I have had this Focus on the market since 7-20. In that period of time, I have had MAYBE 4 phone calls and only two test drives. At the time of the test drives, I had it priced higher thinking I would make a little money on the car. The folks that test drove it, loved it, but were looking for something much cheaper. I like driving the car personally. It is much more sporty than I would have thought. My theory on why is hasn't sold, is that a person most likely looking at this type of car will need financing and if they have to finance, they might as well get a new one... (in their mind). Oh yeah and it is a 5 speed. I see not other reasons for the lack of interest unless there is something about these models that I do not know. Alright all of you car experts, what's the problem? "Economy" is not the answer. Used cars are selling like crazy; just not this one. It is on display on a road with a daily traffic count of 4400 + Here is my craigslist ad - no holds barred http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/ctd/2691766839.html Thanks for your help. Rodney
I truly would like to be able to offer some kind of advice but I can't seeing as I am in the same kind of boat you are... just with 03 Optima. Dealerships will sell them for twice the price of mine but no interest in it, nonetheless. :confused:
I look at the ad and see 4 things that stand out to me that would turn away a typical CL buyer. 1) you're keyword spamming with all the city/neighborhood areas, and there's some real jerks out there who will flag it off for that alone 2) you don't mention the miles in the ad but I was able to see the tiny pic with the 98,000 miles showing with the "book prices" and people might skip the ad if the miles aren't mentioned 3) the car has generic aftermarket hubcaps instead of the original Focus ones which should look like this: those are the 9-spoke or then there is the 7 spoke one I like better: But be careful using the 7 spoke ones though, see how bad they look if the wheels aren't clean and black ? 4) I know when I was looking for an economy car I was looking for a 2005ish Focus ZX4 S sedan, 5-speed. This was 2 years ago. I had no trouble finding them for $4000-$5000 back then. So $4450 just screams to me "dealer retail" and I go back to looking for privately owned cars like this one in Dallas which is white, a 5-speed, a 4-door, with lower miles, but has hail damage: http://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/ctd/2682624110.html edit: oops, that one is under dealer as well... anyhow, my point is, there is no point, CL buyers are picky, finicky, idiotic, and unpredictable I wish you luck selling the car. I wish Xavier luck with the Optima. Hate the toothy grill in 2003, that's the biggest turnoff to me, I would swap it for the 04-06 style immediately. And maybe I'll have good luck dumping my wife's Durango. She said get rid of it.
actually those aren't the right wheels for the car period! the zx3 hatchback had alloys as standard equipment. the zx4 sedan had hubcaps standard. further they where 16" wheels. i had a 2002 zx3 that i bought new (only brand new car I ever owned) probably the best all-around car i have ever owned! fully loaded...except no moonroof and it was a stick. ...bright yellow!
Being a former Focus owner myself, I decided to check in here. I did a Kelley Blue Book on your Focus. Got $4,503 private party value, $3,113 Trade-in value, and this was in 'Very Good' condition with your stated equipment and mileage. (My daughter has a '04 ZX3 that is equipped almost identically) I agree with Occupant. I think your price is high.
Unfortunately you can't always get book value. Back in 06 when I was married. I was trying to sell my wife's Chevy minivan. It was an 03 with about 40k miles and looked like new. Book was $9,500. We had it for sale for 6 months and kept dropping the price. Finally took an offer of $6,000 and still owed another $3,000 to the bank.
Though it's my own personal preference, the 5 spd is a turn off for a huge section of the market. Some of the younger people today don't even know how to drive one. It's a shame because as I said, I would much rather drive a 5 spd than auto, but admittedly I'm in the minority. That's too bad , because it looks like it's in fine shape. One other point and that is the market defines the price. If it hasn't sold in that long of a period, I'm sorry to say it, but the price is too high. I'm sure you could sell it tomorrow for $1500, (not that you ever would or should), so it's just a matter of finding what the right price of it is. As disappointing as it may be, it's only worth what somebody will pay for it, regardless of what the books say. Did you ask those 4 prospects to make you an offer?
