Putting my hard hat on...

I think the £3800 offer was probably reasonable for a 5-year old Eleganza.

My Prestigio 1.9 16v was only £6000 from a dealer when it was 2.5 years old with 39k miles.

You're too fond of your car - it's a Croma! Only us with the knowledge know they're good, no bugger else wants them - you only have to look on ebay to see the prices they go for when left to market forces.

Having said that, Mercs are so over-priced I'm amazed they didn't pay over the odds for yours as you wanted, instead of the discount they would do for someone with no part-ex.

I leased my previous car. Far less hassle, as you basically rent it for two years. But then you get the hassle of the pre-collection inspection for chips and scratches etc at the end of the contract instead. No problem in my case, but I did spend a day filling chips and polishing flat etc.

I've concluded that this Croma's going to stay with us until it's worthless and it stops running. Then it will be scrapped or ebayed from £1 and we'll buy another car. We've dropped out of the car fashion parade - a Croma's a nice anti-fashion statement for a start.

Probably not what you want to hear but I think £3800 as a trade in is pretty good. At the end of the day Cromas are nigh on unsellable. There are enough around advertised at £5k and they just don't sell. Said it before, I bought my 55 plate Eleganza for £2150. Ok, high miles but no point paying more as it will just shed value anyway.

Oh, dont go the Merc route. They are not all they're cracked up to be. Take a look at the Merc club forum - nothing quite rusts like a Mercedes - and this is 2007 MLs.

And finally, my 1993 SL500 needs a new ABS pump. New from Mercedes, anyone like to guess?

text reg number to 83444

provides a good realistic valuation

bear in mind 99% of the population have never heard of a Croma so you are looking at an opportunist sale and need to think outside of the box when advertising

in this case an autotrader advert will capture more traditional type buyers looking at a specific price range for an estate car with auto box

or as has been suggested eBay available to worldwide to capture the more lucrative european market, someone might even want it to repair a crashed lhd car

good luck with the sale

edit

quote from this review to explain the car and it's good points

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/fiat/croma-2005

RobW said:

text reg number to 83444

provides a good realistic valuation

bear in mind 99% of the population have never heard of a Croma so you are looking at an opportunist sale and need to think outside of the box when advertising

in this case an autotrader advert will capture more traditional type buyers looking at a specific price range for an estate car with auto box

or as has been suggested eBay available to worldwide to capture the more lucrative european market, someone might even want it to repair a crashed lhd car

good luck with the sale

edit

quote from this review to explain the car and it's good points

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/fiat/croma-2005

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My god he (Honest Coffindodger) is a tool

Experience is beginning to teach me that this is the optimum engine speed for economy with a modern diesel, though the engine will need to see a few more revs now and again to keep its fuel system and injectors clean.

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How the hell does giving a car some more revs clean the fuel system and injectors? :crazy:

£4400 it went for. Dear oh dear.............steal for someone

306maxi said:

My god he (Honest Coffindodger) is a tool

How the hell does giving a car some more revs clean the fuel system and injectors? :crazy:

Click to expand...

Why not have a word with him?

Email your queries to [email protected] (please include your full name, postal address & phone number).

It’s 23:44 Sun now – maybe we’ll get to see the reply in Sat 11 Sep motoring supplement.

.

lanciaman said:

£4400 it went for. Dear oh dear.............steal for someone

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Hi all,

Yep £4400. My Dad is gutted because it had reached £4000 after a few days.


To make matters worse, the guy who won the auction said there was finance outstanding on it when he did the HPI check through Ebay. Well bearing in mind my Dad paid cash, I knew the problem wasn't with him.

It turns out that Thames Fiat still had it on their "stocking plan", whatever that is, so this was showing on the HPI check.

After a zillion phone calls this morning it has been sorted but the guy can't pick it up until next Monday now.

sitdowndave said:

Yep £4400. My Dad is gutted because it had reached £4000 after a few days ...

Click to expand...

… in contrast to even further disappointment?

Consider what might have been. It was clear (as you say), well before the end, the car would make £4K. But on reviewing the timing of the bids, then it was due to the `second choice’ bidder that disclosed the £4.4K from the winner's unknown max bid.

1 £4,400 Sep/05 20:51
2 £4,300 Sep/05 20:56
2 £4,100 Sep/04 13:16
3 £4,049 Sep/04 11:54
3 £4,000 Aug/31 22:32

Clearly there was time enough remaining for 2 & 3 to reconsider & recover – but they chose not to.

It would be nice to know the winner’s max bid.

----------------------
55 Prestigio 1.9/16v 150hp

Caravadossi said:

It would be nice to know the winner’s max bid.

----------------------
55 Prestigio 1.9/16v 150hp

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I'll ask him later when he collects the car. He said he can't believe he got it a such a low price. He is Italian if that had any bearing on the matter.

My Dad was gutted because he was offered £4500 in part exchange against a Picasso but he figured he would get around £5k in a private sale.

Not enough Croma lovers aroundd I guess.

