How much is my car worth? The three numbers that matter
2 July 2026 · 6 min read · PaperValue.sg
Type "how much is my car worth" into Google and you'll get two kinds of answers: dealer websites that want your phone number before showing you anything, and overseas calculators that have never heard of COE.
Here's the actual answer. Every car in Singapore has three values, they can differ by $15,000 or more on the same car, and which one you get paid depends entirely on how you sell. Anyone quoting you "the" value of your car without saying which of the three they mean is either confused or negotiating against you.
Value #1: Paper value (the floor)
Paper value is what LTA guarantees you at deregistration: your PARF rebate (a fixed percentage of the ARF you paid, based on the car's age) plus your COE rebate (the unused months of your COE, prorated).
Two things make paper value special:
- It's exact. Not an estimate — a formula. You can compute it to the dollar in 30 seconds with our free PARF calculator.
- It's the floor under every negotiation. No rational seller accepts less than paper value, because scrapping the car pays that much with zero effort. Dealers know your paper value before you walk in. If you don't know it too, you're negotiating blind against someone who can see your cards.
Paper value drops in steps, not smoothly — the PARF percentage falls on each registration anniversary from year 5. Miss an anniversary by a day and you lose 5% of your ARF. Timing a sale around these cliffs is one of the highest-value moves a seller can make.
Value #2: Trade-in value (what dealers offer)
Trade-in value is paper value plus whatever the dealer decides your car's body, brand and condition are worth to them — minus their margin, their risk buffer, and their holding cost.
In practice, trade-in offers land $2,000–$5,000 below private-sale value for mass-market cars, and the first quote is usually the lowest one. Dealers price from your paper value up, not from market value down — which is why the opening offer so often sounds suspiciously close to a number you could get from a scrapyard.
Trade-in isn't a rip-off, it's a convenience fee: instant deal, no viewings, loan settled for you, paperwork handled. Just make sure you know the size of the fee before paying it.
Value #3: Private-sale value (what the market pays)
This is what an actual buyer pays for your actual car — the number listings orbit around. It moves with:
- COE premiums — rising COE lifts every used car's value within weeks (current COE prices)
- Remaining COE tenure and the PARF schedule — a pre-Feb-2026 registration now carries a quiet premium
- Mileage, owners, service history, accident history
- Model supply — how many identical cars are listed this month
You can see real asking prices for your model on our free price guides — for example the Honda Vezel, Honda Shuttle, Toyota Corolla Altis or BYD M6 — or browse all 200+ models. Remember asking prices run 3–8% above actual transaction prices.
How the three fit together
| How it's set | Typical gap | |
|---|---|---|
| Paper value | LTA formula — exact | the floor |
| Trade-in value | Dealer offer | paper + body value − dealer margin |
| Private-sale value | Live market | trade-in + $2,000–$5,000 |
The negotiation play is simple once you see it: know your paper value exactly, know your model's market range, and make the dealer bid the gap between them. Sellers who walk in with both numbers routinely move a first offer by thousands. Sellers who walk in with neither get anchored to paper value plus a token.
[CTA] Get all three numbers for your exact car | Free instant estimate from live listings. The full report — trade-in value, 8 comparables, dealer cheat sheet — is $15.99, refunded if we're wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I check my car's value for free in Singapore?
Two steps: compute your exact paper value (PARF + COE rebate) with a PARF calculator using the ARF and registration date on your log card, then check live asking prices for your model and year on a price guide. Together they bracket your car's real value. PaperValue's instant estimate does the market half in seconds without any documents.
What is the difference between trade-in value and market value?
Market (private-sale) value is what a direct buyer pays. Trade-in value is what a dealer offers, typically $2,000–$5,000 lower for mass-market cars — the discount covers the dealer's margin, risk and the convenience they provide. The gap is negotiable when you can quote real comparable listings.
How accurate are online car valuations?
Depends on what they're built on. Paper value is exact — it's an LTA formula, not an opinion. Market estimates are only as good as their comparables: valuations anchored to live, model-matched, mileage-adjusted listings land within a few percent; generic "enter your plate for a quote" forms are lead-generation tools for dealers, and the number is designed to start a negotiation, not to be right.
Does COE affect how much my car is worth?
Massively — remaining COE tenure is usually the single largest component of a used car's price. Rising COE premiums also lift used values across the board, because a used car with COE attached becomes the cheap alternative to a new car plus a fresh certificate.
When is the best time to sell my car?
Before a PARF cliff, not after. The PARF percentage steps down on each registration anniversary from year 5, so a car sold a week before its anniversary is worth measurably more than the same car a week after. Check your exact cliff dates with the PARF calculator, and glance at the COE trend — selling into rising premiums helps too.
Related Guides
- Trade-in vs selling direct: which route puts more in your pocket
- How to sell your car in Singapore: the complete process
- COE renewal or sell: the actual math at the 10-year mark
- Understanding your PaperValue report: using the numbers to negotiate
PaperValue.sg provides independent car valuations for Singapore. We're not dealers. We don't buy your car, sell you one, or take referral fees. We just do the math so you don't walk in blind.