💰 Vehicle Market Value
Check trade-in, private party, and dealer retail values by condition. Add mileage and state for more accurate results.
What the three numbers mean
Most people hear “my car is worth X” and assume that’s one number. It isn’t. The same vehicle carries three very different prices depending on who’s buying, and confusing them is how sellers end up disappointed and buyers end up overpaying.
Trade-In Value
What a dealer will give you toward a new purchase. Always the lowest of the three — the dealer has to recondition, sit on the inventory, and still resell at a profit. Useful as a floor: if a private-party offer comes in below trade-in, something’s off.
Private Party Value
What a regular buyer will pay you on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, or Autotrader. Usually $1,500–$4,000 above trade-in depending on the car. This is the number to aim for if you have the time and patience to handle the sale yourself.
Dealer Retail Value
What a dealership charges a customer off the lot. The highest of the three. Use this number when you’re buying — if a dealer is asking significantly above retail, you have leverage to negotiate down.
What actually moves the price
- Mileage — the single biggest factor. A 2018 Honda CR-V with 60,000 miles can be worth $3,000–$5,000 more than the same car with 140,000.
- Trim and options — a loaded EX-L sells for thousands over a base LX. VIN lookup catches this automatically; YMM lookup gives a range.
- Location — trucks and 4WD SUVs pay a premium in the Mountain West and Northeast. Convertibles sell better in Florida and California. That’s why the state field matters.
- Condition — dents, service history, tires, interior wear. The tool assumes average condition by default; knock 5–10% off for rough, add 5% for truly clean.
- Title status — a salvage or rebuilt title can cut value by 20–40%. If you’re not sure, run a title check first.
How to get the most accurate estimate
- Use the VIN if you have it. VIN lookup pulls your exact trim, engine, and factory options — which is where most of the pricing variance hides. YMM gives you a ballpark; VIN gives you a number.
- Enter your real mileage. Not the round number you guessed. Pull up your odometer photo or your last oil-change receipt.
- Pick your state. Regional demand is real — a pickup in Wyoming prices differently than the same pickup in Rhode Island.
- Compare the three values. If you’re selling, aim for private-party. If you’re trading, expect trade-in. If you’re buying, anything below dealer retail is leverage.
Common questions
How is this different from Kelley Blue Book or Edmunds?
Same category of data, different source. Our values come from current transaction data — actual auction results, dealer sales, and listing-to-sale ratios — rather than a single publisher’s model. Run both and cross-check; if the numbers agree within a few hundred dollars, that’s your real range.
Is the value the same everywhere in the U.S.?
No, and that’s why the state field exists. The same 2020 F-150 can swing $2,000+ between states based on local demand, weather, and whether it’s truck country. Always enter your actual state, not the one your car was registered in five years ago.
Does high mileage kill the value?
It hurts it, but less than people assume on reliable models. A Toyota or Honda with 150,000 well-documented miles often sells for more than a neglected 90,000-mile competitor. Service records matter. Keep your receipts.
How often are the values updated?
Market data refreshes continuously — pricing reflects the last 30–60 days of transactions, so seasonal swings (convertibles in spring, 4WD in fall) show up in the numbers you see.
I don’t have my VIN handy. Can I still use this?
Yes. Switch to the Year / Make / Model / Trim tab. The estimate will be slightly less precise — VIN pulls your exact option package, YMM uses a trim-level average — but it’s still accurate for trade-in and private-party comparisons.