The Hidden Costs of Buying a Used Car

Some used vehicles have gotten to be more expensive than their new counterpart. This is hard to believe, but let me show you why.

Everyone assumes that new cars depreciate quickly after being purchased. You constantly hear about cars losing 15% to 30% of their value as soon as they're driven off the lots.

While this is true for many vehicles, that's not the case for some.

When the economy isn't doing so well and new car sales are suffering, used car sales tend to go up - pushing their prices higher.

Sometimes, used car prices are pushed up so quickly, that slightly used versions (typically only 1 year old), can sometimes end up being more expensive than their newer counterpart.

The reason is due to a mixture of incentives and rebates offered on the new vehicles, higher financing costs on the used one, and generally clueless buyers who drive up the prices of used without doing enough research.

Many people don't realize that the interest rate for financing a used car is typically about 1% higher than it is for a new car.

You need to take these factors into account before blindly assuming that a used car will always be less expensive than a new one.

If you're considering a slightly used car that is only 1 or 2 years old, you need to carefully research prices on a new one as well as financing rates to make sure you get an adequate discount.

To maximize savings while minimizing repair and maintenance expenses, you should consider buying used cars that are between 3 and 5 years old.