Pinellas Park Honda Dealer: How to Get More for Your Trade In

May 29, 2013

Your Pinellas Park Honda dealer offers some tips that could help you get more money for your trade in. That means you will spend less money on your new car. When is saving money ever a bad thing?

Clean Up the Car Before You Bring it to the Dealership

The dealership doesn’t want to have its cleaning crew spend a lot of time on your trade in. The more dirt they see inside and outside your car, the lower your trade in value will be.

Unless your car is truly filthy, you can do this clean up job on your own. Vacuum all of the nooks and crannies inside your car. Wash the outside thoroughly (don’t forget the tires). And wipe down every inch of the interior. The more filth you can remove, the more money you’ll get for your car.

Know How Much Your Car is Worth

Do some research to find out how much your car is worth. There are plenty of resources that will help you decide how much you should get for your car. If nothing else, explore Craigslist ads to see what other people are asking for similar vehicles.

The dealership won’t pay you the full value of your car. That’s the price of convenience. If you want to get more money for your old car, then you’ll have to put in time and energy selling it to an independent party.

Knowing the value of your car, however, shows that you’re informed. Salespersons tempted to lowball you will think twice, and they’ll respect you for doing your homework.

Explore Dealers for the Best Deal

Not all car dealerships will give you the same price for your car. It’s possible that a dealership across town will want to give you an extra $1,000. It’s unlikely, but it’s possible.

Talk to dealerships to find out how much they would give you for the trade in. Then you can use this as a negotiation tactic when you go to other dealerships. When you have offers on the table, those other dealerships are more likely to take you seriously and give you a good deal. After all, they want to take your car because they want to sell it at a higher price on their lot.

These tips won’t help you save thousands of dollars, but they can help you get a little more for your trade in. Don’t be afraid to talk to the dealership so you can reach a fair agreement.