Car valuation
Trade-in, auction or dealer bid and private price side by side, based on your licence plate and mileage.
How do we calculate your car’s value?
We start from the catalogue price the RDW recorded at first registration. From there we take off depreciation step by step and correct for everything buyers care about. You can see every step in the explanation under the prices.
| Step | What we do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New price | RDW catalogue price. Without a plate, an estimated new price from our model catalogue, deflated to the model year | The starting point includes trim and factory options |
| Age | About 16% in year 1, 9% a year up to year 5, 8% a year up to year 12, then 12%. Electric cars and premium models lose value faster in the first years, hybrids slightly slower | Most value is lost in the first years |
| Demand for this model | Models that hold their value better or worse than their segment get a correction | A sought-after model sells faster and for more |
| Mileage | We compare with what is usual for the age: 13,000 km a year for petrol and hybrid, 14,000 electric, 20,000 diesel, 22,000 LPG. Above 200,000 km an extra correction applies | More kilometres means more wear |
| Condition and service | Excellent +4%, fair −7%, poor −16%. Minor damage −3%, major damage −12%. Service history partial −3%, missing −7% | Buyers deduct repairs and risk |
| Options and gearbox | +0.6% per sought-after option (up to 5%). Automatics are popular in small cars, manuals less so in mid-size cars | Equipment drives demand |
| Low-emission zones | Euro 3 and 4 diesels −12%, Euro 5 diesels −4% | Older diesels may not enter every zone |
| Battery health | Electric and plug-in: −1.5% per point of SoH below 90% | The battery is the most expensive part |
| Odometer and APK | An odometer reading the RDW rates as not logical −25%. APK expiring within 2 months: −€150 to −€450 | Uncertainty and direct costs for the buyer |
| Market | From 3 comparable listings the median asking price (minus 5%) counts for up to half | Keeps the model in line with the current market |
Why do you see three prices?
Because each selling route pays a different price. A private buyer pays most, but you do the work: the ad, viewings, test drives and the payment. A dealer has to prepare the car, give a warranty and make a margin. In a consumer sale, a defect that appears within a year of delivery is also presumed to have existed at delivery. A trader prices that risk in.
| Route | How we calculate | Speed | Effort |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trade-in | Private value minus 15% (at least €1,100) | Today | Low |
| Auction or dealer bid | Private value minus 7.5% (at least €600) | 24 to 48 hours | Low |
| Private sale | Private value | 2 to 5 weeks | High |
On cheap cars a trader’s fixed costs weigh more, so the gap between trading in and selling yourself is relatively large on a car worth a few thousand euros. Want to know what you keep after costs? Use net proceeds per route.
Which data do we use?
- RDW open data: catalogue price, first registration date, fuel, mass, APK expiry, odometer verdict, recall indicator, Euro class and energy label. The lookup goes straight from your browser to the RDW; we do not store your plate.
- Our model catalogue: segment, typical new price and how well the model holds its value.
- Listings on Sell Your Car: asking prices of the same model. While the marketplace runs in demo mode these are sample listings.
- Your input: mileage, condition, damage, service history, owners, options, gearbox and battery health.
Everything you enter counts straight away. If you don’t know something, leave the default.
Is this a formal appraisal?
No. This is an indication based on public data and a model whose factors are still being calibrated on real sales. For an official valuation, for example for rest-BPM on an import, you need a report from a certified appraiser (taxatierapport). Want to be sure what your car will fetch? Let buyers bid in an auction: then the market sets the price.
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is the calculated car value?
The value is an indication with a range of roughly 4 to 9 percent. With a plate we use the RDW catalogue price, which is more accurate than make and model alone. The more you enter about condition, damage and service history, the better the price fits your car.
Why is the trade-in price so much lower than the private price?
A dealer has to clean, repair, inspect and sell the car with a warranty, and wants a margin on top. Those costs come off the bid up front. In an auction several buyers compete, so you usually end up between the trade-in and private price without advertising yourself.
Can I get a valuation without a licence plate?
Yes. Choose the make and model tab and select year and fuel. We then use an estimated new price from our catalogue instead of the RDW catalogue price, so the range is somewhat wider. Adding your plate makes the value more accurate.
What if the RDW rates my odometer as not logical?
Then the value drops sharply, by a quarter in our model, because buyers fear a rolled-back odometer. Collect invoices and service records showing the mileage and explain the history in your ad.