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Used Cars Make A Comeback

forbes.com — Demand for used, fuel-efficient cars is on the rise, driving the prices of these cars up significantly in the past six months

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  • ironeus, on 08/01/2008, -0/+13Even if the cost of used fuel-efficient cars rises, it depreciates nearly 50% of its MSRP in the first 2-3 years which makes for a bargain if the mileage is right!
    • cowsgonemadd3, on 06/27/2008, -3/+6No car loses 50% of its value in 3 years....Well maybe a KIA....
      • Rikkochet, on 06/27/2008, -0/+4That would be 50% of its tires... And a few sheets of paneling... And of course the bumper.
      • TomTruelle, on 06/27/2008, -0/+4Or maybe Hyundais. Although, they are one and the same.
      • InSectWar, on 06/27/2008, -0/+4Gas prices are getting really high aren't they?
        Just the other day.. a KIA pulled up to a gas station, filled up, and was worth twice as much when it drove away!
        http://www.instantrimshot.com/
    • deMonkey, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1Not hybrids. Check the prices.
  • buba1243, on 06/26/2008, -3/+9New cars no matter what the MPG are never worth the price drop if you are buying to save money on gas. Now if you just want one to be cool then go right ahead.
    • cowsgonemadd3, on 06/27/2008, -0/+3Thats true is most but not all cases. Usually there is more than one reason to get a new car.
    • Mootabolife, on 06/27/2008, -2/+3I don't want to have the possibility of the previous owner having had hot sweaty sex on the seats. God forbid they're into something kinky.
      • winmywii, on 06/27/2008, -0/+7That's the only reason I buy used cars.
    • popfrogs, on 06/27/2008, -0/+4For me it was being tired of driving old junkers that always needed a little more money to fix this or that.
  • Tenlow, on 06/27/2008, -1/+12It sucks because I'm in the market for a Civic and the prices just keep going up. A $2500 civic now costs $4500.
    • expert01, on 06/27/2008, -0/+3I know what you mean. I've been aching for a ~92 Honda Prelude (best body style for a four-banger I've seen), but they're WAY overpriced now.
    • GreatGrizzly, on 06/27/2008, -2/+1Wow, I got my civic at the right time. I got a 98 for 4000 dollars some time ago. Its now worth 6500 dollars.

      Talk about cool.
      • lordtyros, on 06/27/2008, -0/+3Who the hell told you they'd pay 6500 for a 10 year old car?
    • graemee, on 06/27/2008, -0/+3Glad I bought My Civic before. 50MPG FTW (Highway)
    • chaosevil, on 06/27/2008, -0/+0Got a 94 Civic 5 speed, my gas MPG rock! 40+ Had her since college.
    • Lanceruch, on 09/05/2008, -0/+02002 HONDA FIT , 207,025 kms, 5 Door Hatch,
      Petrol, Auto, Right Hand Drive, PRICE:US$4,900

      This is your choice for the used cars
      see all here http://usedcarsale.wordpress.com/2008/08/28/the-ba ...
  • alexbox, on 06/27/2008, -1/+6Tenlow, you are right. I have had multiple offers on my 93 Geo Metro for more than 2,000. I wasn't really planning on selling it, but hell if someone is willing to pay that much for it, thats fine for me. I just don't know if I want to give up the 48mpg.
    • grndslm, on 06/27/2008, -1/+1Maybe you'd think about it if you knew you could get close to 200mpg on a motorized bicycle??

      Take those thousands you get and think about any kind of vehicle you'd need most (car, truck, van, jet) for rainy and perhaps cold days, because MPGs don't matter on the good days. You'll put less than a grand into attaching a Staton or GEBE kit to a decent bicycle.

      Getting quadruple the fuel efficiency you're already seeing with the Geo Metro would still be pretty good at $4+ per gal, eh? For every gallon you ride on your awesomely fun motored bike, you save $3 and don't break a sweat!! So, you'll make your money back pretty quickly.

