A Good Top-down Auto Valuation Site Allows Users to Experiment with a Host of Factors Impacting Prices

Vehicle Trim

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All other factors remaining constant, vehicle's Trim alone makes a significant difference in comparable prices. While the 2012 LE (in the above example) would be priced at roughly $14K (orig. MSRP $22.6K+/-), the comparable XLE-V6 would fetch roughly $19K (orig. MSRP $30K+/-), nonetheless pointing to a fairly similar decay in prices (meaning Current Price to MSRP).

Vehicle Warranty

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Vehicle Warranty - even the remaining Powertrain - makes a significant difference in comparable prices. Let's compare the probable current prices of two identical 2014 Ford Explorer XLTs, in terms of features and add-on options. The only difference in this illustration is the actual mileage on the odometer: one with 65K miles while the other one with 55K. Since the Powertrain warranty back then used to cover 60 months or 60K miles, the former would be out of warranty today while the latter would still be covered.    

The 2014 Ford Explorer XLT without the Powertrain warranty would be priced at roughly $23K (orig. MSRP $34.9K+/-), while the other with the remaining Powertrain warranty would fetch over $26K, proving a difference of at least $3K in current value, resulting solely from the remaining warranty.

Vehicle Ownership

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Though the two vehicles are identical (2010 BMW 528i) here, one has one owner while the other has three. The latter faces a lower a market price by roughly $2K. 

The issue of one owner vs. multiple owners is more a psychometric hypothesis than a true econometric (market-derived) one. In other words, potential buyers tend to feel more at home with one-owner vehicles than multi-owner ones, under the impression that the former are better cared for than the latter. Likewise, the dealers of late model vehicles often price their inventory higher than their rental counterparts, making a similar case.

Other Factors

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The graphics above prove that the "Other" factors like ownership, service history, garage/parking type, routine maintenance and overall condition make a significant difference in prices, due primarily to the availability of the online data (CarFax, Vin History, etc.), comparative marketing sites (Cars.com, CarGuru.com, etc.), and emerging instant valuation sites like JustAutoValue.com.


Location Arbitrage

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When the current prices of two identical M-series Mercedes are compared across two geographic markets - West and South - an attractive location arbitrage emerges, due largely to the differences in cost of operations (e.g., the cost of operating a dealership in the Bay area is expected to be considerably higher than those in the competing South). Of course, for an average consumer, the cost of transportation and logistics vastly lessens the economic allure.

Those who are into data science or modeling can learn more about it from my recent book "Pricing Pre-owned Auto Market - A Hedonic Modeling Approach" available on Amazon (search 'Sid Som's Books').

I produced the above sample valuation graphics from JustAutoValue.com as I own and operate the site, to avoid having to deal with any copyright issues. The site produces these valuations in less than 30 seconds each. It's mobile-friendly so no additional Apps are needed. Moreover, It's totally FREE and NO login/registration of any sort is required. Nearly 90 Major Brands are currently covered.

Just click on the Brand of your choice on our homepage and follow the prompt. If you need help, use 'TRY IT' from the homepage. Here is the link to JustAutoValue.com:

http://www.justautovalue.com

Link to the Book (Kindle or Paperback)

Auto Loan & Dealership Portfolio AVM