We have customers come to us all the time asking, “Hey, can I sell my car to you?” We tell them we’re happy to buy their vehicle, go through the process, and make everything simple. Sometimes, after selling us a vehicle, that same person will then tell us how they want to buy a new or used model from us, and we start exploring our selection with them. At that point, however, we can’t help but wonder why they didn’t just use their vehicle as a trade-in rather than selling it to us. It happens often enough that we tend to ask people who want to sell us a car if they’re interested in using it as a trade-in instead, and we notice how frequently people are surprised by this option. Let’s look at some of the basics of selling us a car compared to using it as a trade-in to see which option is better for you.

Basics of Selling Your Car

Let’s start by reviewing some basics of both approaches to getting rid of a vehicle you don’t want or need anymore. Selling your car is just what it sounds like. You sell your vehicle, getting money for it in exchange for transferring the title to a new owner. While some people are tempted to sell to a private buyer to try to get the most money possible, that opens a lot of room for extra hassles, scams, and more headaches than you might believe. This is why we always recommend people sell to a dealership like us. We will eliminate these worries and make selling your car as quick and easy as possible.

Before you bring your vehicle to us to sell it, make sure you take care of a few simple preliminary tasks to make the process smooth and simple. Give your car a good cleaning inside and out so it looks as good as possible, and make sure you have all of the information and parts that it came with, including the manual. You should also get your paperwork together for the vehicle, including its title and any financing paperwork you have if the car is still under a lease or auto loan. Without this, no one is going to be able to buy your vehicle, so it’s best to have it all together and in order before you bring it to us.

We also suggest using our simple online tools to estimate the value of your car, truck, or SUV to get a realistic sense of how much it’s worth. Once you’ve done all these things, bring your car to us, and we’ll give it a quick in-person inspection. Then, we will make you an offer to buy it from you. If you accept our offer, then we’ll take care of the paperwork to transfer your vehicle to us, and you walk away with money in your pocket. That’s all there is to it, and there’s no further obligation or commitment on your part. However, if you’re looking to buy a car from us, this is probably not the best way to go.

Basics of Trading In Your Car

If you want to use your vehicle as a trade-in, you can start by following the initial steps discussed above to sell us your car. Give it a good cleaning inside and out, get all of the information together for it, and get the paperwork including the title and financing info before coming to us. We also suggest getting an estimate for your vehicle when using it as a trade-in since this gives you a better sense of your overall financial situation as you explore different options. Then, bring your vehicle to us and tell us that you’re interested in using your car as a trade-in, rather than selling it to us.

We’ll still inspect your vehicle to see how it looks before making you an offer for it, but while we do that, one of our helpful salespeople can take you through our new and used models to find your next ride. This speeds things up since you’re not taking everything one step at a time, and you can be on the road in a new vehicle even sooner. Perhaps more importantly, telling us you want to use your current vehicle as a trade-in makes the financing process even quicker. We have plenty of customers come to us worried about how long figuring out financing can take, so anything that speeds that up is a good thing.

For some reason, some folks think it’s best to get through most of the shopping and financing process, and only reveal that they want to use their current car as a trade-in near the end. Usually, this is because a friend or family member told them to surprise us with it to get a better deal that way. That’s not how things work. Surprising us with a trade-in only slows things down and means we have to start over again with figuring out the right financing. It’s not better for you in any way. So tell us, from the start, that you want to use your car as a trade-in. If anything, you can potentially get a better deal when we know you have a trade than without it.

Should You Sell or Trade Your Vehicle?

This is a great question. It depends on what you’re looking for today. If you’re not interested in getting a new (or used) vehicle, then there’s no reason to use your current car as a trade-in. In that case, the simplest option is to sell us the vehicle that you do not need anymore since that keeps things quick and easy. We will take care of all of the necessary paperwork for you. We can even pay off your financing, and then pay you the difference between what you still owe and the value of your car.

If you need to get a new or used vehicle, however, then using your current model as a trade-in is usually the best way to go. This keeps things simple with everything involved in a single process, making it faster than selling a car only to then turn around and buy another one. We will simply add the value of your trade-in to any down payment you make, reducing the initial cost of your next vehicle. This can greatly reduce how much financing you need for the car you want, which helps keep your costs down. Going with a trade-in, rather than selling just to buy another car, can also help you avoid taxes for selling a vehicle, further simplifying things and saving you money.

We Can Help With Everything You Need

As you can see, once you consider things from every angle, it’s pretty easy to figure out the right way to handle any vehicle you currently have. This is why our salespeople and financing specialists are committed to providing you with any information you need, answering all of your questions honestly, and taking you through the process with total clarity and transparency. We want to ensure you understand all of your options, weigh their advantages, and make the right choice for your situation. If you’re still unsure what the right choice is for you, then call us and we’ll help you figure everything out. This is the difference that it makes to have friends on your side within the auto industry when buying or selling a vehicle.