If you are looking to sell you car, or looking to buy a car, a certain amount of research must be put in before you sell or purchase. In today’s world, the Internet can give you a glance at all prices and values from the comfort of your couch. It is important to compare with other sites about the value of a car, to make sure you can find a median price between all of them. This way, if a dealership or private seller is going off of what one website says, you can provide evidence of other prices from different sources. Most of these websites will ask specific questions about the car you are trying to value, so make sure you have accurate information so you can get a precise value on the car. While browsing the Internet for websites to look at, make sure to give these a try.
1.) Kelley Blue Book
This is one of the oldest and most popular ways to find out the value of a car. Usually geared toward used cars, Kelley Blue Book will ask the make, year and model of the car you are inquiring about, as well as a body style. They also have a page where you can click the amenities the car has (if you are selling) or that you want (if you are buying). It will give you an estimate on what the trade in at a dealership would be, or what the value would be if you were to sell to a private party. It also will show you the range in which the car is going for in what condition, fair, good, very good, and excellent condition. There is also the option on this website to price a new car, if you are in the market for one. You can see what the specific make and model of the new vehicle is worth with this process.
2.) Edmunds True Market Value (TMV)
This website is recommend to receive a price of a true market value of a car, rather than that of what a dealership will probably offer you. You will start off giving the make, model, and year of you car, as well as your zip code. You will choose the style of your car, and then proceed to choosing the options that your car has, or choose options for the car that you want. This includes mileage and the vehicles condition. This will lead you to the appraisal page, which will give you the trade-in, private party, and dealer retail for this car, and the certified used vehicle price, giving you four different options to choose from when buying or selling a car. It also shows you how much the optional equipment will cost for trade-in, private party, and dealer retail.
Both of these websites are helpful in different ways. If you want a look at what to expect at the dealership, you are better off using Kelley Blue Book. However, if you have the amount of TMV and show it to a dealer, they often accept this price as reasonable as well. Going through the process with my own car on both websites, the numbers only differed slightly. Make sure to look at both websites, as well as others before buying or selling a car to ensure you spend or receive the correct amount of money.