Dear A Girls Guide to Cars: I Need to Sell A Car, My MIL’s Classic Audi TT
Scotty Reiss
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How do I know what it’s worth? And how should I sell it?
I am hoping you have advice as to how I should sell a car, a 2005 Audi TT with 20k miles on it? It was owned by my mother-in-law for all these years and she just drove around town. Typical retirement car. It looks brand new.
I have never sold a car before. We always just trade in our cars, but a local car dealer — of a different car brand— gave us a very low offer, about $3,500. We were shocked. It’s barely been driven. What should we do?
Related: Meet the Hot and Spicy Audi TT RS Quattro
Audi TT Listings on Carsandbids.com, another great place to sell a car that is notable and collectable. Photo: Carsandbids.com
The First Place to Start: Knowing your Car’s Worth
Clearly, the dealership thinks you don’t know what you have, and with the high price of used cars, especially collectable and high-design cars, they would stand to make a nice fat profit on it.
The Audi TT is a classic and a defining design for both Audi and for sports cars in general. If it’s in good shape, you should do well with it.
Related: These Are the Cars to Drive Based on Your Star Sign
Before you sell a car that is notable for its design or heritage, check with Hagerty, the insurance company that specializes in these cars. Photo: Hagerty
If You Don’t Know Your Car’s Value, This is How to find out
Here’s what we recommend:
Research the car, including the engine type (there were two on that model year) and any upgrades (is it a convertible? Does it have any special features?) on Hagerty.com; Hagerty insures rare, collectible and high value cars and has a great database that will help you evaluate the car’s value.
Then, take a look at NADA.com for the used car value; this database is created by the National Automobile Dealers Association and gives a nice representation of what cars are selling for in the marketplace. You can also look at some of the used car sites to see what it’s selling for. Between these sources you will have a framework for the value of the car.
If you want to see what enthusiasts and collectors are paying for a car like this, look at auction sites BringaTrailer.com and Carsandbids.com. You can see what people have paid for a car like yours. Be sure to look at the specifics— the model year, engine size, features, etc. to know what people have been willing to bid on a 2005 Audi TT.
Then, set a price goal and decide how you’d like to proceed. You will likely find that your car is worth between $10,000 and $30,000 depending on the specifics (the Quattro model tends to sell for more than the base engine).
Related: We Tried Them All — Carvana, Vroom, TrueCar, CarMax and Wholesale Auctions To Buy a Used Car
Auctions Can Yield the Highest Price on a Car Like This
The auctions are a great place to drive up interest and excitement for your car, and you stand to keep the most of the sale price. The cars that go for the highest prices tend to have really good, thorough descriptions, detailed service records and tons of photos— like 70 or more so people can really see the car up close—and when the seller engages in the comments and answers questions, interest goes up).
If the auction route isn’t for you, look into selling privately through the Audi Club of America, where you can list it, or talk to your local Audi dealer, classic car dealers or a dealer who is recommended to you for fair used car pricing. You’ll know what it’s worth so you know if you’re being offered a fair price or not. Keep in mind that dealers buy used cars wholesale, so they will probably offer you a lower price than you might see similar cars selling for at the auctions or on used car sites.
Good luck with your sale!