Information about dealers

The difference between a private-party sale and trade-in value is that the dealer must prepare the car for resale, usually including cleaning and minor repairs.

In addition to the information provided by these sites, there are other factors to consider when pricing your car:

Condition. If your car has minor cosmetic defects or needs mechanical work — or if it's in excellent shape — this will affect its value. Here's where online photos can play a key role.

Options and accessories. An MP3 player might be worth $100 as an add-on feature, but not much more than that, even though it cost you $500 when you bought it new.

Mileage. Generally speaking, the higher the mileage, the lower the price will be because there's less expected life left in the car. However, if the maintenance has been kept up on a higher-mileage car, its value may actually be greater than one with fewer miles but no service records.