Are Prices really dropping?

[wgmr]

Happy Christmas All

I saw a post on here by baby NSX who said that in his view prices for the NSX are dropping. I bought mine last year and it took me 6 months to find it, when I did I have to pay the asking price, but was happy to. I don't really see why the NSX prices should be falling. Do you?

Surely if you keep it in top spec depreciation should only be in line with mileage and age, espcially now there will never be another one made!

On that note, I am seriously considering putting new headers and exhaust on to give it a raspy note. Perhaps even an air box too. I have been thinking about this for a while, but cant work out what sort of performance different this will make and what sort of noise it will make. I am still holding off pending being able to listen to some of your mods in the new year I hope. I reckon that I will end up spending around £2k on the car to help it breath as it should be able to. I would hope that if I came to sell it I should get some of that back, but not all of it, is that too much to hope for, would it be worth less with a modification?

See you later

[trackdemon]

I think straight unmodified cars will always be worth a little more, or at least easier to sell.

I also think that - unfortunately - NSX prices have dropped, indeed are dropping. I find this crazy, you really cant get a better car for the money yet people seem to have this perception that £13k will buy you a nice useable NSX, which is simply bonkers. The motoring press have something to answer for; Autocar for example recently quoted a "heres one we found" ad for a leggy, very early, auto @ £13k - the implication is that because the ad exists, that must be the right price. I still think my 52k UK RHD manual red/black is worth £19k, which is still stupidly cheap when you look at what your getting for your money. Anyway, I'll worry about prices when I sell and not before.

[Rob_Fenn]

Maybe NSX owners should do what the Sierra Cosworth club did a few years back, they all met up and agreed to improve residuals by setting their own price guide!

[kevinpsw]

I have been following NSX prices, at least as seen on Autotrader, Exchange and Mart and eBay, whilst I have been abroad for 5 months, my intention being to buy an NSX early next year upon my return to the UK. There are cars that have been for sale for longer than 6 months. Some of these have had sizeable price drops yet they have still not sold. Perhaps it is linked to end of NSX production, as would be the case with any other out-going car model, such as old shape 3 or 5 series BMWs for example. The market also seems to be very colour sensitive.

This, of course, bodes well for me as a future buyer except for the fact that I worry that I might buy only to see the prices continue to fall off at the same fast rate! Hopefully they will stabilise. My advice to those contemplating a sale - and I would say this wouldn't I - is be realistic in your pricing. I would also like you to let me know what your car is like. My home is in South London and I'm looking for a manual towards the bottom end of the market. It can't be yellow, sadly, as my wife has insisted that she doesn't want a "bannana car outside the house".

[Paul G]

Couldn't agree more Trackdemon

[DamianW]

Couldn't agree more Trackdemon

Yep, hit the nail on the head. I'd also add that its not just NSX prices that have taken a hit - all sports cars seem to be suffering at the moment. Perhaps fuel prices are partly to blame there, and it'll pick up again next year.

[simonprelude]

I think you had seen part of the point, the car's that have been for sale a long time on garage forecourts are like that for a reason, they are not 100% in some way. The prices of these ones drop to make a sale, then people think they have to drop to be able to sell them also.

Then there are the few that will be put up for sale at a proper price and will be sold immediately. You take your chance really, buy a good one and if you decide to sell, keep the price, someone will want it eventually.

I have been following NSX prices, at least as seen on Autotrader, Exchange and Mart and eBay, whilst I have been abroad for 5 months, my intention being to buy an NSX early next year upon my return to the UK. There are cars that have been for sale for longer than 6 months.

[Papalazarou]

There seem to be many factors which determine what people buy and are prepared to pay.

Badge seems pretty important; I had a drive in a 328 GTS the other day, obviously a very pretty car but more of an investment than a useable tool whilst being fragile and expensive to run.
The NSX was much quicker, sounds better and you can't even compare the build quality.
but people love the horse!

I think also that some people look at the NSX as an inaccessible supercar that they could not afford to own and run.
I remember reading years ago that the tyres were special fitment and cost £1000 per set and a major service was £1200! so it's no wonder people worry about these costs and buy a Boxster or a TT with a third of the mileage.

Ok and then we get to the lack of education; I was at one of my customers garages the other day and he likened the NSX to the Mitsu 3000 and the Nissan 300ZX. Now both are excellent cars and a good match for the NSX but they aren't really the same thing....people don't understand what the NSX is.

I think also there are good and bad colours and specs. I blame the motoring press for this because they are always trying to justify there existence often by being too critical or ridiculing for the sake of magazine sales or ratings. 'I mean, would you seriously rate a car based on a review from say Jeremy Clarkson?'

finally, we shouldn't freak out about prices when buying a 20K NSX and losing a bit, because it's a whole lot better than buying a 20K Mondeo or 3 series and losing a lot whilst having a pretty unremarkable experience at the same time.

Cheers, James.

[kevinpsw]

I accept that anyone who chooses to buy a new Mondeo (personally, I think buying a new volume car is madness) is going to lose shed loads of money very quickly, whilst not having a huge amount of driving fun. But that Mondeo type car will often be 'a must have' means of transport. For most of us, however, an NSX will be an, in addition, 'nice to have' second car, an indulgence.

I would love to be in a position to dismiss depreciation from the financial equation but there has to be an element of the 'head' as well as the 'heart' employed in my decision making process.

Unwelcome though such a view might be, the market does suggest that securing an NSX sale is very difficult and that prices are dropping quicker than maybe they have in the past. I still want one though!

[Baz]

I've just started out on the quest to find a good, posy facelift NSX. Looked at the first one yesterday in Ongar. Bloke selling a few cars from home as it turned out which put me off straight away. Car is silver and has scratches on pratically every panel which for a 26K mile car was totally unacceptable. For some reason the guy thought the fact the car had been owned by some 80 year old bloke was a selling point. Looks like he dinged every car in Putney where the car was based. I walked away without even turning the key. Not a good start to my buying experience - I'll keep enjoying my 350Z in the meantime - no hurry!

Happy Christmas all,

Baz