Last checked September 2026. AutoTrader changes its products and tools regularly, so check the latest details with AutoTrader.
If you advertise on AutoTrader, its valuations shape almost every decision you make about a car: what to pay for it, what to offer on a part exchange, where to price it and when to cut the price. They also drive the price label buyers see on your advert. This guide explains the four AutoTrader valuations, how the retail valuation is worked out, what the price indicator and retail rating mean, and how to use them when you buy and price stock.
How do AutoTrader valuations work for dealers?
AutoTrader gives four valuations for each car: retail (what it is worth advertised by a dealer), trade (what it is worth between dealers, without margin), part-exchange and private. The retail valuation is calculated from the advertised prices of similar cars over the last 28 days and adjusted for age, mileage and optional extras. Your advertised price is compared with it to set the price indicator label, from Lower price to Higher price, that buyers see on your advert.
The four AutoTrader valuations
AutoTrader describes its four current valuations like this in its guide to current valuations:
| Valuation | What AutoTrader says it represents | When dealers use it |
|---|---|---|
| Retail | What the vehicle is worth if listed on AutoTrader by a dealer, assuming it is retail ready | Setting your advertised price and working out what you can pay |
| Trade | What the vehicle is worth if sold between dealers, effectively its value without any margin | Buying at auction or from other dealers, and deciding whether to retail or trade out a car |
| Part-exchange | What the vehicle is worth when a consumer uses it as a part exchange for another vehicle | Valuing a customer's car against a deal |
| Private | What the vehicle is worth if listed by a private seller on AutoTrader | Buying from private sellers and understanding what the customer thinks their car is worth |
The retail valuation assumes the car is retail ready and cannot be adjusted for a different condition. The others can be adjusted for condition, from Excellent to Poor, which matters when you are valuing a part exchange that needs work.
AutoTrader also offers trended, future and historic valuations. Trended valuations show how the retail valuation has moved over the past six months and where it is expected to go over the next six, which helps when you are deciding whether to hold a car or move it on.
How the retail valuation is calculated
According to AutoTrader, the retail valuation is a live view of what a dealer could expect to sell a vehicle for to a consumer, calculated from the advertised retail prices of similar vehicles over the last 28 days. AutoTrader’s valuations team has explained on the Autotrader Insight blog that:
- more recent adverts carry more weight than older ones
- it uses the latest price on each advert, not the average price over its life
- there are two levels of valuation: a derivative-level valuation based on the model, age and mileage, and a vehicle-level valuation that adds the value of the optional extras recorded on that car
That last point matters. When you first add a car, you may only get the derivative-level valuation. Once its optional extras are recorded, AutoTrader can build the more specific vehicle-level valuation, which is often why a car’s valuation moves the day after it goes live.
Why your spec matters
Because the valuation is built from what dealers advertise and how they price, extras that nobody records or prices for have little or no value in the model. If your car has a panoramic roof, a higher-spec audio system or an options pack, record it. Missing spec can make your price look high against the valuation, and AutoTrader will show no price indicator at all when it does not have enough information about a car’s specification and optional extras.
The AutoTrader price indicator
The price indicator compares your advertised price with AutoTrader’s valuation. AutoTrader’s help centre lists five labels:
| Label | What AutoTrader says it means |
|---|---|
| Lower price | Priced much lower than AutoTrader's valuation |
| Great price | Slightly cheaper than AutoTrader's valuation |
| Good price | Priced very closely to AutoTrader's valuation |
| Fair price | Only slightly more expensive than AutoTrader's valuation |
| Higher price | More expensive than AutoTrader's valuation, but there may be some reasons for this |
AutoTrader does not publish the exact percentage bands behind each label. Its price indicator terms say the difference between your price and the valuation is shown in pounds, and that when AutoTrader price indicators are used on dealer websites, a car that would be labelled Higher price shows no label instead.
When there is no price indicator
A car shows “No analysis” when AutoTrader cannot value it, when there is not enough spec information, or when it is excluded. Excluded cars include those under £1,500 or over £70,000, very new cars, cars over 15 years old, Category C, D, S or N write-offs, imports, and rare or classic cars. After a price change, the label disappears for around 15 minutes while it updates.
What the price indicator does not take into account
AutoTrader says its price labels do not account for the car’s condition, colour, local supply and demand, modifications, the number of previous owners, service history, or extras such as a warranty or finance deal. AutoTrader describes this as valuing the car, not the deal.
That is why the changes AutoTrader announced for September 2026 are worth knowing about. From 29 September, AutoTrader is replacing the price dial with a new label and pricing panel, adding up to three key selling points on each advert, and adding a price commentary section where you can explain what is included in your price, such as a warranty or your preparation standard. You can set price commentary up as templates for your dealership or for each brand. AutoTrader explains the changes on its Insight blog.
Retail rating and days to sell
AutoTrader’s retail rating is a score from 1 to 100 showing how fast a car or van is likely to sell in your location if it is priced at market value. It takes into account factors including average days to sell and supply and demand.
Think of the valuation as telling you what a car is worth, and the retail rating as telling you how easy it will be to sell at that price. Two cars with the same valuation can have very different ratings. A popular hatchback with little local competition may score highly, while a large estate with dozens of similar cars nearby may score low.
