How much less will I get for my car if I sell it to a dealer instead of privately?

Dealers typically offer 10-20% less than the private party value of a vehicle because they need to account for reconditioning costs, holding costs, and their profit margin when they resell it. The difference is most pronounced on high-demand vehicles: a $20,000 private party car might get a $16,000-$17,500 dealer offer. The tradeoff is convenience: a dealer sale is completed in hours with no strangers coming to your home, no test drives to manage, and no risk of payment issues. Whether the discount is worth the convenience depends on how much time you have and your tolerance for the private sale process.