When it comes to buying a used car most people have specific criteria in mind: budget, make, model, mileage, and overall condition. There is one thing that many car buyers overlook that can be a factor in the buying experience – how fast the car will sell on the used car market.
Slow selling cars are a double edge sword on one hand they may offer great value for money due to their lower demand but on the other hand they may be slow-selling cars for a reason, like reliability issues or they may have outdated technology. We will cap what makes a selection of used cars slow selling in this article.
Factors that can cause slow used car sales
Before we start talking about specific used cars and why they may be slow to sell it’s essential to understand the factors that can contribute to cars that are slow selling.
- Age: Older cars typically have a long long time because they may lack modern features that you would want in a used car or a car in general. An older car may not have the safety enhancements or fuel economy that newer models would have.
- Reliability: Cars with a reputation for breaking down or costly repairs all the time can be a red flag for car buyers. These types of used cars tend to linger on the used car lot as car buyers don’t want to deal with the potential issues.
- Fuel efficiency: In this era of high gas prices or knowing the fate of gas-guzzling vehicles these cars are less attractive to car buyers that shop the used car lots.
- High maintenance costs: No one wants to have a high-maintenance car and repair costs can scare you off, especially for luxury cars and high-performance vehicles (Lexus or BMW).
- Brand reputation: A brand’s history can help sell the car but if it’s a lackluster vehicle or has poor reviews it can have car buyers walking away.
- How easy is it to get parts: If a car has limited available replacement parts car buyers are not even going to bother with the said car dealership, Car buyers want easy so they truly shop for the easy car you don’t want to dump a ton of money into a vehicle that barely works.
- Changes in customer preferences: Car buyers change their minds about cars all the time from possible sedans, to crossovers, and this can make it hard to find the most desirable used car on the market because some markets may not have those cars in inventory.
Some car seekers may even want to use a used car guide for their area to find the best car deals and car dealerships to work with because not all car dealers can accommodate.
Now we can take a look at the slower-selling used cars in recent years.
- Mitsubishi Mirage: This vehicle often is at the top of anyone’s list for used cars because of its lackluster performance, not-so-nice interior, and outdated technology specs Plus it has a pretty weak demand. The Mirage has stiff competition with more established brands with a better offering within the subcompact segment.
- Fiat 500L: The 500L has struggled in the used car market due to the quirky styling and touchy reliability. Plus this car has had questions on its long-term durability. Car buyers stay away from Fiat for two reasons dealer network and high car repair costs.
- Nissan Juke: The overall design of the Juke has a small appeal for most car buyers in the used car market. It’s cramped in the backseat and has no really good cargo space. So it doesn’t compare well to other subcompact SUVs.
- Dodge Dart: It’s a car that has had stiff competition from the beginning from the Honda Civic and the Toyota Corolla. It’s not the most solid-driving compact sedan and the resale value can tank and there are concerns about long-term reliability if the vehicle is still on the road.
Know the used car market
With the used car market the way it is the big concerns are reliability of the used cars, age, what type of technology they are equipped with and brand reputation. While it’s safe to say they might be budget-friendly cars you still will want to do your research and consider all the drawbacks before you purchase. But as a car buyer you need to understand the factors that contribute to a used car slow selling status because that can inform you of the red flags within the used car market when you go to buy. The used car market can vary from Los Angeles to Miami Florida.