Used Cars For Sale in San Francisco, CA (2024)

FAQs

Where is the cheapest place in CA to buy a car? ›

Aliso Viejo, in southern Orange County, has been named the #1 most affordable city in the state of California in which to buy a car. According to a recent survey by Autolist.com, Aliso Viejo is approximately $1,160 less expensive for buying automobiles than anywhere else in the state.

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The “sweet spot” for purchasing a used car is between 2 to 5 years old. This is the age range where the car has already gone through the steepest part of its depreciation curve, but it's still relatively new and in good condition.

1. Cleveland-Akron (Canton), OH. Ohio is the place to be for inexpensive used cars. The Cleveland-Akron area has the lowest average used car price in the U.S. Three Ohio metro areas make the top 10 list, but this metro takes top spot by $164.

A wary buyer should use as a general rule of thumb that most cars are driven 12,000-15,000 miles per year. If a vehicle is 10 years of age, it should have between 120,000 miles and 150,000 miles on the odometer.

Cars over 10 years old can still be reliable. Most vehicles can last well over a decade with proper care and maintenance. In fact, the average car on U.S. roads is now 12.5 years old, according to a study from S&P Global Mobility. Furthermore, a car doesn't really stop depreciating until it hits that 10-year mark.

As a general rule, you should assume that the average car owner puts 12,000 miles on a car each year. To determine whether a car has reasonable mileage, you can simply multiply 12,000 by its age. That means good mileage for a car that's 5 years old is 60,000.

You don't need a car to explore central San Francisco; most of the top sites are within walking distance or are easily reached by the Muni.

How much are street cars in San Francisco? ›

A single adult ticket is $3 if paid in cash, $2.50 if paid via MuniMobile or Clipper Card. Youth (ages 5-18), seniors (ages 65+), and travelers with disabilities ride for less ($1.50 if cash, $1.25 if MuniMobile or Clipper).

States Without Sales Tax

Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Delaware, and New Hampshire have no statewide sales tax. You'll note that these states also generally correspond to the states with the lowest unexpected fees.

1. Oregon. Oregon tops the list when it comes to car affordability. Having no sales tax makes a huge difference but so too does the extremely low amount of dealer fees, which are the second-lowest in the country.