Carmax prices… Crazy or am I missing something?

General Forum General Discussions
1

So I noticed that a brand new Pro SR is going for about $49,990 MSRP, but with incentives, it’s closer to $47k-48k. If you factor in the $7500 federal tax credit, you’re looking at around $41k cash.

Meanwhile, Carmax has used 2022 Pro SRs listed for $41k-$44k. These are 2-year-old trucks with anywhere from 5k to 20k miles, and barely any depreciation! From what I see, only one of them has the Tow Tech package. Most of them just have bed liners.

Why would anyone buy one of these used trucks when the new one is about the same price? What am I missing here?

2

Not everyone qualifies for that $7500 federal tax credit. And let’s be real, some folks will pay extra just to avoid dealing with a dealership.

3

Dez said:
Not everyone qualifies for that $7500 federal tax credit. And let’s be real, some folks will pay extra just to avoid dealing with a dealership.

I’d happily pay MSRP and buy directly from Ford. After owning a Tesla, I love direct sales.

4

@Corey
Agreed! We can thank lawmakers for blocking direct-to-consumer sales for non-EVs.

5

Dez said:
Not everyone qualifies for that $7500 federal tax credit. And let’s be real, some folks will pay extra just to avoid dealing with a dealership.

Not everyone qualifies for the $7500 tax credit.

True, but I’d imagine most people who don’t qualify (like me) aren’t going to buy a new EV unless they have cash to burn (also not me). It seems dumb to take a $7500 hit on resale value.

6

@Peyton
Even if you don’t qualify for the tax credit, the 0% financing that Ford was offering could be a big incentive too.

7

@Peyton
You’re not alone, I’m in the same boat. I keep checking every month to see if Ford brings back those 0% deals.

8

Dez said:
Not everyone qualifies for that $7500 federal tax credit. And let’s be real, some folks will pay extra just to avoid dealing with a dealership.

Carmax is the worst kind of dealership. You end up paying close to new car prices for something used.

9

@Ted
Yeah, but the benefit is no shady salespeople, and you can be in and out in under 90 minutes. That’s worth the extra cost to some people. I’ve had good experiences with Carmax.

10

Some states offer credits for used EVs too. All that does is inflate the price since they’re basically taking your tax credit.

11

You’re comparing the out-the-door price for a new vehicle with the asking price of a used one from a dealer… If Carmax is listing used ones at the same price they were new, that means whoever sold it to Carmax (or to a dealer who auctioned it off to Carmax) did sell it at a lower price, so there was depreciation. But yeah, why anyone would buy used at nearly the same price as new is beyond me.

12

There was a time when you could find a decent deal at Carmax if you were sharp. But since the pandemic and the wild swings in used car prices, Carmax’s whole model is struggling.

That said, there’s always someone out there who’ll buy their cars. They won’t negotiate on price, but if a car sits long enough, they’ll eventually lower the price. Or they’ll send it to auction.