Paying more for your teenager's used car, worth it in long run, expert says

Pre Owned Cars For Sale on Car Dealer Lot. Closeup Photo. Automotive Industry Concept.
Photo credit Getty Images

This is the time of year when parents think about buying a car for their high school or college student. One expert has some advice about how to get the best deal.

Thanks to chip shortages and other disruptions in the new car market, used car prices are higher than normal.

Matt Jones, Auto Industry Analyst & Spokesman for *True Car* in Los Angeles, CA told the WBBM Noon Business Hour that a person with a budget of $4,000 could wind up with an older car that requires more TLC.

He said a cheaper used car could be more expensive in the long run.

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"What's it going to cost to keep it full of gas? What are tires going to cost?” Jones said. And if people walk in in that frame of mind, I think they can probably protect themselves much better, actually, than the people that I’m seeing, who are just saying, ‘hey I bought this car because it was cheap, but I didn’t realize the tires were $600 bucks a piece to replace.

"The smarter move, for those who are able to swing it, is to move up a bit in pricing and maybe get something with lower miles if it can be made to happen," Jones said.

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