S55 DVM

Ok, here's the dilemma.

I've got to unload my beloved Scoob, but can't seem to get any buyers. Please, before anyone moans that I shouldn't post this here, I've got a couple of sales threads running in the sales section, this here is a serious question.

The car's absolutely dead genuine, done 10,000 miles, Sept 98 on S, dark green, saloon, Quickshift, Cat1, but local advertising (Aberdeen) has resulted in zero, repeat zero calls. Plus the car has been sitting in the Subaru main agent showroom for the past month again without much interest.

I started off at £18,000, but have adjusted to sub £17,000 just to get shot of it.

The point is, what is the problem here? Is everyone avoiding UK cars and buying an import? I myself was going to get an import, and I fully realise they can be got for circa £16,000 (I have the quote from Holland on my desk), but surely someone wants a reasonably priced UK car?

I'd appreciate any ideas for a buyer, even for sale to a dealer. Can anyone recommend a specialist to try, or should I whack it in Autocar or Top Marques? Can anyone comment on the response received from such adverts?

By the way, I'm replacing it with a Volvo S40 T4. Embarassing to say that, but I've had my Scooby front bonnet scoop nicked twice, which is a pain, plus I got the Volvo real cheap off an oil company.

Any ideas would be very appreciated.

David.

Paul Wilson

not a very helpful response here, but the problem may be the colour green not too popular on the scoob.

johnfelstead

i sold my cossie by placing an add on the autotrader web site, only costs £5, after months of the usual advert channels. My mate sold his car on the web too and i bought my sport by scanning the web every morning.

Its well worth a try, the web is taking over quicker than you think!!

Sonic

I bought last weeks Autotrader just for a nosey and it seems to be full of imports -nothing but Sti's and WRX's.

There are only one or two UK cars about MY98 or so. So it may be worthwhile putting it in.

(Only thing being that all the imported cars in Autotrader seem to be a LOT cheaper than UK cars .. i.e. why is anyone gonna pay 17-18 grand for a UK car with (1 year warranty left)when they can have a choice of an STi for 2 grand less (1 year warranty from garage)?

Example : MY95 WRX, claiming Tommy Kaira bodykit and engine conversion (320 bhp it says) .. 14,995

Sorry this isn't too much help either

Sonic.

P.S Top gear mag (uses Glass's guide) also says a 98S scooby should retail about 16 grand? You should obviously get more than that but when people read this and then see your at 18 grand? Well you can figure that out ..

AlexM

I would invest more in advertising the car before discounting the price by £1000!. Unless it is a fire sale, you can afford to run adverts for ages for that differential...

All car sales are a bit slow, but the UKMY98 is still a desirable car and will sell if you advertise widely enough.

Good Luck,

Alex

Blow Dog

Well, some points I think are valid:

1) The green Impreza is far from a desirable choice. It is very popular and holds an equal share of Impreza colours.
2) The 98 model is a bit of a grey area. It is just before the 99 model and just after the 97 model.(well done genius, I hear you say) Thing is, 97 models can be had for quite cheap (14.5k for a good example) and there is very little difference from a 97 and a 98 apart from the interior. The 99 model, however, has the complete new model, facelift, engine et all. All this for just a few hundred pounds more (£17.5k for a good example). When I was in the market to buy an Impreza, I ruled out the 98 for these reasons. I hope this doesnt dampen your fire,
3) Keep your spirits up though, there will always be a market for UK cars. There are still a lot of people who find buying abroad very risky and dont quite trust agents, warranties and insurance.

Best of luck anyway,
Cem

JohnS

iTrader: (1)

Part of the problem seems to be local to Aberdeen. I have known quite a few "expensive" cars advertised locally for sale, and finding a buyer with the cash (or loan) available is very rare. Most of the expensive locally advertised cars eventually seem to be traded in or sold to dealers at a knock down price, who then advertise (and sell them), for more than your original asking price.

I would suggest advertising on the web, as it is simple, easy and inexpensive. Most of the users of this BBS already have an Impreza, so aren't really in the market for another one.

When I sold my sisters car for her, I placed ads in the local free newspapers (very cheap), the main local newspapers (quite expensive), and also some free web sites (

Showtime

So are STi's selling then, anyone had sucess selling them on to a 2nd UK owner..??

S55 DVM

Thanks for the ideas guys, at least you had the decency not to kick me while I'm down (re Volvo T4!)

Had one local call, a private punter bidding £15,500!!! Think I'll try a national advert.

David.

EdwardH

and buy.

