How to find your car’s Kelley Blue Book value online

Whether you use Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, or another web browser, open a browser window on your computer. Navigate to the Kelley Blue Book website — http://www.kbb.com/ — and hover your mouse pointer over «What’s my current car worth?» Three choices will appear to the right:

— I plan to trade it in
— I plan to sell it myself
— I’m just curious

Click on the option that best applies to your situation. This option will determine the value that you see. For example, what your car is worth will not be the same value that you can trade it in for. For the best idea of what your car is worth, go through this process three times, choosing each of the options once.

On the next screen, use the drop down menus to select what year your car is, and then the make and model of the car. After that, click on the box labeled «Mileage» and type in the current number of miles on your vehicle’s odometer. (This can be an approximate number.) Once you’ve done all that, click on «Next.»

You’ll be asked to enter your zip code — type it in the box provided and then click on «Save.» Then click the orange banner that says «get Blue Book Value.» The Configure Your Car screen will appear.

First, choose the category of your car. Depending on the make and model, different options may be available to choose from. For example, you might see choices for Coupe, Sedan, or Hatchback. Choose the appropriate category for your car.

Next, choose the style. The category that you chose will be displayed with a plus sign (+) to the left of it. Click on this plus sign to see the different styles for this model. A list of styles will be displayed — choose the style of your car.

You’ll be asked to choose your car’s options next. These options could include type of engine, automatic or manual transmission, and what type of drivetrain the vehicle has (front wheel drive, all wheel drive, etc.). Even more choices will be displayed when you click the plus sign next to Options after you’ve made the above choices.

Select the options that your vehicle has to the best of your knowledge. Knowing whether or not your car has a tilt wheel, for example, may not make a huge difference in value, but the more accurate you can be, the better estimation of worth you’ll get.

Once you’ve chosen all of your vehicle’s options, click on the «check condition» button toward the bottom of the page.

Now you have to take the Condition Quiz. There are four categories: Exterior, Interior, Mechanical, and Miscellaneous. For each category, there will be a number of choices for you to make — for each item displayed, choose the appropriate condition beneath it. For example, under «Rust» you might be asked to choose «None,» «Minimal,» or «Holes.» Choose the condition of each item to the best of your knowledge. Once you’ve made a selection for each of the items, click on the «Next» button below the choices. (After you’ve finished the last category, «Next» will be replaced with «Get Results.»)

After the Condition Quiz, your car’s overall condition will be displayed (such as «Good» or «Excellent»). There will be an orange button displayed next to the condition — depending on which selection you made in step #1, the wording on this button may be different. Click on the button and then follow the orange button prompts on the next screen.

Your car’s approximate value will be displayed on the left hand side of the screen. A value for each condition will be displayed, and the condition your car is in (according to your answers) will be displayed in green with a check mark next to it. This is the current Kelley Blue Book value of your car.

To go through the process again and choose a different option, click on the «Home» link toward the top of the page (right below the banner ad).