Open Today Sales: 9 AM-9 PM
At this price most lots sell you a vehicle as-is and wish you luck. Our extended certification tier reaches 15 model years and 150,000 miles, which means an affordable used car here can still be inspected, recall cleared and warranty backed. Free Carfax on every one.
This is the trap at this price point and it catches people constantly.
A $12,000 car sold as-is with a transmission on the way out costs more over two years than a $16,000 one that was inspected first. The purchase price is the number you see. The repair bill is the number that actually decides whether this worked. And if the budget was tight enough to be shopping under $20,000, an unexpected $3,000 repair is not an inconvenience, it is a crisis.
Which is why certification matters more at this end of the market than at the top of it, not less. Somebody spending $60,000 can absorb a surprise. Somebody spending $14,000 usually cannot.
Most manufacturer certified programs stop at five or six years, which is exactly why affordable used cars are normally sold as-is. Our extended tier reaches much further. What certified covers →
Free, whether the car is certified or not. At this price the history matters more, not less, and you should never have to ask for it or pay for it. One-owner vehicles →
Trades come in from every brand and we sell them rather than sending them to auction. The certification is not limited to GM vehicles either, which most franchise dealers cannot say.
Past repossession, bankruptcy, thin file or no credit history at all. Down payment varies genuinely, from nothing down to around $500 or more depending on the application. Credit financing →
Honest ranges rather than a sales pitch. Stock varies constantly, so treat these as guidance and call to see what is actually on the ground.
Generally ten years old and up with real miles. Perfectly workable as a commuter or a first car if it has been looked after, and the history report matters more here than anywhere. Certification is not always available at this level, so ask.
Where most of the sensible options sit. Compact SUVs, sedans and the occasional older truck. Enough choice that you can afford to wait for the right one rather than take the first.
Often within the standard certification tier rather than the extended one, meaning newer than 10 years and under 100,000 miles. Frequently the better value once you account for what you are not going to spend on repairs.
Frame and underbody condition, brakes, tires and a service history that exists. Everything else is negotiable. Those four are what turn a cheap car into an expensive one.
Four things worth knowing, whether you buy from us or not.
A 120,000 mile car with a clean underbody is a better buy than an 80,000 mile one with flaking frame rails and corroded brake lines. Get anything you are serious about on a lift, anywhere you buy it.
As carefully as the accident section. A car with no records for eighty thousand miles is its own warning, even with a clean Carfax. Consistent oil changes on a high mileage car beat a low mileage one with nothing recorded.
Run the VIN at nhtsa.gov regardless of who is selling it. Certified vehicles here have recalls completed before listing, but never take that on trust from any seller.
The single most commonly deferred item on an affordable used car, and around $600 to $1,000 when it lands. Ask what is on it and how much life is left before you agree a price.
Very often the two go together, and it is worth saying that neither one disqualifies you here.
We submit applications to more than thirty banks and lenders, a number of which specialize in credit challenges rather than treating them as an exception to decline. Past repossession, discharged bankruptcy, collections, thin file, no history at all. Down payment varies genuinely: some applications approve with nothing down, others need around $500 or more, and any dealership advertising one figure before seeing your file is quoting a number that will not apply to most people.
The reason certification and credit connect at this price point is simple. A loan paid on time rebuilds a damaged credit file, and the thing most likely to derail that is a repair bill you cannot absorb. An inspected, warranty backed car is not a luxury in that situation. It is the difference between a plan that works and one that falls over in month four.
Currie Motors Buick GMC 1551 W. US Highway 30, Valparaiso, IN 46385 Sales, Service and Parts: (219) 246-4505 Hours: Mon–Fri 9 AM–9 PM, Sat 9 AM–7 PM, Sun closed
Stock at this price moves fastest. Call and we will tell you what is on the ground today, which tier it falls under, and what is on the tires.
Our online inventory shows vehicles across the Currie Motors group, not only the ones standing here. CarBravo certification applies to what is in stock on our lot, and it is the program that can certify any make rather than only its own. Call (219) 246-4505 and we will tell you what is physically here and how it is certified. Certification tiers, warranty terms and exchange conditions vary by vehicle; ask to see the coverage document before you sign.