What Valuation Tools Actually Tell You (and What They Don't)
Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, and NADA Guides are the three tools most sellers use to estimate their car's value. They are useful starting points, but understanding what they actually measure changes how you use them.
These tools generate values based on historical transaction data, regional averages, and condition assumptions. They are telling you what similar cars have sold for in similar conditions over a recent period, not what a buyer will write you a check for today. Your actual offers will vary based on your specific car, your local market right now, current dealer inventory levels, and what buyers in your segment are actively looking for this week.
The trade-in values these tools show also tend to run 10 to 20 percent below private party values, because they reflect what dealers pay, not what consumers pay. If you are planning to sell privately or through a broker, use the private party range, not the trade-in estimate.
What Actually Moves Your Car's Value
Several factors have outsized impact on what buyers will actually offer:
- Accident history: A clean Carfax is worth real money. A reported accident, even a minor one, reduces offers from professional buyers by a meaningful percentage. Private buyers often walk away entirely when they see an accident on the report.
- Mileage relative to age: A car with well below average mileage for its age commands a premium. A car with significantly above average mileage faces a discount. The average vehicle in the US is driven roughly 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year; deviations from that range affect offers noticeably.
- Market demand for your specific make and model: A Honda CR-V in a market where dealers need inventory is a different conversation than a discontinued sedan no one is actively searching for.
- Current inventory conditions: When used car supply is tight, buyers pay more. When inventory is heavy, buyers are more selective and offers drop. Market conditions in 2026 have normalized significantly from the supply-constrained peaks of 2021 and 2022.
- Condition and service records: Complete service history supports a higher asking price with private buyers and reduces the chance of an offer adjustment at inspection by professional buyers.
Why Different Buyers Give Different Numbers for the Same Car
If you submit the same car to three different buyers and receive three different offers, that is not a mistake. Each buyer prices the car based on their own cost structure and resale channel. A dealer who specializes in your make can move your car faster and at a higher margin, so they can afford to pay more for it. A dealer with excess inventory in your segment may offer less. An online buyer prices based on a national algorithm that may not reflect local demand for your specific model.
This is why getting multiple offers is not optional if you care about the price. It is the only way to find out which buyer values your car most highly on any given day.
How to Get an Accurate Number Before You Commit
Use this sequence:
- Run your car through KBB and Edmunds to get a range. Note the private party value, not the trade-in figure.
- Get an offer from at least one online buyer (Carvana or CarMax). This gives you a real number to compare against the tools.
- Get an offer from a dealership that sells your make. Dealer offers vary more than online buyer offers and are sometimes higher for cars they need urgently.
- Get competing offers through a broker. A broker brings your car to multiple buyers at once and returns the highest competitive offers without requiring you to repeat the process for each buyer separately.
When you have two or three real offers in hand, you will know immediately whether the tool estimates were accurate and which buyer is pricing your car most favorably. Start your trade with Vantage and get competing offers without the back-and-forth of approaching each buyer one at a time.
Full Disclosure: How Vantage Works
Vantage is a licensed auto broker in New Jersey. We represent sellers by bringing their cars to multiple buyers in our network. We do not set the price; buyers compete and you choose. Depending on the transaction, Vantage may earn a broker fee, disclosed upfront. If you are also in the market for your next car, you can browse our wholesale inventory at the same time.
To find out what real buyers would pay for your car today, start your trade in 5 minutes. No spam. No pressure. Unsubscribe anytime.
