Carmakers couldn't turn out enough vehicles to keep dealers' lots full. But last month, according to Cox Automotive, new vehicle inventories hit their highest level since 2020, and the process of buying and selling new cars is reverting back to some of its pre-pandemic ways too.

Drawing on the databases of most online marketplaces including Craigslist, Autotrader, and CarsDirect, AutoTempest offers the largest online car marketplace, making it our top choice as the best site for comparing used cars. AutoTempest was developed in 2008 as an aggregator of online classifieds for cars.

We're on the cusp of a shortage of used cars, with supply down 4% from January 2023. There are roughly 800,000 fewer used cars to choose from now, with an average list price of $28,859. That average price may be down 2.9%, but it's still 36% higher than what it was in January 2019.

There's no rule to how many miles on a used car is too much, but by attempting to stick to the 12,000 miles per year rule is a great place to start. Find out how old the car is, multiple the number of years by 12,000, and if the number on the odometer is significantly higher than that, some concern might be warranted.