With dealerships offering certified used cars and help with financing, sales of used cars have been increasing. Manufacturers offer guarantees for factory tested and certified used cars. This means that buyers can feel confident they are getting a good deal. Used car dealers also help buyers to secure financing for their cars, eliminating the need to deal with banks and financial institutions directly. This makes the sales process quicker and more streamlined. All of these positive changes have led to an increase in used car sales in recent years.
A new market in used cars
A new kind of market has emerged in used car sales. It’s one where manufacturer certified pre owned cars offer buyers the confidence that they are buying a quality vehicle. Such vehicles are also generally newer models. As of 2015, more than half or 54% of used cars were three years old or less, according to the website Edmunds.com.
This means that the older notion that someone buying a used vehicle is taking a chance is also obsolete. Many used car dealers put Carfax reports online for each vehicle in their inventory. This allows buyers to see the car’s history along with other details like the odometer readings. In other words, they know exactly what they’re getting. This takes the guesswork out of buying a used car.
Buying a used car with confidence
All of this means that buyers can pick the car they want and be confident that they are getting a good deal on a good quality vehicle. Online inventories allow them to comparison shop more easily before picking the vehicles they want to test drive. It’s also easier now to find price guides like the Kelly Blue Book online, so buyers can actually know for certain whether they are paying a fair price or not.
Used car sales have been rising and it is estimated that around 40 million used vehicles are sold each year, by used car dealers and private sellers combined. By 2016, used car dealerships recorded their seventh consecutive year of higher sales. The actual number of used certified vehicles sold in 2016 was a record setting total of 2.64 million units.
Financing your used car
Used car dealers also help buyers to secure financing on site, eliminating the need for another stop and another set of transactions. Most people can’t afford to just buy a vehicle outright, and about 43% of all buyers need financing. For those looking for financing to buy a used car, it helps to have good credit.
As of the third quarter of 2016, used car buyers who secured financing had a credit score of 655 on average. Most buyers prefer a straightforward car buying experience. Used car dealers have made it easier to apply for used car financing by doing all the paperwork on site. This saves buyers an extra stop and also eliminates the hassle of going through a second set of negotiations and paperwork.
With manufacturers and used car dealers offering quality used cars, it is now easier to buy a used car with confidence. Buyers are taking advantage of these new features, leading to increasing sales of used cars in recent years.