Sell My Car

Why Should I Choose DePaula Ford?

You might think of a dealership as simply the place to go when you want to buy a car, especially since so many people sell their vehicles privately to someone else. We admit that selling a car to a friend or family member can work for some people, and even selling a vehicle online might work in some cases, but there are also a lot of drawbacks to those approaches. For one thing, any kind of business between family or friends can become very complicated and has many chances for resentment or frustration. Plenty of life-long friendships have come to an end over issues involving money, especially a big transaction like selling a car, so be careful about that approach.

Similarly, selling your vehicle to a stranger online can present numerous opportunities for the situation to get complicated. There are certainly people legitimately looking to buy a car from a private seller––but there are also a lot of scams and predatory practices going on with online car sales. You always want to be careful about who you sell to and ensure you take precautions to protect yourself and avoid scams, which can be a lot of work.

Selling to a dealership is far easier––as long as you choose a reputable dealer, you know that you do not have to worry about the scams or worse that can happen when meeting a stranger from the Internet. Here at DePaula Ford, we make it easy for you to sell us your car. Plus, we always treat you fairly, and we provide all of the information you need throughout the car-buying process. Best of all, if your vehicle still has a lien on it or other financial issues, we can help you figure out how to deal with that so you can sell your vehicle and be free and clear.

We offer two different ways that you can sell us your car quickly and easily. For starters, you can use our website to see your vehicle's cash value by providing information about your car through our simple online tool. If you prefer the personal touch, then you can bring us your car, and we will take a look at it and make you an offer. This is completely complimentary with absolutely no commitment on your part––plus, you have 5 days or 500 miles to consider our offer. You do not have to buy a car from us; simply bring us your vehicle, accept our offer, and you will walk away with a check in your hand.

What Do I Do Before Selling My Car?

Before you sell us your vehicle, there are a few things you will want to do to make the process as simple as possible. For starters, make sure you have the relevant information about your vehicle handy, including the year, make, model, and VIN, your insurance information, and other necessary paperwork (we will get into that further down). You will need this information, especially if you want to use our simple online tool to get an offer, so having it ahead of time will make things easier for you.

It is a good idea to have your vehicle inspected by a professional mechanic or right here at our certified service center to ensure it is in great shape. Anything minor they point out can be addressed, but keep in mind that a lot of repairs will cost you more than it will add to the value of your car. The important thing is to have a realistic idea of your vehicle's condition based on a professional inspection, so you can receive an accurate offer for your car when you want to sell it.

Finally, get your vehicle ready to sell: clean it inside and out and have the owner's manual and anything else it originally came with inside the vehicle. Going over the inside thoroughly to clean it not only ensures you get the most money for your car but can help you find anything you might have lost within it while you have owned it. You want your car to look its best when you sell it, so it is worth taking a little extra time.

What Paperwork Do I Need?

As we mentioned, have the original owner's manual and any other paperwork that came with your vehicle inside the car when you come to sell it to us. You should also have the current registration for your vehicle––this is required to drive on public roads, so you should have it anyway, but make sure you bring it with you. If you have a lien or loan on your vehicle, that is fine; just bring the paperwork for it so we can help you figure out how to get the financing cleared up when we buy it.

If you plan on buying a car from us or using your vehicle as a trade-in, then be sure you have proof of insurance and a valid driver's license when you bring us your car. You will also need valid identification to sell us your vehicle. Most importantly, you need to have the title certificate for your car for us to buy it from you––it must be the original title or similar proof of ownership from another state, not a copy. In most cases, you will need to have your name on the title to sell it to us.

Finally, you will need to fill out a bill of sale for the vehicle, but that is something that we can help you with, so do not worry about bringing it with you. If you have any questions about any of the paperwork required to sell us your vehicle, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are happy to answer all of your questions and work with you so that you are confident throughout every step of the process.

Benefits of Trading in a Car

Sometimes, no matter how well it's treated you, you simply grow out of your old vehicle. Your needs change, or you just want to experience some of the more modern features offered by newer cars. And when that day comes, you're faced with one question: "Do I sell my car? Or do I trade it in?" You could take to online platforms like Craigslist and Nextdoor to try and find an individual buyer for your car. You could also visit us to see what sort of cash price we can give you for the car. You'd give us a car, we'd give you money, and you'd be on your way.

However, what you might want to consider instead of selling your car is trading in your vehicle. Trading in a vehicle differs from selling it to a dealership in that trading in a car is part of the transaction for buying a new car. If you plan on buying your next car from our dealership, you can trade in your old car with us and put those funds toward your new purchase.

