I’d say it’s pretty close unless you buy used from a private party. The dealers mark those used cars up quite a bit now (the ones with the 100 point inspection, certified and all that.)
When I bought my Accord 2 years ago, there were actually certifed used vehicles with 30K miles on them that had higher asking prices than the new price I paid.
Pre-tax price on the car was about 19,500.
I found a couple used ones from private parties for 15K or 16K with 30K miles on them, and lots of used ones with 30K miles or more from private parties in the 17K – 19K range, and several used ones from dealers in the 17K-21K range.
So, I went new. I had a similar experience recently when I was looking (never bought) for a Mazda3. I’d say buy new or buy used from a private party, but that’s me. Buying used from a dealer seems oddly overpriced in my experience.
October is a better time to buy. Wait for 2010 models to come out, then shop for a new 2009.
