The cash value of cars changes almost daily. The age of the car, mileage and its condition all contribute to the car's cash value. If you are planning to sell your car, you can get a fair deal if you know what the actual cash value is. You will also need to know your car's cash value if you get into an accident and your car is totaled. Your insurance company is going to come up with a figure, and you need to know the cash value to determine whether that figure is accurate.
Record the make, model, age and mileage of your car. List any extra features for the car and the current condition of the car. Keeping this information on one sheet of paper will help you find other cars that are comparable to yours so that you can determine a cash value.
Enter your car's information into the Kelley Blue Book website. Or use a actual current edition of the Kelley Blue Book to look up the value. Check the features that are unique to your car, and then choose whether your car is in excellent, good, fair or poor condition.
Find cars that are comparable to yours. Not all insurance companies use the Kelley Blue Book value. They look for vehicles that are similar to yours. You can call your local car dealerships to inquire about cars that match your description. You can also search local classifieds.
Search cars.com to find used cars that are comparable to your car. This site has millions of listings of 2009, so you have an excellent chance of finding similar cars to compare. You will be able to search for cars within your area as well.
Use all of this evidence to determine a probable cash value for your car. You can have it available for potential purchasers, or compile a report for your insurance company.