Many people wonder what the benefit is of trading in a car over simply selling it. First off, dealerships are sometimes able to give you a great discount on a new car if you're trading in an old one. We appreciate your business, so we try to show that through a price cut on your new purchase.

You will also enjoy certain tax benefits when you trade in your vehicle. Many states, including New York, only require you to pay taxes on the difference between the trade-in value and the price of the new car when you trade in your vehicle. That's a substantial tax cut compared to when you sell your car in a separate transaction and then pay full tax on the purchase of a new vehicle.

It's also worth noting that because dealerships have full service and parts departments on site, they might not dock you for minimal damages to your vehicle the way a private buyer would. If you were to sell your car to an individual, they'd have to get any damages fixed at full price through a mechanic. But a dealership can have the damage repaired at a lower cost, so we won't take as much off the cash value of your vehicle. This is especially true if you're trading in your car and buying directly from us.

Choose a New Ford

When you're ready to start shopping, there are several things to consider that will help you get into the right car for your needs. First, you'll need to consider body style. If you need a compact and fuel-efficient vehicle that's easy to zip around busy city streets but can also take you on long commutes, a small SUV like the Ford Escape is best. However, if you need a working vehicle that can haul a lot of stuff and handle rough roads, you might be looking for a truck like the Ford F-150 or Ford Ranger. If you need a blend of the two––a car that's ready for adventure but also right for metropolitan and professional environments––you might be in the market for a rugged SUV like the Ford Expedition or Ford Bronco.

You'll also want to think about the sort of features you need. Maybe you like to stay connected and love to listen to music and podcasts on the road. Perhaps a good navigation system is important to you. You can search for features like Apple CarPlay compatibility and built-in navigation systems to fit your infotainment and tech needs.

New Fords are also equipped with advanced safety features. Once you've considered the type of hazards and environments you face on a regular basis, you can decide which safety features matter to you the most. For example, if you do a lot of highway driving, you might want blind spot monitoring. However, if you do a lot of night driving in rural areas, you might need automatic high beam control.

Don't forget to check for any promotions or incentives being offered on the car you're looking at. And finally, research what sort of warranties and coverage is available. It's important to feel supported if any problems arise with your car, which is why Ford even offers complimentary roadside assistance with the purchase of every new vehicle.

Choose a Used Vehicle

There are some great deals on used vehicles, and Ford is known for making durable cars that maintain their value after many miles on the road. When you are looking at pre-owned cars, there are a few things to consider.

The first thing you'll want to look at is mileage. Most cars have a certain number of miles they can run for before they start having issues. So, do some research on the average lifetime of the car you're interested in, and keep that figure in mind when looking at the mileage on used cars. Subtract the current mileage from the general overall mileage the car can handle to determine how long a used car will last.

It's also important to know what the car was used for in the past. Did it go on dirt roads? Was it a commuter car? Was it a utility vehicle that went to work sites? This information gives you a bit more data on what the vehicle has been through. A CARFAX vehicle history report is a great tool here, which is why we provide a free CARFAX report with all of our used cars.

When you land on a car you like, don't forget to get inside and make sure that all of the systems and controls are working properly. Roll the windows up and down, run the air conditioning, and turn the lights on and off. Don't simply go off of how the exterior of the car looks. It's always best to have a professional inspect the vehicle. Luckily, when you buy used from DePaula Ford, the car has already undergone a professional inspection before being put up for sale.

Should You Lease a Vehicle?

When you find a car that you love, you'll be faced with a choice––should you purchase it or lease it? Each has its benefits, but here are some reasons a lease might work for you.

If you want to drive a brand new car but are on a tight budget, you will find that leasing a new car is more affordable than buying one. Leases tend to have lower monthly payments, and you can usually get away with putting less cash down at the time of the lease.

Leasing a vehicle often means that some repairs and regular maintenance are already covered. Any repairs that need to be done due to a factory recall are paid for by the dealership, and leased vehicles are eligible for FordPass Rewards complimentary maintenance. So you can reduce some of the expenses of caring for a vehicle when you lease.

One of the benefits of leasing is that, at the end of your lease, you're usually given the option to buy your car. And at that point, you've had plenty of time to get used to it and see how you like it. You've also been making payments throughout the lease, so the amount needed to purchase the car might not be much. Many drivers find this to be the more affordable way to wind up owning a new car compared to buying one immediately at a dealership.

We Make It Easy to Sell Your Car