So, you have an old car on your hands. Maybe you’ve hung onto the vehicle as long as you can and it’s just not in good enough condition to get you where you need to go anymore. Or perhaps you’re simply in the mood for an upgrade and need to make room in your garage. Either way, you’re finally ready to say goodbye to your old friend. The only question now is what exactly should you do with it? The good news is that you have options depending on the state of the vehicle and your personal preferences. To find your vehicle a new home—or final resting place—check out this guide regarding the different ways to get rid of an old car.
Sell the Car
Perhaps the most obvious option for getting rid of an old car is selling the vehicle. If the vehicle is in relatively good condition and has a bit of life left in it, selling it is a great way to get some extra cash back on your automotive investment—although the value of the vehicle will likely have depreciated a considerable amount through the years.
There are several different ways that you can go about selling your vehicle. Some of the most popular options include:
- Selling the car to a dealership: Selling a car to a dealership is perhaps the fastest and easiest way to sell a car. However, you may not get the best possible price, as they will likely want to purchase your car for as little money as possible so that they can then resell it for optimal profit.
- Selling the car on an online platform: If you want to forgo the dealership, you can also sell your car on an online platform such as Vroom or Carvana. If you get an offer and choose to accept it, someone from the company will pick up the vehicle, have it inspected, and pay you immediately.
- Privately selling the car: To cut out the middleman, you can sell your car privately. While selling your car privately may allow you to make the biggest profit, this option is by far the most challenging and time consuming. To sell a car privately, you can choose to reach out to people you know, place ads in newspapers, put up signs, or sell it on a free website such as Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
Trade the Vehicle In
If you’re interested in replacing your old car with a new or used one from a dealership, a great option for getting rid of the car is to simply trade it in. If you choose to trade-in your car, you will receive credit for the value of the vehicle which can be put towards purchasing a new vehicle. Your trade-in offer will depend on a variety of factors such as the current market value of the car, the condition of the vehicle, and if the dealership has similar cars on their lot.
Junk the Car
In some cases, selling or trading-in your vehicle is not an option. While this may not be the most appealing option, junking your car may be the only way to go if your car has no resale value or is inoperable. Common signs that it’s time to junk your vehicle include extremely high mileage, the need for constant repairs, and significant rusting. In other words, the car has reached the end of the road.
