This is always higher than the car trade-in value. If you plan on doing a private sale, the private-party amount is what a seller can expect. The trade-in price is what you can expect from car dealerships if you trade in your current vehicle for your next car. You will be presented with three or four automobile values: trade-in, private party, dealer retail and certified used.

What you'll see in your appraisal: We will help you make the best decision if you're selling or trading in. In that specific case, you'd need to find a specialized classic car guide, such as Hagerty, to determine its fair market value. The tool appraises vehicles dating back to 1990, so if you own a classic car, this method will not work. Which vehicles can be appraised: Just about every make is covered, including luxury brands such as Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. The appraised value is based on factors such as the car's year, make, model, trim, mileage, depreciation and features.

How values are calculated: We use data from a variety of sources, including dealer transactions, car depreciation costs, and consumer information. However, other than the incorporation of CarMax's transaction data by Edmunds into TMV® calculations, CarMax does not participate in or otherwise influence the manner in which Edmunds computes those values. Since June 2021, Edmunds has been a wholly owned subsidiary of CarMax, Inc.

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