[legion]

Used cars are way more profitable for dealerships than new cars. They can be marked up over 100% over what they paid for them.

There are three parts to most car deals: the cost of the new(er) car, the value of a trade-in, and the financing. Dealership employees are trained to figure out which part(s) of the deal are important to you and to screw you on the part you aren't paying attention to.

They may screw someone on a trade-in, say give them $4,000, and put it out on the lot for $12,000 and accept $8,000, making you feel like you got a deal. They convinced the guy who traded it in that their car was a rare version and hard to sell and to accept a low price, and convinced the guy who bought it that it was a rare version and worth a premium.