Most people run to the Kelley Blue Book when they’re looking to purchase a car. They don’t realize how valuable the Blue Book is when it comes to selling a car. It can help you to determine whether you’re getting a good deal on a trade in at a dealership or you’re being taken for a ride. Here’s how to use the Kelley Blue Book to help determine a car’s trade in value.

1. Go to the Kelley Blue Book website and locate the car’s year, make and model under the Used Car section of the page. You can locate the car by using their category search function or you can insert the year, make and model directly. Don’t forget to enter your zip code so that the trade in value will be specific for your area of the country.
2. Click the “Trade-In Value” link. After inserting the car’s year make and model, Kelley Blue Book wants you to select the valuation method. Since you’re looking for the trade-in value of the car, click the appropriate link.
3. Choose the car’s trim. Trim is another word for further defining the vehicle. For example, a 2001 Ford Windstar has 6 different trim selections such as Cargo, LX, SE Sport, SE, SEL and Limited. Make sure to select the correct trim. Kelley Blue Book’s trade in value is based on the vehicle specifics. If you put in the wrong specifics, you won’t get an accurate trade in value.
4. Enter the mileage and ancillary features. Kelley Blue Book checks off the standard equipment and it’s up to you to check off the added non standard features. It’s your chance to increase the value of the car by listing special features such as video systems, dual power seats or sun roof.
5. Select the vehicle’s condition. Hopefully the vehicle is in excellent shape. Although, according to Kelley Blue Book, only 5% of used cars fall into the excellent category. More likely the vehicle is in good condition, although there are two other alternatives, fair and poor. Be honest. You want an accurate trade in value.



6. Print the trade in value. After selecting the vehicle’s condition, Kelley Blue Book will display the trade in value. Print it out and use it just in case a dealer tries to lowball your vehicle’s value.

Tip

Consider selling the car privately if you find the Kelley Blue Book trade in value is too low. Most often sellers get more through a private sale than through a dealer trade in.

The Internet has made it so much easier for folks to determine a used car’s value. You don’t have to rely on the price as set at the dealership or the asking price from a private party. With a few mouse clicks, you can find out for yourself whether or not the asking price is within reason.

Kelley Blue Book Value

Just about everybody knows and respects the folks that put together the Kelley Blue Book. Now you can determine a car’s Kelley Blue Book value online for free. All you need to do is visit the Kelley Blue Book and click on the used car link.

Once you’re on the used car page, select the year, make and model for the car you’re interested in. If you’re not quite sure what type of car you want, use the “Select Car Category” option. That way you can browse the value of sedans, SUV’s, luxury cars and more.

Before you can go any further, you must decide what type of valuation you want. Car value differs depending on the situation. A private sale price differs from a dealership price which differs from a trade in price. Before you can go much further in calculating the used car value, select one of the valuation methods. You can always come back and re-evaluate the car’s price. As a matter of fact it is recommended that you do.

Used Car’s Special Features

To get an accurate price quote, you should get a list of the car’s features from the dealership or seller. Although listing car features is not absolutely mandatory, it will help you to get a realistic value for the used car. Features such as heated front seats, alloy wheels or even a built in MP3 player all help to increase the value of the car. The more information you tell Kelley Blue Book, the more accurate the number.

After inserting the features, insert the car’s condition. You have four choices: excellent, good, fair and poor (if the car’s condition is poor, I think you need to choose a different car). Once you select the condition, Kelley Blue Book will display your car’s value.

Car Price Negotiation

Before you leave your computer to begin negotiating prices with the seller, do a VIN check. If you have the vehicle identification number, insert it in the VIN check box below the car price to get a free VIN check.

In addition to a VIN Check, you might as well take a quick look at the used cars for sale in the Kelley Blue Book database. Look through the database to find comparable cars to use as a basis for negotiating the price with the dealership.

Isn’t Technology Great?

Way back in the Stone Age, determining a used car’s Blue Book Value was relegated to those who actually owned a copy of the book. Now you can check car values for free online in a matter of minutes.