Factors That Influence The Trade-In Value For Cars

March 30, 2021

At some point, you're going to want to trade in your car to get a new one, whether it's new or just new to you! Men, the dealership is going to give you a certain amount of money to buy your car (the trade-in value).

Knowing your car's trade-in value before visiting a dealership can give you an advantage. That said, you won't often get the exact number before you go! Men, this is why knowing the factors that influence your car's valuation helps. You can fix anything you need to before going in. Get to know the elements that dealerships use to value your car now. Use this knowledge and you will be ready to search for places to 'trade in my car' in no time!

Condition Of The Car

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Men, you're going to need your care evaluated when you want to trade it in! The person looking at the condition of your car is going to look at the exterior and interior. They will look for things such as dents, scratches, and rust spots on the outside of your car. On the inside, they will be looking for stains, rips, smells, and other blemishes.

It's also important to note what works and what doesn't. Any part of your vehicle that is not in working order will decrease the trade-in value of your car! For example, if you have a power window that does not roll down with the window switch or a sunroof that leaks, that will bring down the value of your car. Men, consider paying to fix the vital parts if needed to bring up the trade-in value. Of course, it's great to get a cost estimate first to make sure it's worth it.

Age Of The Car

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Men, no matter how well you have taken care of your car and kept it maintained, its age is another factor that will impact the trade-in value! Repairs and new parts won't help when factoring in the model year of your trade-in car to figure out its value. Why? Within the first year of your car's life, its value depreciates quite a lot. After this first year, the drop in value is a bit more gradual. However, the value will continue to drop quite a bit for the first 7 years of the car's life, though it gets a lot slower after that. The age of the car is a big part of determining the trade-in value. It's because it helps the dealership figure out how many years of use the car has left and what its future repairs could be.

Car Mileage

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Car mileage is another major factor in dealerships determining the trade-in value of your car, men. It's fairly simple to understand: the more miles on your car's odometer, the lower its value will be. In other words, men, the more you have driven your car, the less it's worth. That said, there is no magic number on when the value decrease stops dropping.

Car mileage is a big part of the trade-in value because the more miles a car has on it, the sooner repairs will be needed. It also means that more expensive repairs will be needed sooner! There is nothing wrong with many expensive repairs. Men, many of them are down to the wear and tear put on your car from driving it! Good mileage on a vehicle is generally considered 15,000 miles per year. However, this doesn't mean that driving a car fewer miles than that will give it a higher trade-in value after a certain point. There are other factors!

Make And Model Of The Car

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The make and model of the car you own has a huge effect on its trade-in value! Some cares hold onto their value better than others, like the Toyota Tundra and Tacoma. High-end models also keep hold of a higher than average trade-in value. The type of car you have will also come into play. Men, SUVs hold their value better than sedans. In addition, popular cars will keep their value at a better rate than not so popular ones. In fact, the popular cars are popular because more people want them, which means dealerships will pay you more to trade them in! That said, men, the popularity of certain cars can change, which is why you have to pay attention.

Market Conditions

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Market conditions for used cars will ultimately play the biggest role in the trade-in value of yours! Men, when there is a higher demand for used cars in the market, you will have significantly better luck getting a higher offer when selling or trading in your car. Of course, this means when there are more used cars sitting on car lots than are being sold, meaning the demand is down, dealers will offer less money for your car. A dealer must move inventory to make money, and if cars are sitting on the lot for a long time, the dealer simply won't be able to take on more until a change in the market happens!

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