Car auctions are a better place if you are planning to buy a second vehicle. Auctions can be more surprising for you if you could find a new model car a dead cheap price. Many have doubts how cars come for the auction. Even I had that in my mind a day before. The following is for you to know the sources of auctioned cars.
Off-lease: Vehicles returned to the financial institution at the end of a lease term. Closed auctions are usually the only venue for such financial institutions to dispose of a large volume of end-of-lease returns. The terms of a lease normally put a restriction on the number of miles driven, require regular maintenance and penalize for excessive wear. Usually, off-lease vehicles are returned within 2-3 years, often before their original factory warranty expires.
Off-rental: Rental companies normally replace their fleets once a year, releasing a flood of late-model cars to the secondary market. Like the big financial institutions that underwrite car leases, rental companies also rely on auto auctions to sell off their used inventory. These vehicles tend to be well maintained and driven for only one year. Mileage tends to accumulate quickly on a rental car. Optional features are limited to an A/C and automatic transmission, but these cars are otherwise as close to the base model as they can get. Usage of rental cars is rough; it is safe to assume are that during that first year each rental car will be driven by a normal distribution of all types of drivers in all kinds of conditions.
Company/fleet cars: Companies of varying sizes own or lease cars, trucks or vans that they typically keep for two or more years, although it is not uncommon to see current year models sold at the auctions. Adequate maintenance and large volumes of similar vehicles are typical characteristics. Like rentals, these vehicles do not have many extras and get thoroughly exploited on a daily basis. Unlike rentals, usage of company cars varies greatly from the executive luxury sedan driven slowly and carefully on occasion to the delivery truck that regularly mounts curbs and gets abused in city traffic.
Repossessed: Vehicles can be voluntarily or involuntarily repossessed by financial institutions for delinquency or another reason for recall. Auto auctions are again the bank’s only option for deliverance. Repossessed vehicles can feasibly sell for less because the financial institution disposing of them only seeks to offset its losses (also restricted by federal regulations). The condition of such cars may be compromised by neglect; if the owner can’t pay the loan, repairs could also be neglected. There is also the potential for sabotage from ill-meaning previous users (e.g., extensive keying or tearing of the interior).
Trade-in: Dealer inventory that is aging or does not meet their profile (e.g., an old Toyota Avalon that was traded in for a new CLK350 Cabriolet at a Mercedes-Benz franchised dealership). Traded-in cars may have useful extras and sometimes even after market modifications. The overall condition of such vehicles varies greatly. Some may be considerably older and out of warranty.
Among these types of vehicles there are a number of quality cars ready to market. Late models with remaining factory warranty are not uncommon.