What's My Car Worth?

Car and Driver responds to your value requests using data from our sister company, Black Book, an auto industry leader in vehicle-value data analysis for car dealers. Black Book's extensive database enables us to calculate what your vehicle is worth based on its age, mileage, condition, options, and accident history—and also adjusts for the going price of similar vehicles in your area. Our calculator will tell you two things: what you can expect to be paid for your vehicle if you sell it privately, and what you should get if you trade it in at the dealership.

You can count on the values we give you since we use the same data that Black Book analyzes and then supplies to car dealers, whose businesses depend upon knowing precisely what every car, truck, and SUV is worth.

Yes, you can choose to sell it to the dealership where you're buying your new vehicle. The dealer will handle the payment to your loan provider and will put any remaining proceeds towards your new set of wheels.

There are pros and cons to both trading in and selling your car privately. By looking at your state's tax code and doing the math, you’ll be able to arrive at the right answer for your needs. Most times, selling your vehicle privately will net you more money up front, but that could mean you'll pay more taxes on the full price of the new car that you're buying. Selling it yourself can also entail extra time, the need to deal with strangers, and possible scams. However, in some states you only pay sales tax on what the car costs after the dealer subtracts the value of your trade-in. You might come out ahead in that case. Finally, there are the car-buying services, which can be both quicker and safer to deal with but, like a dealer, will pay you less for your car than a private party. So as we said, do your homework, do the math, and then decide.

It can. People in different parts of the country favor different types of vehicles, which affects their value in that locale. Rear-wheel-drive pickup trucks, to give one example, are generally worth more in the Southeast than in the Northeast.

Car and Driver is part of Hearst Autos, and our company's classic-car auction site, Bring a Trailer, can help you get an idea. Besides, it’s a great place to look at classic cars of all kinds for enjoyment.

That depends. Different vehicles depreciate at different rates depending on numerous factors, including how the economy is doing at that time; what kind of vehicle it is; the brand of the car; how much demand there is for that model; the price of gas; and much more.