Used car prices are surging. Here's why you should buy now

Carol Rice stands with her recently-purchased 2003 Ford Ranger Wednesday, March 15, 2023, in Shawnee, Kan. Rice's timing to buy the truck was ideal, taking advantage of a recent dip in used car prices which now appear to be heading back up. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Well, it was nice while it lasted.

For nearly a year, the average used vehicle in the United States had been edging toward affordable again for millions of people. The relief felt belated and relatively slight, but it was welcome nonetheless.