Why trade-in your vehicle?

Trading in your current vehicle towards another can partially offset the cost of the new vehicle. The trade-in’s net value goes towards the purchase or lease of a new car. Conditions of a trade-in vary depending on who owns the vehicle.

If you own the vehicle, trading-in means that you’re selling the car to the dealer for some determined price. As a result, the price of the new car goes down, and you also save a bundle on taxes.

If you are leasing a vehicle and do not own it, trading-in means that the seller of the new car agrees to pay the outstanding costs associated with the lease. Depending on the financing of the new vehicle and the outstanding balance on the old one, trading-in can either raise or lower the new car’s price.

Why is it beneficial to trade-in?

When you trade-in you don’t have to worry about selling the vehicle yourself or any of the associated costs (advertising, showing the car, etc).  You may be offered a price you could not get yourself as an incentive to purchase a new vehicle. If the trade-in has known problems that could plague you later (when the buyer returns complaining), selling the car to the dealership eliminates the bother. Trading-in a lease car may relieve you of, in the long run, monthly costs you cannot afford. Sometimes people trade in lease vehicles because of poor gas mileage or lack of practicality.

How do loans and leases differ?

When you take out a loan, all of the money used to pay it off applies to your eventual ownership of the vehicle. The initial down payment and principal on the loan cover the total cost of the purchase. Lease payments, however, apply only to the use of the vehicle. The total sum of payments covers the vehicle’s depreciation over the time you drive it and is usually less than the outright price of the vehicle.

How are loan rates determined?

The size of monthly loan payments depends on the amount borrowed, the length of the loan, the interest rate and other factors such as your credit history. Paying more money initially lowers the principal of the loan, thus reducing individual payments. At any period during the loan you may opt to pay off the principal in its entirety, at which point the title of the vehicle is transferred to you.

General loan specifications: Down payment amounts may range between 10 to 20 percent of the vehicle’s total cost, although some purchases require no down payment. A typical loan period is five years with an annual percentage rate around 8 percent. Some manufacturers offer lower rates, but be sure to investigate any associated conditions or clauses.