Thanks to the internet, information that was once hard to find is now easy to reach in seconds for anyone. Many websites will show you any information you could ever want to know about a car. For the car you own, you can find the value of the car if you trade it in or decide to sell it yourself to another person.
Many sites are competing for your attention. Most sites claim that they have the most accurate information. But how can you tell one site from another? Is there really a difference between NADAguides and KBB?
NADAguides Used Car Values and Kelley Blue Book (KBB) have a long history of providing values to consumers and businesses alike. Both sites calculate values using their own specific methods, which aren’t always widely known.
At Kelley Blue Book, we do think there is a difference. And we would love to tell you why.
Of course, if you are already ready to get the value of your car or research a new or used car, there’s no better destination than KBB.com.
What is NADAguides Value?
NADA stands for National Automobile Dealers Association, a name that reflects the company’s long-time status as a source that car dealers rely upon when making a deal. Today, they call themselves NADAguides, (without the “used car”) now that they are making their values available to the public and have added new car pricing to their used car values.
With a long history of valuation expertise, the NADA Guide has been around since 1933. Similar to Kelley Blue Book, the NADA Guide also provides values for cars, trucks, SUVs, and vans and works with professionals in the automotive, financial, government, fleet, and insurance sectors. For individual consumers, NADAguides is generally less well-known than Kelley Blue Book.
NADA also uses many data points from a variety of sources to give a value for a used car. They include wholesale transactions like auctions, retail transactions (actual vehicle sales at dealerships), and pricing information from sites like Autotrader. In addition, NADA uses data from the vehicle manufacturers themselves and from the companies buying and selling used cars to come up with their values.
When calculating a vehicle value, NADA uses many of the same considerations as Kelley Blue Book: MSRP and invoice (for new cars), mileage and general condition (for used cars), and assumptions about the equipment on the vehicle for all values. NADA may adjust the value of a vehicle based on macroeconomic and microeconomic forces, like supply & demand and the state of the market at any given time. It is unknown to what extent NADAguides provides specific values tailored for different parts of the country, as Kelley Blue Book does.
Based largely on condition, a used vehicle you own could be categorized as “Rough Trade-In”. “Average Trade-In”, or “Clean Trade-In”. For used vehicles you might be interested in buying, NADAguides has only one classification: “Clean Retail”. NADA Guides doesn’t show values for the private sale of a used vehicle, but it does show what it might cost to buy a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) version of certain used vehicles.
Long an important source for car dealers, banks, and other members of the automobile industry, NADA Guides now makes their values available to the public at their site www.NADAGuides.com.
NADAguides also offers values for motorcycles, powersports, boats, recreational vehicles (RVs, aka “campers”), and manufactured housing (often called “trailers”)
In 2017, J.D. Power bought NADA Guides and is now responsible for the data that drives its values.
NADAGuides and J.D. Power are not affiliated with Kelley Blue Book or Cox Automotive.
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About Kelley Blue Book Values
Kelley Blue Book got its start in 1926 when Les Kelley started publishing a list of the used cars he wanted to buy and how much he was willing to pay for them. Kelley Blue Book has had a continuous legacy of providing used car values for almost a century.
For most people, Kelley Blue Book is the gold standard for vehicle values and pricing. “What’s the Blue Book® Value?” is a key discussion point in many conversations between buyers and sellers. Whole families grew up with Kelley Blue Book – and today, KBB.com continues the legacy to new generations as the most trusted source for what a car is worth and what a buyer should expect to pay for their next car.
A lot of numbers and data intelligence go into our proprietary valuation process. Kelley Blue Book uses predictive analytics and industry and field analysis to review trends and provide the most current, market-reflective information. We utilize 250+ data sources with 3.0 trillion data points to provide objective, data-driven information that inspires consumer confidence and peace of mind.
As a testament to the quality of our values – and how trusted they are by consumers and dealers alike – Kelley Blue Book generates 40 million unique pricing reports every month.
Blue Book® Values reflect the automotive market, the season, and, especially, the part of the country where you might be located. Kelley Blue Book offers regionalized values and pricing for over 100 different areas of the U.S. Many of these differences may be subtle, but they help vehicle buyers and sellers come to a consensus about what the car is worth. Transparency helps create consensus – and consensus is good.
Let’s look at the available Kelley Blue Book reports.
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.
In addition to vehicles of all types, Kelley Blue Book also reports values for motorcycles.
Kelley Blue Book is a proud member of the Cox Automotive family, giving us more data and more resources to drive results for both consumers and clients. Together our connected brands provide a comprehensive set of products and services that enable the smart, connected, and enjoyable experience all car buyers and sellers expect.
FAQs
What is the NADA Used Car Guide?
The NADA Official Used Car Guide is available on the NADAguides website, but it is used by Industry professionals and provides 12 years of pricing for passenger cars and light-duty trucks and SUVs. You can get an annual subscription for $99. NADAguides have values available to the public and have added new car pricing to their used car values.
Which is Better, NADAguides or Kelley Blue Book?
The values between NADA and Kelley Blue Book (KBB) tend to differ because both organizations look at different values. KBB factors in the condition of the vehicle, local market conditions, and popularity of the vehicle, so their prices tend to be a lower than NADA. NADA values tend to lean higher because they assume cars are in good conditions. Insights can be gained from both values, but KBB looks at more factors.
Are Kelley Blue Book Values Accurate?
KBB leverages vast amounts of data including wholesale and retail sales transactions, which are then adjusted for local market conditions and seasonal trends, to determine a true value. Kelley Blue Book updates pricing at least weekly to reflect the market and give dealers and consumers the most up-to-date pricing.
What is Kelley Blue Book Value?
There are two values. The Kelley Blue Book Trade Value will give you the price range you can expect to receive when trading your car to a dealer. The Kelley Blue Book Private Party Value provides a fair price when selling the car to an individual. KBB values come from extensive data like sales transactions and auction prices. The data is analyzed and adjusted to account for seasonality and market trends.
How can I find the value of my car?
You can find the trade-in value and the value of your car on Kelley Blue Book. KBB.com will take the data you provide on your cars features and current condition and provide the current value of your vehicle. Instant car offers are also available.
Who owns Kelley Blue Book Value guides?
The company is owned by the Cox Automotive, which is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises. In December 2010, Kelley Blue Book was purchased by AutoTrader.com, which is also owned by Cox Automotive. Cox Enterprises is a value driven private corporation that invests in long-term growth. Cox was founded in 1898, has over 50,000 employees and bring in over $20 billion dollars a year in revenue.
