Trade-in now
Scores higher when repairs are looming, reliability is falling, urgency is high, time to manage a sale is low, or a real dealer offer already exists.
Methodology
How DriveTrade scores the options
DriveTrade uses a transparent weighted model. Each answer nudges the three lanes — trade-in now, private sale, or hold longer — up or down based on how strongly that factor usually supports the posture.
Private sale
Scores higher when the car is presentable, paperwork is clean, private-sale upside is real, and you have enough time to handle photos, messages, and viewings.
Hold longer
Scores higher when the vehicle still has inspection runway, low near-term repair pressure, high reliability confidence, and no strong timing pressure forcing a change.