Used Car Advice

The next time that you’re buying a car, it might be a wise decision to buy one that is “new” to you. And many drivers are following this philosophy. As used car sales are up 3.3% for the third quarter of 2016, according to Edmunds.com.

The average used car price has also risen recently as well to $19,232, as the market has had many almost-new cars added to the pool.

"Used is always, financially, the best thing to do, You're avoiding that steep depreciation that takes place on a new car."

- said Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com.

                What is a fair price to pay for a used car? Well it’s not as cut and dry as many would think. The same make and model year, used-car values vary based on the features, mileage, condition and local demand. Look to pricing sites and apps like Edmunds.com, Kelley Blue Book and others to get an estimate.

               

                Another tip is to buy from an individual seller, as individual sellers might be more open to negotiating. But that only works if you have the money or you can try and reach out to lenders on your own, and many times dealerships do that work for you. The main benefit of a dealership is the vehicle inspection and often they have already fixed any repairs that need to be done on the vehicle.

                But no matter what, before you buy, take a look at the vehicle history report through a service like Experian's AutoCheck or Carfax. All of our vehicles here at Drivers Choice have gone through a multipoint inspection and a vehicle check in the vehicle the first time you open the door.

               

                Check out the great pre-owned vehicles that Driver’s Choice has to offer and contactus today to test drive your next vehicle.

Think Small to Save Big!

       

          Trying to find a car for your teenager?  Or trying to find that new ride to make your way back and forth to work? If your trying to do it without breaking the bank, the best deals are amongst the smaller passenger cars, while pick-up trucks and SUVs are some of the worst deals.

         Subcompact cars are the best overall deals on used cars right now, and prices overall have dropped by 6.3% percent over the last year to an average of $11,461. These cars include the Chevy Sonic, Ford Fiesta, Hyundai Accent and Toyota Yaris. Prices like that really help out in the long run if you’re trying to get a dependable car at a reasonable price.  And compact cars, including the Chevrolet Cruze, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, and Toyota Corolla, dropped by 2.0% in value to a still-affordable average $12,153.

Edmunds.com Sr. Analyst Ivan Drury says

“Prices are down for these vehicles because there is so much more demand for used trucks and SUVs. There are also lots of smaller cars coming back to the used car market as people trade up into larger vehicles.”

        Trucks and SUV’s on the other end have been steadily gaining in price over the last few years due to their increased demand. Smaller pickup trucks Nissan Frontier, Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon have rose by 10.1% averaging about $18,978. While the large SUV market is up 8.9% and prices raising to an Average of $26,852.

Edmunds.com put together a list of vehicles that are the best value:

Best Used Car Values

      Subcompact Cars: -6.3%; average $11,461

·         Compact Cars: -2.0%; average $12,153

·         Midsize Cars: -1.0%; average $13,892

·         Large Crossover SUVs: -0.6%; average $22,182

·         Premium Luxury Cars: +0.3%; average $45,442

Worst Used-Car Deals

·         Compact Pickups: +10.1%; average $18,978

·         Large SUVs: +8.9%; average $26,852

·         Luxury SUVs: +7.7%; average $40,531

·         Midsize SUVs: +7.6%; average $22,477

·         Large Cars: +2.7%; average $15,315

Hope that this helps you in picking out your next new-to-you car! Check out our Inventory and Contact us now to test drive your future can today!