Why Cheap Used Cars Are So Hard to Find

Affordable used cars are in tight supply, so shoppers with tight budgets may have to settle for an older model with higher mileage.

The average three-year-old car costs about $33,000, according to an analysis in August from iSeeCars, an online car search site.

A three-year-old car was often the sweet spot for buying used, auto experts say. Those vehicles — typically, leased models going back to dealers for resale — have relatively low mileage; have passed the peak period of depreciation, or drop in value; and often have the advanced safety features found in pricier, newer cars.

But three-year-old used cars priced under $20,000 are increasingly rare. Just one in nine now fits that criterion, the site found, down from about half in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic played havoc with car inventories.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/11/your-money/buying-used-cars.html