Car swap or sell: which is better?

Why people swap

• You skip selling one car and buying another as two separate jobs.
• You may avoid some of the gap between what a dealer would pay and what the next car costs.
• You deal with one person who wants what you have and has what you want.
• No commission is taken on WYG, so you keep the value of the deal.

When selling is better

• You need cash, not another car.
• Your car is hard to match with someone who wants it.
• You want a specific car that nobody is offering for swap yet.

A middle route

Many swaps include some cash. If your car is worth less than the one you want, the cash gap may still be smaller than what you would lose selling and buying separately. Post what you have and what you want, and let matches come to you, so you can compare it with simply selling.

Think about the paperwork

A swap needs two transfers, one for each car, so plan for both. Our paperwork guide covers what to complete.