Say for example if the KBB suggest your car is valued at $5000 for a private sale, what price would you attempt to sale it for? I am thinking use 90-95% of the KBB value for the asking price, or should you ask for more that the KBB suggestion since estimate retail value of the car is much higher. I am not trying to dick anyone over, I am just trying to get some good insight on this being that I have never sold a car in a private sale and I don't want to get dicked around either.

5/8/2011 5:06:23 PM

make sure you get the condition right on KBB. Many people have their cars as "excellent" or "very good", where most used cars aren't.

5/8/2011 5:10:53 PM

I chose 'good' condition and which I agree with the definition of 'good' according to the KBB website. All it needs is a wash job.

5/8/2011 5:13:46 PM

I think it's pretty good for most "appliance cars", but it can be totally out to lunch for more specialty cars.

5/8/2011 5:54:05 PM

The NADA clean retail on my 08 GTI (4 door, 31.5k miles, autobahn package and rear side airbags) is $21,150. The KBB 'Good' value is $18,000. I'm listed it for $17.5k (started at $18k and dropped it after a month) and I'm selling it for $17k tomorrow.

I always thought KBB was higher than NADA but this is making me thinking otherwise...

5/8/2011 10:30:13 PM

Is that KBB value retail or private-party?

5/9/2011 10:08:23 AM

Quote :

"ATTEMPT TO SALE"

5/9/2011 12:50:20 PM

Quote :

"Is that KBB value retail or private-party?"

Private party. Though I just ran it again and it said $18.8k. It's confusing because in the options section you can select a package (autobahn in my case) but then in the options area you can still select the options that come with that package. So do you select the package AND the options, or just the packages? To make it worse KBB doesn't show you the added value per package/option, so it's generally a pain to deal with.

I just spent a few minutes with it and the package didn't add anything to the price, so you have to select the options. Even then the autobahn package retailed $3000, and the options they list there that come with the autobahn package only add up to $800 extra...I wonder if that's accurate. They don't even have them all of autobahn options listed as checkboxes...theres no place to select heated seats.

I guess the whole point of this is I don't place much stock in anything those services say.

5/9/2011 4:02:23 PM

The KBB and NADA published values in the consumers' editions and online differ quite a bit from the editions published for dealers and financial institutions.

5/9/2011 4:24:04 PM

Options never get back anywhere near the value you pay for them fyi. You can spend 4k on Navigation, but the dealer will give you 400 more. It's hardly ever worth it in getting the package if you're doing it for resale. If doing it for yourself, don't worry about it, but don't expect the value back.

5/9/2011 6:10:05 PM

^

Unless we're talking about major options (e.g. engine), having leather and a sunroof won't add a ton to the resale value.

5/9/2011 6:20:20 PM

Quote :

"Options never get back anywhere near the value you pay for them fyi. You can spend 4k on Navigation, but the dealer will give you 400 more. It's hardly ever worth it in getting the package if you're doing it for resale. If doing it for yourself, don't worry about it, but don't expect the value back."

I understand this, but I'm betting for private party you get more than 10% back for many options. I can say that the people who were most interested in my car required leather, fwiw.

5/9/2011 7:10:14 PM

Sorry for the hijack.

Is there anything special I would need to do for a Private Sale? If a guy offers me $2500 cash for my crappy 2002 Nissan Altima and I take it and hand the deed over, is there anything after that?

Do I need get something legal for the sale? Something that says "car is being sold as-is" or something along those lines?

5/23/2011 11:44:53 AM

no

5/23/2011 11:52:47 AM

Good to know. I'm going to see what the Dealer would give me as a part of a deal for a new Hyundai Tuscon, but $2500 for an Altima with a compressor problem (AC is out) doesn't seem like too bad of a deal. KBB has it for a little bit higher, I'll have to see what the dealer says.

5/23/2011 1:02:30 PM

The dealer may be willing to give you full value on the trade in order to move a new vehicle off the lot. Give em that angle and see if it sticks.

5/23/2011 2:00:44 PM