QUESTION: Do used car national chains take a trade of one used car for another? (VANITY)

me | Today | Me

[IYAS9YAS]

Any dealership that sells used cars will take your trade for a used car. Some actually make more money on the used cars than they do the new ones.

Also, your friend would be better off taking her used car to a dealer that sells that brand of vehicle (if her current vehicle is a Ford, take it to a Ford dealer, etc...), as they tend to pay more for their own vehicles used, than they do for competitors.

I would seriously look at more than Carmax, or other national used car place, as often the local brand dealers may give you a better deal on your trade - they did for me. Hyundai gave me a higher offer for my trad-in this last summer on my Hyundai Elantra a full two years after Carmax low-balled me with a ridiculous offer.

[IYAS9YAS]

In almost every instance, the cost of trading for something else covers a lot of gas.

More often that not, it's the insurance that'll kill you going from older and bigger to newer and smaller.

[Fletcher J]

I had a good experience at CarMax also. With one side of the CarMax house selling cars and another department buying them, it seems like a fair way to trade used cars for used. Their website is a great way to research to determine which model of vehicle will be best for you to purchase.

That being said, if your friend with clean up his/her SUV and sell it in a private sell, you can usually get a bit more for it.

Fletcher J

[Vor Lady]

I too have had great experiences with CarMax. Last year we took my daughter’s 13 y/o Camero in for an appraisal, they gave us $950 for it. We ended up buying one of their cars, but the appraisal wasn’t connected to the sale.

I ran my SUV, a 12 y/o Suburban, through kbb.com/autotrader.com/Edmonds.com and came up with the price I could sell it for privately as well as a trade. The two quotes were within a couple of hundred of each other, because a lot of people are looking for gas savings and SUV’s don’t have it. I ended up taking it to CarMax and they gave me $100 less for the trade than I calculated with my average from kbb/Edmonds and Auto Trader. So I added their appraisal to my other down. It couldn’t have been easier.

[RetiredNavy]

They are in business to make money. Increasing the asking price of the car they sell to your friend above their cost makes them money. Paying your friend wholesale for her SUV then selling it at retail (15-20% higher) makes them money. I don’t see them refusing to make a deal.