I used Carvana during Covid and they gave me way more than I was expecting and more than anyone else was offering site unseen. Super easy process - when they came to pick it up, the guy just made sure it drove, there was no hidden damage, and then handed over check for the amount they quoted

Not sure how their quotes are looking now but it was high during peak used car market days and couldn’t be easier

You’ll never get a “good amount” from selling to a dealer since they intend to resell it at a higher price later. They need to make room for a profit.

Where as selling it privately, the buyer is more likely to pay higher since they’ll be the end user.

I sold to Carmax in 2018. Went to a Toyota Dealership at the end of rt. 37 and made preliminary arrangements to buy a truck. I had already got an offer for my trade-in from CarMax for $10.5k but wanted to see what the dealer would offer me since I was willing to trade. They offered me $7k and wouldn't budge and I declined. They brought the manager over and pressured me into taking the $7k and I told them I had an offer for $10.5k from CarMax and it made zero sense to take their deal. I told them that I would take $7k for my trade if they took $3.5k off their sale price to make up the difference. Why should I be the one to take a $3k hit for no reason? They declined and thought I was bluffing with the CarMax price and challenged me to go get the $10.5k. So I did. It had been a few months since my CarMax offer so when I went back they offered $10k which I gladly accepted. The salesman and the manager actually called me while I was at CarMax asking why it was taking so long. It had been ~1 hour, so not long at all. CarMax cut me the check right there and I went back to the dealership and signed the check over as a down payment. The look on their faces when I presented the check for $10k was was pretty cool. They were shocked and I heard them mumble something like "oh shit, we need to watch out for this...." or something like that. They are counting on people not doing their due diligence and accepting their shitty, lopsided offers. Get the CarMax or Carvana offers prior to talking to the dealer and have it presentable if the dealer lowballs.

I may have been able to get slightly more with a private sale but I just didn't want to deal with that hassle. Plus, when I was buying, trucks that I wanted (specifically having 3 child seat anchors in the back) were few and far between and I needed to act pretty quickly and didn't have time for the private sale. CarMax made it pretty easy, IMO, and I saved $3k versus selling to the dealer.

One thing I've learned after trading a lot of cars in is.... the value of a used car at the wholesale level (which is what a trade or sale to dealer is worth) is pretty firm. Ie.. certain year, make, model, mileage, and equipment and any decent used car manager is going to come in within +/- $250 bucks. Some dealers may low ball you or they may "over allow" you if you're trading vs. another purchase. But fundamentally the car price is pretty set. Places like Carmax and Carvana are going to give you a pretty solid number.

Dealerships aren't going to give you a good amount, not to mention the price of used cars is finally coming down a little so now isn't the prime time to sell, which means dealerships aren't looking to buy tons of used cars like they were a year ago. However, if you really need to get rid of it, just sell it private party. You'll get much more for it.

My understanding is that CarMax offers some of the best prices for a used car. I think the only way that you’ll do better is if you list it privately. You’ll have to decide if the difference in price is worth the hassle of listing it, showing it, and going through a private sale.

That said, if you’re buying a new car and don’t want to sell the old one privately, trading it in at the dealership where you’re buying the new car might work out best mathematically. That’s because the sale price, which the car is taxed at, is reduced by the trade-in value of the car that you’re trading in.

So if you buy a car for $30,000, trade in at CarMax for $5000, you’ll pay $30k x 7% ($2100) in taxes. But if the dealership gives you a comparable trade in value for the new car, you’ll pay $25k x 7% ($1750) in taxes. So unless carmax offers $350 more in this hypothetical example, you’ll ultimately end up better rolling in the trade value of the old car into the new car’s purchase.

Try Carvana! They payout good prices! I wouldnt buy from them, however, as I find them to be overpriced

some might buy it from you even if you are nothing buying a car, Grieco did match carmax a couple of years ago when I was going to sell it to them and buy a car from Grieco. Made the process easier doing it at one place.

Avoid Nucar Tarbox at all costs. Sold them a used car and they bullshitted me big time.