u/CelerMortis

A family member just paid $30k for a jeep. I paid $35k for an EV9 - which feels very expensive.

However, over the next decade my car should cost significantly less than hers.

My prediction: EVs will become far more common but more expensive as demand, inflation, supply chain issues all increase. I genuinely believe in 5 years people will wonder why everyone didn’t buy a used EV in 2026. It will be just like mortgages in 2020 - why didn’t everyone refinance? Because the timing wasn’t right, they wanted to see if they got cheaper, there’s no way they’ll go up etc.

It will be very similar for EVs, the excuses from today will seem quaint when a small, basic EV is $50k new.

I have a decent 2020 Buick Enclave that I want to swap for an EV.

Is it generally better to slog through the open market, take carvanas $21,500, or trade in at a dealer that has the newer (but still used) car I'm looking for?

I know that this is a variable question that has factors, but my understanding is that if you're willing to deal with a few weeks of tire-kickers and lowballers, you can generally get more selling yourself. Is that still true? TIA