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Used car prices vary according to demand. When dealers have a good stock of cars that have been traded in against new models you might expect used car prices to fall.

The prices of used cars is generally at a maximum at the same time as the prices of new cars, at the beginning of the year or of any new, date specific registration period. This is because demand is at a maximum at the same time as supply is maximized.

Used car prices are subject to much bigger variations than new cars. The price charged will depend on the price the dealer has paid for the car as trade-in, how much work is needed on the car and the dealer's profit mark-up. Dealers in fancy showrooms in the expensive part of town have higher overheads and therefore a higher mark-up.

Your best chance of a good deal is to find a dealer who has a good supply of the model you are interested in.

Shop around, because dealers have their favorite cars and these are priced higher than others. You want a dealer who hates the model that you want to buy. This dealer will set a lower price to sell the car more quickly.

You will also pay a higher price for any given make of used car if you buy from a main dealer. The main dealer knows that you are going there because you want that make and model, so they can charge you more for it.

If there has been a new model released, then the price for the older and visually dated model will plummet. Yet that model will not have the teething problems that any new car has. It is never a good idea to buy a car, either new or used that was produced in the first 6 - 12 months of a new model.