This is a great time to buy a quality used car, according to Smart Money. For the price of a new midsize, consumers can drive away in a luxury sedan that's loaded -- and still newish.

Last year's zero percent financing deals on new models squeezed used-car prices downward, and then the purging of rental-car fleets as the travel industry tanked post-Sept. 11 loaded used-car dealers up with even more supply.

Now, with a flood of 1999 cars (a blockbuster sales year) coming into the used-car market from leases and trade-ins, there are more appealing choices out there every day, Smart Money said.

Plus, the increased reliability of cars overall and the prevalence of certified programs have made used cars a less risky proposition.

Soon, it may get a little more competitive in the showroom, as improved employment numbers translate into more buyers with bucks, predicts Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

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