Are you ready for a valuable and almost completely ignored car buying tip? Here it is. Don’t stick to your immediate area when you’re shopping for your new vehicle. Venturing out a little further could help you save a lot of money. CarGurus.com recently ranked cities by average used car prices. If you’re near these places, you shouldn’t exclude dealerships in them from your search. If you’re far from these places, you can consider a vacation to one of them. You might save enough money to pay for your hotel or travel arrangements.

Miami, Florida (-10%)

Imagine this scenario. You’re looking for a Cadillac CTS with around 30,000 miles on it. You live in Atlanta. Search for that Caddy in Atlanta, just to get a feel for the market. Then, take a look at the prices you can find in Miami. If you can, in fact, find one for 10% less in Miami, you’ve essentially earned yourself a vacation on Miami Beach. Look at it this way:

CTS in Atlanta: approximately $25,000
CTS in Miami: approximately $22,500 (10% less)
The difference: $2,500

A couple thousand dollars is enough for a decent little weekend beach vacation, and then some.

Cleveland, Ohio (-6.56%)

While six and a half percent is nothing like ten percent, it’s still significant. It’s still enough for a little vaca in Cleveland. If you live in any surrounding cities, it’s definitely a good idea to search for prices from Cleveland-based dealerships. That means you, Youngstown, Sandusky and Canton.

Akron, Ohio (-6.29%)

Ohio happens to be a hot state for used auto deals. On the downside, it’s a difficult place to do any successful “carbitrage” (profiting from buying in one place and quickly selling in another). Akron is the third best city for buying used cars. It’s a little more accessible than Cleveland, from cities like Pittsburgh. Get some free, online quotes if you live nearby.

Stamford, Connecticut (-5.63%)

If I had a guess as to why there are so many affordable used cars in Stamford, I’d say it’s because they’re being shipped there from New York City as new residents trade their cars for the subway. No matter, though. This city puts you in range of great used car deals if you’re anywhere between Trenton and Hartford.

New York, New York (-5.32%)

You’re wondering if 5.32% will be enough for a vacation in the big apple, aren’t you? Let’s say you live in Albany, New York. Here’s how it might work, if you’re looking for the Cadillac CTS with 30,000 miles on it:

CTS in Albany: approximately $25,000
CTS in NYC: approximately $23,670 (5.32% less)
The difference: $1,330

Yes! You can definitely make it happen. You gotta look around and consider travelling to get a used car deal. It’s worthwhile!

One More Tip

Just one more thing before you start getting quotes. Think about tax rates, in addition to market values. If you’re not far from a state border, the tax rate may be much better on the other side. Or, it might be much higher. Take that into consideration.

Get free quotes online. Check out the inventory in one of the inexpensive markets we’ve discussed. Click here to get started. There’s no obligation involved.