What is my trade-in worth?

With used car prices strong, many car shoppers are considering trade-in as a quick and easy method to make way for their next set of wheels.

It’s a convenient solution as it simplifies the transaction. It also eliminates the potential hassle and wasted time from tyre kickers when selling your car.

That said, arranging a trade-in hasn’t always been a quick process, and consumers are often wary of whether they are getting a fair price.

carsales has changed all that with a convenient and transparent function that puts you in control.

Knowing what your existing vehicle is worth is the critical starting point. In the past – or when trading outside of the carsales network – that usually begins by getting a vague understanding of its value over the phone.

Now, it takes just a few clicks and keystrokes to ensure you get the best deal.

When you have found a new car that you are interested in purchasing from any of the thousands of our dealer partners on carsales, there’s a simple function in the enquiry form that provides an instant value guide and informs the dealership of your intent to trade.

To do this, carsales uses the most comprehensive and up-to-date residual value data from its partner in RedBook, which has been supplying vehicle pricing information to the automotive industry for more than 70 years.

RedBook determines second-hand vehicle values for every individual model variant sold in Australia using key data points such as the original recommended retail price, age, market demand and long-term reliability and recall information, and then publishes a value range depending on mileage.

Obviously, a vehicle with an impeccable service history and in excellent condition with no history of damage will be worth more than a vehicle that hasn’t been well maintained.

So, the final value of your trade-in will be determined following an inspection by the dealership.

But by giving you an accurate guideline from the outset, using the carsales trade-in function provides a greater sense of confidence to begin your transaction.

All you have to do is input some key information, such as vehicle make and model, the year it was built and its current odometer reading, and carsales will give you an instant value range.

It also immediately informs the dealership, so they can discuss the trade-in with you in more detail.

The process doesn’t take all the fun out of the negotiation process many car buyers love, but it does make the initial stages so much easier…