When trading in your old car it’s best to go in prepared and armed with all the relevant knowledge, as this will help ensure you get the best possible price for your vehicle. Here are some top tips for trading and upgrading.
Do your research
The best way to ensure you aren't short-changed for your car is to do your research. There are plenty of websites that can help you find out the value of your car, such as Autotrader, and eBay can be a decent guide too. Arm yourself with the typical high-end and low-end price for your vehicle before going to the car dealer, hit them with a realistic high-end price, let them know you know your stuff and you'll have a much better chance of negotiating a good, fair price.
Condition
To get the most for your vehicle you must ensure it's in the best possible condition. Keep it in good running order by taking care of the basics, like regular oil changes. Dealers want a car that's going to look good on the showroom floor, so that means it looking clean with a good paint job and body work. You should think about getting any dents and scratches taken out and it might be worth talking to someone like Autoglass to deal with any cracks in the glass. The more work a dealer needs to do on your car, the less you'll get for it so it's worth taking care of these things before taking your car in to trade.
Shop around
You don't have to go with the first offer from the first dealer you see. If you don't think the price they are offering you is fair, then you are under no obligation to sell. Remember, you can always walk away. This is why it's so important to do your research: that way, you can make an informed decision.
Negotiate
Make sure you sharpen up on your negotiation skills before you trade in. Try your best to get all you can for your car and don't stop talking until you're completely happy with the price. Use the information you have on how much a vehicle like yours usually goes for and aim for a high-end price. You can take the maintenance logs as well and see if they can get you a little more, too. Remember, the better condition your car is in, the more you'll get.
Separate the sell from the buy
For the best deal it's a good idea to separate the trade from the financing. When you buy a new car there are a number of variables involved like the finance rate, new car price and down payment amount. You want to ensure that the trade price isn't affected by any of these. The dealer might give you the asking price for your trade, but then boost one of the variables to bring the ball back into their park. The best way to avoid this is to get your car loan from a bank or an online car loan specialist, rather than using the dealer's finance plan.
