Now a Good Time to Buy Used Car

If you read my Used Car Buying Guide, you'll know that buying a 3 to 5 year old used car and holding onto it for many years is the best way to save maximum money when it comes to car ownership. A "slightly" used car which is at least 3 years old gives you the best compromise when it comes to reliability vs cost.

Basically, a 3 or 4 year old car should still be highly reliable, while also having depreciated by at least 50% from MSRP.

Now the good news - this week Edmunds.com released a report showing that NOW is the best buyer's market they've seen in a very long time for 3-4 year old used cars. This is due to a glut of vehicles coming off lease, and residual values taking a hit.

My prediction is that prices for these vehicles will continue heading down even further, so if you can wait a few more months you should have even more to choose from. This is because most lease deals are signed in the fall and towards the end of the year, which means more lease returns in later months.