At the risk of deepening the depression for car shoppers who can't afford a new car, iSeeCars.com has been studying the used-car market and found little evidence that consumers would do better financially if they shopped for a pre-owned vehicle. Sure, savvy buyers might find good used-car deals if they dig deep, or are comfortable transacting with a private seller, away from a showroom.

 

But here are the key findings from iSeeCars' analysis of more than 11.4 million used cars sold in 2019 and 2026. Those years were chosen for an apples-to-apples comparison from the last full year before the COVID-19 pandemic until now. In both years, the focus was on the availability of used cars priced under $20,000, especially for three-year-old cars, and prices were not adjusted for inflation. And the news isn't good.