A car valuation is an estimate of what your car would sell for, built from its year, make, model and trim, its mileage and condition, and current used car market data. Most online valuations take a minute or two and need nothing more than your license plate or VIN, or the year, make and model, plus the mileage and an honest description of the condition. The accuracy of the result depends almost entirely on what you put in. This page explains how to get an accurate valuation, what the different kinds of valuation are for, why they often disagree, and what to do with the number once you have it.
How to get an accurate car valuation
Identify the car precisely. A license plate and state, or a VIN, lets a valuation tool pin down the exact year, trim and equipment most of the time; where it cannot, you choose the trim from a list. Choosing the year, make and model yourself also works, but check the trim carefully, because trim moves the number.
Enter the real mileage. Use the odometer reading as it is today, not an estimate. Mileage is one of the two or three biggest factors in any valuation, and a rounded-down figure only creates a gap later.
Describe the condition honestly. Dents, scratches, worn tires, interior wear, warning lights and any accident history all belong in the description. Leaving them out does not raise the price a buyer will pay; it only makes the estimate wrong.
Use more than one source. Different kinds of valuation answer different questions, as the table below sets out. Two or three figures, each given the same details, tell you far more than one.
The kinds of car valuation, and what each one is for
| Type of valuation | What it tells you | Best used for |
|---|---|---|
Online estimator | A broad range for a year, make and model, built from listings and sales data, without seeing your car. | A first sense of the market. It is not an offer and nobody is committed to it. |
Dealer appraisal | What one dealer would allow as a trade-in, usually as part of buying another car from them. | Comparing against a trade-in if you are already buying there. |
Private-sale research | What similar cars are listed for near you. Asking prices, not sale prices. | Setting a listing price if you plan to sell the car yourself. |
Direct buyer's valuation | What a company that buys cars outright expects to pay for your specific car, confirmed when it sees the car. | Knowing what you can actually sell for this week, with payment at the appointment. |
Why valuations differ from one source to another
Each number above answers a different question. An estimator describes a category of car; a dealer appraisal describes one dealer's trade-in math; a listing describes what someone hopes to get; a direct buyer's valuation describes what that buyer will pay. The direct buyer's number is usually below an estimator's range, and that is not a trick: the estimator is quoting retail-level prices for a theoretical car, while the buyer is quoting a real purchase price for a car it will resell and may need to recondition first. The useful comparison is between numbers of the same kind, and between any number and the one you would actually be paid.
What happens between a valuation and a sale
Any valuation produced from a form is an estimate based on what the seller typed in. It becomes a price only when a buyer sees the car and confirms it matches. If the description was accurate and the market has not moved, the two are usually close; where they differ, it is because of something not declared, a higher mileage, history that shows on the vehicle report, or a shift in the market. We publish exactly what we check and why for our own valuations, including how a 7 Day Offer differs from a standard online valuation, in how we calculate your car offer, because knowing what will be confirmed is the best way to get a number that holds.
How long a car valuation stays good
Values change every day, so a valuation from a few months ago can be well off the current figure in either direction. Treat any valuation as current for a short period and refresh it before you decide. A conditional offer with a stated validity, such as a 7 Day Offer, is the exception: it holds for its stated time as long as the car matches what was disclosed. The wider picture of what moves the market is in used car values explained.