r/UsedCars

As the title mentions, I want purchase a new (to-me) larger 3 row Mid-Size SUV. Comparing to other vehicles in this segment, the Atlas is forsure catching my eye. I am amidst talking with my local dealer, who has a CPO 2024 SEL Premium R-Line black on black. It has 25k miles, and with warranty should be extended to 2030. Should I purchase as is for 40k? I would be financing, I plan to put 12k down to stay ahead of the depreciation, but im just concerned as the 2027 redesign is around the corner, this would put me under the trap of being underwater. How do these atlases hold value? Should I hold off?

Planning on buying a 2014-2015 Q50 3.7. What mileage would you consider the sweet spot on these, and at what point is it usually not worth it anymore?

Also, what maintenance records or issues should I specifically look for when checking one out?

I went to a garage to view a vehicle which happened to have sold just before I got there.

Spoke to the guy who said they just acquired another of the same and it'll be in in the next few days. Told him my budget and was told it'd be within that. Gave him my details and he said he'd call and send pictures. 2 weeks later - nothing. Even sent in a trade-in valuation a few days later - still nothing.

Weeks before that I sent in a part ex valuation request - 2 weeks later it'd been sold without any contact.

Salespeople - why is this? What are you prioritising? Why don't you get back to people? Do you judge the way they look or something? More interested in people that are looking to spend more? (Vehicle I wanted was just shy of 20k). Is my current vehicle not worthy? (It's a 2012 plate).

The end result: noticeable, but not obnoxious sound, deeper acceleration tone, less lawnmower/buzzy character, and still comfortable highway driving with 30-40mpgs combined. Dropped a YouTube link so you can check it out

Hey guys,

I just bought a used car from a toyota dealership. The car is a 2022 Lexus 300H with 46k miles on it. They offered me the SecureNet Vehicle service contract (New Car coverage upto 125k and 4 years, Premier plus) for $2919. Since i financed half the amount for the car at 0% for 36 months, it seemed like a good deal to get this for the peace of mind. Now i am wondering if i actually need it for this car? My biggest worry are things past the 75k-100k mark, especially as it’s a hybrid. Realistically, the service contract is costing me $80 per month so its not a huge financial burden but don’t want to spend this money if this coverage is not as good as i think. Thoughts?

My old faithful 2004 Camry is on its way out, and I’m in the market for either a used car or a lease (of the new Toyotas). I’ve exclusively driven Toyotas (Camrys and Corollas) since getting my license and feel very loyal to them, but financing a new one is out of my current budget.

Here are some alt. sedans I’ve been considering:

• 2024 Nissan Sentra S - enterprise car sales
• 2024 VW Jetta SE - enterprise car sales
• 2023 Kia Forte LXS (FWD) - certified pre-owned
• 2025 Kia K4 LXS (FWD) - enterprise car sales
• 2022 Subaru Legacy CVT - enterprise car sales

Curious what people’s experiences have been with these makes or models long-term (maintenance, reliability, resale value, any issues after a certain mileage, etc.). Would biting the bullet and going for the Toyota lease or financing be better? Appreciate any help I can get. Thank you!

People who work for used car dealers. What happens to cars that don’t get sold? Or how long do they hold on to those cars before they do whatever they do with them?

Hi everyone, I could really use some advice on how to navigate a Pre-Purchase Inspection from out of state.
I am making the long drive down from Northern Michigan to the Chicago area to look at used Volvo XC60s. Recently, I found what looked like a great deal at an independent used car lot. Thankfully, I arranged a mobile PPI before making the trip. The mechanic found a bunch of hidden cosmetic damage and warned me the engine was showing some major red flags, so I walked away. The most certainly knew that they were selling me a lemon.

Because of that experience, I am naturally pretty skeptical now.

I have found another promising XC60, but this time it is sitting at a large, branded franchise dealership. Because these cars have specific quirks, I don't want to use a general mobile mechanic this time. I want the car put on a lift and inspected strictly by a Volvo-specialized mechanic or an actual Volvo dealership so I know exactly what upcoming maintenance to expect.

