Used car buyer guides

Short, sourced answers to the questions buyers search for, each with a tool and a next step. No made-up prices or ratings.

• Best used SUVs under $20,000: what to shortlist: Used SUV models worth shortlisting on a $20,000 budget, with verified years, AWD and hybrid facts, plus a calculator that turns $20k out-the-door into a max sticker price.
• Best used cars under $15,000: what to shortlist: Used sedans and small cars to shortlist on a $15,000 budget, with verified model years and fuel-economy facts, plus a calculator for your real max sticker price.
• Used SUVs with a third row (seats 7+): Three-row used SUVs and minivans that seat 7+, with verified model years and hybrid/AWD facts. No prices or made-up rankings.
• Good used cars for first-time buyers: Easy-to-park, efficient used cars for first-time buyers, from our verified model dataset, plus how to check safety ratings for the exact year.
• Used cars with good gas mileage: Used hybrids and efficient models with verified hybrid years from fueleconomy.gov. Check the exact car's EPA rating before you buy.
• Used car dealer doc fees by state: Dealer documentation fee caps and reference amounts by state, with sources. States we haven't verified are clearly marked.
• Dealer fees on used cars: legit, negotiable or junk?: Government fees vs dealer fees vs optional add-ons on a used car quote, with each line's verdict from the same rules our deal review uses.
• Dealer add-ons explained: What common dealer add-ons are, whether you need them, and what they really cost once financed. Calculator included.
• The dealer documentation fee, explained: What a dealer documentation (doc) fee covers, which states cap it, and how to negotiate around it. Sourced, with state rules.
• What “out-the-door price” means: What out-the-door price means on a used car, what's included, and a worked example with real math. Free OTD calculator.
• How much car can I afford?: Turn a monthly payment into the highest used-car price you can accept, after tax, fees, APR and term. Exact math, no guesses.
• How to compare used cars: A practical way to compare two used cars or two offers: out-the-door total, total cost of the loan, condition evidence and warranty. Comparison tool included.
• Is this used car overpriced?: An honest method to judge a used car's price: comparable listings, out-the-door math, condition and history. We don't invent market values.
• Questions to ask a used car dealer: The questions that matter when buying a used car from a dealer: out-the-door price, fees, history, inspection, warranty and financing. Copy-ready.
• Used car inspection: what to check: What you can check on a used car yourself, what a pre-purchase inspection covers, and the paperwork checks that matter. Printable checklist.
• What a free VIN check tells you (and what it doesn't): A free VIN decode shows factory specs and open recalls. It doesn't show accidents, title brands or condition. Here's what to use for each.
• Buying a used car from a private seller: checklist: How private-party used car sales differ from dealer sales, plus a step-by-step checklist: VIN, title, inspection, payment and paperwork.
• Questions to ask before signing a used car contract: Final checks before you sign a used car purchase contract: price, APR, term, add-ons, Buyers Guide, and what you actually agreed to.

Tools: out-the-door calculator · car loan calculator · VIN recall check · inspection checklist · doc fees by state · dealer fees to refuse