Selling your Mazda within five years of when you first purchased it will mean getting the maximum amount of its resale value back. Most Mazdas depreciate around 45% to 48% in the first five years of ownership. That being said, mileage, condition, and popular demand will all play a big part in determining your car’s worth.

Mazdas are known to be reliable vehicles, and they make frequent appearances at the top of many “best of” lists. Whether it’s because you need more space, more features, or it’s just time to move on, first you need to know where your trusty Mazda stands in terms of resale value.

Depreciation is a huge factor when you purchase any new car, and it happens the second you drive it off the car lot. Knowing exactly how much your old car is worth is an important factor when purchasing a new one, as you’ll likely be trading it in or putting the funds from selling it towards your new wheels.

Feeling overwhelmed?

Jerry

has got your back! The car insurance super app that’s way more than just

car insurance

, Jerry has all the info you need to figure out what the resale value of your Mazda is, how to get the most out of it, and how to find the best

Mazda insurance

policy for your new car.

RECOMMENDED

Compare auto insurance policies

No spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms

ZIP Code

Find insurance savings

What goes into determining my Mazda’s resale value?

The memories you and your Mazda have may be priceless, but they don’t really translate to resale value. In selling any used car, there are a few factors that will be key in determining how much it’s worth. What you can expect to get for your Mazda depends on:

Depreciation: It’s an unfortunate downside of purchasing a new car, but there is significant depreciation the minute you drive away from the dealership. Most Mazdas will lose 45% to 48% of their value in the first five years of ownership.

Mileage: A used car’s mileage is one of the biggest factors in determining its value, and if your Mazda’s odometer is on the higher side (over 100,000 miles) it will likely mean a decrease in value. Ideally, one should put about 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year on a car.

Accident history: Accidents happen, and they can be costly even after all the repair work has been done. Depending on the nature of the damage, an accident can cause a 15 to 30 percent decrease in value—even if it was fully repaired.

Interior, exterior, and mechanical condition: How well did you take care of your Mazda? Interior cleanliness, dents and scratches, and mechanical condition all play a big part in determining its resale value.

Popularity: If you have a popular model, a desirable trim level, or a limited edition color, it can increase the resale value of your Mazda. The

Mazda CX-5

is far and away Mazda’s most popular model, and it will likely be easy to find a buyer for this model.

MORE: How to sell a car for the best price

Resale value vs. trade-in value

When you’re upgrading your car, you’re usually doing one of two things with your old vehicle—selling it or

trading it in

. There are pros and cons with each one, and it’s really a matter of what works best for you and your circumstances.

With a trade-in, the dealership will give you an agreed-upon amount for your old car and apply it towards the purchase price of the new one. The pros of this approach are that it’s easy and doesn’t require a lot of effort on your part, but the downside is that you’ll generally get less money for a trade-in than if you were to sell the car yourself to a private party.

Selling the car yourself will likely yield more money, but will require the extra time and effort of sprucing up your car, advertising it, and dealing with potential buyers.

What is the MSRP of my Mazda?

This is where you want to start when figuring out the current value of your Mazda. Determining what the original MSRP was when the car was new will give you a baseline for its current value, and will also make sure that you know exactly what you have.

Kelley Blue Book

is a well-respected source for determining your car’s MSRP, and also for getting an idea as to how much you can expect to get for a trade-in or a private sale.

Key Takeaway Make sure you know all the details about your Mazda before you sell it or trade it in—MSRP, mileage, accident history, and mechanical and cosmetic condition.

How does wear and tear affect my Mazda’s value?

The condition of your car (both inside and out) is one of the biggest factors when it comes to figuring out its resale value. Taking good care of your vehicle, keeping it clean, and keeping up on all recommended maintenance will go a long way when it comes to boosting its resale value. Very few people will want to pay a lot of money for a car that needs a lot of work.

MORE:

How much is wear and tear on your car per mile?

How to calculate the resale value of your car

Fortunately, there are several useful online tools that are helpful in pinning down the resale value of your car, like this one from

Consumer Reports

. Running a few different scenarios through the online resale value calculators will give you a good idea of where you stand for trade-in vs. resale value for your car in various conditions.

No one make or model of Mazda in particular stands out as the best for resale value, as they are all fairly solid across the board. Car Edge currently rates the 2020 as the best model year as far as depreciation goes, with a Mazda from that year retaining 81% of its value.

Remember that while the model year plays a major part in determining your Mazda’s resale value, additional factors like the overall condition and mileage will drastically affect the final price tag.

The bottom line: is my Mazda worth reselling?

Okay—you’ve done all your homework and crunched all the numbers. Now it’s time to make the decision: to sell or not to sell? If your Mazda is in great shape, was new within the last five years, and has less than 15,000 miles per year on the odometer, odds are you’ll get a nice price by selling it to a private party.

If it’s not in the best shape or has high mileage, you might want to think about doing some repairs or upgrades that will increase the resale value.

MORE: Trade-in vs private sale: What’s the best way to sell your car?

How to prep your Mazda for resale

There are a few basic boxes you can check that will ensure you maximize the amount you get when reselling your Mazda. Here’s what to do:

Get your car detailed. First impressions are everything, and a car that’s sparkling clean down to every crack and crevice is a huge bonus to a potential buyer.

Get routine maintenance done. Check the tires, change the oil, make sure all routine maintenance is up to date, and keep the records to show the new owners that the car has been properly cared for.

Gather all the original parts. Make sure that any manuals, extra keys, and accessories are rounded up and ready to go for the new owner.

Taking care of these details will go a long way toward increasing the amount that you will get for your Mazda. It will also help the new owner feel confident and comfortable with their purchase.

Finding cheap Mazda car insurance

Your cars may change, but one thing will always stay the same—you need good car insurance, and you need it to not cost an arm and a leg.

With

car insurance

super app

Jerry

, you get all of the benefits of a thorough comparison shop with none of the hassle. And after buying and selling some cars, you could probably use a little breather!

Just download the app, enter a little bit of information, and within minutes Jerry will bring you a selection of competitive car insurance quotes. All you’ll need to do is decide which one you like the best, and Jerry will handle the sign-up process.

The average Jerry user saves around $800 a year!

“
Jerry
found me useful quotes immediately, so I switched over my insurance in under an hour! I’m now helping my parents use Jerry because they just bought a new car.” —Brindi J.

Find out if you can reduce your monthly car payments in minutes

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

Check your rate

* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score

Which Mazda has the highest resale value?

No one Mazda in particular has a higher resale value than the others, but the Mazda CX-5 is the most popular model by far.

What is my Mazda worth?

The amount that your Mazda is worth depends heavily on things like mileage, condition, depreciation, and current market value. There are several reputable online tools (like this one from

Edmunds

) that are useful in determining your Mazda’s current value.

Reduce your monthly car payments in minutes?

Find out if Jerry can reduce your payments by an average of $150/month

Check your rate!