Forbes' Fairy-Tale: 10 Cars to Trade-In Now for Maximum Return

COMPARE: 1997-2012 New and Used Car Specs and Prices
SEE ALSO:Kelley Blue Book Can Make Buyers Blue and The Dealer Green (With Your Cash)

But First Snide's Remarks We here at The Auto Channel have editorialized for years about the dramatic un-friendliness to consumers of used car price books.

I think that this Forbes story is misleading and can only be based on the author's Pollyanna-ish beliefs in the integrity and honesty of "Books" and does not acknowledge the historic half-truths and outright dishonesty of used car price guides and their use as an integral element in the traditional trade- in price manipulation which is at the heart of the ubiquitous dealer jerk-around of used (and new) car buyers. By manipulating the "prices" found in Used Car Price Books, whether they be blue, green, orange or black the dishonest dealer creates an advantage for the selling side.

The gist of the Forbes article is that your 4 year old car is in so much demand now that a sane dealer will pay you up to (ah maybe thats the rub) 90% of what its original MSRP was when you bought it , which means that when the dealer tries to sell your trade-in to another civilian it will have to be priced at a multiple of what it sold for when it was new.

Putting my (our) money where my belief's are, I will be happy to donate $1000 to a favorite charity for the first buyer to actually receive 90% (or 80%) of the MSRP of their mainstream 4 year old car sold back to a dealer...no not a mumble-jumble "trade-in allowance" but an actual cash payment after a negotiated out-the-door-price on a new car purchase...we say buyer beware!!!!. I think Forbes should know better. What do you think? msnide@theautochannl.com.

FORBES ARTICLE

Washington DC January 12, 2012; The AIADA newsletter reported that it's never been a better time to trade in a late-model vehicle on a new one, as dealers are going all out to amass a fresh supply of used cars and replenish what's become a severely depleted inventory. And they're offering top dollar for them in trade, with some of the most in-demand models in excellent condition commanding 70 percent or more of their original sticker prices.

According to Forbes while this means sky-high prices for those looking to purchase a pre-owned car, it's a bonanza for owners of late-model cars looking to upgrade their rides. Forbes has compiled its list of cars fetching top trade-in dollar.

The publication reached its conclusions after consulting a long list of model-year 2008 cars and trucks that Automotive Lease Guide initially predicted would retain above average residual values after three years of ownership. It then consulted NADA Guides to determine their current estimated resale values for the Chicago area, assuming for the sake of argument, that each model was considered a "clean" trade-in (meaning no mechanical defects, only minor wear and tear and a clear title) with 46,500 miles on the odometer.