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Helping my father purchase a Volt. Looking for best broker/used source in West US? :)

2K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  floatjoy 
#1 ·
Hello everybody,

My father loves the car and so do I. But we hope to get a good price +-15,000 for a heated seat version hopefully 2013 with =-40,000 miles.

I would greatly appreciate any advice or contacts you have besides the stealerships unless they are truly a good deal.

Is there a possibility to buy direct from the banks that sell off-lease volts?

Many Thanks,

William

PS west coast preferred as we are in central California.
 
#2 · (Edited)
Howdy William!
I'm currently in a similar situation, except it's a neighbor of mine who's buying that I'm trying to help out. She just refi'd her house in Campbell, CA, and now has a little bit of money to pick up a used Volt - though with a hard limit of $15k. I recommended the 2013 specifically, since it has an improved battery over the 11/12 MYs, gets the HOV sticker, and due to the large number of recently turned in 3-year leases, has plenty of inventory to keep prices reasonable. Check on cars.com (just an example), and you'll find plenty of 2013 MY Volts with very low miles (~30k) around the $16k-$17k asking price. Many/most of these are from dealers, though, but you should be able to wrangle a grand or two (or more if you're a decent haggler) off the asking price to get you right into your $15k price target. For new Volts, the big dealerships (Keyes, Rydell, Capitol, Fremont/Dublin/Concord, etc.) are likely to get you the best deals, as they're moving MUCH more metal than the little guys and are keen to keep their "best Volt seller" titles. For used Volts, some of the little guys outside of the big EV playgrounds of LA Area/SF Bay Area will give you great deals just to get the danged new-fangled electrical car contraptions off of their lots so they have more space for Suburbans, Tahoes, etc.

Assuming you're paying cash, there's almost nothing out there to top buying a gently used, off-lease Volt in terms of bang for the buck. If you're going to finance, there's a lot to be said for picking up one of the few remaining 2015 new Volts still left in CA. The incentives are still pretty good, you potentially (depending on income situation) get the $7500 Fed tax credit, plus the $1500 CA rebate check (just got mine last week!). Inventory, however, is REALLY bad - right now, there are 12 (TWELVE!) new 2015 Volts listed within a 500 mile radius of Mt. View, CA. If your dad doesn't have the income level to get the $7500 tax credit, then it's far better to get used, as that $7500 credit will already be reflected in a lower price. Keep in mind that after all of the incentives and tax credits/state rebates, the net price on a new 2015 (or 2014) is likely to be around $15k before taxes (no options model) to $20k before taxes (fully loaded model). So the effective discount buying used is not very much at all. In other words, Volts really do hold their value well when the actual net acquisition cost is considered instead of the MSRP. That's a great argument for buying new if possible.

One more thing: the 2017 MY can be ordered this month, and deliveries start in March. That may have an impact on 2016 MY prices, so if buying new is a possibility, there may be some added incentives and dealer discounts in the Feb/Mar time frame. Phew - too much to think about. Glad I got my '15 in October! Best of luck to you and your dad on your Volt search. If you and he can nab a '13 pampered, low-mileage, off-lease Volt for under $15k, then you'll have scored an excellent deal. Plus, he'll get in on the ground floor of the EV revolution that will ultimately lead to cleaner, cooler air and some very unhappy oil pumpers in the Middle East (and Texas, North Dakota, Alberta, Russia, Mexico, Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, etc.).
 
#3 ·
GM dealerships will have GM Certified used cars. Should have no problem finding a 2011 or 2012 Premium version for $15K or less. Might even find a 2013 at that price if you shop.

Don't forget, at some point in the second half of the 2012 cars, they received the battery chemistry update :)
 
#4 ·
norcalkrautnit,

What a warm welcome to the forum. Thank you! I appreciate all the good advice and congratulations on your new 2015. I am so impressed by this car it has really rekindled my love for automobiles/driving after helping my father to purchase one.

After starting at the stealership near north of SLO CA. and getting offered a weak deal I sleuthed a bit. I found a used dealer in Anaheim CA. by the name of Anaheim Pre-Owned Cars. They claim to be the largest seller of used electric vehicles in LA (cornering the used EV market). Their inventory was over 400 used volts, jackpot! I haven't been able to find another source with the selection and competitive pricing they offer; almost exclusively 2013 lease returns, all HOV, 20-50,000mi. Some slightly better prices in Florida at "Off Lease Only". But not worth the distance. Only other strategy I could think of to get a better price was to try to purchase directly from the banks but I have not had any luck finding a process & contacts for that approach....?



Thank you for the new volt advice but used makes more sense for my fathers situation. I guess now I have to start looking for one for myself after this:) Hope it fits my surfboard and drives ok on a rough mile long dirt road....


Thanks and I appreciate all the advice!
 
#5 ·
Thanks Joe67 I did no know the chemistry changed in 2012 but I did know about the hold mode which owners love.
 
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