What is a Trade-In value?

This is the value you may expect to be offered by a dealer when trading in your own used vehicle.

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What is the difference between the Kelley Blue Book Trade-In value I see on my My Acura page and the Blue Book wholesale value?

The Trade-In value on our site supposes that the vehicle is in fair, good or excellent condition and is taken AS IS. The values in Kelley Blue Books, which are trade publications intended for use by the wholesale industry, assume the Trade-In value of the vehicle plus the cost associated with restoring it to the manufacturer's specification and performing all required safety checks to make the vehicle ready for sale.

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If my vehicle's trim level (such as Type S) includes A/C, do I still select Air Conditioning?

Yes. It is important to include all the equipment found on the vehicle, even if it is standard. The selection of a trim level or equipment package allows for additional value to be added for those items that do not appear in the equipment menu, such as power mirrors, leather covered shift knobs and steering wheels, illuminated vanity mirrors, body side moldings, chrome trim, dual exhausts, additional speakers, consoles, etc.

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My vehicle has A/C, but it's broken; do I still check the box marked Air Conditioning?

Yes. But in fairness, you should calculate the cost to repair the broken equipment and then subtract it from the total vehicle price. There is one exception: when the cost of the repair is higher than the value of the broken item, it's best not to include that item in the list of optional equipment.

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What about equipment on my vehicle for which no check box is provided?

There are some options (e.g., alarm systems, heated seats, trip computers) that are not addressed on the Kelley Blue Book form. On certain models, these items do not occur with enough frequency in the market place to calculate an applicable value. That is not to say that such options are worthless, as they may make your vehicle more marketable against similar models.

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Why is a luggage rack shown as optional equipment on my vehicle, but not the ski rack that I installed myself?

Kelley Blue Book only value items that are either factory-installed or "factory quality." Space does not allow them to identify the vast variety of aftermarket items.

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How do I determine if my vehicle is in good condition, as opposed to fair condition?

This is judgment call, so you will need to be as honest with yourself as possible. Think of yourself as the buyer as opposed to the seller. What comes to mind when someone tells you his car is in good condition? Chances are you picture a car with no rust, dents or paint fade. The interior should be clean and the engine in good working order. A vehicle in fair condition should be in good mechanical condition (able to pass all state smog and vehicle inspection requirements), but may show more wear and tear than its age suggests. For more help, use the Virtual Walkaround (located at the bottom of the equipment selection page) to help you rate your vehicle.

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My car is in good condition, but has a "salvage" title. How does that affect the value?

A salvaged title does have a negative effect on the value of a vehicle. The industry standard uses a rule of thumb to deduct 50% of the value and in some cases even more.

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