tuan209

Hey Guys,

Im looking to trade in my car, and I am interested which trade in value is more accurate between Edmunds and KBB. Edmunds calculated my trade in value at 17k while KBB is 14.5k. That is quite a difference between the two.

Btw... Before I decide to run down to the local Carmax to get my car appraised, would it be wise to take of the Tanabe coilovers? Would a mod such as that actually lower the value of my trade in to places like Carmax?


Tuan

frank b

Most dealers use the Galves Guide wich is lower than KBB or Edmunds.

Nogard13

The mods won't add or subtract from your value.

I'd believe the KBB price over Edmunds for used cars. You can also check the NADA value, which should be even more accurate. Here's their website: NADA

Also, beware of Carmax. I traded my 05 Scion tC in recently (5MT, 18K miles) and I went to them to see how much they'd give me. Here is what each said my car was worth:

Edmunds: $17,000
KBB: $14,000
NADA: 13,000
Carmax: $10,500

I ended up trading it in at the Acura dealership for $13,000.

Hope that helps.

LoveMyTL-S

Are you selling the Tanabe coilovers?

lvcurvs

I'm quite familiar with carmax. Just tell them that you have the stock stuff but are not going to switch it back unless you accept the offer. They deducted $$ from my s2000 because it had wheels and an intake and some other mods saying that most people buy these cars just to drive them, not race them. I was like wtf?
Also, like nogard13 said, carmax was the lowest offer. that's usually true. They lowball alot of nicer cars and pay stupid prices for p.o.s. cars. Worth a shot but don't expect anything amazing. i think it's cause they know the nicer ones will sell so they can make more off of them. i don't know.

tuan209

I may sell them along with Euro-R wheels. I'll let you know more later.

tuan209

Thanks for all the replies guys! Im just going to get my car appraised at a few different places to see who gives me the best price.

Mokos23

Man carmax sucks in apprasials! I was really thinking of going there to appraise my TSX with almost 45K miles. maybe not now.

Only reason I thought back in Dec. 03 when I traded in my 99 Accord Ex 4cyl 4 dr for the TSX, I got $5,300 for it which had 94,000 miles on it, but it had numerous dents and the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. I always thought in the back of my mind I should've gone to carmax first and see what they would appraise the Accord.

tuan209

Hey! Back in 99 I too traded in my 99 Accord, and Carmax actually gave me a MUCH better deal then did Acura. They gave me 3k versus 1.5k, and hence my reasoning to go back.

black label

Edmunds is a joke. KBB is reasonable, but remember "excellent condition" is not a "excellent for the year". If your car is 2 years old (or older) it most likely would be rated as good.

Don't get too hung up on what internet sites tell you your car is worth. There is no spot on KBB or Edmunds that you can click for "accept offer" or "print check".

1Louder

I think your better off arming yourself with data from multiple sources when you go to trade it in. No matter which one you pick, the dealer will find something wrong with it. Multiple sources they have a hard time arguing with.

pollofrito21

I sold cars for 6 months. All dealers on the east coast use www.galves.com. Thier price guide is lower than both kbb and edmunds.

Also, no used car is in excellent condition. Excellent is off the showroom floor. Thats it.

Don Hoagie

As the above poster said...

1. If you use KBB, be sure not to use "excellent" as your rating.

2. Galves is what most east-of-the-Mississippi dealers will base their number on. Galves is a periodical report on the average wholesale price paid at auctions. A dealer uses that number because the mindset is, if I could get this exact car at auction for $XX,XXX, why would I pay you more for yours?

Remove as many bolt-on mods as possible. At best the dealer will ignore their value when discussing your car's figure (even though they may take off your mods and sell them later) , and at worst they'll look at it as a liability and also assume you drove the car irresponsibly (mods=jerk-ass-kid drivers... sorry but that's the stigma). Remove the mods and sell them on e-Bay.

Know the Galves number but go in with the KBB print-out and act like that's the only number you've seen. And remember most importantly that the trade-in value is just one aspect of your deal... you should not mix negotiations on your new car in with your trade, lest the dealer start moving money around in the deal without you noticing. Try to finalize as much of the new car deal as possible before discussing your trade, or vice versa.

drewba

I actually use a different approach. I do all of my negotiations on the difference between the new car and my trade, because in the end, the difference is what's coming out my pocket. Doing it this way removes some of the dealer's ability to move numbers around.

I also don't pay any attention to financing or monthly payment until the difference is decided. It helps that I know that I'll qualify for the best rate, so I go in with a target difference and know what the payment will be on that.

I've used this approach on the last two cars that I've bought and got a fair price quickly both times with no runaround.