How much is my Passat worth?

Can you put a trade-in value on a 2006 VW Passat FSI Highline 1.6L against either a new or 2009 C-Class Mercedes? The VW has 57,000km on the clock and is in excellent condition.

Liam Doyle (Dublin)

May 2010 Filed under: choosing new car

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Expert answer

Hi Liam

A car like yours will retail at a main VW dealer for around €13,500 - €14,000. So, you could probably expect to be offered about €11,000-€12,000 when you trade it in against a Mercedes-Benz, perhaps more if you were trading it in at a VW showroom. Dealerships often have to invest in bodywork and servicing of a trade-in so they don't tend to offer the same as it will retail for and of course they have to try and make some profit too.

Don't get too caught up on how much you are being offered for your car, but rather look at the cost to change. Remember, if you were buying the Mercedes as a straight deal you would probably get a decent discount. This discount may be used against your trade-in to make it seem more appealing.

Pricing a car isn't an exact science, but we would say shop around and don't be afraid to haggle hard!

Complete Car Adviser