If you’re considering trading in your vehicle toward purchasing a new car, we can answer your questions about trade-in value, how to trade in, and where to find the best deal. At Ike Honda, we can provide guidance on these and other common concerns regarding the trade-in process, how the pricing works, and more.

What’s My Car Worth?

Several factors determine car trade-in value. The vehicle’s age, condition, and mileage are the major determining factors. At Ike Honda, we can help you navigate the trade-in process, remove the stress, and get you top dollar for your trade. We have an online trade evaluation tool you can take advantage of for free. Other services we provide include a simplified trade-in process, in-house financing options for your new loan, a convenient payment calculator, and one of the largest inventories of new and used vehicles in the region to help you find the perfect car.

How to Check the Trade-In Value of Your Car

Using our online trade evaluation tool, you can check the trade-in value of your car from the comfort of your living room. Simply answer a few questions about your vehicle, and in minutes you’ll receive an offer. Then, when you’re ready to trade the vehicle in, you can bring your car to us. One of our vehicle estimators will confirm your car’s mileage and condition before certifying the offer.

A couple of things you need to remember about using the online tool. First, many car owners misrepresent the value of their vehicle, choosing an excellent rating, when it deserves a good rating or less. These categories exist to assess the proper value, so it’s important that you answer honestly. Otherwise, you might get upset when you arrive at a dealership, and they point this out to you and offer you less than you were expecting.

Another thing to remember is you are trading your car in, not selling it privately. You will always get more for your vehicle in a private sale. That’s because a dealership must resell the vehicle and make a profit. Thus, you get a trade value based on what a dealer can afford to pay and still turn a profit after fixing, detailing, and selling your car.

At Ike Honda, we are happy to let you sell your car privately and then come to us after to complete the purchase of your new vehicle. You should know that most customers that take this approach often come back to us frustrated with the process of posting ads, meeting potential customers, and fruitless haggling. Trading in your car with us helps you avoids all these hassles.

How to Trade In a Car

First, we encourage you to use our online trade evaluation tool before you begin shopping for a new car. Next, we want you to find a new vehicle from our inventory. Then, you can schedule a test drive of the vehicle.

At this point, we can have one of our vehicle estimators evaluate your trade and certify the offer. When you arrive, you should have the vehicle’s title of ownership. Then, when you’ve selected a new car, we can handle all the paperwork with the Department of Motor Vehicles, your insurance company, and the lending institution if you buy with a loan.

How to Trade In a Car That’s Not Paid Off

Our customers often ask us how to trade in a car with an outstanding loan. The process to trade in a car that’s not paid off is the same as detailed above, with one exception. When you own the vehicle, you have the title of ownership. With an existing loan on the car, the lender has the title of ownership and keeps it until you pay off the loan or sell the vehicle. Again, we work with your existing bank to pay off your loan and secure the title of ownership.

When Is the Best Time to Trade-In Your Car?

This question also pops up quite a bit from our customers who wonder if there’s a good time of year where you can get the most for your trade. We always answer this question the same. Right now is the best time to trade in your car. Many things affect the value of your vehicle, but age and mileage have the most significant impact. Waiting only adds age and mileage to your car, lessening its value. When you should trade in your vehicle depends on when you’re ready to buy another car.

Where Can I Trade In My Car?

If you’re wondering where to trade in your vehicle, the answer is at a dealership. However, that doesn’t mean you should take your car to just any dealership. Instead, you want to find a trustworthy dealership that won’t low-ball you. Ike Honda provides you with the online tools necessary to assess the value of your trade. As long as you’ve answered the questions honestly, you’ll never be disappointed in your trade’s worth.

At Ike Honda, we sell more cars than other dealerships in the area. Because of our high sales volume, we can offer you more for your trade than smaller dealerships. The more money you get for your trade, the less money you’ll have to pay or borrow to purchase your new car.

At Ike Honda, we know how intimidating it can get trading in your car. Responsible people worry about getting a fair price and the paperwork involved, especially if you still owe money. That’s why we want our customers to take advantage of all our online tools. These tools were designed to help you understand the process and remove the guesswork.

Ultimately, the customers that use our tools to trade in their vehicles with us reap the benefits. They end up getting more money for their trade, reducing their stress levels, and finding a quality new car at a great price. If you’re ready to trade in your vehicle for a newer model, we invite you to browse our new car inventory in Marion or stop by our dealership at any time. One of our friendly, professional staff will walk you through the process and answer all of your questions.