They may not have the latest safety features, or even an attached bumper, but they’ve got one major thing in their favor: They’re here now.
Since March 2020, used cars and truck prices have gone up 43.3 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index.
The owner of a 2016 Toyota Corolla got nearly $17,000 for a car that cost $19,630 more than five years ago.
In Andover this summer, Trevor Barcelo sold his Porsche 911 — his “fun car,” in his wife’s words.
“I’m going through my stuff to see if there’s anything else I can sell,” joked Barcelo, a VP of engineering at a technology consulting firm.
Of course, not everyone has an extra “fun car” to sell.
He’s on the receiving end of vigorous outreach from the dealer who sold him a new Chevy Traverse in 2016 and now wants to buy it back — for $4,200 over the Kelley Blue Book value.
Best starts with a low-key introduction — “Hey, good morning, this is Kyle calling from Bos Auto.
He dangles an offer of a $1,000 or $2,000 — time-limited — bonus on top of trade-in value.
“I was messaging all these different dealerships and getting round the clock e-mails, text messages, and calls.
Everyone knows that in the traditional customer-used-car-salesperson relationship, the obsequious behavior belongs to the salesperson, but it was Russell who felt forced to turn on the charm.