What is the best approach for setting this up?
Will a major non-Volvo franchise dealership typically allow an off-site inspection at a specialized shop? If I make the drive down there in person, will they usually let me take the vehicle off the lot to a nearby Volvo mechanic for a few hours to get checked out, or will they fight me on it?
Any advice on how to best handle this logistics-wise would be hugely appreciated!

So I randomly ended up at a dealership with my fiancée and her parents because they were shopping for a new car. They ended up buying one, and while we were there I casually asked the salesperson about my current vehicle. I wasn’t actively looking for a new car — more just curious whether getting into something newer would even be possible.

The salesperson told me he’d look into options. A few days later he called and said they had a 2026 model available with only 1,200 miles on it. It’s the base trim. I assumed it had been a courtesy/demo vehicle, but he told me it was originally leased by an elderly person who unfortunately passed away, and the family returned it to the dealership and they bought it back. They were selling the vehicle now as a used vehicle.

A few days later they fixed a small ding and a cracked taillight, and I went in to test drive it and talk numbers.

At this point, I’ll fully admit I should’ve done more research beforehand.

Side rant this annoyed me slightly: they offered me $18,500 for my trade-in while I owe $18,600. I know it’s only $100, but seriously… you couldn’t just cover the extra hundred bucks? I’m sure there are dealership rules about appraisal limits, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

Then we got to financing. The monthly payment was higher than I expected.

Here’s the part that really confused me.

They priced the vehicle at $29,995. Initially that sounded decent because brand-new versions of the same car on the lot were around $32k+.

After I got home, I did more digging and found the original window sticker online (it was actually on the dealership’s website the whole time). The original MSRP was $32,390, BUT that included a $1,795 destination charge.

So the actual MSRP of the vehicle itself was really $30,595.

This is where I want clarification from people who know more about car buying than I do:

Since this car is technically used now, does the destination charge even matter anymore? My understanding is that destination fees are tied to new vehicles being shipped to dealerships. If that’s true, then they only discounted the actual vehicle by about $600 despite it being:
- Used
- 5 months old
- Already driven 1,200 miles

That doesn’t seem like much of a discount to me. Especially considering through some research I found cars typically loose 10% of their value the moment they drive off a lot and I heard people say this before as a general rule of thumb. Curious thought from people is this accurate?

Once I got the numbers I told him I’d sleep on it, so the next day I texted the salesperson and basically told him the payment was higher than I wanted, so I’d probably pass. Then after finding the original MSRP, I told him that based on my research — including the general idea that cars lose around 10% of their value once driven off the lot — I would buy the vehicle for $27,500 not $29,995 and explained that based on it being used, the original MSRP not including destination charge, and the 10% reduction in price this seemed like a fair number to me.

I haven’t heard back yet, and honestly I assume they’ll say they can’t go that low, which is fine. They may or may not negotiate with me a further and I am fine either way if they do or don’t. I already have a car, so this wasn’t something I needed to do. If the deal worked out, great. If not, no big deal.

What I’m really trying to understand is:
- Am I wrong for comparing the price WITHOUT the destination charge?
- Does a $600 discount off the “actual” MSRP for a used car with these specs seem unreasonable?
- Is this actually a decent deal and I’m misunderstanding the market?
- Or does this sound like a dealership trying to squeeze as much profit as possible out of a low-mileage used vehicle?

Also, the salesperson kept saying they had other buyers waiting on the car. Maybe true, maybe sales pressure — I honestly don’t know. If they do great and good for them they can end up selling this vehicle to them.

Either way, I’m most likely not getting this car because this doesn’t really feel like a great deal to me, but I’d appreciate advice from people who understand car pricing better so I can negotiate smarter next time.

I haven’t heard great things about this cars engine and transmission saying it’s not very reliable. I just want to see what you guys think.