How close is CarMax appraisals to normal dealerships?

[SMRTSS1]

Not saying that CarMax isn't a normal dealership but how close are they to what a branded (Chevy, Ford etc) dealership appraises cars at. The reason I'm asking is because I'm considering trading in my truck for a full size SUV and CarMax quoted me $24K for my '13 Silverado crew cab LT2 with 48K on the odometer and a literal truckload of accessories. Any dealership I go to I'll have the CarMax paperwork in hand if that matters as a negotiating tool. Anyone have experience with this?

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[Kaeghl]

WHen my father died my mom took his corvette in to get appraised. Carmax came in 10k LESS then literally the crappiest offer.

 

[Shawn1112]

Not saying that CarMax isn't a normal dealership but how close are they to what a branded (Chevy, Ford etc) dealership appraises cars at. The reason I'm asking is because I'm considering trading in my truck for a full size SUV and CarMax quoted me $24K for my '13 Silverado crew cab LT2 with 48K on the odometer and a literal truckload of accessories. Any dealership I go to I'll have the CarMax paperwork in hand if that matters as a negotiating tool. Anyone have experience with this?

I dont have experience personally, but have a few friends that do. They told me Carmax came in between $1500-$3000 less than a "normal" dealer.

 

[Bruce Jibboo]

I think it all depends on how new/low miles it is. They will be close to KBB on anything newer. Older with higher mileage, probably wouldn't even waste the trip.

 

[IceCreamAssassin]

The last 5 cars I or the gf has traded in all went to CarMax first for an appraisal. Sometimes they are higher and sometimes they are lower. It's nice if they are higher because now you have a piece of paper saying what it's at to show the dealer and they always have beat it.

 

[importcrew]

Doesn't TruCar or whatever the site is, show the value of what people are paying/getting for new/used vehicles? I could be wrong.

 

[Gav'sPurpleZ]

when I was looking to trade the Frontier, Carmax was pretty about 1K more than a couple other dealers.

 

[FirstWorldProblems]

I sold my ram outright to a dealer (no trade). CarMax offered me $18,000 so I posted it on cars.com for $18,500 and a Toyota dealer from southern IL paid me asking price and came and picked it up.

I'm sure if you're doing a trade there's a lot more wiggle room in what a dealer will give you, but if selling outright CarMax seems pretty close to what a dealer would pay, at least in my limited experience

 

[OffshoreDrilling]

https://www.cars.com/sell/

post it up online and dealers will shoot you offers. you can put in what you're looking for also. be prepared to unsubscribe from email lists for about a month after you do this though

 

[Bru]

I've traded in 4-5 vehicles for work and the same-make dealership always has paid more. You might have to shop around, though. And you can negotiate the sell price too. Most dealers can issue a same-day check too. If not, it's taken a week sometimes to get the check.

 

[Chet Donnelly]

Don't forget to value in the tax savings if you're trading your car for another one. If you're buying a $50k car, and trading in a $20k car, you're only going to pay the tax on $30k. If you sell to CarMax for $21k and then go buy the $50k car, you're going to pay taxes on the full $50k.

Make sure the numbers work in your favor!

 

[GLADIATOR]

I always appraise my trades at Carmax before I go car shopping. I then use it as a bargaining tool at another dealer. I have also sold Carmax three vehicles.

 

[syP]

carmax is a joke.. many years back I had them appraise one of my cars.. offered me 8k.. ONE YEAR LATER I traded it in at another dealer AND talked down the price of the new car.. received 13,500 trade in for said car I owned.

 

[HeavyG]

was just there, they appraise based on their need for your specific car...and ofcourse, all dealers do that, but with carmax of course theres no haggling...with that....they can kiss my arse !

they wanted to basically give me pennies on the dollar.

 

[LikeABauce302]

I had my daily driver appraised at CarMax a couple months ago when I saw a car on the lot that I was somewhat interested in. They offered me $3,000 for my 2011 Chrysler 200, fully loaded, with 70k miles on it. I haven't gone to a dealer yet, but I assume I can do better than 3k elsewhere.

 

[Lord Tin Foilhat]

I actually got 2k more then everywhere else with CarMax....Because they didn't drive it and find a blown out clutch

Took the money and ran

 

[PANDA]

It all depends on the car...If you have something they can sell or want they will give you a good offer. You can get decent offers for some cars and peanuts for others. Something a few years old with under 40K miles that's gas efficient they would probably love to buy. Your 02 WS6 they are going to give you $4,000 for.

 

[HellPIG]

I'm debating whether or not to bring them my 2012 Overland with 34,000 miles or just go to a Jeep Dealer and hope for the best.

 

[PANDA]

I'm debating whether or not to bring them my 2012 Overland with 34,000 miles or just go to a Jeep Dealer and hope for the best.

Id try both. The CarMax number is a good wipe your hands clean without doing anything number anyway.

 

[SMRTSS1]

Hmmm. Dealer just offered $24,900.

Possible new member ride thread coming soon. My wife might beat the hell out of me so if you don't hear from me you'll know why. LOL

 

[crooks]

With the tax savings thats way better then carmax

 

[Dan00Hawk]

I've appraised over 10,000 vehicles for Carmax and I've also bought thousands of vehicles at auctions for them. Sometimes Carmax is going to be higher than our competitors, and sometimes lower. Some factors include current wholesale/auction values, inventory needs, and what our inspection and test drive reveals about your individual vehicle.

It's not for everyone, especially those that enjoy the haggling process. But it's a fine place to start for a quick and easy written offer to buy your vehicle. Many people have ended up selling their vehicle to Carmax after shopping around, and still others have sold their vehicles elsewhere.

It takes about 30 minutes to get a free written offer that's good for 7 days. Taking the time to get it done helps give you more information so that you can make an informed decision.

 

[boostedguy05]

I've appraised over 10,000 vehicles for Carmax and I've also bought thousands of vehicles at auctions for them. Sometimes Carmax is going to be higher than our competitors, and sometimes lower. Some factors include current wholesale/auction values, inventory needs, and what our inspection and test drive reveals about your individual vehicle.

It's not for everyone, especially those that enjoy the haggling process. But it's a fine place to start for a quick and easy written offer to buy your vehicle. Many people have ended up selling their vehicle to Carmax after shopping around, and still others have sold their vehicles elsewhere.

It takes about 30 minutes to get a free written offer that's good for 7 days. Taking the time to get it done helps give you more information so that you can make an informed decision.

that is if you get a good sales guy that does not want to have your car appraised. guy i was given to talk to had previously owned a GTP, and he had issues with it, so he tole me mine was worth less than a base model because it needed more maintenance. told me the offer would be about $1,000. for an 05 GTP with 130k.

i sold it a few weeks later for $4,000.00

now i know trade in and private sell are two way different pricing standpoints. but to basically push me out the door the way he did was bullshit.

i had to wait 45 minutes to see someone, and for them to not spend 5 minutes to even walk out the door and look at the car was a slap in the face.