Trading in your car when buying a new one can have plenty of advantages but also a few downsides as well. If you do your due diligence and follow the best trade-in vehicle buying tips, you may get a better deal and walk out with a new car.
1. Fix up your car
Your car will be evaluated by the dealer. He will be looking for reasons to offer you less for your car thus the existence of any kind of mechanical problems will put you at a disadvantage. The wise thing to do is to fix up your car as long as it does not require major repairs that will exceed its value.
2. Clean up your car
Most likely, the dealer will take your car and sell it afterward. This means that he needs to prepare it for sale including getting it cleaned. You can clean it yourself before taking it to the dealer. This should get you a better deal on your used car.
3. Always negotiate
One of the best trade-in vehicle buying tips is to always try to negotiate. Try to get more for your old car and at the same time, see if you can get a discount on your new car. Some dealers may not want to lower the new car sale price but they may offer you some free optional bonuses for your car.
4. Know the market value of your car
Do not take the first deal you get. Do some research and ensure that you know the market value of the car you want to trade in. Certainly, you will not get the market value for it but get a good picture of how much dealers are willing to offer you for it. Shop around and have it appraised by multiple dealers to see what would be the best offer you can get before any negotiations.
