the only thing that sucks is when you drive by a dealer, and 02-03 USED ES's are selling for like $7-9000 then your like...... "damn".

 

Damn i had no idea they were that low, but i guess, arent they close to being with a neons category.

 

yeah but third party vending is always a higher price. look at www.ModifiedCarTrader.com

 

The sticker was closer to 16K on these cars... so paying 19K in the first place sucks..

Second of all pretty much any car you buy will immediately lose 3K as a general rule.. so now we are at 13,000.

Then from there car depreciation depends on sales value of the car/demand, number produced etc. Because a lot of Lancers were sold, and more were made then needed to be sold, you can buy a brand new 03 OZ for 9,000 to 11,000 in Illinois.

Then you have to figure anywhere from 10 to 20 cents a mile of price drop as well for wear and tear.

Modifications will net you about 15% of their original value. 25% if you are very lucky.

End of story.. buying new will always cost you in the long run, but then you are the only one that owns that car and that is where the benefit is.

 

Yeah, that's why my dad always buys used from a private party and not a dealership. I'm starting to think that that is the way I should have gone when I bought my car. I mean really, my dad just bought a loaded 02 Volvo S80 with only 19,000 miles on it from some older couple who had 4 cars and barely drove the thing for $24,000 and he got the remaining 4 years left in their waranty transfered to him. That's crazy. My car's a little more than 2 years old and has been out of waranty for a few months now. Depreciation SUCKS! But oh well, you don't own the car, the car owns you.

 

i work at a car dealership and when i asked just out of curiosity what is was worth they said trade in was $7000 and dealer retail was around $10000. He said the more aftermarket mods regardless what type will bring value down.

 

I made pretty much the exact same post about 3 weeks ago. It's also why my forum name is what it is. There's no way out man, they've got you by the short hairs. My personal plans are as follow.

1) NEVER BUY ANOTHER MITSUBISHI OR LET A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY BUY A MITSUBISHI AS LONG AS I LIVE!

2) Drive this one till the wheels fall off, put them back on. Drive it till the engine falls out, put it back in. Drive it till frame disintegrates into 1,000 pieces, melt down the little bits and sell them off for scrap metal.

3) Never EVERY buy a new car again period.

4) NEVER BUY ANOTHER MITSUBISHI OR LET A MEMBER OF MY FAMILY BUY A MITSUBISHI AS LONG AS I LIVE!

For those of you who bought your cars for 6-10k, kudos. You are far brighter than myself.

Hrmmm... I wonder if I can put a decree in my will asking my decendants to never buy mitsubishi? I need to speak with my lawyer on that...

~Chris

 

sad02lancer, you're 100% right on all counts, right on we all got screwed paying so much
you could almost say that mitsubishi will ruin my life if i ever lose this job :P

 

Keep it, mod it, dont register it, dont insure it, either trailer it or take ur chances and drive it.