48 Hours And A Used Car

10/08/2026

"I just want to say thanks again, after spending 3 months looking for "the" older Odyssey that hit all my check marks,. You found it in 5 minutes. Ha!

I have been wanting to contact you for a few years now... as I have been following your page after my friend led me on to the Long-Term Quality Index six years ago (Greatest data to ever come by).

Thank you for what you do. It's a great service to people. I love used cars so much. My Dad and I are always looking for cars we'll never buy, but just like to learn the market and see what's out there for gems to find. Thank you for my gem..."

Amanda budgeted her minivan purchase for $13,000.

We got her a 2014 Honda Odyssey Touring for only $10,000 with 37 service records (Mostly the Honda dealer) and a perfect Carfax history.

It was a steal of a deal. Also the only car near Iowa that was actually from the rust-free South instead of the Great White North.

I hope she keeps it for another 10 years.

10/04/2026

Imagine buying a supercar for $20,000.

Got that image in your head? Great!

Now imagine the Dope Slap you'll get if you don't figure out how to keep it on the road.

Polestars are going to be a challenge for most. And an opportunity for some.

Parts are going to be widely available for the Polestar 2. They made over 200,000 of them.

But servicing? That's a bigger question. Yacht payments to a dealer service department are often part of the experience whenever you own a car that can be serviced in a few far between places.

Performance EVs are not Toyota Corollas.

The Polestar 2 Dual Motor Long Range is a fantastic deal with $70,000 versions now selling for only $20,000.

It will probably the best deal this entire decade if you want sport and luxury in one EV package.

But it's definitely not for everyone. Most mainstream consumers should stay away.

Want one? First map out your nearest service centers. Polestar, Volvo and indepednent Volvo and EV repair facilities may be near you.

Or not...

Then read this article and figure out whether it's worth keeping one for 7 to 10 years.

Explore this post and more from the Polestar community

09/27/2026

The Polestar liquidation is finally beginning in earnest this week with over 600 Polestar 2, 3, and 4 models slated to going under the hammer.

The prices are ridiculously cheap.

A 2 year old top-of-the-line Polestar 2 Long Range Plus can be bought on the auction block for under $20,000.

I even recently bought a much cheaper 2021 Launch Edition for only $15,000.

To give you a frame of reference, a base two year old Corolla or Civic usually sells for more than $20k.

When it was new that Long Range Plus was over $60,000. That Polestar also won plenty of comparos by besting a similarly equipped Tesla Model 3.

These are ENTHUSIAST cars. If you're a frugalist buy something else.

One other thing I wanted to address are the servicing and parts replacements. I already mentioned this on another post. But I'll highlight the big points here.

1) If you plan to buy one, make extra sure there's a nearby Volvo or Polestar dealer who is willing it service it. No exceptions.

2) The parent company that owns Volvo and Polestar is a Chinese company called Geely. They sold more than 1.5 million EVs last year, 3rd highest in the world, and also sold more vehicles than Ford globally.

The batteries that power these vehicles along with their architectures (CATL and LG) are also shared by Tesla, BMW, Ford and GM. They are commodities at this point, and will be produced in the tens of millions.

3) Over 200,000 Polestars are sold globally. Servicing and parts shouldn't be an issue... so long as you're okay with visiting the dealer.

4) EVs are simpler vehicles to maintain than traditional gasoline vehicles and hybrids. They have fewer parts, and those parts are usually more robust as well.

Would I buy a Polestar? Yes. But I'm also an auto enthusiast who likes to hit 'em where they ain't.

If you don't care about cars at all and just looking to buy an EV to save money, I would buy an ID.4, Bolt, or Ariya instead.

The sales begin tomorrow and will go in earnest until Friday.

If you're interested feel free to reach me at [email protected] or at (404) 578-9785.

09/27/2026

AUCTION EXTENDED THE TIME FOR THE 2023 BOLT EUV WITH 36,000 MILES TO TUESDAY AT 3:00 P.M. EST.

CURRENT BID IS ONLY $15,900 WHICH IS RIDICULOUSLY CHEAP. LOCATED NEAR BOSTON, MA

Sometimes the right color makes a daily driver truly beautiful.

This Bright Blue 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV is a classic example of that.

The color on these crossovers is so striking in person, that similar blue ones usually go for about $500 more at the wholesale dealer auctions I frequent.

There's an absolute ocean of black, white, gray, and silver cars out there. Over 80% of new cars today are sold with one of those four colors.

