Do you do trade in
1 Answer
Really depends on your situation. I know someone who does this for convenience and you don't have to worry about getting a smog check for your car when trading it to the dealer. Here in California, you can't sell a car privately without getting a current smog certificate, must be within 90 days of the sale. The only thing that you need to realize is dealers will frequently offer you more on your trade in and then quietly add some extra costs into the price of the car you're buying. You should check your sales contract very carefully to avoid this. Actually, a reputable dealer won't do this. I've found that most new car dealers whether you are buying new or a CPO car, are pretty straightforward and honest. They want return business and referrals. The kind of experience you have greatly impacts your impression of how dealers interact with you. My advice is to avoid used car dealers or independent sales, these cars are not in as good condition and are are being jobbed out on the market because they didn't make the cut to sell at a new car dealership. They're definitely less expensive, but, may come with serious problems and no warranty in many cases.