How to Buy a Used ATV or UTV on the Cheap

ATVs can be toys, but they can also be work vehicles for people who work on farms and ranches. UTVs carry two to six people plus equipment. They are often work vehicles, whether you’re maintaining a golf course or traveling from repair job to repair job at an industrial site. These vehicles can be expensive new, and they’re subject to heavy use and abuse. That’s why the best option is to buy them used. Here are a few tips on how to buy a used ATV or UTV on the cheap.

Know the Alternative Search Terms that Cause Others to Miss Deals

Most people know to search for ATVs or UTVs. Yet you’ll miss half the potential matches if you only search for deals using those terms. Do searches for four-wheelers and quads as well as ATVs. Search for side-by-sides as well as UTVs. They may even be called work trucks or commercial golf carts. You can narrow the process down by searching for the manufacturer and model but leaving out terms like UTV and ATV altogether. You may find the listings posted by amateurs that don’t know how to describe the vehicle with the terms the majority of the customer base will use.

Check Out the Options at the End of the Season

ATVs and UTVs are often bought by hunters and outdoor enthusiasts at the start of the season. A surprising number of them decide it isn’t worth it at the end of the season. This means the market will be flooded at the end of duck season, deer season or after the harvest, depending on your local market.

Visit a Used Car Dealership

Car dealerships will often invite people to trade in whatever they have in order to get them to buy one of the new or used cars on the lot. This means used car dealerships may be stuck with used UTVs, ATVs and trailers that their normal customers aren’t interested in. That’s why you might be able to get a discount on a UTV when you’re buying a used car in Charlotte.

Hit the Less Obvious Online Marketplaces

You’ll find a lot of UTVs and ATVs on websites that cater to that like ATVtrader and ATV classifieds. Hit other online marketplaces so that you can find the hidden market. You could start by searching Facebook marketplace or neighborhood buy and sell sites. You could find a local UTV or ATV being sold for less than one on a specialized website. Hit eBay motor listings and Craigslist. You don’t know what you’ll find, but you might find the model you want at a great price.

Is there a local ATV club? Find their private discussion forums. You may find the vehicles they’re listing for sale. Or pick up the classified section in the local newspaper. There are older people who may be listing a vehicle for sale there, and it isn’t available in a general web search the way a Facebook classified ad would be. This means there’s less competition for the ATV or UTV.

Use Cash

You can get a significant discount if you can offer them cash over asking them to risk accepting a check from you or paying the processing fee to accept payment via a credit card. You might also get a deal if you offer them an extra forty or sixty bucks for any and all gear that goes with the vehicle.