You go to a parking lot, and everything is just a blob of sameness.

It reflects the fact that in certain ways, the United States has become more of a conformist and bland society than we like to admit.

Colors used to be festive, sporty, and youthful.

The right Midnight Blue, Fireball Red, Forest Green, or Zonker Yellow can make the right car or truck absolutely sparkle.

When done right, colors are to cars what fudge, whipped cream and Maraschino cherries are to ice cream.

The right ones make them amazing and that much more enjoyable.

This 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV takes me back to the way cars once looked. Hopefully this color does not stay rare.

The current bid on this 2023 model is only $15,900. One bidder so far (an EV dealer). The sale ends in Boston on Monday afternoon at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.

Interested? Feel free to reach me at [email protected] or at (404) 578-9785.

09/25/2026

"Can you find me a 1040?"

"Ummm... I guess? Go online or visit a public library. They have stacks of them. Some dating back to when Obama was President."

"Actually I want a car that will cost me less than $10,000 between the buy and the sell over 10 years, and get me a solid 40 miles per gallon."

"Okay. You want a rolling spreadsheet on wheels then."

"Nope! It needs to be fun too."

"In that case I have a perfect fit. See this 2018 Scion iA with 27,000 miles?"

"Yep. Toyota. Right?"

"Actually it's a Mazda 2 in Toyota drag. Sporty. Taut suspension. Excellent driver's environment. They should have named it the Toyota Celica and continued to give young drivers a fun little runabout."

"So this car can get you 40 miles per gallon?"

"More like 37 miles per gallon combined and 42 on the highway. But if you have the right light foot it can easily hit the big 4-0."

"How about depreciation?"

"If you're lucky enough to get it for the current opening bid of $10,700, you're probably only looking at about $700 a year over the course of 10 years at the very most."

"That little?"

"Compact Toyotas are rolling gold in the used car market. Even the cheapest good one with over 200,000 miles goes for $3500 in today's market. And this one will only be in the 150k range by the time that 10th year comes and goes. Thanks to the low miles."

"When is it available?"

"The highest bidder as of Monday 3:00 P.M. EST will be the new owner. Currently located at a dusty and dry parking lot in Nevada."

09/25/2026

"My Uncle is getting out of prison!"

"How long has he been there?"

"Since 2010."

"What did he do?"

"He sold bootleg cartridges of Grand Theft Auto for Playstation 3 and the Ninentdo Wii."

"Wow! Did he make a few bucks?"

"Oh yeah! He put all his money in Gamestop stock! Made enough to buy a brand new 2010 Hyundai Elantra."

"Is that all?"

"Well, not just any Hyundai. This my friend is a Touring Edition."

"Oooohhh!!! Those are very posh!"

"Actually... wait... nope. That's NOT a Touring Edition.

"Wait,, are you telling me his car is a bootleg too?"

"Well it does have the same mouse fur seats and door panels that are made out of old Tonka toys. And those fake wood sticker decals were the shiznit back in the day. But the Touring Editions were wagons. Not sedans."

"I guess it's not worth all that much then. Such a shame. It only has 954 miles."

"That's all?"

"Yep. It's out of New Jersey. Current bid is $5,600. The sale ends on Monday at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time."

09/25/2026

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐤𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐞?

When you're trying to time the purchase of anything expensive, that's what you're trying to do.

Buy it low before someone else does.

A house. A car. The stock market. Even that game system your child wants. Or that vacation which you have dreamed about for years.

Everyone wants to buy on the down low.

But here's the problem with that.

You can't predict the market. And most of you who try to do that are fooling yourselves.

When you see your exact bullseye at a great price, whatever it is, just take it.

Be glad. Enjoy the fact that you got the best choice at a great price, and make it a keeper.

If you buy well, you also buy less in the long run.

This week I was looking at dozens of vehicles that were not good deals. Not great deals. They were AMAZING deals.

And one that will probably take me at least another two years to replicate.

A 2020 Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring with only 28,000 miles. The top of the line model with a perfect dealer maintenance history and no accidents whatsoever. It was in mint condition. Virtually showroom new.

The issue? Nothing to do with the car itself. The title work got botched when the owner moved to another state and accidentally re-titled it with the wrong miles on it. About a 20,000 mile discrepancy.

If you keep a car for at least 7 years, which the average used car buyer does, this would have made absolutely zero difference on your net costs. The issue is easy to explain, and it has no impact on the condition and longevity of the vehicle.

