How I Saved $900 on My Used Volkswagen Jetta

The last time I set out to buy a car, I was determined to save some cash. I already knew I wanted a Volkswagen Jetta, so I began my hunt right away. I knew new cars depreciated quickly. I saw a new Jetta listed at over $20,000! To save money I eliminated all new cars from my search from the beginning. I didn’t just limit myself to dealerships, but I looked on Craig’s List, on EBay, and through classifieds. I found that dealerships were usually well overpriced compared to private sellers. I did however, like some of the deals at CarMax because they were lower in comparison, and had a no-haggle policy. Since I had $4,800 in cash, I decided that should be my limit; this allowed me to save on the interest I would have to pay if I had a loan. I found out quickly $4,800 would not buy a new-ish car with low miles at a dealership. I didn’t want a car with over 50,000 miles; I didn’t want to have to pay to fix it to drive it. Cars can be quite expensive to repair. Patience was vital.

After some time and regular reading of the newspaper ads, I found a car near me listed for $5,000 obo. Kelly Blue Book told me a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta with 55,000 miles in good condition was worth $5,400. The value verified to me that the news ad was really a good deal. I contacted the owner, who was very happy to hear of my interest. I paid a visit to the person and brought along my cousin who is a mechanic. We investigated, and found the car to be in good condition but in need of a few minor fixes. I used this to my advantage when I negotiated, and I ended up getting the car for a wonderful $4,500! Negotiations were not difficult; the seller was anxious to sell. During my search I called other sellers and found many others were in similar situations too. Because the car was close to my house, I didn’t even spend much in gas money getting there. In the end my patience, and others lack thereof, saved me $900! Since time was on my side, more money is in my pocket. If you are in the market for a new car, I highly suggest considering buying used, paying in cash, and having lots of patience.


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