What is

[Bill]

Can you use the X-Plan with a Trade In?

You can, but you are better off with a straight sale. I say this as the dealer who took my "X" plan offered me 1/6th of what my 2010 Explorer (under 80K miles, fully loaded and near mint) was worth (private party sale value), gave me two days to accept the offer......By the end of day two, I had sold it for private party value (5 times what they offered me), and advised them my
"X" plan deal no longer had a trade in to deal with.

Bill

[shelbymann1970]

Can you use the X-Plan with a Trade In?

You can, but you are better off with a straight sale. I say this as the dealer who took my "X" plan offered me 1/6th of what my 2010 Explorer (under 80K miles, fully loaded and near mint) was worth (private party sale value), gave me two days to accept the offer......By the end of day two, I had sold it for private party value (5 times what they offered me), and advised them my
"X" plan deal no longer had a trade in to deal with.

Bill

great example. Trade ins should never be part of the sale so to speak. You can bring a car and sell it outright to a dealer without buying a car. Like you pointed out with your experience dealers offer you a wholesale price and I laugh at KBB or NADA when they give you the "dealer trade in" as in you don't have to buy a car from them to get the same price. I once bought many cars off of a Chevy salesman who used to be the top salesman for Chevy in MI many years running(retired). He was able to wholesale cars himself. When my Father-in-law who worked at Ford went to trade in his Monarch for a new Ford they offered him 1100 for it. When we sat with Lew he told Lew he would take no less than 2200 for it(1992 dollars). Lew said "let me make a call" and came back and said "done" so he bought a new Chevy Lumina. I had a earlier incident with him on my Chevy Monza and that is how he sold me many Chevies and family members Chevies over the years. Those salesmen are few and far between. When used car prices went high 2 years ago  I decided to get rid of my 2015 Sierra. MINT low miles. Shopped it around a few dealers(Carvana etc) as it was a black beauty with all the right equipment without the luxury BS I didn't need. I got thousands more for it selling it on my own.

[Side-Oilers]

The rule of thumb that I always heard was:  "Trade a bad car in to a dealer. Sell a good car yourself."