If you need a new car, but do not have the means to buy new, there are many options available to get a good car for less money. Generally, the best way to find affordable cars for you is to use a remarketing service like Manheim. Manheim is the biggest of these services and runs a variety of auctions and financing services to help make cars cheaper.

Manheim hosts GSA auctions, which are government run auctions that sell off equipment the government no longer needs. This is the kind of auction that the Blues Brothers got their infamous Crown Vic from. Currently, space shuttle parts are being sold alongside government vehicles on the GSA website. If you cannot make it to a GSA auction, Manheim also markets OVE, which is a site that allows automobile wholesalers to conduct business with potential buyers online. The site lets sellers get their automotive stock sold much faster than traditional auctions.

Another online auction broker similar to Manheim is SmartAuction, sponsored by the car manufacturer GM. SmartAuction sells unreconditioned automobiles to GM dealers, that are then sold to customers at a discount. OpenLane is a service similar to OVE, and is also partnered with Manheim. OpenLane allows resellers to communicate and sell their automobiles directly to their buyers.

To get an affordable car, you can also look into insurance auto auctions. In these auctions, cars that are written off as total losses by insurance companies are salvaged and then resold. Manheim hosts similar auctions that resell salvaged automobiles. These cars are all sold as is, and may have been damaged by fire, flooding, or a collision. As a result, these cars will likely take a lot of time and money to get back on the road, but they are being sold at a fraction of the price of regular cars. To see more, read this.