Thinking of upgrading from 1.8LX Mk3 Mondeo to ST220 - advice please

MikeHiow · 2 Jan 2011 at 12:14

The problem with Joe Bloggs using Autotrader to value his car is that ambitious prices hang around for longer. As someone has already stated - a cars value isn't defined by its autotrader price, as you cannot see sold items or what they were finally sold for.

The thing with a dealer is - they've probably simply priced it according to Glass's/CAP, with perhaps some further reductions down the line if it hangs around too long.

The way people are talking about ST220 prices, seems to be the way way they were talking about them at the beginning of the last year, as if they haven't depreciated at all.

daveydave · 2 Jan 2011 at 15:13

That's because the car in question has arguably done all it's depreciation, it's an N-1 body style with a 3 litre V6 in a country with fuel selling at 1.30 per litre.

[TW]Fox · 2 Jan 2011 at 15:15

MikeHiow said:
The way people are talking about ST220 prices, seems to be the way way they were talking about them at the beginning of the last year, as if they haven't depreciated at all.

Because a car worth £5k doesn't continue to lose £3k a year or eventually it would be free.

Have you never seen what happens to a depreciation curve once the car reaches 6-7 years old?

MikeHiow · 2 Jan 2011 at 15:20

Yes, but it doesn't stop depreciating all together.

Especially when there are other factors such as the price of fuel etc. which will always have some impact on a relatively cheap but very thirsty car.

daveydave · 2 Jan 2011 at 15:30

So you are suggesting that they would depreciate to what? a fiver inside 7 years?

It doesn't work like that bud, RV's are driven by so many other factors outside of age. But as per my previous post and Fox's, they have done the bulk of their deprecation and the only change in price will now be driven by mileage/condition/

Joshy · 2 Jan 2011 at 17:38

daveydave said:
But as per my previous post and Fox's, they have done the bulk of their deprecation and the only change in price will now be driven by mileage/condition/

What makes you so certain?

Rising fuel costs and the fact that in a few years it'll be just another old Mondeo is going to hurt values. History doesn't support the argument either, one look at MK2 ST24 and ST200 values will tell you that. Sure you've got unrealistic dealers asking £4k+ for them, but ask yourself what sort of sane man hands over £4,000 for a 10 year old Mondeo?

daveydave · 2 Jan 2011 at 17:58

As usual motors never ceases to amaze me in by providing off topic conjecture which doesn't answer the OP. Let's just wait and see what the OP can find for £3.5k, I assure you it will have NSH/extremely worn.

Your point surrounding the ST24 and 200 are valid on the grounds that they are respectively 2 body shapes behind the current Mondeo. I would be very surprised if they did not follow the same curve as the 220 when the Mk 3 Mondeo was released.

However it would be ignorant to ignore the fact that, a vehicles RV is not only driven by its own attributes, but those of other available vehicles on the market that sit within its competitive set. Both at release and now.

[TW]Fox · 2 Jan 2011 at 18:03

Joshy said:
but ask yourself what sort of sane man hands over £4,000 for a 10 year old Mondeo?

What sort of sane man hands over £4000 for a 10 year old Honda?

Scania · 2 Jan 2011 at 18:05

Janesy B said:
We can speculate over ebay ads all day long, fact is that its the arse end of the market, proceed with caution.

Amen to that!

DM · 2 Jan 2011 at 18:06

Rising fuel costs dont change the value of these sort of cars one jot.

smr · 2 Jan 2011 at 18:57

daveydave said:
As usual motors never ceases to amaze me in by providing off topic conjecture which doesn't answer the OP. Let's just wait and see what the OP can find for £3.5k, I assure you it will have NSH/extremely worn.

Your point surrounding the ST24 and 200 are valid on the grounds that they are respectively 2 body shapes behind the current Mondeo. I would be very surprised if they did not follow the same curve as the 220 when the Mk 3 Mondeo was released.

However it would be ignorant to ignore the fact that, a vehicles RV is not only driven by its own attributes, but those of other available vehicles on the market that sit within its competitive set. Both at release and now.

So what should I be looking at spending on a nice looking/well looked after ST220 with FSH ?

I don't want to plunge £3,000 into a car with worn seats/steering wheel / scuffed alloys etc. so tell me what I should spend please

[TW]Fox · 2 Jan 2011 at 18:59

If I wanted an ST220, I would want to spend £5-6k on a minter.

I see no point in buying shabby cars.

daveydave · 2 Jan 2011 at 19:01

£5.5k will get you something really nice

smr · 2 Jan 2011 at 19:04

Thanks for the ball park, what about this though...

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classif...ge/2/keywords/st220/postcode/le60dt?logcode=p

65k isn't bad. FSH and 2 previous owners and it looks ok

also and it shouldn't be taken too seriously but I like the idea of the house being "nice" ... it fills me with more confident that the people are not poor and so look after things better... geeze how generalising and stereotypical am I? lol!

Howard · 2 Jan 2011 at 19:13

It's not a facelift. Get a facelift.

smr · 2 Jan 2011 at 19:14

Howard said:
It's not a facelift. Get a facelift.

Yep I thought that about a minute or two after posting the link! They deffo looks so much better :cool:

daveydave · 2 Jan 2011 at 19:32

Mine is 54 plate which is the first face lift, so 6 speed box and Sony headunit, I prefer mine to the following facelifts as the chrome was a bit too much in my opinion. But head over to ST Drivers for a real knowledge base.

Most importantly, go drive some and look at them in the metal. Check the Ford dealer network to see if they have any in their approved used program and go out for a few test drives before looking at potential buys on the trader.

Scania · 2 Jan 2011 at 19:39

daveydave said:
Most importantly, go drive some and look at them in the metal.

It never ceases to amaze me how many people buy cars without doing either of those things!

smr · 2 Jan 2011 at 20:13

R420LA6X2/4MNA said:
It never ceases to amaze me how many people buy cars without doing either of those things!

You're joking? I drove my mate nuts I bought my Mondeo getting him to drive me to several places all over the midlands to go and see the cars and test drive them until I was satisfied with my last visit.

How people can bid on 3k cars on ebay is beyond me, without obviously having seem them or even driving them!

Joshy · 2 Jan 2011 at 20:34

[TW]Fox;18127064 said:
If I wanted an ST220, I would want to spend £5-6k on a minter.

I see no point in buying shabby cars.

No argument there, but if you can get some half decent for less money for whatever reason, it is worth following up. For the sake of saving effectively a few thousand quid I don't understand why people wouldn't be willing to hop on a train to give a cheap one a look, or at pick up the phone and do some proper digging. Instead it always seems to be "Nah, it's cheap so therefore rubbish" on this forum.