market chooses -- period. Mileage formulas, costs of repairs and ownership, costs of parts, and other practical factors are MUCH smaller when youre talking about a luxury car.

The BMW 5 and 7 series handily beats the Q in resale and doubles it in cost of ownership.

The market offers what it offers, and there are enough people out there willing to pay a low cost of entry with a high cost of ownership if the end result is a lower price on a nicer vehicle.

No one, and I mean -no one- buys a luxury car for practical reasons. I'd make exceptions only for the livery business or people whose careers entail fashion and public image. If financial sense and reason were the only factors in the purchasing process of a car, we'd all be behind the wheel of a Civic HX or Prius.

-Jesda

[Jesda]

q45tech hit the nail squarely on the head here-why do people even consider buying cars with the majority of their useful life GONE! if it is a net dollar amount set aside for purchase,purchase a lesser,newer vehicle{accord,camry,altima} i think it is sheer stupidity and the lust for the unaffordable that makes people fall into this trap

One thing your financial advisor will never factor in, and cannot measure, is the level of enjoyment and personal rewards gained from those ownership expenses.

If owning an older Q were at all a practical matter, I'd sell mine and put more money into the upkeep of the minivan.

-Jesda

[elwesso]

I agree.

With the 2000, and 8000 total Ive spent with my Q, I could have bought myself so much more stuff, or have a nice trust fund or something.

However, NOTHING, not the $40 fillups, not the $30 hoses, not the $200 for 2 black sensors the size of 5 quarters stacked, not the 14mpg will ever take away from my enjoyment of the Q

PERIOD.

When we talk about a Q value, hows come it always turns into this emotional deal?

[Q45tech]

We orginally were speaking of prices and resale value.My point was don't pay too much regardless of what you buy.

The other point had to do with buying selling a high mileage [180,000 mile] Q. Finding a buyer takes a long time if the price is not right and as a private seller you can still be sued for misrepresentation.

Utilitarian values of all cars are the same. Why the IRS uses one reimbursement rate for all.

[96QQ45]

The point is to find a lower mileage Q, well maintained so you have a better chance to keep it longer. Once you buy it - you're hooked and you are going to pay the price to keep it on the road. Yet, putting a significant amount of cash on repair bills into a car with high miles is a very hard thing to do knowing the limited life left on it. Everyone can relate to the feeling of paying $2-$3 k or whatever into a repair when the car will still be worth perhaps less than that afterwards. Or the dreaded decision, sell cheap, fix and sell or fix and keep...

[Q45tech]

The nicest thing is when the car is worth nothing [other than the $1000 salvage value] that way the $3,000 you spend per year to keep it on the road is pure calculated maintenance and repairs.

My 1990 with 264,000 miles is worth $3k [$5500 with gas insurace taxes] per year to drive.

Back to the orginal problem what is his 1999 Q with 180,000 miles worth in real cash not some manipulated figure for trade in.The dealer will have to wholesale it at auction or flip it to a high mile lot.

Only newspaper and autotrader ads will tell you. I sampled the US via web.Saw a $9900 with 124,000 miles [0.08 x 126k= $10,080] and a $12,000 with 109k [0.08 x 141k= $11,280] really hard to find comparibles in a 1999 Q45 with double the average mileage.

Did find a 97 touring with 195,000 miles that a ATL dealer was offering for $4950.

Exactly equal to my premise of 8 cents per remaining mile [0.8 x 55,000= $4,400 plus $500 profit.

Again this should only be used above 100,000 miles

[maxnix]

The BMW 5 and 7 series handily beats the Q in resale and doubles it in cost of ownership.

Even the Titantic went down slower than a 750iL.

The point is to find a lower mileage Q, well maintained so you have a better chance to keep it longer. Once you buy it - you're hooked and you are going to pay the price to keep it on the road.

I am in this boat, and quite happily too. For me, the two G50 and FY33 are quite worth it. Only the FY33 was purchased below market value.

[Chrisfrend]

When looking at the prices of the FY33 models last year, it seemed clear that the older models with lower mileage were a much better buy than the later model years with much higher mileage. As has been pointed out here previously, the bottom line is how much life is left in the car.

The used car price guides, and the market, discount age much more heavily, relatively speaking, than they do mileage. Thus a 1997 or 1998 Q45 with 50-60,000 miles would generally be much less expensive than a 1999 or 2000 with 80-100,000 miles and up. Today I saw a 1997 Q45 with 61,000 miles advertised for about $13,000. If well mainained, it should go for many more miles. However, 1999 and 2000 models with 80,000 miles are often listed for $17-19,000.

