If your goal is saving money, buying a used car rather than a new one can save you big bucks in several ways.
"I am a big fan of buying used," says Philip Reed, Edmunds.com senior consumer advice editor. "I think it's an extremely important way for a family on a budget to save money."
Jack Nerad, Kelley Blue Book's executive market analyst, is another cheerleader of buying used. "Used cars are a great value," he says. "Cars today are really good and really last a long time. They have longer useful lives than in the '50s and '60s when I was growing up."
While paying a lower purchase price for the same car model used rather than new is the obvious reason to buy a used car, there are others as well.
Even so, Reed cautions that all used cars aren't created equal. A consumer must do his homework before deciding if a used car is in good or bad shape. With that caveat, here are five of the best reasons to buy a used car.