Many websites like Cars.com and Kelley Blue Book (KBB) offer information on the value of a vehicle. Whether you are looking to buy, trade, or sell, there is a lot of free information available, but many are unsure which website they should use, and which websites have the most accurate information.
The truth is the largest car-selling websites use different data sources and information to determine the value of a vehicle, so you won’t get the same values on every site. The hard part is deciding which site is most objective.
Cars.com and Kelley Blue Book have been helping consumers and businesses determine the value of vehicles. We will break down both companies for you, but if you just need to get the value of your car or research a new or used car, we feel there is no better site than KBB.com to do both.
AboutCars.com
In comparison to Kelley Blue Book, Cars.com is a relatively young company; it launched in 1998. However, in that short time, Cars.com has grown to become a high-traffic website, focusing primarily on classified listings.
They describe themselves as an Advertising and Research Service that connects interested car shoppers with dealers and other vehicle sellers.
Black Book Value
As a valuation source, Cars.com uses Black Book, a longstanding competitor to Kelley Blue Book, which dealers often use to set the used car price an owner might expect to receive for their car as a trade-in. They take into account the vehicle’s equipment, age, mileage, condition, and other factors when calculating how much they say it is worth.
The Black Book value is essentially the wholesale or auction value of a car. Black Book sources pricing data from both wholesale auctions and actual vehicle transactions from across the country. They update or validate their used car prices on a weekly basis. That doesn’t mean the used car price will change every week, but Black Book checks the pricing at least once a week. To keep their Black Book values current, they also adjust their prices to reflect market fluctuations, seasonal adjustments, and regional factors.
When providing an estimate of a car’s value, Cars.com only requires Year, Make, Model, Style, mileage, and ZIP. In addition, they fill in information about the vehicle’s specific equipment and condition. According to the Cars.com website, dealers use the Black Book Value to ensure that they make a profit when buying and selling used cars.
Cars.com maintains partnerships with large companies like Auto, PickupTrucks, NewCars, and RepairPal.
Valuation Comparisons
- NADAGuides vs. Kelley Blue Book
- Edmunds Values vs. Kelley Blue Book
- TrueCar Values vs. Kelley Blue Book
- CarFax Values vs. Kelley Blue Book
- CarGurus Values vs. Kelley Blue Book
About Kelley Blue Book Values:
We are proud that Kelley Blue Book is the gold standard for vehicle values and pricing. Many buyers and sellers ask, “What is the Blue Book® Value?” because generations of families have depended on KBB.com as the most trusted source for what a car is worth and what a buyer should expect to pay for their next car.
KBB History
In 1926, Les Kelley started publishing a list of the used cars he wanted to buy and how much he was willing to pay for them, and that is how Kelley Blue Book got started. Since that time, Kelley Blue Book has had a continuous legacy of providing used car values for nearly a century.
KBB.com Data
KBB has a proprietary valuation process that uses data intelligence to determine the most objective, data-driven information consumers can find.
Kelley Blue Book uses predictive analytics, industry insights, and field analysis to review trends and provide the most current, market-reflective information. We also look at:
- Regionalized values and pricing for over 100 different areas of the U.S.
- The current automotive market.
- Seasonal changes in prices.
In addition, over 250+ data sources with 3.0 trillion data points are used to create that data-driven value estimates that both consumers and car dealers depend on. The fact that Kelley Blue Book generates 40 million unique pricing reports every month shows that our data is a resource you can trust.
Used Car Values and Prices
- Trade-In Value: The amount you can expect to receive when trading a car in at a dealership.
- Private Party Value: The amount you can expect to receive when selling your car to another consumer. This value is typically higher than the trade-in value because, unlike dealerships, you don’t have costs like rent or salespeople to worry about.
- Used Car Fair Purchase Price (retail value): This is the amount that a consumer would reasonably expect to pay to buy this used car at a dealership.
- Certified Pre-Owned Price (CPO): For some newer used cars, the dealership may offer a factory-backed certification process. The price is usually about 10% higher than a conventional used car, but many people like the confidence of buying a certified car.
New Car Prices
- New Car Fair Purchase Price (once called the New Car Blue Book Value): This is the amount that a consumer would reasonably expect to pay to buy this new car at a dealership.
- Where to see these prices: These values are displayed, both on KBB.com and on dealers’ websites nationwide. Look for the Kelley Blue Book® Price Advisor. It has white, green, and red zones. If you see the price in the Green Zone of the Price Advisor, you can be confident that it is a fair price for both buyer and seller alike.
We also offer value reports for motorcycles.
KBB.com isn’t only focused on car values. You can also do the following:
- Find a new or used car.
- Sell your car.
- Research auto repair pricing.
- Find car service centers in your area.
- Look at current car recalls and make sure your car has all the necessary repairs.
KBB is part of Cox Automotive which gives us more data and resources to drive results for both consumers and clients.
FAQs
Which is better, Blue Book or Black Book?
Kelley Blue Book and Black Book don’t use the same data to calculate car value. Let’s look at what both sites use to create value estimates.
Kelley Blue Book Car Values
KBB.com uses the following to create car values:
- Predictive analytics.
- Industry and field analysis trends.
- 250+ data sources with 3.0 trillion data points to provide objective, data-driven information that inspires consumer confidence and peace of mind.
- Regionalized values and pricing using over 100 different areas in the United States.
- Economic conditions.
- Car condition, trim, car age, car features, and mileage.
Black Book Car Values
Cars.com uses Black Book which uses the following to calculate car value.
- Pricing data from both wholesale auctions and actual vehicle transactions.
- Market insights.
- A vehicle’s equipment, age, mileage, and condition.
- Market fluctuations, seasonal adjustments, and regional factors.
Is Cars.com a Publicly Traded Company?
Yes, effective 11;59pm ET on May 31, 2017.
Which Stock exchange is Cars.com on and what is their symbol?
You can find “CARS” on the New York Stock Exchange.
Does Cars.com own DealerRater?
Yes. In July of 2016, Cars.com acquired DealerRater.
