FAQs include why the smart money buys used cars

Why think about buying a used car first? Because the biggest drop in a car's value is in the first two years. Let the other guy pay for the depreciation. In fact, sometimes, when buying a 3-year-old car, you can continue coverage with the original warranty.

Aren't you buying more trouble? Not like it used to be, when Detroit was cranking out stuff designed to fall apart at 100,000 miles. Cars are better built and lasting longer forever. Fords and Chevys now match imports in build quality.

One more thing about buying a used car before we move to finance. The Web is loaded with pricing information (Edmunds may be the best, but MSN Autos is easier to use) and there are easy car loan payment calculators to help you budget.

What's different about your process? We believe going to a dealer on an appointment basis, financing in process, changes everything. You're not some "up" getting the next salesmen in line. You come in ready, so you get treated better.

Minimum standards? Gotta be 18, gotta be a U.S. citizen, and can't have a bankruptcy or a repo in the last 12 months. Our average online car customer makes around $3,000 a month and has not-prime, but also not-awful, credit.