How to Trade in a Car

salesman passing over new car key

 


Whether you’re buying a new or Certified Pre-Owned vehicle in San Antonio, knowing how to trade in your car can help save some money. Moreover, trading can take some of the stress away from individually selling your car, as you’re already working with a finance department toward your next purchase. Northside Ford covers how to trade in a car in simple steps below! 

How to Trade in Your Car

Trading in your car at a New Braunfels dealership is a multi-step process. First you’ll want to get an estimate, then an appraisal, and finally you want to negotiate. Find out how each of these steps works in the next sections.

How to Trade in a Car: Estimate and Appraisal

Before you contact a dealership for help valuing your vehicle, it’s important to do a little bit of research on your own. Many websites and other tools can estimate your vehicle’s value based upon a few factors: make, model, year, maintenance history, and current condition. You can find estimates with:

As you calculate your estimate, be as honest with yourself as possible about any issues with your vehicles. When you approach a dealership for an appraisal – an in-person valuation of your vehicle – you don’t want to be surprised by a lower value.

How to Trade in Your Car: Negotiation

If a dealership’s appraisal doesn’t match your estimate, you now have the tools to begin arguing for the value of your vehicle. Converse dealers will be happy to help if you show that your vehicle has more value than their appraisal initially suggested. Other factors to keep in mind are:

  • Maintenance: Keeping up with your vehicle’s maintenance schedule and being able to prove it always helps in the negotiation process. 
  • Outstanding Loans: Some dealerships won’t allow drivers to trade-in vehicles with outstanding loans, although in other cases it is totally possible to trade-in a financed car. You would have to carry over what you owe on the vehicle into your next loan.

Once you’ve negotiated, you can expect to use your car’s value to contribute toward your next vehicle. Some may also choose to finish the process by walking out with cash.

Trading in is Easy at Northside Ford!

San Antonio drivers looking for flexible, simple help with working toward their next car can trust Northside Ford. Tools like express checkout and a payment calculator are extremely useful as you’re making a decision. Of course, you can always contact us for more assistance with car financing.

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