New-car dealerships are the leading source for late-model used vehicles, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2000 Used-Vehicle Market Assessment Study.

Among the buyers polled, 64 percent bought from franchise dealerships, 21 percent from used-car dealerships and 11 percent from private parties.

Chris Denove, a partner at Power and director of the study, said consumers prefer dealing with new-car dealerships because they have the most late-model used vehicles.

The study is based on the responses of more than 6,000 buyers of one- to five-year-old used vehicles.

Buyers also go to franchise dealerships because they have other services such as financing, trade-ins and used-vehicle certification, Denove said.