This Trick Will Get You a Better Price on Your Trade-In

Updated: Apr. 20, 2023

This trick can keep some cash in your pocket.

Happy beautiful couple is buying a new car at dealership. Credit card in hand.4 PM production/Shutterstock

It would seem that everyone has their own trick on how to get the best deal on a new car but usually the car salesman comes out ahead.  These are the tricks you can you use to outsmart a car salesman.

But if you come in with a plan and know the tricks car salesmen like to use, you can get yourself a pretty good deal. One of the areas you should focus is the trade-in value of your vehicle.

How to Get the Best Price for Your Trade-in

Many former car salesmen have said that it’s best to negotiate your trade-in’s value separately from the price of the new car you want to purchase because your trade-in can get devalued quickly when you’re focusing on the final price of the new car. It’s also a good idea to learn the best time of the week to buy a new car.

What’s the Trick to Get the Best Price for Your Trade-in?

Don’t let the car salesman know you have a trade-in right away. Some dealers will try to play tricks with the trade-in value in order to get you into a more expensive car by increasing the price of your trade-in. Your car’s trade-in value should not change drastically.

Salesmen typically have some wiggle room on trade-in values because it’s one area where they can make some additional money. An ex-car salesman posted on a Reddit forum that they used to lie to the owner on trade-in prices they gave customers so they’d make more money. Besides, the sale might also trigger a bonus for the sales person so they might be willing to negotiate your trade-ins value a little more. Here’s what happens to your car after you trade it in.