The average wholesale value was $20,800. This one was selling for $16,800... then $15,800... and finally $14,300.

By the time it hit $15,800, it was $5000 under the average wholesale value.

You can't get better than that. Especially on a popular compact SUV with all the options.

After it went down to $14,300, everyone heard the 'clang' of a killer dealer tried to scoop it up at the auction.

The bidding went crazy. It sold for over $18,000 in the end.

A lot of my customers did very well this week. One got a car for $7,000 less than the retail price. It was a 2021 Hyundai Sonata SE with less than 15,000 miles. Another dealer queen with a perfect history, but it had the same reality as the Mazda CX-5 when it came to the title.

He stole it for $12,990.

I had two customers who got 2024 Polestar 2 Long Range Pluses with 15,000 miles and 30,000 miles. They were bought at the wholesale dealer auctions at $19,500 and $18,400 respectively.

That's cheaper than a base Toyota Corolla with the same miles. A $60,000+ EV with plenty of warranty and beyond that, it's made by a company (Geely) that now makes more vehicles than Ford.

They also make more than twenty times as many EVs than Ford. In fact, they're ranked third globally with over 1.5 million EVs sold last year.

The key to catching a falling knife when it comes to timing is to get it when it's already a great deal.

Some people can't do that. I get it. But right now I'm seeing a lot of perfect opportunities.

So keep your eyes open, and keep your mind open too.

09/23/2026

𝐄𝐕𝐬 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞. 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟓,𝟎𝟎𝟎 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫.

Let's assume that you have a choice between an old school gas guzzler, like this 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis LS. Versus a highly efficient EV such as a 2020 Chevy Bolt Premier.

On the wholesale level there is about a $6,000 price difference between the two.

This will likely hold constant in the retail market.

This Grand Marquis LS with 59,000 miles on it sold for $7900 to one of my customers. The Chevy Bolt Premier with the same miles and condition recently sold for $13,900.

That's a $6000 price difference. Pretty big!

Are you going to be able to fill in that gap over 10 years by buying an EV?

The answer is probably not. Here's why.

𝐅𝐮𝐞𝐥

You will save money in fuel costs with the EV. That's obvious.

The Bolt EV will offer roughly $240 in annual fueling costs every year if you charge from home.*

* (5,000 miles divided by 3.8 miles per KWh... times 18.34 cents per kWh which is the current national average.)

This equals about $240 overall.

The Grand Marquis gets only 18 miles per gallon. The current average gas price is $4.47.

The math for annual gas fill-ups works out to $1241.76

So the EV will be about $1000 cheaper a year if everything remains the same. Your $6000 price difference in purchase price is now a $4,000 surplus.

But that doesn't stay the same over time...

𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐬

Most states now charge a special fee on EVs to recoup gas taxes.

That premium for registering EVs averages $150 if you look at all 50 states and, for now, the annual registration increase for an EV is 18%.

Let's assume that this slows down to 10%. Just to be conservative.

That EV registration cost is $2390 over 10 years.

For a gasoline vehicle like the Grand Marquis, the annual average is $65. According to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics that increase has only been 2.5% to 3% a year over the past 10 years.

Splitting the difference at 2.75% gets us $735.

So you lose $1655 of that EV price advantage right there.

But there's still $2345 left.

Then there's what I call, "The Three Sledgehammers" that destroy the cost of owning most newer EVs. Insurance, Depreciation, and Repairs.

𝐈𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

This varies, but the difference between the two vehicles according to the data I have compiled favors the Mercury Grand Marquis by about $280.

Auto insurance premiums have gone up 5.4% to 6.9% a year over the last 10 years.

Averaging it our to 6.15% results in a $3716 advantage for the Grand Marquis.

The pendulum now swings to a $1371 advantage for the Grand Marquis.

𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

10 years from now the Bolt will be outdated compared to most modern EVs, and the Grand Marquis will be a classic car.

As an auto auctioneer and car dealer for 20+ years, I believe the future demand for the Grand Marquis will be minimal compared to the popularity of similar alternatives, like the Lincoln Town Car and Crown Victoria.

With the exception of the Mercury Marauder, not a single Mercury of the last 25 years has become a highly sought after classic.

That's important. Most 1990s models of defunct brands such as Oldsmobiles, Plymouths and SAAB are still unpopular today.

The Grand Marquis doesn't have the brand name, or model name, that other car enthusiasts will want to invest in.

