They will screw you! That is what ALL dealers (new and used) do on trade ins.
ANY amount they really do give you, you could get more by selling to private individual.
THEY DOCTOR the numbers to make it look like you are getting more for trade..BUT in reality they simply came down LESS on sale price.
If you and I walk into the same dealership the same week and had the exact same trade in (lets assume different sale people to keep it covert) and you got a (inaccurate pricing alert)
54,205 sticker (with dest charge) vehicle for 52,805 and then "2000" for trade....you pay
50,805.
I forget about the trade and I have financing all ready and ready to sign and drive it home....
I get it for 51,494 ( a mere 5% discount and many an be had a lot more than this).
I pay 689.00 more. I am quite sure I can even dump the trade in for more than that.
So in this situation the dealer came down 2.5% for trade in person and 5% on fast sale outright.
The numbers will vary but unless you have a decent vehicle with a bad mechanical prob that makes it worth a LOT less than it would be- like overheating head gaskets etc, where you could trade it in and let them eat it....you will always get more by selling one yourself.
Not that hard to show to 2-3 people to sell. If it takes over 4 lookers- it's priced too high!
The ENTIRE way we buy cars at dealers (new and used) is BIZARRO WORLD!
But we accept it as normal and ok.
The only good think I can say is that by some people just paying sticker or not getting good deals...that allows (subsidizes) but only occasionally others to go in and get a much better deal by being a serious cash-in-hand buyer and being ready to walk if not good enough deal!
Sad but true.
We don't go into walmart or any other retail store and negotiate prices. I don't pay more or less than anyone else when I buy the same item at a store..... but vehicles....Bizarro World.