I've been lurking and need advice. I am looking for an 04-06 4x4 5.6l Supercrew. Prices are quite varied. On Ebay, most don't reach reserve and their buy it now is always high so I guess it's Autotrader or a Dealer. What's the best way to use KBB to get a starting price? They've got Trade, Retail, and Private pricing. Is there a better pricing guide? I would like to pay 15-20k. With less than 65k miles. Only 2 options I really want is the moonroof and power seat. Think it's possible or can I do better or am I dreaming? Any year to stay away from? Thanks for the help.

 

The moonroof and power seat are top of the line options....Lariat/King Ranch territory. You'll be hard pressed to find one in that price range. You can try nada.com for pricing.

 

Actually I've found about 80 '04-'05 Supercrews on Autotrader between 18k and 25k asking price with the moonroof and cloth power seat. I don't plan to pay the asking price so I need to find a source to give me a starting price and go from there. It seems most dealers use KBB. Should I take the average of the Private Party and Trade In (wholesale?) price to get a starting point. I don't know anyone who would pay Retail. NADA is about the same as KBB. Thanks

 

Other option: Edmunds.com

 

As you probably have already figured out, you don't need to go to the Lariat/King Ranch level to get the Moon Roof and Power Seats. Both were options all the way down to the XLT. You should be able to find an '04-'05 XLT within your price range. Resale value on these trucks suck.

For private party sales, I would start to negotiate with the KBB trade-in value and go up to the Private Party value if need be. The higher the mileage, the less likely I'd be to offer Private party value.

The NADA is geared more towards dealers who really don't care which options the vehicle has. It is very basic and does not go into much detail. I have found there can be a huge difference between the NADA and KBB, especially with trade-in value.

 

Personally I really like KBB, they seem to have pretty granular pricing based on options. I look for Private Party if I'm buying off the street and Retail if I'm buying from a dealer. Of course try to pay less than that but you'll have some point of reference to go on. If you're paying over that the truck had better be pretty special (ie includes the hot model from the ad ).

x2 that NADA is mostly for dealers, very generalized. Dealers seem to like this one more than KBB, and way more than Edmunds. Edmunds is a lot lower than the other 2 sources and dealers usually laugh when you bring it up from my experience.

I'd say you're in the ballpark with the prices you're looking for. I recommend deciding on the trim level (XLT, Lariat, King Ranch, etc), body style, and 2wd or 4wd, as well as must have options, then search your area and see what turns up. Then check a few of the most promising ones out and feel the seller out as to how much they're willing to negotiate. In Jan I bought an 04 Lariat Screw, 4X4, moonroof, power slider, audiophile, the works with 42K on it for $23K with a 3/36 extended warranty. I feel like I got a pretty good deal on it. Of course price varies by area, I'm in the Seattle area. Good luck and happy hunting!

 

I disagree based on actual sales prices, not MSRP. People are paying $8-13k off MSRP for F-150's. So, take a 4x4 XLT with only a few options, and that's only a $35k MSRP truck. People paid $25k new and after 3 years/50k miles still worth $18-20k. That's quite good!

Anyway, Edmunds have private party and tradei in extimations. Half way between would be a great place to start an offer on a truck you like.

 

Maybe in your region guys are getting $13,000 off of MSRP, but I live in Ford truck country. The dealer will offer you MSRP minus rebates and KBB "poor" condition trade-in value for your old truck. If you don't like it, there are two guys behind you waiting to buy the same truck. They won't entertain invoice or x-plan pricing. Maybe I need to start buying my trucks in WI.

That's not to say you can't get a good deal. I buy a new Ford almost every year. So, the dealers in my region know me and take care of me. The sticker on my 2005 SCrew was $41K and some change. I walked out the door for $26K cash. As soon as I drove it off of the lot, KBB Private Party value was just $25,000. The average buyer would have paid $37K for that truck with rebates at the time. That's a heck of a loss in my book.

 

I would suggest trying craigslist. I got my '04 Lariat SC, LOADED, 16K miles, last November for 24K off of CL. They are out there, and prices are good since the mileage ain't!

Lariat 4X4
Leather, heated seats
tow package 3.73's
5.4L 3v
tonneau cover
rhino liner
moonroof
audiophile
power slider

Under warranty til 11/07 - Good luck, you'll love your new truck when you settle on one.

 

The more I search, the more trucks I find. For giggles I look at ebay, they rarely reach the reserve, so they just relist them over and over. Lots of good deals on auto trader. Craigslist has nothing where I live. Of course the dealers are really high as well. As the price of gas starts to rise, which it is doing right now, there will be even more deals. I am glad I am a buyer and not a seller right now.