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Auto Sales > Car Advice > Car Education > Tools to Help you Price a Used Vehicle

Tools to Help you Price a Used Vehicle

Eric Wills

Research Used Vehicles

With the economic climate not being as great as it once was, more and more people have held onto their cars for longer than normal. You may think that four year old piece of junk in your driveway isn’t worth a dime, but you'd be surprised.

Used car value has gone up over the past few years. If you're thinking that your old car in the driveway won’t be worth anything more than a quick trip to a junk yard, it is worth your time to research current prices. More and more people are getting more than they expected when they sell or even trade in their vehicle.

Both sides will point the finger at different reasons for the recent increase in used vehicle prices, and both have their points valid. A mix of quality cars that lasted longer, and a harsher climate to get financing, you had people holding onto a car that would normally trade in after a few years.

With this going on, used car lots had a lower stock amount where they once had a surplus. So your value of your vehicle went up at both dealerships and the open market. The demand for used vehicles hasn’t died off, not at all, but many people weren’t as ready to have another bill attached to their tight budget.

Used Car Reliability and History

Something you can thank newer technology is the ability to instantly check up any cars VIN to make sure nothing is wrong with the car. Most of these websites, and smart phone applications, charge you to do a history search, but can go a long way.

If you happen to be in the market for a used car, or are trying to sell your used car, using a car search engine is a good starting point for pricing. Using this you can better value your current car, or get a good idea of what a used vehicle may cost you.

The Used Vehicle Industry In Boom

While everyone was holding onto their car, and valuing them higher than normal, many places were trying to get a hold of new stock. This started to drive those used car prices up, and also drive up trade-in value of cars. As with any car, once you purchase it the value instantly deflates, as anyone will tell you, but now with how the used industry was affected, you can see a decent return for your investment.

While this may sound like the worst time to buy a used vehicle, do not let this deter you from finding a used car. Some of these cars are still good quality cars with many years left in them, but rather take this as more of an assurance if you decide to buy a new vehicle, or currently own a vehicle and are looking to sell, that the values may surprise you.



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Further Reading

Infotainment Systems Changing Rapidly

March 28, 2013

Technology has become a major part of everyone's lives over the last few years, in fact so much so that everyone expects certain things from their vehicle. This is what brings about each of the auto makers own sync technology. For instance many cars now feature a standard information system for plenty of things about your car like:

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The industry has focused and shifted most of it's focus on getting some of the highest miles per gallon out of each of our cars. With many of the newer models in 2014 focusing on engine technology to advance us and keep us going longer on each gallon we put into our cars.

Government Regulations in an Attempt to Lower Green House Gas Emissions

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Over the last 3 years our government regulations in America have taken strides in setting new regulations to help curb green house gasses. The most recent of these last year, setting the standard for new vehicles to average 54.5 MPG, is a large step towards this goal. While this sounds fantastic is this goal really obtainable and affordable to the average family?

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These few cars achieved the top safety pick plus award this passed year, and are in a moderately good price range. Ranging from as low as $18,000 to $21,000, and being great for families. So if you're looking for an affordable family car with high safety rating, you can use this list to start your search.

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