Also having trouble selling...

[NiceCupOfTea]

Looks like a good price but the mileage is perhaps a touch high (not for me, but my dad was looking for a 1.8 6 months ago and paid a fair bit more than that for an early Mk.2 that needs a new roof but has ow mileage )

Maybe it's suffering from advert "fatigue" - been on sale for a while so people wonder what's wrong...

[Negative Creep]

I'm in the same boat, been trying to sell mine for 2 months now. Had 3 people test drive it but never heard anything more. It's a genuinely good car and i would've thought the fact it has the lsd and bilstiens would have made some petrolhead lap it up. Only offer I've had so far is £1000, which quite frankly is taking the piss, especially as I paid 1800 5 months ago.

I've changed my ad to say I'll take part ex on something small and economical. If I can swap it for a little Fiesta or something, in theory it should be easier to sell..................

[hornetrider]

Negative Creep said:

I'm in the same boat, been trying to sell mine for 2 months now. Had 3 people test drive it but never heard anything more. It's a genuinely good car and i would've thought the fact it has the lsd and bilstiens would have made some petrolhead lap it up. Only offer I've had so far is £1000, which quite frankly is taking the piss, especially as I paid 1800 5 months ago.

I've changed my ad to say I'll take part ex on something small and economical. If I can swap it for a little Fiesta or something, in theory it should be easier to sell..................

I'm not feeling the love for yours I'm afraid - try hoovering/dusting the interior and cleaning the wheels for photos?

OP - your car looks value at 4100, I guess it's just the miles that's the problem. Maybe you should trade it?

[Negative Creep]

hornetrider said:

try hoovering/dusting the interior and cleaning the wheels for photos?

They're matt black

[Mr POD]

Flat_Steve said:

Well believe it or not but I'm STILL trying to sell it!! It's coming up to a year since it was originally advertised and I've dropped the price right down to 4.1k. It's the cheapest 1.8 mk2.5 by some considerable margin on Pistonheads - and it's still not garnering any interest at all. Not a sniff.

I thought I'd try sticking it on Ebid a few days ago as it was cheap to list but the bids are a joke. After five bids we're up to the heady heights of Seven whole pounds!! (I think I'll be allright as long as I limit my next car to 1:18 scale.)

I know we've had a dire summer, winter's now on its way and we're heading for recession - but I don't think I could give this car away which I don't understand - MX-5's are quite well regarded cars.

Back in May I was looking to buy an MX5, but circumstances mean that I need to find £4K to attend a wedding (taking my family to Ohio for 2 weeks in July 2009), find £1200 for a Trumpet upgrade, and £400 for a child to attend a series of brass events in Saltzburg.
Plus a perception that we can't afford a 3rd car on a whim.

When I was looking, i found owners forums and the like, not much use, to get a bargain, and the one's I actually went to look at were in the local free paper or in the autotrader.
If I was selling any car, I'd sell it in the autotrader.

[hornetrider]

Negative Creep said:

hornetrider said:

try hoovering/dusting the interior and cleaning the wheels for photos?

They're matt black

But if you need a sale mate, if I were you I'd invest in cleaning up the wing, surely wouldn't cost more than a ton. Clean it up, take some clearer higher res photos and you should be ok.

When I'm looking for a car (especially a potential P+J like the 5) I need to know it's been cared for, and I'm not getting that from your advert.

[205gtinut]

I think a big part of the problem is the mileage, whilst its not high for its year, (about average) it seems high to me for that type of car, especially for a 2001 model. The problem is there are so many mx-5's out there, most of which are occasional 2nd or 3rd cars and therefor have low mileage. If I was looking for an mx-5 for that price/mileage, I would hold out for one that was really low mileage and there are plenty. I think you have to make yours more appealing, as in make it stand apart from the others. I don't think its over priced but I think your only option is to reduce the price further. Thus way it may tempt someone into buying it as they will over look the mileage due to the price! Why would you spend 4k on a car with 72k miles on the clock when there are plenty out there with half the mileage? (This isn't meant as criticism as the car looks very nice, but I think this is why you are struggling.... If you've still got it after xmas I'll give you 3k for it!! )

[205gtinut]

The last line, reliable and cheap-to-run car is just wrong!! This makes it sound like you've tried to maintain it on the cheap!! A real turn off! Would read much better if you put, reliable and economical car.

[Flat_Steve]

Ok this is getting silly...

There's a website called webuyanycar.com, which gives you a bottom-book-minus-£1000 offer and this is what came back:





I wouldn't expect to get a rusty early-nineties MKI for that. And the worst part? That derisory offer is £500 LESS than just a week ago. One week. At that rate, in six weeks I'll have to PAY someone £500 to take my car away!

I checked eBay last night. Not a single MX-5 even vaguely similar to mine has sold in an auction/buy it now in at least the last SIXTY DAYS.

It's compounded by dealers who either point-blank refuse to even consider me a part-ex, or offer similar sub-bottom book figures, whilst simultaneously asking full whack for their stuff. Either second-hand car values have come down or they haven't, lads - you can't have it both ways.

