How to find an affordable used car

It’s not just new cars that are currently hard to come by – used ones are also in short supply. The prices at the dealers have therefore risen sharply. Nevertheless, there are ways to get a reasonable car relatively cheaply.

Within the past year, three-year-old used cars have become almost a third more expensive in retail: In April, a typical three-year-old petrol engine was 30.1 percent more expensive there than a comparable vehicle a year earlier, according to Deutsche Automobil Treuhand (DAT). On average, 27,900 euros were due for such a used vehicle. Diesel even went up by 31.8 percent to an average of 28,960 euros, regardless of segment and brand.

Strongest price driver: the low supply of vehicles as a result of Corona, the chip crisis and a lack of parts. This also makes it more difficult for dealers to get cheap vehicles. Added to this is the fact that three years ago the new list prices of today’s used vehicles had risen by around seven percent.

Compared to June 2021, the number of transfers of ownership fell by 24.8 percent to 474,229 according to the DAT, and the number of units on the used car market was also down 2.7 percent in a direct comparison to May. The half-year balance: the KBA in Flensburg registered 2,875,043 transfers of ownership – 14.6 percent less than in the first half of 2021.

According to DAT, the price increase does not only affect the three-year-olds: “When supply is scarce and demand is high, older vehicles are also in great demand,” said a spokesman. In addition, older vehicles with higher mileage would no longer be “punished” in terms of price as they used to be. Incidentally, buyers of used diesel are prepared to pay significantly more.

In the meantime, however, DAT sees prices stabilizing. “At least they’re not going up any further,” the spokesman said. Whether that will remain the case, however, is not certain.

Tips: How to find an affordable used vehicle

• Look around the internet. The classic stock exchanges are a good place to go, represent the market well and offer convenient search functions. Haken: Here, too, the offer has been thinned out.
• Plan further trips for vehicle inspections to find your affordable dream used vehicle.
• Be willing to compromise: You may have to make concessions on age, mileage or even brand, according to the DAT spokesman.
• You should also show some flexibility when it comes to color and equipment.

Nevertheless, a visit to the retailer cannot do any harm: they are trained to carry out a precise needs analysis. Whether drive (gasoline, diesel, hybrid, electric car…), performance or the body shape – such factors always depend on your individual needs, your mobility behavior or your place of residence.