I always value your opinions and
 

why you say what you do. So here goes. What dictates whether you trade in your car at the dealership or sell it privately?

How much price difference do you accept between a trade in at the dealership and what you can get selling privately?

Any other factors? You don't want to deal with joe public? Easier to trade in? Safer to trade in than deal with the public? Don't like tire kickers? Anything else?:)

I trade it in these days. I feel the price difference is worth not having to deal with people directly. My last trade in (done just a month or so ago) was made even simpler because the dealer used AutoTrader and it took a total of about 20 minutes.

....How realistic the deal is. I start out by leveling with them, I'm not spending all day playing closer and liner, I'm not doing four squares, and I've been looking around and researching pricing. Give me a realistic # for my trade, no smoke and mirrors or I walk out. You only have a few tries to give me a decent deal.

WIth that said, rarely do I end up buying at the first dealer since they want to try me anyhow. I chalk it up to the sales manager wanting the salesman to go through the motions.

It's a suck experience all around, I'd rather catch the flu.

rjp

After having our 2004 V70 totaled, we got a used 2006 XC70 which turned out to have a lot of little things wrong with it, not apparent to me at purchase. After a year of electronic gremlins, we decided on a 2013 Ford Fusion Titanium AWD (wonderful car!). Not wanting to deal with tire kickers and "Why doesn't this work?", "Does it always do this" " Why are you selling this?" etc. we took it to the dealer and got exactly what we expected in 15 minutes .

My vote is for dealer trade-in.

Also I did not want strangers coming to my out-of-the-way house, nor did I wish to wait for no shows at the local Starbucks.

For me, non-Porsche is almost always traded in. Save sales tax on a trade, and I wear out the cars.... 100k+ miles, couldn't sell privately with a clear conscience. I also don't want to deal with making sure the funds are good, no scams.

P-cars always sold privately.

Then typically what % of selling privately does the Porsche dealer allow you on a Porsche trade for another Porsche?

We just sold my wife's '03 Tacoma to Carmax. Quick, simple, no hassle. Probably could have gotten $1-2K more selling privately but then we have to deal with prospective buyers, test drives, payment, etc.

For my cars I've sold the last 5 of them to Carmax as they have given me about $2K more than the dealer was going to give me for trade-in on the new (or CPO) car. I am a fan of the place. In and done in less than an hour with no BS.

Most dealers will at best offer you the KBB trade in. If you are lucky and the car is in EXCELLENT shape.

We almost always sell over trade. But it helps that my dad used to own a car lot, and kind of likes dealing with it. He has had pretty good luck in getting most of his money back or even making money of vehicles in the last few years...

A trade in relieves the PITA factor. While I am sure you can hustle a few hundred may a grand by going indy, at the end of the day you really have to consider the time involved I guess.

Selling is a hassle. In TN, you pay sales tax on the price after trade so trading in is a 9.75% perk.
Negotiate a cash, no trade price and then bring in the trade. Do your homework and know what NADA and Bluebook says Avg trade and Avg private sale #s are. If you get something in between the two go for it.

A dealer more than likly will never offer you KBB on "excellent shape". That's where most have shock when they see the ACV "actual cash value" - of their car. I have done both, largely depending of the age and value of the car.

What I look at is what has been sold rather than look at KBB or NADA. The sell price realistically reflects the market will pay for it. Good luck. Ther is no wrong way to do it.

I never trade. Always sell myself and pocket the extra cash.

The couple times I let a dealer just give me a price for a trade-in, I has horrified.
No wonder dealers make far more money on the used lot than selling new cars.

I got 2.5 times more for my Wife's car (2000 Suburban) than the dealer would give me. Sold it less than 24 hours after I put it on craigslist.

I don't blame the dealers it's just the way it works, they have to make it worth their time to deal with it. They get screwed on occasion. It's risk management.

Craigslist really helps the process now. I don't mind dealing with the general public. the cost of marketing is zero. Most people know what they are looking for.

The biggest mistake people make is grossly overpricing the car. Craigslist shoppers will seldom overpay for cars.

I like to sell them on my own. As far as buying a new car, look up the KBB value for the new car with the options you want. Now you know what it's worth. Use the information during your negotiation.

Alway go to carmax first and the new car dealer second. Know what one company will offer before the dealership.

Carmax paid 8,500 for our Jag and the dealership offered $4,500

Exactly. Why let them make a profit instead of you? They will always offer you less than you can sell your car for. The only time it even halfway makes financial sense is if the sales tax savings are close to the differential between trade in and selling price, which means you are trading in a car with significant value. I won't argue that it is convenient, but anyone who thinks that they are getting a good deal on trade in isn't looking at the entire picture.

Ummmm, sorta. There are pretty strong ties between the vehicle valuation sites and car dealership associations, I suspect they have a symbiotic relationship that doesn't benefit the customer. I paid significantly less for my new 2012 F150 than the KBB price and Edmunds "Fair Market Value".

It depends what they give you. I don't think we have Carmax here. I traded my Cayenne Turbo on a new Dodge Ram as they gave me 28500 and I was going to ask 31000 privately, the other thing is you only have to pay GST on the difference of the trade-in so that saved me another 2500.

I have been to a dealership (LR) that offered me a quarter of what the car was worth so the answer was no.

You made a profit on the 4Runner you sold me!?!
:D


For me it all depends on the value and age of the car I am considering selling. If the car is only worth a few thousand then I have generally traded it in. The last thing I want to deal with in life is trying to make a few hundred extra off a car with 175k on the clock...just not worth it.

But I keep cars a long time and cycle them from prime people mover down to me then to commuter status, farm duty or a trade.

I bought it new, so hell no. Let me rephrase that to - you'll lose less of your ass if you sell outright.:)