      Check out the "Crash Course for MotoredBike N00Bs" here:
      http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=10392
  • Picard102, on 06/27/2008, -3/+5My 97 Saturn gets near 30 mpg, why buy a new car with the same or worse rating?
  • wingedshoes, on 06/27/2008, -2/+5One of the best things about this increase in demand for used cars is that Priuses (right plural spelling?) take a lot of energy to make. Those batteries are what, 40 lbs of nickel? I read in WIRED it takes 113 billion BTUs to make a Prius. You're better off buying a used car with just as good gas milage.
    • Crucible1001, on 06/27/2008, -0/+140 pounds of nickel is only 389 dollars with the current rate. The real cost is just the bottom line they try to keep high.
      • Her3t1k, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1He's talking about the environmental impact of making the batteries against the mpg, versus a used car with slightly lower mpg.
  • cowsgonemadd3, on 06/27/2008, -2/+7Why does anyone want a MINI vs say a civic or corolla that gets VERY close to the same fuel mileage and has a TON more space....I dont get it.
    • rukeypoo, on 06/27/2008, -1/+3Because people in the market for a MINI believe there's more to an automobile than MPG and space.
      • marx2k, on 06/27/2008, -3/+1Gotta love dumbasses and marketing that targets them
    • JByrd, on 06/27/2008, -5/+3Yeah, i.e. a MINI is 10x cooler and more fun to drive than most any - "insert cheesy Japanese car name here"
  • elister, on 06/27/2008, -1/+8I dont know what to say about this article, it seems to push the idea of buying 3-4 year older hybrids.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geo_Metro

    35 - 45 MPG, and much cheaper than a used hybrid.
    • AxsToro, on 06/27/2008, -4/+10Geos are horrible cars.
      • alexbox, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2lol my geo has 270k miles on it and runs perfectly. No problems whatsoever. It is the ugliest car in the world, but it lasted much longer than my 99 pontiac grand am, 97 ford mustang, and 00 taurus.
    • AxsToro, on 06/27/2008, -0/+8To those digging me down. I have 2 friends with Geos and my cousin has a Geo.

      The ones my friends have both look like *****, and break down at least once a month. THe one my cousin has actually looks decent, but still breaks down a lot.
      • popfrogs, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2All Geos, minus the 3 cylinder Metro hatchback, are made of fail. That's the one decent model to buy used if it has been cared for.
    • zdiggler, on 06/27/2008, -2/+2My mom have Geo Metro
      From 1994 to Now, still runs. Its fast enough for her. I don't see nothing wrong with that car.


      If that make you happy,

      its actually got Japanese Engine in there.
    • NonLeftistDiggr, on 06/27/2008, -0/+5My friend used to drive a group of us to practice in a 3 speed Geo, he would speed when we were late. A 3 speed geo at 90 mph in 3rd....errrr.... top gear sounds like 10,000 monkeys in on PCP.
  • nico623, on 06/27/2008, -8/+3If I have people riding in the car I always try to be as vocal as possible about how awesome it is to pay 25$ and last a week's worth of driving, sucks to be the ***** next to me driving the 08 Tahoe to work every day.
    • mike17032, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2You seem to have that backwards.

      You are the one stuck driving a Geo (or whatever piece of junk) to work, while he has a nice new car.
  • AxsToro, on 06/27/2008, -1/+3I'm actually considering getting another car, currently driving a Firebird which I love, but uses too much gas... Funny part is, Trans AM from '98 up use less gas then my Firebird =/.
    • mike17032, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2I wouldnt count on that, it all depends on how you drive them.

      What year is your Firebird? I owned a 92 then a 97 Firebird before trade up to my 02 Trans Am a few weeks back. With normal driving they are about the same in MPG, but if you are on it at all you can suck a lot more gas through the 5.7 liter V8 in the Trans Am than you could by driving the same way in the Firebirds.

      But ***** it, its worth it. Keep the Firebird, you will hate yourself for trading down to some slow ass piece of *****. If you buy anything, upgrade to the newest Trans Am you can afford. They wont be around in good condition for much longer. Prices are good right now too, I got an 02 with 40k Miles for $12,500.
  • Zippo, on 06/27/2008, -2/+7New cars cost too ***** much... it's no wonder people are buying used ones.
    • NonLeftistDiggr, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2That realization has slapped me in the face recently. I looked into new scion/toyota/honda small coupes, prices blew my mind.... looked at used ones and it was even more shocking. I'm going to ride my Nissan sedan into the ground.
  • dizilbdog, on 06/27/2008, -0/+3Yeah I just went car shopping at Honda. They won't budge on price on the new Fit, and a civic used is like 15,000 miles is still like 15,000 dollars. They are jacking up prices on small cars and letting SUV and trucks just sit on the side. I mean it's a honda fit and you can't negotiate come on now.
    • McHoffa, on 06/27/2008, -0/+3that's because it's a Fit... they have been in high demand since they brought them over here. Just like the Wii, there is no reason for them to come down on the price if the demand is high at the current price
    • popfrogs, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2Well, there's always the Toyota Yaris, it's basically the same thing minus the cool exterior.
      • winmywii, on 06/27/2008, -4/+3Wait, the fit is supposed to be cool?
      • winmywii, on 06/27/2008, -5/+2Wait, the fit is supposed to be cool?
      • winmywii, on 06/27/2008, -4/+2wait, the fit is supposed to be cool?
  • yaroze, on 06/27/2008, -0/+8I miss my old 91 CRX, it constantly got 45 mph
    • Konrad9, on 06/27/2008, -0/+4I can't figure out if it's a typo or not but I am laughing anyways.
      • cdigioia, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2Wow, that is classic. I would have missed it too, thanks.
  • JByrd, on 06/27/2008, -0/+5I've got an 89 BMW 325...not great gas mileage, 25-30 mpg, but it's also much quicker than most any honda/toyota. + I gave only $2000 for it and it hasn't given me one problem in over a year.
    • zdiggler, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2Digg him down because what?

