Thinking about how to Sell My Tesla at Only Used Tesla may spark a lot of questions, and the biggest one is: will you make more money selling it yourself or trading it in? Both choices have perks and pitfalls, and what you choose can put quite a lot of cash–or heartache–in your pocket. Let’s dig into how these options compare, fact by quirky, inconvenient fact.
Let’s start with cash in hand. Selling your Tesla yourself is like running a garage sale with a sports car twist. Private sales put you in the driver’s seat, figuratively and literally. Most data shows you’ll net hundreds or even thousands more. According to Kelley Blue Book, the average private sale price outpaces trade-in offers by about 10-20%. That’s not chump change. It could mean the difference between a weekend getaway and just paying for groceries. Buyers are often rabid for Teslas, especially with their streak of reliability and those shiny bells and whistles.
Trading in, meanwhile, is the fast-food solution. You drive up, hand over keys, and walk away with your new car in half an afternoon. Dealers make money for the convenience, so you often sacrifice some value for a speedy process. There’s almost no paperwork, haggling, or photo shoots required (your camera roll breathes a sigh of relief). The lower quote typically covers their sale prep–detailing, inspecting, and dealing with wishy-washy buyers so you don’t have to. Time is money, after all.
Selling privately? Grab your calendar. You’ll need pretty photos, a killer ad, and a knack for answering questions like, “Will you trade for my jet ski?” You’ll meet strangers, maybe more strangers, because the first one flakes. Test drives mean you should tidy up, both your Tesla and your schedule. If you owe money on your loan or have extravagant customizations, consider how these could complicate things.