Dealer trade-in
$22,932 – $25,578
Convenience. The dealer budgets for prep, holding costs, resale risk and profit.
Sell your car.
Trade it. Sell it yourself. Know the difference before you decide.
How the three values work
Sample: 2022 compact SUV, 40,000 miles
Illustrative example — value your own car on the right
Private-party sale
$27,048 – $29,400
More stays with you. You handle buyers, payment, smog and DMV paperwork.
Dealer retail
$29,400
The resale benchmark, not your proceeds. Covers overhead, reconditioning and margin.
Not entered
Net equitySlide to your payoff
California taxes the full price of your next car — a trade-in saves $0 in sales tax. Lock the next car’s out-the-door price first, then compare written trade offers.