      He's spending less then people who's paying high price for gas savers.
  • bigsteve3OOO, on 06/27/2008, -3/+2ho hum

    let me know when fat 40 year old men with little penises come back in style
  • destron, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2It's not "used" anymore... it's "preowned"...
  • marx2k, on 06/27/2008, -1/+1Ahh so glad 95+mpg scooters haven't moved up in price even though more people are driving them now. Gettin' some AWESOME deals on them now
    • NonLeftistDiggr, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2I don't know if you are a greeny or not, but those scooters are dirty as hell emission wise when compared to a modern car.... especially when normalized for weight.
      • marx2k, on 06/27/2008, -0/+0My 4 stroke Aprilia single cylinder isn't a large polluter. I do care for the environment, of course, since I live in it. But consider the pollution difference in that I go 95+ miles by burning one gallon of gas and a car averages... what..20? (What's the average for US fleet of cars/trucks?)

        From http://www.blurtit.com/q835998.html (first hit on google searching on "pollution 4 stroke scooter")
        "Since the 1990's according to research most of the motor scooters have catalytic converters, especially the Honda series. The 2 and 4 stroke engines were a cause of serious air pollution and catalytic converters became a requirement. The converters are a safety feature, make scooters more environmentally friendly and boost performance.

        In recent years some companies have begun research to correct the problem of air pollution without catalytic converters. An example is Aprilia who has developed Direct Injection Technology and a new 2 stroke engine. The new motor and technology will allow them to produce scooters without converters and still produce a product, which complies with governmental standards without a catalytic converter.

        Recently the EPA has set new standards for motorcycles also and by 2010 all motorcycles will have some form of emission control other than catalytic converters."

        (My scooter is an Aprilia Scarabeo 150cc)

        So when considering miles per gallon and how much fuel is burned traveling the same distance, does my scooter pollute as much as a car?
  • thegreatgazoo, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1There was a 2006 Honda Insight with 9000 miles on it (give or take) that went for 26k on Ebay last week. New they were basically 22k.

    • zdiggler, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2That's just plain stupid!

      Spend more $$$ to save a few bucks at the pump.

      I been listening to those stories and I was like damn! People are really stupid!
  • zdiggler, on 06/27/2008, -1/+6I don't really care about Fuel Economy. I look at Monthly Cost of running a car. I usually buy a good nice used car for cash, no APR, less insurance, NO CAR PAYMENT! My current car have 350 V8 in there and cost me $80 to fill it up every 2 weeks but still cheaper then running a Pirus or a Brand New Fuel Saver.
    • katorga, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1Even if you buy new, you have an asset to sell at the end of the day. If you put the $$$ into fuel, you have zilch. As much as I loved my rabbit diesel and civic when younger, they were deathtraps compared to today's econo-boxes.
  • emiltsch, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1Save more on used cars now; do your research, search for value and take advantage of the HUGE supply of used cars available right now...
  • katorga, on 06/27/2008, -0/+3Anything that gets 37-45 mpg and costs less than 26K is a better deal than a Prius. Get a used Yaris or Fit at 7-8K. Heck even new ones make more sense than a Prius. If you go new, keep it at least 10 years, because building a car does more environmental damage than driving one ever will (that includes hybrids). FYI, I love my Fit..38-41 average mpg for me and it holds my 167lb dog!
  • NonLeftistDiggr, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2Relatively modern small used cars are the most available greenest cars, once all the manufacturing time/material is accounted for.

