For decades, the first negotiation at a dealership was over the trade-in's value. And it wasn't just store vs. customer. Often, the debate pitted the salesman against the used-car manager.
A higher trade-in appraisal could save the deal, the new-car salesman knew. But overpay, and the used-car department could be stuck with an almost guaranteed loss on the vehicle. It was a debate fraught with subjectivity.
No more. At the 2018 NADA Show in Las Vegas last month, several vendors were demonstrating appraisal tools that promise to take the guesswork out of how much a dealership should offer for a trade-in. Here's a look at some of them.