Car pricing 101
On this page you'll learn about the different factors that make up the price of a used car.
Anatomy of your car's value
There's a long list of things that determine a car's current market value no matter how you decide to sell. All car values are determined by these factors: age/year, brand, condition, mileage, accident history, location, popular options & add-ons, supply and demand and timing.
Autozen Tip
Don’t worry about scratches, everyone has them!
Sometimes, things are just out of your control, such as:
Depreciation
Their own supply
Market demand
Regional differences
Preferences of their customers
Feeling overwhelmed?
It’s A LOT, we know!
That’s why at Autozen, our team works everyday to understand the market to help you, our sellers, find the one buyer that is willing to offer the most. We’re your advocate to understanding all the moving parts to showcase your car in the best light, where 100s of our pre-vetted and hungry car buyers and dealerships will compete against one another on our platform. So rather than dealing with private buyers and dealerships, let us present the best offer from our auction platform.
We understand the market to help you find the one right buyer.
Things that could help add value
- Features that are in high demand or rare, for example: navigation system, sunroof, leather seats, backup camera, Apple/android car play.
- Factory accessories such as original tires, two sets of keys etc.
- Tire treads that are not too worn - tire tread depth can impact the value of your car, in fact some dealers will have to replace tires entirely in order to re-sell it. Be sure to let us know if you have an additional set of wheels/tires.
- Low relative KM for age of vehicle
- Consistent service records
- Less than $5k in accident history (CarFax)
Autozen Tip
Having a “spec sheet” makes a big difference for German cars (BMW/Mercedes etc). Having something that shows your car’s exact add-ons/upgrades helps us identify the features that can really boost your car value.
Top 4 misconceptions about car prices
What won't add value to your asking price?
Listing at dealership prices
The value of your car is not the same as another vehicle you see online.
When figuring out how much to sell your car for, most people go to dealerships, Kijiji, Autotrader etc., to see what other cars are selling for. You find a car with similar year and mileage and decide that your car is worth roughly that amount. Unfortunately, this commonly leads to high expectations and poor experiences when actually selling a vehicle. As explained earlier, every car is different, so it’s hard to make that assumption off the bat. Especially when it comes to dealership pricing, the dealership price includes all the following that the private sellers cannot:
- extra insurance
- reconditioning
- vetting condition & backstory
Money spent on repairs
Full-service records of your oil changes and repairs will never come back to bite you-all buyers are more likely to make a purchase if they know it has been well cared for. However, this likely won't add any monetary value to your selling price.
Mods and customizations
These don’t necessarily add value. Mods can be very personal, trendy and niche. In fact, customizations can be a deterrent to buyers who want to appeal to all potential customers of your car.
Not disclosing things
All used cars have a history and buyers know and expect there to be some wear and tear or bumps and bruises. We do a 150 point inspection of each vehicle that goes to auction to ensure you're getting the price your car is worth at the time and your buyer knows exactly what they are getting.
Avoiding the disclosure of the history and condition of your vehicle won't help your offer price and could end up in your deal falling through.
How Autozen estimates your car valuation
Our happy customers
Jessi
2018 Lexus NX 300
"It's such a great experience. So, so much better than a traditional dealership"
Tyler
2022 Hyundai Kona
"I tried several other platforms... and did not have a lot of success. Autozen came in and saved the day."
Andrew & Sansan
2021 Toyota RAV4
"We 100% recommend this service and this company, without a doubt"
Selling with Autozen is simple
Forget the complexity and we’ll take care of everything to sell it on your behalf.