J.D. Power vs Kelley Blue Book Values

J.D. Power has cemented a reputation for professionally accumulating and analyzing data in the best interest of consumers. For the automotive field, verifiable & unbiased information of real-world experiences endured by real vehicle owners is gathered through surveying the market from the third month to the third year of vehicle ownership.

The feedback generated from verified vehicle customers is used to segment the car market by price & size to create car ratings.

J.D. Power Score Classifications

Best (91-100)

• Models within the "best" classification are the highest rated within their category according to their owner

Great (81-90)

• Models belonging in the "great" classification didn't rate high enough to be considered for the top of their category, but were better than the average ratings within their category

Average (70-80)

• Models within the "average" classification earned a par score within their category
• As a benchmark, the average 100-Point Score is settled at 80 for the most recent model year, and older models usually experience a lower average rating than 80

On top of all that, serving consumers with a fuller understanding of car pricing and value, our J.D. Power Verified Fair Price is a dependable indicator that one is not overpaying for the desired vehicle. Using the purchasing information from over 12 million retail transactions each year, we keep close tabs on the average price and the price range paid by the majority of the people. Dealers who qualify will have the J.D. Power Verified Fair Price badge applied! Seeing that badge grants the assurance that the price is close to the average in that region.

You can read more about our ratings methodology here, and Verified Fair Price here.

Similar to J.D. Power, values published by Kelley Blue Book rely on a constant flow of pricing information from various industry sources. Manufacturers, wholesale auctions, franchised and independent dealers, rental companies and financial institutions are among the data sources used to calculate new and used vehicle prices.

The final used vehicle values are determined by Kelley Blue Book through a proprietary editorial process. Values are presented on several scales, creating an unique price for every situation. The Private Party Value refers to the amount expected for a private sale of a vehicle as an individual seller. Trade-In Value and Suggested Retail Value prices are available for both sellers and buyers planning to interact with a dealer. Kelley Blue Book also calculates and provides values for the suggested price of an automobile at automaker-affiliated Certified Pre-Owned dealerships.

Finally, a Fair Purchase Price tool provides a snapshot of a vehicle’s actual selling price from tens of thousands of sale transactions. Differing from the other car value tools used by Kelley Blue Book, the Fair Purchase Price is sourced directly from vehicle sales through market contacts. Kelley Blue Book’s Fair Purchase Price tool is compiled from transactions conducted across the United States.

The primary focus of Kelley Blue Book is on automobiles, but the company also provides values for motorcycles, personal watercraft and snowmobiles.