Cost of Add-ons

[DJVG49]

I'm looking at a used '08 Passion. The ad says there are several add-ons that I don't know how to price to ensure I'm getting a good deal on the car.

Does anyone know the costs for these items?
LoJack - install, etc. (I know I have to pay for the service.)
GPS
Cruise Control
Sirius - install, etc. (I know I have to pay for the service.)
Tinted windows

The car has all the other options, except the tach/clock. So, I can work with the configuator for those costs.

Any help is appreciated.

[rawlus®]

lojack - is usually a few hundred dollars, there is no service to pay for.
GPS - don't know about this one, varies wildly depending upon the exact implementation - is it a $100 tomtom or a $1000 touch-screen mobile entertainment system?
cruise control - prices are in this forum somewhere, have to search - i think it's $600 or so plus installation.
sirius - again, depends upon implementation - some receivers are inexpensive, $100. it may be built into whatever is also providing the GSP however. more details are needed.
Tinted windows - cheap tint is $150 or so, more expensive tint (ceramic) would be around $300 or so.

if it's loaded and has all the other jazz above, i'm guessing they are asking over $20K for it. personally i would pass. very rarely should you even consider these aftermarket add-ons in determining price. if it's not factory it doesn't matter. IMHO anyway.

[JPaul]

To give an idea, a "basic" Lo-Jack is about $700, the "warning" is $300 extra. The latter will actually trigger an alert on the owner's phone number or e-mail.
For more details, check:
LoJack Car Security System for Stolen Vehicle Recovery
Or:
LoJack Prices and Discounts / LoJack Car Security Systems

[rawlus®]

i just re-read your post.
the car is loaded except it lacks tach/clock pods?
i would ask for a discount then since that's actually something that is useful.

actually. i would look at another vehicle without so much aftermarket crap on it. wouldn't you want to put your own crap on the car instead of payback someone else for putting their crap on your new car?

[John_H]

If you like the stuff that's on there and you don't want to twiddle your thumbs and wait and wait for one without extras to come up, It's worth considering even at an "unfair" cost for those add-ons because the owner isn't making a lick of profit off the add-ons tossed in there by the dealer. The add-ons are what the "market would bear" for new autos and now that it's used, what will the market bear?

The question the original buyer had to ask was "is it worth the extra cost for this 'fluff' for me to have the car I want now rather than later?"

Ask yourself the same question. If you have immense patience, wait. If you want the car - go for it!

[NuBiker]

I agree with rawlusa. Aftermarket stuff doesn't count towards the price of a car.
All my vehicles, when I do any bolt ons, I keep the original stuff. When it comes time to sell, I return the vehicle to it's original, off the lot condition.
Stock as a rock, and manufacturer accessories get you your best trade in value.
And personaly, I would only purchase a used car if it had no mods on it. Because I would worry that the person took shortcuts and didn't do the work correctly.
If you really want the car, check Kelly Blue book, or one of the other services that do appraisals to help you arrive at a price.
Or, get preapproved for a loan at your local credit union, and ask them how much they will loan you to get you into that car.
Good luck !!! Let us know what you do.
Best Regards,
Nu

[DJVG49]

I was initally in the market for a Passion, with most of the options offered on line, and configured it accordingly. However, when the ad showed a lot of "goodies" that would be nice to have, but not really necessary, my interest was piqued.

The offer is below $20k, and the local Smart dealership called me a moment ago and said they had a new Passion on the floor for $22,250, with all the options I described earlier (only missing the fog lights and 6-CD changer), so from what I'm gathering, the used car is a good price.

I'm not worried about having a tach. I've driven a manual for years and pretty much know the sync'ing by sound (or even the speedometer). It's for in town driving, so the standard option fits my need.

As to loading my own extras, this works for me, too. I wasn't going to get any of them to start with, so having them already on the car takes the work out of it for me (including time for install). So, overall I'm satisfied with everything the car has to offer.

I appreciate everyone's input and help. That's why I came to the forum, to get help from my new community.

Thank you, so much, for your help!

[mvaldes]

I don't know if you're in the NJ area. If you are, the dealer in Englewood I bought mine from has a few new '08 Smarts without add-ons. You could five them a call and ask Michael, the manager, what's available and how much. (888-211-8045 ) You might get an even better deal.