Should you buy a used or new car? In Seattle, it depends, a new report says

Buying a used car usually leads to a better deal. In Seattle, the average one-year-old used car sells for 3.7% less than its new counterpart, according to a new report from automotive search engine iSeeCars.com.

But sometimes the gap in price between a gently used vehicle and a new one is so small, experts say to put your money toward value and buy new.

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“While lightly used cars typically provide cost savings over their new versions, sometimes buying a new version of the car is a smarter financial decision, especially for consumers taking advantage of the lower finance rates that typically come with new cars,” iSeeCars executive analyst Karl Brauer said.

Overall, the vehicles that are better to be new than used were trucks, Jeeps and SUVs. Brauer attributed this to the COVID-19 pandemic. As plant shutdowns hurt truck inventory, demand outpaced supply which led to the used market drying up as well. Fewer people were trading in their pickup trucks.

Luxury sedans however, dominated the list of cars that consumers should be used instead of new.

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“These price drops reflect the declining popularity of sedans, especially among luxury buyers that have switched to SUVs in recent years,” Brauer said.

To see which cars you should buy new, and which you should buy used in Seattle, keep scrolling.

Top five cars to buy used instead of new