Car Trade Value Calculator

Display currencyFormatting only. This does not change the calculation.

Purchase price

Years of ownershipWhen valuing a vehicle you already own, this is its age in years.

First-year depreciation (%)New vehicles typically lose the most value in year one.

Depreciation each later year (%)

Miles driven a year

Minimum residual value Value below which the vehicle will not fall, such as scrap value.

Mileage adjustment (%)Negative if the odometer reads above average for the age, positive if below. Use the per-mile adjustment your own market or valuation guide quotes; there is no universal figure, so it stays zero unless you set it.

Condition and history adjustment (%)Percentage to add or subtract for condition, options, service history or accident damage, relative to a typical example.

Value range spread (%)Half-width of the reported range. Take it from the spread of comparable local listings; zero reports a single figure.

Dealer trade-in discount (%)How far below private-party value a dealer's trade-in allowance sits. Take it from your own quotes; the gaps published by valuation guides are proprietary and none is assumed here.

Trade-in value

14,616.18

Vehicle Depreciation Calculator

Value at the end

14,616.18

Total value lost

20,383.83

Percentage of value lost

58.24 %

Average loss per year

4,076.77

Depreciation per mile

0.3397

Loss in the first year

7,000

Year the value halves

Estimated value now

14,616.18

Low end of the range

14,616.18

High end of the range

14,616.18

Worked out from Declining-balance depreciation: value(t) = cost x (1 - rate)^t and 2 other sources.

Depreciation rates vary widely by make, model, condition and market. Enter rates for your own vehicle and region rather than relying on the defaults.

This estimates value from the price paid and the retention rates entered. It is not a market lookup: an actual sale price depends on trim, options, service history, local supply and the specific buyer.

The trade-in discount is zero, so the trade-in figure equals the private-party value. Dealers pay less than that; enter the discount from your own quotes, because no published universal figure exists.

How this is worked out

6 steps

Year 1: 35000 loses 20% to 28000.
Each later year loses 15% of the remaining value.
After 5 years the value is 14616.18, a loss of 20383.83 (58.2%).
Over 60000 miles that is 0.34 of depreciation per mile.
Baseline after 5 years of the entered retention rates: 14616.18.
A dealer trade-in allowance 0% below private-party value is 14616.18 x 1 = 14616.18.

Value year by yeartable

year	startValue	depreciation	endValue	cumulativeLoss
1	35,000	7,000	28,000	7,000
2	28,000	4,200	23,800	11,200
3	23,800	3,570	20,230	14,770
4	20,230	3,034.5	17,195.5	17,804.5
5	17,195.5	2,579.33	14,616.18	20,383.83

Results are general information, not financial, tax, legal, medical or engineering advice.