re: Buying a used vehicle and with trade in question

When I bought a car recently, the offers I was getting on a trade maxed out at $4k for a 2007 Camry. They told me it would be going to auction and they couldn't go any higher (multiple dealers said this). At that price, it was giving me about a $350 tax savings if I traded.

I sold the car in 2 days for $7600 cash with maybe an hour of time dedicated to the endeavor. Listed on Craigslist and Autotrader. I'm pretty sure I could have gotten $8k out of it, but I was ready to get it done. If you just like wasting money, more power to you. If the dealer offers what you think is a reasonable price for the trade, go for it. My experience tells me they won't come close, and the tax benefit will not be enough to cover the difference.