gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

[awsure]

I went to this auction in Phoenix today and the two trucks I looked at (a 2000 Chevy 2500 & a 2001 Ford F150) went for $13-14k each. Is that not crazy? Where's the costs savings in buying a CNG vehicle if it's getting close to triple the book value?

[CraziFuzzy]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

I went to this auction in Phoenix today and the two trucks I looked at (a 2000 Chevy 2500 & a 2001 Ford F150) went for $13-14k each. Is that not crazy? Where's the costs savings in buying a CNG vehicle if it's getting close to triple the book value?

Look at the numbers, even assuming the trucks are NOT going to utah or oklahoma, you're looking at a savings of $2/gallon (~$4.50/gal vs. ~$2.50/gge). In a vehicle that gets 15mpg, that's 13.33 cents/mile savings. Assuming 15,000 miles a year, that's $2,000/year in savings over a similar gasoline truck. In Utah, that savings is considerably more, even after Questar's upcoming bump in prices.

[freedml]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

I assume you mean the 'blue book' value which is an average of what the cars have sold for in the past. So, as the auction prices skyrocket, the blue book price will take a while to catch up, if they even have listings for CNG vehicles since there are so few of them. If you had bought it a year or two ago, you would have a big smile on your face now.

[freedml]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

Couldn't find any CNG vehicle prices on kbb.com. No Crown Vic, F150 or Civic GX. They have a category for Hybrids, but not Alt fuel vehicles. So how do you know the 'book price.' Did you use the book price for the gasoline version? I know that Civic GXs were going for less than DXs when I bought mine 4 years ago. Now they are going for a lot more than DXs.

[Devo]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

I track what vehicles are going for here (private sellers, dealers, and auctions) - http://www.cnginfoguide.com/node/3

It's interesting to watch a vehicle sold across the country for one price, then watch it show up in Utah asking $5K more.

[freedml]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

That only has Craigslist listings. And they're mostly old.

[Devo]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

Go to the "Auctions (Bi-fuel)" and "Auctions (Dedicated)" tabs.

[Adrian]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

Couldn't find any CNG vehicle prices on kbb.com. No Crown Vic, F150 or Civic GX. They have a category for Hybrids, but not Alt fuel vehicles. So how do you know the 'book price.' Did you use the book price for the gasoline version? I know that Civic GXs were going for less than DXs when I bought mine 4 years ago. Now they are going for a lot more than DXs.

Try edmunds.com , I know they have Civic GX's there and I believe they might have Bi-fuel Cavies in there under an engine option...don't know about Crown Vics or F-150's.

[ajgiorgi]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

Edmunds doesn't have it. I tried looking for a value for my civic gx, but couldn't find one. I'm trying to refinance. There's nothing on NADA guides either, so don't bother. I really hate this part of the civic gx.

[Adrian]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

Edmunds doesn't have it. I tried looking for a value for my civic gx, but couldn't find one. I'm trying to refinance. There's nothing on NADA guides either, so don't bother. I really hate this part of the civic gx.

Not sure what year your Civic GX is, but when I sold my 2003, I had no problem finding the value in Edmunds. Please see link below for a 2003 Civic GX from from Edmunds

https://www.edmunds.com/used/2003/honda/civic/100195842/options.html?tmvaction=vdpresult

I also copied and pasted the info in case the link doesn't work. BTW, I sold it for $16,000...the value Edmunds gave it for a certified used vehicle.

Step 5 Review Edmunds.com Pricing Report
2003 Honda Civic GX Sedan True Market Value Pricing
Trade-In Private Party Dealer Retail
National Base Price $10,745 $12,078 $13,261
Optional Equipment $93 $105 $129
Front Side Airbags $93 $105 $129
Color Adjustment
Light Green $-51 $-57 $-63
Regional Adjustment
for Zip Code 92807 $36 $41 $45
Mileage Adjustment
51,000 miles $601 $601 $601
Condition Adjustment
Outstanding $1,025 $1,102 $1,237
Total $12,449 $13,870 $15,210

Certified Used Vehicle $16,220

[sfdarton]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

I also found the value for my 2003 CNG Cavalier at Edmunds. For some strange reason I was willing to pay $3000 more than thier value here in Utah.

http://www.edmunds.com/used/2003/chevrolet/cavalier/100163708/options.html?tmvaction=vdpresult

Steve

[sirbradii]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

CNG dealers are as bad as the oil companies they hate so much. When there becomes a high demand for your product, hike the price!!! I have a 2000 f-150 i bought in February. Now the dealer I bought it from is selling similar ones for 3-4k more. DO THE MATH BEFORE YOU BUY!!! I was looking to replace my "family" Suburban with a used CNG suburban. But I can drive my current gas hog for years for the premium I would pay for the CNG version (about $7500). It is getting to the point where you could do the conversion for what you can find a used vehicle. My point is this: greed has no bounds!!!

[freedml]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

That's really fuzzy thinking. The extra $7500 you pay for the car doesn't get flushed down the toilet. It's still there when you sell the car down the road. Yes, if gas prices come back down to $2 a gallon the premium you pay now might disappear, but if gasoline goes higher that premium might increase even enough to cover the miles you put on it. That's what's happened with my GXs -- they're worth more now than what I paid for them 4 years ago. And, I've been paying $1-1.50 for CNG the whole time.

[freedml]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

Could you please explain why oil companies are 'bad'?

Yes, when there is an increased demand for your product, the price goes up! The dealer gets a 'windfall' for the ones he has in stock, and the value of every unit out there (I have three currently) goes up, too. Then there are all those non-CNG gas-guzzler dealers who have seen the value of their inventory drop like a rock. Are they the 'good guys' for lowering their prices? Is every gasoline Tahoe and Suburban owner out there a 'good guy' for having the value of his car go down? Will the oil companies be 'good guys' again when the price of oil drops?

[justlooking]

Re: gsa auction prices CRAZY!!

This is not limited to oil companies, therefore other companies would have to be bad as well. There happens to be a lot of volatility in the market in the past few years that leads to good profit for oil companies. Just wondering, at what point do profits make someone bad. 4 cents for every dollar does not sound like a lot to me. And if I was making a killing off consumers I would not pull out like ExxonMobil is.

The blame lies on our do nothing politicians who could not see this coming 10 yrs ago, I say we are getting what we deserve. We keep on putting stupid people back in office who pander to small groups who want to save weeds over our lives.