    I noticed today through a carmax browsing that Japanese cars are holding crazy used value, even more than usual. A used scion/civic is more expensive than a newer used F150, blew my mind when I saw the $ difference.... and still wouldn't consider a truck for the life of me, other than SUVs/Trucks killing all the visibility out of my sedan on the freeways is starting to get really old.
    • Philbert, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2Yes a few months ago I was looking at used Civics and noticed that there was only a few hundred dollars difference between a 2006 and a 2007. Turns out I couldn't buy one but at the time I was thinking I might as well throw in a few more bucks and get one a year newer.
  • atomicrobot, on 06/27/2008, -0/+5I think it's insanity to drop $20k on a prius. Let's imagine for a moment you buy a 1989 Mercedes 300E for $3,000. That's a difference of $17,000 so you can, what, save $20 on a full fill up? You'd have to fill up on gas 850 times to break even. Let's say you fill up twice a month. That's 35 years.

    SAVE YOUR MONEY PEOPLE! Invest, save, donate, or go see the seven wonders of the world.
    • mike17032, on 06/27/2008, -0/+3A Prius is garbage, and I laugh at everyone I see driving one.
  • Ledjar, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2i wish this where true, i've been trying to sell my fuel effiecent ford focus for a month now and no dice.
  • frogsoblivious, on 06/27/2008, -4/+4ill never buy a new car. ever. theres so many recalls and cars dont last as long as they used to. ill keep my 1994 WS6 Trans am that i got for $10,000 and put $4,500 into it. all that and its STILL cheaper than buying a new hybrid that will need an expensive battery replacement down the road. i get 8-12 mpg, but i get 0-60 in 3.8 seconds bitch.
    • Icetype, on 06/27/2008, -3/+3hahahahahahahah
      • mike17032, on 06/27/2008, -1/+2Funny, thats the same thing I say when I blow past you in that little sub compact piece of ***** you prolly drive. Does your Geo turn a lot of heads at red lights? Lulz.

        The motors that put my headlights up and down have about the same torque as your car.
      • Icetype, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1Who said I drive a Geo? Idiot...
    • mike17032, on 06/27/2008, -2/+2Nice car, I just picked up an 02 myself for $12,500 with 40k miles. No WS6, but it has everything else. The Ram Air just jumped the value up to more than I wanted to pay.

      Did you have it super charged? Have anything else done to it? Thats an impressive 0-60. What do you run the quarter at?

      The diggiots bury you because they get butt hurt when people dont share their sad obsession for saving a small amount of gas. The eco-nazis want everyone to drive around in a slow ass sub compact, so they are no better.

      At least there are still some men out there that like having a nice car, and are able to understand why there is a lot more to a car than an MPG rating. Its nice to be able to afford a car thats fun to drive (hint: a car with 75 HP isnt fun), maybe one day they will make enough money to be able to afford a nice car too.
  • kerby74, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2As someone that doesn't drive a lot of personal miles, ie mileage is less important, this has been working to my favor. I can finally afford the kind of cars I always wanted because they get crap mileage and have bottomed out in market value. I love buying used for my car and then leasing new for corporate use where the company eats all fuel costs and vehicle costs.
    • mike17032, on 06/27/2008, -0/+1Same here, people jerk off about saving a half mile per gallon of gas but driving an hour to work each way.

      I was finally able to afford the Trans Am I have always wanted, even though their prices didnt drop much (because people like us still want them).
  • apeweek, on 06/27/2008, -0/+2Something most would not consider - a used electric car. Some are listed here:

    http://www.austinev.org/evtradinpost/

    An electric car, even an old-technology used one, and even considering battery replacements, can be run for under 10 cents/mile.

    Even very old EVs are very reliable. Electric motors almost never break (just one moving part.)

    And the resale values are unbeatable. You'll notice on the site above that a Jet/Subaru Electra Van sold recently for $4800. Brand new (around 1980), that car sold for $7999. So after more than 25 years, the car has not lost even half of its original selling price.
  • topher67, on 06/28/2008, -0/+1If this is true then why is my car not selling? :-S

    http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/car/722438549.ht ...
  • silverleaves, on 07/13/2008, -0/+1Wish I had a VW bug.
  • oseeiq, on 08/16/2008, -0/+0i'm a big believer in buying used cars rather than new for a number of factors including the depreciation hit a new car takes, cars over the years have become much more reliable, and certainly it could be much cheaper. You can read about other reasons for buying a used car here: http://blog.iseecars.com/2008/08/07/top-10-reasons ... .
  • Lanceruch, on 09/05/2008, -0/+0These are some reason why you should buy used cars.
    Buying used is the way to go green. see fill article at http://www.autoterminal.com/dashboard/newsletter.h ...
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