Using valuations when you buy stock
The most useful habit is to “work retail back”: start from the retail valuation, take off everything it will cost you to get the car sold and the margin you need, and what is left is the most you should pay. AutoTrader builds this into its Retail Check tool, and you can do it on paper too.
For example, for a car with a retail valuation of £12,500:
| Retail valuation | £12,500 |
| Less preparation (service, tyres, smart repair, valet) | −£650 |
| Less transport, warranty and other costs | −£300 |
| Less your target margin | −£1,500 |
| Maximum you should pay | £10,050 |
These figures are only an illustration. Use your own costs, and if you are VAT registered, remember that under the margin scheme one-sixth of your margin goes to HMRC. Our guide to the VAT margin scheme and our free vehicle profit calculator can help.
Then check the retail rating. A car you can buy cheaply but that is likely to sell slowly in your area ties up cash and forecourt space. Compare the trade valuation with what you are being asked to pay too: if the asking price is well above trade, you are paying for margin you may never see. For more on buying, see our vehicle appraisal best practices.
Using valuations for part exchanges
For part exchanges, the part-exchange valuation, adjusted for condition, is your starting point. Take off the reconditioning the car needs and weigh up whether you will retail it or trade it out. If it is going to auction, the trade valuation is a better guide to what you will get back.
Many customers will have looked up their car’s value online before they arrive, and the figure they have seen may not be the one you are offering. Showing them which valuation you are using, and what work the car needs, makes the conversation easier than a single number with no explanation. Once you agree a price, remember to put the car into the trade with DVLA at the handover.
Using valuations to price and reprice stock
When a car goes live, price it with the full spec recorded and check which label it gets. It is tempting to aim for Great price on everything, but that costs margin on every car. On the Autotrader Insight blog, AutoTrader’s valuations team said its data shows pricing at 100% of the valuation seems to be an optimal point for both profit per car and days to sell, and that this reflects how dealers price rather than AutoTrader’s own view.
A simple approach:
- Price fresh stock close to the valuation with its spec recorded, unless there is a clear reason it is worth more, such as a full dealer history or very low mileage. Use key selling points and price commentary to explain that reason.
- Check valuations regularly. The valuation moves with the market, so a car priced as Good price last week can drift to Fair price without you changing anything.
- Act on older stock with a low retail rating first. These are the cars most likely to cost you money the longer they sit.
- Compare with the cars around you. Look at similar cars for sale, how long they have been advertised and how they are priced before you cut.
Our guide to stock management from purchase to sale covers ageing stock in more detail.
AutoTrader valuations in Haswent
If your AutoTrader account is connected to Haswent, you do not need to switch between systems to see the numbers. In stock management you can:
- see the retail, trade, part-exchange and private valuations and the price indicator rating on each car
- see the car’s local and national retail rating, and how its retail valuation has moved over time
- compare a car with similar cars advertised on AutoTrader, including their prices, price indicators and how long they have been advertised
- reprice the whole forecourt from the Pricing screen, which suggests a new price for each car to reach the AutoTrader price band you choose, with a minimum profit and rounding you set
The Insights tab on each car also shows its AutoTrader performance rating, retail rating and trended retail valuations. Our post introducing vehicle insights shows what else it covers.
Read more about how Haswent works with AutoTrader, or contact us for a demo.
Sources
- Autotrader: Introduction to current valuations
- Autotrader: Autotrader valuations
- Autotrader: Why do I have a price indicator on my advert?
- Autotrader: Price indicator terms and conditions
- Autotrader: Retail Check
- Autotrader Insight: Your valuations and price indicator questions answered
- Autotrader Insight: We're evolving Price Indicator
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between AutoTrader's retail and trade valuations?
The retail valuation is what AutoTrader expects a car to be worth when a dealer advertises it on AutoTrader in retail-ready condition. The trade valuation is what it is worth when sold between dealers, which AutoTrader describes as effectively the value of the vehicle excluding any margin.
How is the AutoTrader retail valuation calculated?
AutoTrader calculates its retail valuation from the advertised retail prices of similar vehicles over the last 28 days, giving more weight to the most recent adverts. The valuation is then adjusted for the car's age, mileage and the optional extras recorded on it.
Why does my car not have an AutoTrader price indicator?
AutoTrader shows no price indicator when it cannot value the car, when there is not enough information about its specification, or when the car is excluded. Exclusions include cars under £1,500 or over £70,000, cars over 15 years old, very new cars, Category C, D, S or N write-offs, imports, and rare or classic cars. The indicator also disappears for about 15 minutes after a price change.
What is AutoTrader's retail rating?
Retail rating is a score from 1 to 100 that AutoTrader uses to show how quickly a car or van is likely to sell in your location if it is priced at market value. It takes into account factors including average days to sell and supply and demand.
Should I price every car to get a Great price label?
Not necessarily. Pricing below the valuation costs you margin on every car. AutoTrader's own valuations team has said its data shows pricing at 100% of the valuation is an optimal point for both profit per car and days to sell. Use the retail rating and how long the car has been in stock to decide when a sharper price is worth it.
Can I see AutoTrader valuations in my dealer management system?
Yes, if your system is connected to AutoTrader. In Haswent, with AutoTrader connected, each car shows its retail, trade, part-exchange and private valuations, the price indicator rating, its retail rating and how its price compares with similar cars for sale.