00:00 - INTRODUCTION - A Pandemic Placeholder Vehicle or PPV - A Car For The Next 12 to 24-Months

01:10 - So What Is a Pandemic Placeholder Vehicle?

The idea for the PPV or Pandemic Placeholder Vehicle came from my search for some target used cars in the $15K to $20K range over the last year or two. I kept finding that, instead of going down on a normal depreciation curve, the prices for relatively new used cars I wanted were actually going in the opposite direction by a substantial percentage.

01:40 - From past experience, I know that when you can't find what you want for a price you want to pay, you have a couple of choices. You can A) Search in a wider area or B) include more vehicles in your search parameters. I did both. I started looking at cars up and down the West Coast of the US and I started considering cars that were much less expensive, and it was the later change to my search that was most helpful.

02:00 - It was surprising to find quality cars at the lower end of the price scale. Sure, these cars were older with higher mileage, but these were still viable vehicle options for use, at least on a temporary basis for the next 18-24 months - sort of a hedge against the inflated new/used car prices until the inventory, computer chip and inflation issues sort themselves out.

02:35 - Now not everyone will be excited to own a car or truck that falls into my idea of a Pandemic Placeholder Vehicle. Ego is a powerful force and there are many people who won't drive an older car. However, there are many interesting cars available at reasonable prices that many people would consider to be "cool". And they're so inexpensive compared to new or near-new vehicles that it's at least worth considering a PPV vehicle to drive for the next year or two.

03:00 - What To Look For When Shopping For A Pandemic Placeholder Vehicle or PPV

First, vehicles that qualify for PPV status (at least in my opinion) were the ones that were most popular back during their model year. These were the cars people wanted to buy back in 1990, 2000 or 2005. Think Car and Driver magazine's 10-Best vehicles or MotorTrend magazine's Car of the Year or Truck of the Year award winners. There was a reason they were great then and it's part of the reason why they're still interesting vehicles today, as long as they're in good condition.

The best examples are one or two-owner vehicles, they're accident free and have a clean title.

All the cars I found that qualified for PPV status were well-maintained with records to prove the maintenance work was done. The interiors, exteriors and mechanical systems on these cars and trucks were in at least good condition or better. While they were driven regularly, they also had low mileage compared to more typical examples of vehicles from their model year.

Finally their combination of current price and condition makes them an outstanding bargain for a car or truck you can drive and enjoy for the next 18-24 months while we wait for the impact of Covid-19 and inflation to hopefully pass us by.

4:45 - The "GBC" or Good Basic Car Category

Now that we have an idea of what a PPV or Pandemic Placeholder Vehicle is, let's take a look at some recent used vehicles that fit into the PPV category.

05:05 - First up is a 1992 Honda Accord EX