[Q45tech]

http://www.roadfly.org/bmw/cla...&dir=h ... la...&dir=

Bunches [5] of 1990 750il in the under 170k range for under $4,000.*..........considering that the car cost $80,000 in 1990 about the same rate [95% depreciation] as a $38,000 1990Q sellling for $1900.

Bet you could pay $3,000 cash and drive/tow away any of them!

[Q45tech]

Lots of it has to do with bank financing as few have cash to spent.A 1997 Q [7 year models old] cannot be as easily financed even with low mileage 61k.

1997 Infiniti Q45 4 Dr STD Sedan Trade-In Private Party Dealer Retail National Base Price $9,655 $11,282 $13,270 Optional Equipment $58 $69 $92 Heated Front Seats $58 $69 $92 Color AdjustmentLight Green $-18 $-21 $-24 Regional Adjustmentfor Zip Code 30067 $49 $58 $68 Mileage Adjustment61,000 miles $1,162 $1,162 $1,162 Condition AdjustmentAverage $-1,020 $-1,170 $-1,336 Total $9,886 $11,380 $13,232

[maxnix]

And in the FY33 line, a lot of improvements (mostly comfort and convenience) were made in 1999 and further augmented (safety) in the 2000 and 2001 model.

[TRUEST]

come on guys. you're not answering the questions. all i see is formulas. I mean, Q45, since you appear to be so against anyone buying a used q, can you please tell me how u think its worth??

really, there is no mechanical failure in this car. i can care less how many miles on it, its the fact that everything that needs replacing being replaced that matters. i took care of that. whoever that buys this car can take it to any dealership and they'll tell him that there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

hell, he can even get all the records of repairs done on the car.

to those considering this, one thing I will say about my car is that there is one fog light missing. thats about it.

[elwesso]

We told you what we think the value of your Q

Ill make it more clear:

Your Q is worth about $6000

I hope this helps. Unfortunately, it doesnt really matter on the mechanicals, as this is for a PRIME example (hopefully yours)

LEts see some pics!

[qship96]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by TRUEST

really, there is no mechanical failure in this car. i can care less how many miles on it, its the fact that everything that needs replacing being replaced that matters. i took care of that. whoever that buys this car can take it to any dealership and they'll tell him that there's absolutely nothing wrong with it.

whatever YOU HAVE NOT REPLACED is the issue,just because"there is no mechanical failure in this car"AT PRESENT,does not negate the fact that every one of the hundereds of parts that are still original are near the end of their life,waiting for some sucker to get excited over shiny paint and glossy tires,to buy this ticking timebomb-the fuse is near the end at almost 190,000 miles,sorry

[elwesso]

Qship. I dont think this car is nearing the end of life.

If well maintained, I see no reason it couldnt go to 300k..... Itwould need some help, but what car doesnt need help at that kind of mielage

[96QQ45]

KBB, Edmonds, even just looking at comps on Autotrader gets you in the ballpark only. A car with x miles in good condition assumes service has been done. If you can list it for long time and convince somebody it is better than most you may get a little more. It's a function of some luck and a matter of how long you can list it and wait for the right offer.

I agree it helps to have good service records but the buyers are still going to be wary of the maintenance costs on the Q. IMO the vehicle is worth more to you now than anyone else because you know its history and you have faith in its reliability. I always try to look at it in reverse. If I was reading my own ad selling this car would I buy at this price? Usually the answer is no and you have to re-evaluate a little. Still, you can list a little high and wait.

Jesda says it well - it is ultimately worth what a buyer is willing to pay at a given moment.

[qship96]

Qship. I dont think this car is nearing the end of life.

If well maintained, I see no reason it couldnt go to 300k..... Itwould need some help, but what car doesnt need help at that kind of mielage

you are fooling yourself,every little component with that mileage is way past its useful life,sure the engine may make 250000 miles,but every subsystem down to the 200$ antenna,is a repair waiting to take your cash,plus,who knows how well it was maintained,she bought it from a second teir used car lot with SUPPOSIVLY 173,000 miles on it-remember the "next oil change "sticker in the windsheild said its next service was due at 206,000 miles! funny,she has owned it 4 months and SIX THOUSAND miles,and wants out already-in contrasr,I have personally driven my q over ONE HUNDRED TEN thousand miles,and wouldnt consider trading it on even a new q!

[Q45tech]

It's worth whatever you can get someone to pay, of course you ask for $10-11,500 cash or $13,000 trade in and work your way down..............$500 a month, till it moves.

Ebay will just depress you.

[Jesda]

to those considering this, one thing I will say about my car is that there is one fog light missing. thats about it.

Didnt you say there was an AC problem?