It will still be a nice car given the right owner. Just not a pricey one.

The Chevy Bolt will also be less popular.

Tesla's strong halo for older models (check out Model S prices) and the rapidly shrinking prices of new EVs overseas will weigh heavily on the Chevy Bolt.

𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐬 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞)

But what will be even more challenging is GM's routine abandonment of older EVs.

A lot of GM dealerships will no longer work on any GM vehicle that is older than 10 years old.

For now, A lot of independent repair shops don't want to repair EVs either. But this may change.

What's even more of a brick wall on the Bolt is the lack of OEM parts. You can't get a battery anymore for a 1st gen Chevy Volt, and the 2nd gen models have already experienced severe parts issues as well.

But with EVs needing far fewer parts, and with over 200,000 Bolts produced, I do think there will be a decent aftermarket for them.

It just won't be a popular EV.

Both models will not be particularly popular. Still, I could see over the course of 10 years and 50,000 miles that the Bolt may have about a $1500 price premium over the Grand Marquis.

The battery technology on the Bolt is very durable, and those who don't drive much will likely prefer an EV like that.

𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥

It's tough to make all predictions a reality. It's a toss-up. Even for a car nerd

So what's the best choice? If you don't drive all that much, EVs aren't going to give you a strong price advantage.

Especially if you're a long-term keeper.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐝𝐨.

If you like a particular model, keep it. Make sure it has a powertrain (engine and transmission) that is found in millions of other vehicles.

And I'm going to burst a big bubble here.

The manufacturers best at keeping the parts supply on older vehicles fertile are Toyota, Honda, Mazda, Mercedes, Volkswagen/Audi, and BMW.

GM and Ford also do well with trucks and SUVs that sell in high volumes. And luckily the powertrain in this Grand Marquis was used in a lot of them.

Some brands also make the same powertrain forever and put them in everything. Mitsubishi is especially good at that.

𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭!

The rest is really up to you.

Visit online enthusiast forums and Facebook groups when you're in the mood to improve your knowledge base.

Learn the weak points so that you can take care of little problems before they become big ones.

Grab some spray-on wax and a microfiber towel. Invest in the two-bucket method with maybe $40 between the towels, wax and buckets.

For an hour to two hours of work every six months, your car will easily look great for another five years. And you won't need to bleed out another $1000+ for a car wash subscription.

𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲, 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠.

It's all fraud. The people who create these advertising campaigns usually are completely clueless about what they're selling.

But they do spend their careers finding out your sensitive spots.

Ignore the parasites. It's all emotionally bu****it designed exclusively to make you overspend, or become an indebted wage slave to a corporation that cares nothing about you.

Buy what's durable. Well cared for, and puts a smile on your face.

Make sure it has been well-maintained and rust free (I can help with that).

𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥

The secret to owning a car worth keeping is exactly the same as it is for getting rich in the stock market.

Buy quality, and have as few transactions as possible.

And if it were me... I would buy either one of these two models. Right now they are the sweet spot of a quality EV and a quality gas vehicle.

I just hope GM finally gets over their bean counter affliction and makes the repair and parts availability a reality for the Chevy Bolt.

09/23/2026

EVEN SHORTER NOTICE - 2015 TOYOTA CAMRY LE WITH ONLY 27,038 MILES

Imagine buying a Camry for less than half the price of new, and being able to keep it for another 200,000 miles.

This Camry is that Camry. One owner. 13 service records. A perfect Carfax history, and consistent maintenance from Day One to right now.

This one has spent its life in a rust-free area of the Southeast USA. Auction ends today at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.

Current bid is $15,600

09/23/2026

SHORT NOTICE - 2020 MAZDA CX-5 GRAND TOURING WITH ONLY 28,126 MILES

This one is currently $5,000 under the average wholesale price with a condition report rating that is virtually showroom new.

Why so cheap? A botched title. The prior owner moved to another state and the wrong mileage (49,300 miles) was put on the new title.

If you look at the vehicle history, it's crystal clear that it has 20,000 fewer miles and the odometer is original. Servicing was routine and thorough.

This one will end at 3:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.

This is a perfect fit if you're one of those who keeps their daily drivers for a long time. Everyone asks for a compact SUV and this one is as good as it gets.

It will probably be another two years before a high trim version like this one comes with such a strong ownership history and this low of a price.

Located in Texarkana, and if you're located within 750 miles of that historic region, transport to your home or business is surprisingly cheap as well.