Used car question.

Tank

I am new here and have a general question about used cars.

My friend is moving here from London and bc of the exorbitant prices of rentals, she plans on buying a used car when she arrives and selling it in 3 months when she leaves.

Since she is not here now, I’m trying to find some cars she might be interested in. She wants to be able to negotiate a good price when she buys it, and sell it at a profit when she is ready to leave.

While she does not want to pay a lot, she will if it means higher resale value when it’s time to sell. She is going to be in Florida, so she needs something reliable in traffic, and with AC. She’s open to a cheap car if it will satisfy those requirements as well as be profitable (or least unprofitable) when she leaves.

I’ve narrowed it down to some sort of used Toyota, Honda, Suburu or Mazda.

Does anyone have any recommendations? I always thought Honda’s ran forever and had good resale value. Is that still true? Can I really go wrong with any of the ones I mentioned?

Finally, places like carvana vs dealers. I’m looking online in Miami and carvana has the same price listed for a Toyota that the dealer has listed for the same model/yr/similar mileage. Is this standard? While I know she can’t negotiate with carvana, I assume a dealer would be the best place?

Any help you can provide is greatly appreciated. Thanks.

PS I accidentally posted this in the Toyota section earlier, didn’t see the general option.

benjaminh

As you've probably seen, used car prices have been soaring for months. There aren't really any cheap good cars out there any more. There are, however, good used cars that will be relatively expensive. I would add Hyundai and Kia to your shopping list. Good luck!

PS I would let her know that her idea that she's going to make a profit from her car when she leaves is not very realistic. It's not impossible, but it is highly unlikely in the in the current environment.

oldfarmer50

The only way to make a profit in this environment would be to buy from the private market. You’d need to find someone who has a car likely to retain value and hope he/she doesn’t appreciate it’s value.

You might consider regional differences. For example, convertibles are at the bottom of their seasonal value in Miami but are at the top of their range in the north. Similarly, a Subaru might be affordable in Miami but be highly prized in VT or the northwest where they are considered a lifestyle statement.

The only other way to sell it for more than you paid is to get a car that has a fixable defect and repair it yourself. Perhaps find a car with some cosmetic damage and repair it cheaply.

kyfdx

@Tank I question the ability of a non-citizen to purchase a vehicle, and get it registered, then sell it, all within three months.