Buying any car, new or used, is a risk. Machines are not perfect, things break/malfunction and sometimes need repair. That is why I try to steer people into “Certified Pre-Owned” vehicles whenever possible. But what is a CPO car and when is it a good deal? If you purchase a new car you have the protection of the manufacturer’s warranty for a few years, if and when hiccups occur. While pre-owned vehicles can certainly save you money over new, they don’t always offer the same level of warranty coverage. But how is a certified pre-owned car different from just a “used” car? Let’s break it down. Certified by whom? The word “certified” gets tossed around a lot on dealership lots. The idea behind it is to offer a little more peace of mind for those buying a pre-owned vehicle. But not all “certifications” are equal. There are basically two types of certification: Manufacturer certified and dealer certified. Most of the CPO … [Read more...] about What Is A “Certified” Pre-Owned Car?
What is a cpo car
Where Is the Best Place to List a Used Car For Sale?
As Jalopnik’s resident car buying expert and professional car shopper, I get emails. Lots of emails. I’ve decided to pick a few questions and try to help out. This week we are discussing the best place to list your used car, getting a used Lexus vs a new Toyota, and warranties on salvage cars. First up, is there one best place to list your car for sale? I’m looking to sell our minivan and am not getting bites on Craigslist (our price is probably too high, but that’s a different issue). I don’t buy used cars and really don’t know which sites are best in which to list them on. Yeah, last time I was in the market for a used car I grabbed one of my brother’s AutoTrader magazines printed on newsprint in black & white, back in the 80's. Is there a guide on which sites to use? Got suggestions? I’m thinking of Ebay Motors, Cars.com, Autotrader, etc. Craigslist is a good place to start, it’s free and if you have something on the … [Read more...] about Where Is the Best Place to List a Used Car For Sale?
I Need a Family Car For $30,000 and It Must Be a Wagon! What Car Should I Buy?
What Car Should You Buy The experts at Jalopnik answer your car-buying questions. Aaron just moved to Los Angeles and is about to have a baby. He needs a bigger car but it absolutely cannot be a crossover, it has to be the body style we all love on this fine website: a wagon. What car should he buy? (Welcome back to What Car Should You Buy? Where we give real people real advice about buying cars. Do you want us to help you find a car? Submit your story on our form.) Here is the scenario: We’re about to have a baby and we’re transplants to LA and really enjoy the city, and try to get to as many corners of it as often as we can for great restaurants). We also maximize the access we have to its environs. We’ve definitely done the “beach in the morning, ski in the evening” thing, and want to continue to do so. I currently have a Jetta SE and I need to expand my cargo space a bit, I absolutely refuse to get a crossover. It’s got to be a wagon, … [Read more...] about I Need a Family Car For $30,000 and It Must Be a Wagon! What Car Should I Buy?
Here Is Why You Shouldn’t Expect A Big Discount On A Used Car
The internet has changed the way cars are bought and sold. It’s now a lot easier to figure out who has the best deal on a new car, but used cars are more complex. A lot of buyers get frustrated when they run into walls asking for large discounts on used cars. Here’s why that happens. I’ve mentioned in several previous articles that used car shopping is more about finding the best overall value on the market rather than focusing on the largest discount off the asking price. I find myself fielding a lot of emails where I end up explaining that a dealership that’s holding firm to their asking price or is only offering a small discount is not, in fact, ripping them off. New cars simply have more wiggle room: more deals, more incentives, more factory rebates, better financing terms and more options on the lot, just to name a few. This isn’t the case with used cars. Online pricing comes down to two basic factors: the market price for a given vehicle and how … [Read more...] about Here Is Why You Shouldn’t Expect A Big Discount On A Used Car
6 Smart Reasons Why You Should Buy a Used Car
Go to a local car dealership, enter the showroom, open the door to one of the vehicles on display, and breathe deeply. Ahhhh, new car smell. Intoxicating, isn’t it? Alluring to the point that you’ll spend, on average, about $13,500 in order to obtain it. Wait. What? That’s right. According to Kelley Blue Book, in 2015, Americans spent, on average, more than $33,500 on new vehicles. Meanwhile, J.D. Power reported that in the 2015, the average used vehicle cost just over $20,000. That new-car smell sure is an expensive air freshener. FOLLOW DAILY NEWS AUTOS ON FACEBOOK. 'LIKE' US HERE. Of course, there are other reasons to buy a new car. At the same time, it makes plenty of sense to buy a used car, and not something vintage like that cool Volkswagen Thing pictured above. We’re talking about lightly used vehicles, the type J.D. Power describes when it claims that in 2015 the average used vehicle was 4.3 years old and had 51,554 miles on the odometer. First up … [Read more...] about 6 Smart Reasons Why You Should Buy a Used Car