[EboniLM]

As soon as it's paid off, I plan on trading my Soul in for a Sportage. I only have roughly 3.5k to pay off. Should take me no longer than 2 years to pay it off. I should be done with the payments in 2013.

The sticker price of my Soul was like 16,500. The drive off price was roughly 18,500.

The Sportage starts off at that price.

So, i figure...depending on what trim I get the Sportage shoould be about 18-20.5k.

Factoring in depreciation and how well i take care of it...by the time i trade in my Soul, it'll be worth a few grand less than it is now...

Optimistically , i hope to not have to pay more than 7k in the difference.

Thoughts?

 

[4037]

I am thinking of doing the same thing. I am just hoping the gas mileage on the Sportage improves the next couple of years.

 

[EboniLM]

Well, the mileage of the Sportage is only 2-3 mpg above the mileage for the 2011 Soul. I just want something a tad bit bigger and with a slightly more aggressive look. I see a few of them on the road and they're not too much bigger than the Soul. There shouldn't be too much of a gas mileage difference for me.

Now for someone with a 2012 Soul...the mileage gap is a tad bigger.

 

[Blackbeard]

I had a 2005 Hyundai Tucson. The Sportage was/is built on the Tucson's Chassis. Like the Soul, it too is Front Wheel Drive. My Tucson was great! I had the V6 Engine, and it was a quiet and comfortable ride. When we first moved to Texas in 2005, I had to make several Road Trips to El Paso (550 Miles one-way.....), and always enjoyed the Tucson's ride. The Seat's were extremely omfortable, the V6 pulled me right up those West Texas mountain roads, and I got decent Gas Mileage (22/25, IIRC.....). All in all, a really nice package!

Like you, I'm in Texas as well. That being said, using your Soul as a Trade-In, you should make out pretty good. Whatever they give you for your Soul, will knock down the Sales Tax on the Sportage quite a bit. I traded in my 2009 Jeep Wrangler, (Paid Off...) and ended up paying just over $100 for Sales Tax on the Soul. A Trade-In takes a BIG BITE out of the Sales Tax factor, and might leave you enough room to opt for an Upgrade like UVO or something.

I say, go for it!

Best of Luck!

Cheers!

BB

 

[tempest]

Sportage is a hell of a car, but in the UK a car loses a third of its value as soon as its purchased - so you may have to find a bit more than you expect to cover the cost difference.

 

[DixonL2]

Why wait? Check the trade in now - your payments are racing against the depreciation on the car to see who wins...

That said, trading in such a new car instead of keeping it a while is gonna cost you money (depreciation) in the longer term, but if it's what you want and you can afford it, then... why not?

 

[alkydrinker]

Speaking of trading in, I just got serious about looking into trading my 2011 Soul + and am sorely disappointed in my offers. It is a Plus, manual transmission, with the factory stereo upgrade, an aftermarket sunroof, about 14,500 miles, and in very good condition.

A Mazda dealership offered $14,000 and Carmax only offered $13,500. I was disappointed because NADA was saying like 14,200 in average condition and $15,100 in "clean" condition. I am trying to trade it for a new Mazda 3 i Touring Skyactiv. I may just end up holding on to the Soul.

 

[klas]

^^ you will probably make out better in another year - traded mine at the 2 year mark with about the same miles on it and got $14,500 without audio upgrade or sunroof...

and eboni - was initially interested in sportage but they told me i should wait b/c they would be redoing and the newer ones do look much better than the one i would have had to buy - looks similar to honda's crv which was another one i was interested in but opted to go smaller for now but still do miss the higher ride....

 

[alkydrinker]

^^^I don't see my value increasing, but my equity situation could improve over time. My speculation is that my low trade-in offers are due to: bad economy, next gen Soul is now out, and many used Souls on the market including previous rentals.

My goal was to trade my Soul for a Mazda3 iTouring and only have my car debt increase by about $4K. Looks like that won't be possible if I go for the automatic trans that I wanted, but could make those numbers work if I went with a manual Mazda3.

I'm going to let it simmer over the xmas weekend, then maybe visit the dealership again...they say the last week of December can bring some great deals on cars. Though, I think I've already found the floor where the dealership would be willing be make me a deal and obviously they won't take a deal that loses money regardless of what week of what month it is.

 

[klas]

^^ we are pretty much neighbors - am right around philly and just traded a couple months ago so economy and the invasion of those prolific rats wasn't an issue here - is amazing how many of em are around these parts now and most especially my alien color lol.... it still 2011 so makes sense that you wouldn't get that great of a deal now for a 2011 b/c have heard that you shouldn't trade for at least 3 years or something like that but wasn't into keeping my lemon for another year... imo if kia sales keep on the way they have been (and nothing major comes up for the company in the way of a recalls etc) then could be you will get close to the same offer at the 2 year mark and most especially if yours is loaded with the features that kia is doing alacart now....

 

[Blackbeard]

...they say the last week of December can bring some great deals on cars. Though, I think I've already found the floor where the dealership would be willing be make me a deal and obviously they won't take a deal that loses money regardless of what week of what month it is.

