Where Do You Go For Trade-in Valuation?

[Husker4theSpurs]

Seems like Lexus seems to go for the Kelly Blue Book valuation ... and it's always the lowest. Seems like NADA and Edmunds always give a much higher valuation.

My question is how do YOU know if you're getting a good deal. What seems to be the most relevant site to look at when it comes to actual trade-in value you'll get at the dealership. Obviously the dealer wants to low ball you on a trade, but what has your experience been?

I'm not talking about what they really give you as a trade-in value b/c often that's inflated b/c it's really just taking money off the MSRP.

Hope this isn't all too confusing :)

[sgriffith]

In my few dealings with trade-ins, Kelly is usually the closest. I just traded my Ford truck in at a dealership (salesman I know) and I told him what the KBB was on the truck and that is what I got. It seemed like a fair deal for me. Sometimes though it depends on the dealership you are dealing with. My parents were going to trade a 96 SC300 a few months back and were offered $10,500 as a trade on a certified 02 LX. My dad is a pro and initially told the salesman he wasn't trading so just to figure the price on the LX. I thought it was a great deal, my father didn't so he bought the LX w/o trading so he could sell the SC. He barely got 10.5K for it as a private sale......and that was after a few months of it being up for sale. They were trading at a Lexus dealership and were offered more than the KBB price (by about $1K). Maybe the salesman predicted that he was bluffing, but he still got the same deal (a good one) on the LX w/o a trade.

In most of my dealings with Ford or Chevorlet dealerships, KBB has been the rule. We didn't buy our RX from a Lexus dealer, but we got KBB for our trade. Sometimes it seems to me that if you are trading a Lexus at a Lexus dealer, you will get more for your trade (or closer to what it is worth). But I have never gotten below KBB on a trade-in....anywhere. I guess the way I figure if I am getting a good deal or not is by looking at all of the available data from edmunds, nada, kelly, and also what used cars are going for on eBay.....figure out from there what range I am comfortable with and don't settle for less. I can usually predict what will be offered for a trade if I look at those few sources.

[Unlisted]

my dealer will user the Galves guide or black book which bases their info on recent auction sells. This way they have a true market value. Edmunds is a consumer sight and tends to give very astromical trade-in values. to get a good idea go to KBB and go one level down. There first choice, excellent {doesnt exist}

and everybody seems to rate there cars a little high. so if think good then click on fair and that seems to match up well with dealer trade-in. keep in mind desirability, are you trading a convertible in during winter? if your car is not black,white, silver, it may be worth less. thoise colors will always have the best resell