What it boils down to right now is supply. Still hard to get new vehicles. Used cars have reaped the windfall of the chip shortage. So now theres a strong demand for new and used vehicles. That makes it a sellers market. The manufacturer will force new cars to go at list... max. Cant gouge but used cars are entirely different. Its where dealers make their money on the sales side of things and theyve optimized it during the pandemic. I think most folks these days know what theyre in for when they show up. They know what they want, what theyll qualify for , they know the terms theyll be offered....they are just either intent on getting what they want...for whatever price or used of paying more for everything and accept this higher cost of driving a car as part of doing business. I’m not even sure its new vs used as much as how much and what’s available. The used cars come with strong warranties and lowish miles...that makes them appealing and as you point out sometimes folks will entertain a used option even if they were planning to buy a new model.
The finance side of things can get creative and many folks will forgo lower rates for an extended terms...just to make the car “affordable”....even with used cars.
Its clear regular people are buying them, lots of them.
Thanks