You might be surprised! Car Dealerships rely heavily on SALES QUOTA. The BEST TIME to buy a New Car, is the Last Day of the Month, as Dealer's are trying to MEET/EXCEED their Monthly Quota. The ABSOLUTE BEST TIME to buy a New Car, is the end of December. This can bring a Dealership over the top on Annual Sales! Dealer's will sell below Invoice on a Car, if it means a Year End Sale, during the last days of the year.

The more cars a Dealer Sells in a year, the more cars they're allocated for the next year. Dealer's ALWAYS want to get more, so they can sell more. So, they're willing to sacrifice a few $$$K, in order to get a Larger Sales Allocation for the next year. Believe me..... they WILL make up those lost $$$ from the previous year, by inflating the Prices for their New Allocation. It's a Snapshot & Big Picture thing, in the end.

If you REALLLLLLY want that Mazda 3 Auto Tranny, give it a shot. What have you got to lose? The most they can say is, "NO DEAL", in which case you can give it another year and try again.

Best of Luck!

Cheers!

BB

 

[EboniLM]

Thanks guys. I mean, i would LOVE to trade it in now, but i feel as if it'd be better financially to fully pay off this car first. I'd rather not be in too much debt. I'm young, but with very good credit from paying my student loans, keeping a good standing with my bank accounts, and making my car payments on time. I'd rather not ruin that lol. Apparently, to have good credit at this age is an anomaly...

But anyways. Honestly, as long as i get a minimum of 12-13k for this thing, i'd be content. Like Blackbeard said, regardless, it'd take a HUGE chunk of the taxes and such off. I'd love to get 14-15k though. I just need to take really good care of it for the next two years, perhaps i should invest in a bra and finally get those mudflaps in order to keep these rock/debris dings that plague my vehicle at bay.

I'd hope to not have to pay over 22k for the new Sportage, so whatever I get for my Soul plus whatever money I put down should shorten the gap pretty well, eh?

I just want something bigger. I love my Soul, but it's a bit too "cute" for my tastes.

 

[DixonL2]

...the invasion of those prolific rats...

<shakes head> klas, klas, klas...

Eboni and Alky, what it comes down to is whether the extra money is worth it for a slightly different driving experience, all other things equal. If there are problems with the car (and know that most of us have found the Soul pretty reliable), or simply different needs in transportation, that's another story... and the mazda3 is a pretty cool car, more a "driver's" experience than the Soul, but smaller. You're in a pretty large metro market, you should be able to cross-shop dealers pretty easily. I know it can be a pain to drive all the way across town", but saving even $200 on a car is the exact same thing as someone saying "would you drive across town for me to give you $200 free and clear?" Thought of that way, it's worth a little shopping around. Good luck with whatever decision you make...

 

[tempest]

I love my Soul, but it's a bit too "cute" for my tastes.

Thanks Eboni!!!!.....why not take a rolling pin to my "man plums" and do the job properly!!!!.....lol

 

[Straitjacket_Jimmy]

Nay.

Hate to be blunt, but it's a silly idea and a waste of money.

 

[EboniLM]

Would you mind stating your reasons why, Jimmy? I'm completely open to positive, neutral, and negative opinions. I'd love to hear your reasoning!

<shakes head> klas, klas, klas...

Eboni and Alky, what it comes down to is whether the extra money is worth it for a slightly different driving experience, all other things equal. If there are problems with the car (and know that most of us have found the Soul pretty reliable), or simply different needs in transportation, that's another story... and the mazda3 is a pretty cool car, more a "driver's" experience than the Soul, but smaller. You're in a pretty large metro market, you should be able to cross-shop dealers pretty easily. I know it can be a pain to drive all the way across town", but saving even $200 on a car is the exact same thing as someone saying "would you drive across town for me to give you $200 free and clear?" Thought of that way, it's worth a little shopping around. Good luck with whatever decision you make...

Thank you dixon! You've been a great help. I'll definitely use this time to do a little more research on the Sportage and to make sure the money would be worth it.

Another thing though, isn't 2013 the year of the new Soul revamp? As in completely new body style and such? Depending on what Kia unveils within these next 1-2 years, i'll definitely be keeping my options and eyes open. Regardless, i'm sticking with Kia.

Thanks Eboni!!!!.....why not take a rolling pin to my "man plums" and do the job properly!!!!.....lol

Lol! I meant no offense to the more testosterone inclined And anyway, you have one of the manliest Souls on the site!

 

[tempest]

Lol! I meant no offense to the more testosterone inclined And anyway, you have one of the manliest Souls on the site!

Phew!!!....my plums are safe.....lol

 

[klas]

^^ :laughonfloor you english blokes with your words/phrasing is so funny!!

 

[NurseDiesel]

I say yay. I would have gone Sportage in the first place but the price was considerably more than the Soul. Gas mileage was another concern. The new Sportages are hot! I always enjoy seeing them.

 

[EboniLM]

^^ Exactly my reasoning as well, lol. Price was just a TAD bit too steep, and i wanted something with good mileage. But looking at the mileage of the new Sportages, it's only a few mpgs lower than the 2011 Soul...give or take.

I drool everytime I see them on the road. I passed one today that had these awesome LED daytime running lights (though, i think the 2012 souls have those too?). Couple that with that sexy aggressive, wide stance and I almost ran into something, lol.