Valor en Contexto
Choose comparable evidence without hiding differences
A practical method for recording references and deciding which ones belong in your comparison.
Define the comparison before searching
Write down the vehicle attributes your references should match before you look at prices. Begin with version, age, mileage range, powertrain and sale route, then add your geographic market. This prevents the attractive or expensive examples you find first from deciding the rules. If your exact version is uncommon, plan which difference you will relax first and keep a note explaining that choice.
Keep separate groups when a major characteristic differs. For example, record private sellers and dealer retail advertisements in different groups rather than treating them as interchangeable. If you include a nearby region because local examples are scarce, identify it clearly. Broader evidence can still help you ask better questions, but a larger list is not automatically a stronger basis for valuing one particular vehicle.
Keep a traceable record
For each reference, save the source URL or written offer, observation date, asking amount, currency and the vehicle details visible at that time. Record whether taxes, preparation charges, delivery or other items are included or unclear. Use a short note to explain why the example is comparable. If the same car appears on several websites, count it as one vehicle and retain the alternative links as supporting references.
Do not turn an unavailable advertisement into proof of a completed sale. A listing can disappear for different reasons, and an advertised amount does not tell you the final negotiated price. Label the evidence according to what it actually shows: asking price, buyer offer or documented transaction. When you cannot establish the evidence type, leave that uncertainty visible instead of upgrading it to a stronger claim.
Review the sample before interpreting it
Look for mismatched versions, unusual mileage, missing condition information and prices that depend on financing or another purchase. Investigate unusual examples rather than deleting them solely because they are inconvenient. If you exclude a reference, record the reason. A small, clearly explained set of suitable references is easier to discuss than an unexplained collection of numbers drawn from several different transaction types.
A summary such as a median describes the references you supplied; it does not by itself become a market valuation. Keep the raw records available so another person can see what the summary includes. Finish by listing what evidence is still missing and when it should be refreshed. If you need a formal valuation or a binding offer, ask the relevant provider to state its method, scope and conditions explicitly.
Your vehicle profile and comparison of user-entered asking prices
Start my car valuation profile →Related guides
Build a vehicle profile that can be compared →
Read a valuation as a dated range, not a promise →
Best used-car valuation methods in 2026: evidence vs estimates →