Hopefully your Dad can get a good discount on his next purchase so he does not loose out.

Caravadossi said:

Why not have a word with him?

Email your queries to [email protected] (please include your full name, postal address & phone number).

It’s 23:44 Sun now – maybe we’ll get to see the reply in Sat 11 Sep motoring supplement.

.

Click to expand...

Can't be bothered There seem to be a load of people happy enough to follow his drivel, I'll leave them to wallow in their own ignorance

sitdowndave said:

I'll ask him later when he collects the car. He said he can't believe he got it a such a low price. He is Italian if that had any bearing on the matter.

My Dad was gutted because he was offered £4500 in part exchange against a Picasso but he figured he would get around £5k in a private sale.

Not enough Croma lovers aroundd I guess.

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If for any reason it falls through, give me a shout! Not that it is likely to....

There is no ******** way I'm letting it go for £3,800, we will be keeping it for some time. I also don't believe in 'the market', given that it is driven by the trade for the trade.


Anyway, it can't lose much more now can it?

I think the preceding details about the ebay auction confirm that "the market" doesn't want a Fiat Croma.

To be honest, that's why I bought one. I have always tried to find the car that's perfectly good but everyone else is overlooking. That's why I got a big luxury diesel estate for less than a shopping trolley (e.g. Fiesta, Corsa etc) of equivalent age.

The Croma... excellent to buy, horrible to sell. The "Hotel California" of cars.

P.S. SitDownDave... Tell your dad he's a twollop. Paying £1000s to swap a nice car like that for a Citroen of all things?!

Doofer said:

I think the preceding details about the ebay auction confirm that "the market" doesn't want a Fiat Croma.

To be honest, that's why I bought one. I have always tried to find the car that's perfectly good but everyone else is overlooking. That's why I got a big luxury diesel estate for less than a shopping trolley (e.g. Fiesta, Corsa etc) of equivalent age.

The Croma... excellent to buy, horrible to sell. The "Hotel California" of cars.

P.S. SitDownDave... Tell your dad he's a twollop. Paying £1000s to swap a nice car like that for a Citroen of all things?!

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Agree with all you say Doofer - my reason exactly for buying one as well. As for £3800 trade in, I would jump at it as this time next year you will be lucky to be offered £2500 for it. 2007 Prestigio with auto and leather for £4400 says it all......as does all the Cromas on autotrader that have been for sale for months

What is a little worrying about all of this is that Fiat/others have always been known for their devaluation (quite unfairly IMHO) but whilst this is good for the second hand buyer, the net effect is that the "brand" takes a massive knocking on may counts.

The only way to personally combat this viscious circle is to buy and retain till the vehicle atoms fall apart.

Doofer said:

P.S. SitDownDave... Tell your dad he's a twollop. Paying £1000s to swap a nice car like that for a Citroen of all things?!

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He's been told, don't worry Doofer. The car has gone now, the buyer collected it this evening.

lanciaman said:

Agree with all you say Doofer - my reason exactly for buying one as well. As for £3800 trade in, I would jump at it as this time next year you will be lucky to be offered £2500 for it. 2007 Prestigio with auto and leather for £4400 says it all......as does all the Cromas on autotrader that have been for sale for months

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I can't agree. At that the car is only worth 20% of it's purchase price 5 years ago. The last time I saw a car dpreciate like that it had a Lada badge on it (and that was for good reason).

The car cannot lose too much more either, there will come a time when the price will plateau (how much longer can a car be valued less than a 60,000 mile Focus two years its senior before people catch on?). Very soon they will leave the forecourts of the franchised dealers (bear in mind few people walk into a Fiat dealer or look under FIAT in Autotrader for this type of car) to the more generic ones where they will stand more of a chance.

Anyway, I'm keeping it and am looking to spend my dosh on a nice TVR S3 to play with instead. I'm just a glutten for punishment.

Radlet6 said:

The car cannot lose too much more either, there will come a time when the price will plateau (how much longer can a car be valued less than a 60,000 mile Focus two years its senior before people catch on?). Very soon they will leave the forecourts of the franchised dealers (bear in mind few people walk into a Fiat dealer or look under FIAT in Autotrader for this type of car) to the more generic ones where they will stand more of a chance.

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Your theory requires that the sheeple have the independent thinking and intelligence required to veer away from the herd.

There are still many, many people around who've "always had Fords, and me dad always had Fords too". In the general mindset, Fiat make tinny little boxes that rust.

Mine came from a Subaru dealer. It was half the price of the equivalent age Subarus but still ignored.

Doofer said:

Your theory requires that the sheeple have the independent thinking and intelligence required to veer away from the herd.

There are still many, many people around who've "always had Fords, and me dad always had Fords too". In the general mindset, Fiat make tinny little boxes that rust.

Mine came from a Subaru dealer. It was half the price of the equivalent age Subarus but still ignored.

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So true..... a friend of mine seems to just buy a new Fester on PCP every 3 or 4 years. Why? I couldn't possibly say tbh.....