rtedstr

Is it worth it to overpay a bit (i.e. buy from Carmax) to get almost exactly what you want in a used car? In my case I'm looking at buying an 06 Rio Yellow, but since this is a more general question I figured I'd put it in Car Talk.

CKit

What is "overpaying?" Are people overpaying for Mugen radiator caps? Are people overpaying for First Class airfare or a gourmet meal?

That's a pretty vague question and depends entirely on you.

[DT]

If you're considering a dealer based purchase vs. a private sale, then yes, generally dealer retail is a little higher than private. The purchasing process can be simplified through a dealer and of course if you've got an existing car to dispose of, makes it one transaction (assuming a trade-in).

That being said, a dealer (like Carmax) isn't going to have the car you want anymore than the entire private sale used market - it's all pretty random, and IF right at this moment Carmax has "your car", whose to say next week, it's not going to pop up somewhere else.

I'd say determine good pricing based on sales here, doing a little research via KBB and Edmunds, and always be willing to walk away [from a dealer "deal"].

rtedstr

I guess I should be more specific. I'm looking at a car that Carmax has now that will cost me about $1000 more than probably the real "market value." Just debating if its worth it or if I should end up waiting six more months searching just to save the little bit of money. I guess I'm really wondering whether my enjoyment of the car will always be tainted by the fact that I know I overpaid a bit.

Penforhire

Satisfaction with any given purchase is important to me. That doesn't always mean price. If I overpay I am conscious to not dwell on it otherwise it will sour the feeling. I believe it depends largely on your economic circumstances.

If you don't have a lot in the bank and your income is $20K/year you should be quite unhappy to overpay $1K. If your retirement is set and you're taking home six-plus figures then overpaying is not likely to sting so much in your mind later, IMO.

CKit

It depends on what your time and hassle are worth.

If it takes you 50 more hours of searching and haggling to get that extra $1000... if you get paid $10 per hour, maybe worth it. If you get paid $200 per hour, maybe not.

Some people get up at 4 in the morning to save $50 in a Black Friday sale. Some people sleep in and pay a few bucks more online, but avoid the hassle.

And Carmax does have the advantage of shipping from site to site, so in that respect it may have better availability than the local retailer.

You could always convince yourself that you paid the $1000 for the 30-day guarantee....

[DT]

If you don't mind me asking, what's the mileage and price (with an S, options are not a factor )

Out of curiosity, I did a couple of searches and found several '06 yellow cars. There was one that was 12K miles, cert'ed, and $23.9K (it looked mint).

TheDonEffect

Yeah, it all depends. On a car like an s2000, getting exactly what you want may be worth the extra 1000 bucks.
Something to consider, is this a toy/second car or is this going to be your primary car. Do you have a current car? Is there a clock ticking forcing you to make a decision by some date? How do you know it;s 1000 bucks over market, that's a pretty accurate determination considering it;s a newer s2000.

rtedstr

Yes the lack of options does make it easier :-) 06 Rio with 30k for $19.6k+$300 transfer+$150 Carmax fee. That might be a reasonable price in the spring but its a bit high with three months of winter ahead.

CKit

But if you wait, then the price will go up and you won't have the car...