How to Check the Price of My Car

Beginning in 1918, Les Kelley produced a list of automobile values and published the "Blue Book of Motor Car Values." The name "Blue Book" came from the Social Register and meant people could find valuable information inside. To this day, Kelley Blue Book is an authoritative source for car values. Whether you bought a new car and want to make certain you received a fair deal or you own an older car and want to trade it in or sell it, starting with the Kelley Blue Book can save you time.

Instructions

New Car

1

Visit the Kelley Blue Book website and under New Cars, click on a car model under, Search by Category. For example, click "Sedan" if you own a new sedan. This will bring up another window.

2

Enter your ZIP code into the field box when prompted and click "Go." The Kelley Blue Book site uses your ZIP code to find the price of the car in your area.

3

Select the make of your car. Your selection automatically brings up a list of model types along with their photos. Click the model of your car.

4

Click the year of your new car. Depending on the make and model of the car, the current or upcoming year will be displayed.

5

Click "Pricing" from the list of options. A screen appears prompting you to select a trim. For instance, if you own a Lexus ES sedan, your option might be a 4-door ES 350 sedan.

6

Click the trim for your car model. Kelley Blue Book presents a screen listing the base Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP), invoice price and Fair Purchase Price of your car. The invoice price provides the lowest amount the dealer can go and still make a profit on selling the car but does not include selling and advertising costs, for instance. The car manufacturer sets the MSRP, which every car must have displayed in the U.S. by law. The Fair Purchase Price reveals a range of selling prices based on the current market. You also have the option to get a free dealer price quote from a local dealer.

Used Car

7

Go to the Kelley Blue Book website and under Used Cars, search for your car by clicking "Year, Make & Model" or click a category, such as "Hybrid." The Year, Make & Model brings up drop-down lists for you to select from, first for the year, then for the make of your car and then the car model. Click "Go."

8

Select the Kelley Blue Book Value for your used car. Click "Trade-In Value," which represents how much you can get from the dealer when trading in your car, "Private Party Value," the cost of buying the used car from a private party, and "Suggested Retail Value, meaning the price dealers want for the used car.

9

Select the trim for your used car. For example, if you own a 1998 Honda Accord, select from the Accord DX 4-door sedan, Accord LX 2-door and 4-door sedan or coupe and the Accord EX sedan or coupe as trims.

10

Select the equipment and vehicle details of your used car. Kelley Blue Book provides a list of all standard items to choose from for your car. Select from these items or enter the required field information, namely the current mileage and your ZIP code.

11

Click "Continue." The next screen appears with your used car, photo and the suggested retail value, assuming you own a car in excellent condition. Excellent condition means your used car looks new, never had body work or paint, has no rust, will pass safety emissions, has complete service records and is in excellent mechanical condition.