What's My Car Worth?
Get a realistic estimate — trade-in, private sale, and dealer retail — based on your vehicle's age, mileage, condition, and history.
Values reflect current private-sale market conditions. Dealer offers typically fall within the trade-in range.
Estimates based on standard depreciation curves and national market data. Actual trade-in offers depend on dealer inventory needs, local demand, and negotiation. Private-party sale values assume clean title and accurate condition disclosure.
Best used for
- Checking if a trade-in offer is fair
- Setting a private-sale asking price
- Comparing private sale vs. what a dealer will actually pay
- Deciding whether an older car is still worth repairing
What the three values mean
Trade-In is what a dealer will offer when you bring the car in. It covers their reconditioning cost, lot time, and profit margin. Expect 15–20% below private-sale value.
Private Party is what you can realistically get selling the car yourself — online listings, word of mouth, or a classified ad. It takes longer but keeps more money in your pocket.
Dealer Retail is roughly what a dealer would list the car for after buying it from you. The gap between trade-in and retail is the dealer's gross margin on your vehicle.
How the estimate is calculated
The calculator starts from the vehicle's original MSRP and applies a standard depreciation curve — steeper in the first three years, gradually flattening after year six. From there, five factors adjust the result:
- Mileage — compared to an average of 12,000 miles per year for the vehicle's age. Each 10,000 miles above or below average shifts value by roughly 1.5%
- Condition — rated across cosmetic and mechanical state. Outstanding condition adds ~8%; rough condition subtracts ~20%
- Accident history — a reported major accident reduces value by 20–25%; minor accidents by 10–15%. Multiple incidents compound
- Ownership and records — 3 or more owners reduce value by 4–8%. Documented service records add ~3%
- Market demand — state-level adjustments reflecting regional used-car demand and pricing patterns
What the calculator can't see
- Model-specific market spikes — some trims and configurations command premiums the averages don't capture (outgoing generations, rare packages, color combinations)
- Recent auction data — dealer wholesale prices fluctuate week to week based on supply
- Your specific location within a state — urban markets often run 5–10% higher than the statewide average
- Modifications — aftermarket parts have mixed impact and are not accounted for
- Emission or safety issues — a failed inspection or warning light affects the actual transaction price but not the baseline estimate
Getting an accurate number
The calculator gives you a realistic baseline. For a more precise figure before a sale or trade-in, cross-reference with two or three real sources: check completed listings for your exact trim and mileage on a major marketplace, get a dealer appraisal (they're free and fast), and consider a Carfax or AutoCheck report if you don't already have one — it tells you exactly what a buyer will see.
The widest gap between estimate and reality usually comes from condition. Most sellers rate their car one tier higher than buyers do. If the estimate surprises you, run it at the condition tier below yours and see which number feels more honest.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the trade-in so much lower than private sale?
The dealer has to recondition the car, carry it on their lot for 30–60 days on average, and sell it at a profit. That margin comes out of what they pay you. For most vehicles under $30,000, the private-sale premium is $1,500–$3,500 — enough to justify the extra effort if your time allows it.
My car is older than 10 years — is this estimate still reliable?
Less so. After ten years, depreciation flattens but the market gets thin and condition-driven. A mechanically sound older car with 90k miles can be worth the same as one with 140k miles — or twice as much. The calculator uses a floor, but real values in this range vary more than the formula can capture.
Does a salvage title always kill the value?
Not always, but consistently. Salvage-titled vehicles sell for 40–60% below clean-title equivalents. The main problem isn't the repair — it's that many lenders won't finance them, which shrinks the buyer pool to cash buyers only. Fewer buyers means lower prices, regardless of how well the car was rebuilt.
Should I fix the car before selling?
Small stuff almost always yes: a detail, clean tires, and addressing obvious cosmetic issues returns more than it costs. Mechanical repairs are trickier — you rarely get full value back for a major repair when selling. The exception is a known deal-killer (check engine light, failing brakes) where buyers discount far more than the repair actually costs.
How does the estimate compare to Kelley Blue Book?
KBB and similar tools use actual transaction data, which is more current but less transparent. This calculator uses published depreciation curves and factor-based adjustments — you can see exactly what's moving the number and why. For most mainstream vehicles in average condition, the estimates land within 5–10% of each other. Where they diverge is on vehicles with unusual demand, recent market shifts, or strong regional variation.