WAL

Well green seems a pretty popular colour in the Portsmouth and surrounding areas, far better than (yawn) DBM. I think if you have a look at a 97 and 98MY you'll see more than a few differences.
Warren
green 98MY

KevinS

Sold my 98R two weeks ago no problem to a guy who loves it and is on this BB. Keeps phoning me to ask questions about it. If you're reading this, hi Jack, I've only one week 6 days to go for my new one.

brooks

Hey Warren,

what is wrong with DBM!!!!!!!! You will soon be seeing a W reg. one in the Portsmouth area!!!!

WAL

Brooks
Just got a bit fed up with DBM owners(not all) feeling the colour of their car makes them the only ones people are interested in buying second hand. A thread a while back covered this with red and white cars getting a good slagging. Its all a matter of taste really at the end of the day isn't it!!
Hope you enjoy your car, I'll give you a wave if I see you, guess you'll have the obligatory gold wheels as well.....
see ya
Warren

brooks

Warren,
I think I prefer the silver wheels and the ones on the MY00 have really grown on me. Can I confess to liking them? I also was tempted by silver for the car.

Where do you get your car serviced? Anywhere you would/would not recommend. Apologies for going a bit off thread.

Markus

I'm trying to sell my mondy at the mo (see the thread in the for sale section)

Have submitted it to web only at the mo, simply because I'm perm connected to the net at work and it's a lot easier for me to pop something on the web than phone a classified section of a newspaper.

I've submitted it to

WAL

Hi Brooks
We get the scoob serviced at Sparshatts of Botley and they have honestly been very good. Norman the service manager is very knowledgable(suppose he should be really!)and any snags get sorted without fuss. I suppose I'm lazy really and have never tried any of the other dealers, Carringdale(Bognor), Chapelgate(Ferndown)or Mill Lane(Basingstoke)in our area.
I've yet to see an MY00 on the road so can't comment on the wheels, keeping them silver would be a first though for you DBM clones...
Anyway have fun when it arrives and beware the Police mobile laser in and around Fareham/ Portchester/Portsmouth; they sit in the back of a white van with the doors open, very hard to spot!
see ya
Warren

brooks

Hi Warren,

thanks for the info. I will keep my eyes peeled. Since I do not tend to speed in town I hope I will be okay. You may see me around from March onwards......Can't wait!

GCollier

S55 DVM >>>

If it's any consolation, I had the same lack-lustre response when I advertised my 10 month old 99MY DBM 4-door, and eventually sold it for a 4K loss. Even the guy who bought it said that he thought he might be buying at a daft time, because of the rumours of impending price-cuts.

I think that the impreza is still a very desirable car, because there isn't really anything equivalent for similar money to compete with it. But, I think that some Dutch dealers are now selling more RHD than LHD cars, so this is bound to be affecting residuals. A lot of people will say "why should I buy a 98MY car for £17000 when I can get a brand new 00MY car for £15500 (and ask yourself, why should they?) You've just got to get the price right by making it tempting to people who are too lazy to otherwise import, and it _will_ sell.

It _may_ be worth phoning around some dealers, but in my experience they either wanted to buy the car for peanuts, say they weren't interested, or (and this is the majority) feign interest, say they'll call back and then not bother.

So far as advertising, I'd try Exchange and Mart and Online Auto-trader (both resulted in "hits" for my scoob). I would be on my guard however, because I did get some weird people contacting me about the car, and I've read various scare stories about theft by deception or aggravated theft in such cases. And do keep advertising on this BBS. I eventually sold it here, though it was after about 5 adverts!

Good luck with the sale.

Gary.

S55 DVM

Thanks for the info guys, but I'm glad to say I've had a change of heart, I'm going to keep the Scoob for the meantime. Bugger the residuals, I want this car for its sheer grin factor.

Picked it back up from the dealer who was trying to sell it for me, I can't believe I considered selling it!!! The Volvo T4 I have been running for the past month is great on the open road, nearly as quick as the Scoob, but as I drive probably a couple of hours a day round the streets of Aberdeen, I desperately missed the ability to blast out in gaps in the traffic from junctions and roundabouts. The T4 just span its wheels doing this.

The Volvo is dead, long live the Scoob!

David.

Mick

iTrader: (1)

YES! YES! YES!
Do it ! Keep that Scoooooooby !!!
Stuff that Volvo
Mate has a C70 T5 - nice car without a doubt (He even let me drive it - only person except his missus!) but it CAN NOT compare at all with a Scoob !!

Haaaaaaaa

Mick