Leo knew the rule of negotiation: never look too eager. But he also knew another rule: don't insult a good seller selling a great car at a fair price.
"I tell you what, Leo," Arthur said. "I like you. You didn't try to tell me the car was junk to lowball me. You did your homework. I'll take forty-five hundred on one condition." "What's that?" Leo asked, his heart hammering. how to buy a good used car for under 5000
His journey had begun weeks ago with a self-imposed education. Leo knew nothing about cars, which made him the perfect target for curbstoners and shady private sellers. To combat his ignorance, he turned himself into a scholar of the used car market. He learned that at this price point, brands like Toyota and Honda were legendary for reliability, but their reputation meant they carried a heavy premium. A five-thousand-dollar Civic was often battered or possessed a quarter-million miles on the odometer. So, Leo looked for the overlooked. He researched the "grandma cars"—Buick LeSabres with the bulletproof 3.8-liter V6 engine, old Ford Panthers like the Grand Marquis, or manual transmission Pontiac vibes. These were the cars owned by people who drove speed limits, changed their oil on schedule, and kept garage floors clean. Leo knew the rule of negotiation: never look too eager