Things are getting a bit silly.

[NiceCupOfTea]

If I were you I think I'd say "fk it", spend 2 grand getting a s/c fitted and drive the doors off it for a couple of years. Then sell the s/c and car separately when cars are selling again. You're going to lose money hand over fist, but at least you'll have fun!

[megab]

Quote: I wouldn't expect to get a rusty early-nineties MKI for that.

I paid less than that for my pristine (absolutely no rust whatsoever) MK1, and it's done 20,000 miles less than yours.

I do like the look of yours though... But not allowed two I don't think.

[205gtinut]

Flat_Steve said:

Ok this is getting silly...

There's a website called webuyanycar.com, which gives you a bottom-book-minus-£1000 offer and this is what came back:





I wouldn't expect to get a rusty early-nineties MKI for that. And the worst part? That derisory offer is £500 LESS than just a week ago. One week. At that rate, in six weeks I'll have to PAY someone £500 to take my car away!

I checked eBay last night. Not a single MX-5 even vaguely similar to mine has sold in an auction/buy it now in at least the last SIXTY DAYS.

It's compounded by dealers who either point-blank refuse to even consider me a part-ex, or offer similar sub-bottom book figures, whilst simultaneously asking full whack for their stuff. Either second-hand car values have come down or they haven't, lads - you can't have it both ways.

Things are getting a bit silly.

Makes my offer of 3k look quite generous!!!!!! lol

[ali_kat]

If it helps I've just paid £5k for a '02 52 with 65 on the clock.......

There are younger cars out there with less mileage, and similar prices, it really is a buyers market out there at the moment, not a sellers.

[Negative Creep]

megab said:

Quote: I wouldn't expect to get a rusty early-nineties MKI for that.

I paid less than that for my pristine (absolutely no rust whatsoever) MK1, and it's done 20,000 miles less than yours.

I do like the look of yours though... But not allowed two I don't think.

You could get a very good mk.1 for that. I've seen them now dipping below the £1000 mark now. Mine hasn't had a single enquiry since my last post - looks like ebay will be the last resort, put it on and hope someone offers me cash off it

[Flat_Steve]

ali_kat said:

If it helps I've just paid £5k for a '02 52 with 65 on the clock.......

There are younger cars out there with less mileage, and similar prices, it really is a buyers market out there at the moment, not a sellers.

To be fair yours is a grand more expensive. You can always get something nicer if you're willing to spend a quarter more again.

[Rob13]

Steve, Im in the same boat as you, and I think yours is very cheap at that price. Mine http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/675029.htm seems to be fairly priced for the region (ad needs updating as it now has 11months Tax on it which is £200 worth).

Ive used mine as a daily driver and it doesnt want for anything (the wheels could do with a refurb) mechanically. Its just had a new rear silencer, full 4 wheel alignment done and drives superbly, its just that I want a hatchback as I need more space.

Ive had it up on and off for 6 months, originally at well over £5.5k as that was what the market was dictating at the beginning of summer. The market is totally dead at the moment for these I think which baffles me. I paid £7k for it Feb 07 and have put about 12k on it since then. I dont really know what else to do than to reduce the price, however another reason to move it on was to buy something cheaper but at this rate, ill be struggling to buy anything reliable for the price ill be giving it away for. I just cant afford to. Shame really because its just being used for the daily commute and it should be used more spiritedly.

Edited by Rob13 on Saturday 8th November 10:25

[ali_kat]

Flat_Steve said:

ali_kat said:

If it helps I've just paid £5k for a '02 52 with 65 on the clock.......

There are younger cars out there with less mileage, and similar prices, it really is a buyers market out there at the moment, not a sellers.

To be fair yours is a grand more expensive. You can always get something nicer if you're willing to spend a quarter more again.

You are, of course, quite right, i didn't look at it like that I looked at is as £900, be able to knock at least £200 haggling, so £700 cheaper for an older car with higher mileage, but then that was my criteria, get as new a car as possible with as few miles on it for as little as possible within my budget of £5k. And I chose to spend the max, but then considering what had just happened to the pristine MK1 I'd only had for 3 months, I think I made the right decision

I did look at yours and think she was lovely, just too far away for me!

[hornetrider]

Rob13 said:

I dont really know what else to do than to reduce the price, however another reason to move it on was to buy something cheaper but at this rate, ill be struggling to buy anything reliable for the price ill be giving it away for. I just cant afford to.

Whilst the market is undoubtably taking a big hit right now, the effects are across the board. All sellers are feeling the pain, from cars above 5 grand or so, with the pain increasing as the value rises. Rest assured whatever you want to change to is struggling as well, so your cost to change will more than likely remain the same.

[Flat_Steve]

Very true Hornet, but the main problem is that the market for MX-5's is non-existent at the moment. If there are no buyers their value is effectively nil.

[hornetrider]

Flat_Steve said:

value is effectively nil.

Oh, Steve. You've twisted my arm. Cos you're a fellow PHer we'll call it £5 and I'll be round tomorrow.