Thanks for all the advice. I wouldn't have expected less. okay so... 1. Cut my losses and lower my price 2. "decommecialize" my ad 3. The hubcaps are cheesy 4. Offer absolute bottom dollar with next real prospect The previous good prospects have since purchased something else. It does sound like you guys were happy with your Focus. I know I like driving it (as far as modern cars go) and this make it easy to discuss. note - The 2005 Ford Focus ZX3 did come with 15" wheels and hubcaps standard - http://www.nadaguides.com/Cars/2005/Ford/Focus-4-Cyl/Hatchback-3D-ZX3-S-5-Spd/Standard-Equipment alloy optional (perhaps 16") My ad does state the mileage, though it could be better placed or empahsized (line 6 in ad) I started out at $5950 in July, then dropped to $4950 in late August and then yesterday to $4450. I will let it ride at that for a couple of weeks and then go into "losing money on this car" pricing. I knew I should have stuck with wagons. Thanks again for the help Rodney
Keep in mind people like small numbers. So from 4450 you might come down to 4125 which looks like a smaller number than 3988 for example. Just a thought.
I really loved my '03 Focus wagon. Part of the love for it was the equipment loaded, with leather, 16" alloys, and a moonroof) and part of it was the engine - the larger PZEV 2.3 Duratec - had about 150hp vs. the standard 2.0 with around 125 I believe....... And you're right on the wheel covers. My daughter's car is also the plain jane model, and came with steelies and wheel covers, although somebody also put A/M crappy ones on it before she purchased it. Focus content / features / even the model names changed throughout the 2000 - 2010 period. That's why eveybody's confused about what's stock / optional........ My Focus was the top-of-the line 'ZTW' wagon. Had color-keyed side moldings and rear license lamp cover, among other things. Then again, I've seen 'ZTW' wagons without the fancy trim mine had.......I've given up trying to make sense of it all......
ok ...i am not wrong... i worked for ford in 05' i had to deal with the wheel issue because mine were stolen off the car while i was out of town! the 4 door had standard steelies (lx) also had the split port 112hp engine (a carryover from the escort) the zx3 and zx5 had 15" alloys to start and optional 16" what usually happens is the "fart-can kids" sell the alloys, put a set of rims on the car and in the snow belt, mount a set of snow tires to 14 inch steelies because they are cheaper. most of the time when they sell the car, it has the steelies because they sell the custom wheels.
Ian - everybody's confused on Focus content - even the so-called Focus experts over on Focus Fanatics.com where I visit. In the first couple of years IIRC, the ZX3 hatch had a higher 'standard equipment' level than did the sedan or wagon. Then, when the 5-door ZX5 came out in 2002, the same thing happened to it, and by this time, they were starting to de-content the ZX3. Also, over the course of the different model years, Ford would change up the model designations from among SE, LX, SEL, S, etc......it would take a novel-sized book to detail it all. Also, to make it more confusing, I think there were a number of mid-year content changes as well.
I roll in a 2002 ZX5. When I began to acquire it in 2009 (making payments) I paid I think was right at 7K. But it was virtually brand new, only at 22K miles. Its got about 46K miles right now. Reason I jumped on it, at that price, was all the ones I was looking at were high high milage and just beat to death. Plus everyone wanted at least 5K for them. The "newer" ones the 04-07 models were stickered at about 9K and the 08-09 were 10K+. Then again, that was almost 3 years ago. So prices have gone down some. I would definitely try and get some Focus hubcaps or even a set of the alloy rims. As bad as it sounds it does make or break a car. When most people see a modern car (less then 10 years old or so) you expect to see rims, at least factory ones. If not, a good set of clean matching hubcaps. The wally world specials may be an initial turn off. But, right now its a hard market. The thing when I do when I try and sell anything is take pictures, good pictures and lots of them. When I have sold on Craigslist I always used Photobucket and placed large clear pictures of the items. Then still attached the small craptastic ones at the bottom, so when someone does "has image" search your car will still come up. I wish you luck in moving it!!
