Tucson is the “Sunshine City” in the southern part of the state of Arizona. With the many days of sunshine and mild climate, Tucson has attracted people for ages, many of whom were drawn there to ease diseases like tuberculosis or emphysema, as the high-and-dry climate promotes healing. The one-time state capitol is home to the University of Arizona and has over 1 million residents in the greater metropolitan area. Many retirees are drawn there because of the climate, low cost of living and proximity to Mexico, where they go for cheap prescription drugs.
Remember the Beach Boys hit “The Little Old Lady From Pasadena,” and the car she only drove to Church on Sundays? With all of the retirees in the area, Tucson is a great shopping ground for good, low mileage used cars. Most of them have been driven more than to Church on Sunday, but not a lot more. Retirees are just not prone to drive around unnecessarily and they also have a reputation for taking care of their vehicles. Tucson is a great used car city because the weather is kind to vehicles, except maybe for the paint if it isn’t protected from the sun with frequent washings and waxings.
To conduct a search for a good low mileage used car, a prospective buyer can peruse the local newspaper classifieds, either online or in the hardcopy of the paper. Online is probably the best choice because it will be a compilation of a number of issues. Also, online searches may be conducted using the various sites like Auto Trader dot com. A buyer may conduct simultaneous searches for several vehicles that meet their needs or wants. Private party ads are probably the best way to find a bargain priced car. Many of the postings will be to dispose of a superfluous vehicle (as driving skills erode, the car becomes a liability) or liquidating an estate. Many of these vehicles will be larger sedans of the type that appeal to mature drivers; Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, Buick, Cadillac, Lincoln and Mercedes-Benz.
Many of the area new car dealerships will have good, low mileage trade-ins because of the mature driver business, so they shouldn’t eliminated them from a search. An advantage of buying through a dealership is the availability of financing and possible extended warranties on the mechanical components of the used car. Also, the car will have been detailed and inspected. A buyer should arm themselves with information about car values by checking online with: Kelly Blue Book, Edmunds and the NADA listings of retail, wholesale and trade-in values of vehicles and accessories. Dealership prices are always priced above retail. Somewhere between their list and their investment cost of the vehicle is a price they will sell it for. Negotiations will bring that out, particularly if the buyer discloses that they have a number of similar vehicles they are checking out.
