The Auto Black Book Is Not the Ultimate Authority When It Comes To Car Value
Written by motorcycleadvisor on March 30th, 2011People put lots of stock in the automobile Black Book, but there is more to automobiles than Black Book value. I should know. I am a used vehicle salesman, which means that I earn my living truthfully appraising and selling vehicles for their value.
It is important to know the automotive Black Book rate for used cars, but that is not all there is to it. Based on how well you look after your car, what repairs and modifications you make, and even what local weather you live in, the automobile Black Book value can be far off. The car can be worth part of what it should be, or worth double the book worth for used cars. It all really depends.
Auto Black Book for used cars is a good estimate, but it is just that. People look at the automotive Black Book like it is the Holy Bible. If they can find a vehicle that’s 300 dollars under the automobile Black Book value, they think they’ve gotten a good deal. If they find a vehicle that’s just a couple hundred dollars over it, they won’t even give it some thought. What they don’t realize is that the more costly car might be more costly for a reason.
It doesn’t matter what the auto Black Book says, if you change your oil frequently, drive your car slowly and carefully, and live in a climate without harsh winters, it might well be worth more than the listed used car value. Similarly, a fairly new car can be so worn out that the auto Black Book value is a joke. It will be worth hardly a fraction of what the book says it is worth. Even if it looks great on the outside, it is going to be worn out on the inside. Honestly, the automobile Black Book value is a great place to begin looking, but it isn’t the full story. Only a qualified and competent technician can tell you the real truths about the car that you are looking at.
Auto Black Book, after all, tells you how likely a certain make is to keep its value and keep on running, but it does not tell you anything about any particular vehicle. Only a thorough inspection, both outside and in, can determine that. I don’t mean that you ought to look at it with care. I mean that you ought to have a technician check out the motor, the wheels, the shocks, the brake pads, and all of the other important parts.