Chad said:
Looking at a 97 with 50k miles on it, near perfect paint, interior no overt signs of wear I would rate then a high B, where someone else might see a scuff mark on the passenger side footwell and give it a C.
I looked at the 97 with 50k miles and its a B car to me...
Well, there's your error; it's not a B car. Category B says "Average to lower miles". Average miles on an NSX is 5K miles per year. When a car has 67 percent more miles than average, it cannot qualify as category B. Mileage alone would make that car category D ("high to very high miles").
A scuff mark does not make a B car into a C car. In evaluating condition, there's a need to make a distinction between poor condition versus "wear consistent with mileage" (for example, a car with 50K miles would be expected to have some pitting on the front air dam and slight pitting of the windshield). Poor condition means paint that is faded or scratched, interior leather that is badly abraded, serious faults like that.
Chad said:
They were asking 42k, I could easily get them down to 39k.
That might not be so far off the mark; it depends. Was all the maintenance performed on schedule? What is the condition of the finish? The interior? Clean title? Six speed? At best, a '97 with much higher than average mileage is going to sell for mid forties, as shown in the chart; if it has other serious flaws, the prices your quoting may be entirely consistent with the chart in the FAQ.
Chad said:
I still feel the chart is a bit scued, it may have been accurate a year or so ago. I know all those that own NSX's tend to value them higher then those buying them and I also imagine the chart was made by a NSX owners
No, the chart was developed within the past few months, with input from many owners and prospective owners who have been shopping recently, and from dealers who buy and sell NSXs all day long. And sure, it was made by NSX owners, owners who are familiar with the market, and most of whom have no intention of selling their cars any time in the near future.
If you think the chart is skewed, feel free to look for a better deal. And if you can consistently find cars for sale for $5-15K less than the prices in that chart, send me a PM - I would like to go into business with you; you can find the cars, I'll buy them, and then I'll turn around and sell them for the prices in the chart.
Chad said:
I'm just a newbie to the used NSX scene but having looked at the few cars I have, and also seeing the dealers adds (autotrader etc) I just don't feel comfortable with the (In my opinion) inflated prices on the chart... Or I could just be a dumbass
Or, it could be that you are mis-evaluating the categories of the cars. Dealer cars are typically not in the A or A+ categories, and usually not in the B category, either. The higher the category of car, the less likely it is to go through a dealer, and the more likely it is to be sold in private hands - usually very quickly, too.
Chad said:
I would also like to add that according to the chart a 97 A+ (basically a garage kept rarely if ever driven) NSX, is only 10-15k less then a brand new 2002 off the showroom floor... accurate ?
Yes. But keep in mind that an A+ car is one with super-low mileage. Could a "perfect" six-speed '97 with clean title, full history, all maintenance performed on schedule, and, say, 1K miles sell for $55-60K, as shown in the chart? Yes, absolutely.
