Whether your family celebrates December to Remember or any yearly events, the winter holidays have been a good time to buy a new car, as dealers would cut prices to tempt bargain-hunting shoppers.

These seemingly great offerings were meant to clear out the inventory while giving shoppers a look at the new models.

While many dealers are still trying to push end-of-year showroom traffic in the previous year’s shortage, buyers will most likely find the limited picking and prices high. According to Mark Schirmer, spokesman for Cox Automotive, an industry consulting firm, new-car inventory as of mid-November stood at about one million. In a normal year, three million vehicles would be offered for sale.

With a limitation of affordable new cars on showroom floors, buyers are turning to the used car market. That’s good news if you’re selling: The retail prices of previously owned cars on dealer lots have skyrocketed, with the average topping $30,000.

In November reported that used car prices were up nearly 40 percent since March 1, 2020. In a normal year, Mr. Schirmer said, prices drop in autumn. But this year, wholesale prices of used vehicles increased 4.9 percent in the first 15 days of November, according to the Manheim Used Vehicle Value Index.

Many buyers are hesitant to spend lavishly on a new car, let alone on a used vehicle. But since a car is often a necessity, many can’t wait and will pay the going rate. (According to the American Public Transportation Association, 45 percent of Americans have no access to public transit.)

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Does anyone have your back when buying used? Large, franchised car dealers have a reputation to protect and don’t want to deal with regulatory agencies or answer to lawsuits, so that’s a plus for the buyer. Many offer a limited warranty, often 90 days or 6,000 miles. Certified pre-owned vehicles, which are offered by the dealers of most automotive brands, are inspected and come with better warranty protection. The prices reflect those extras, but all things considered, a certified pre-owned car is most likely your safest bet.

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One key resource for any shopper is Carfax, which provides vehicle history reports for cars that have been previously registered. The reports are reasonably accurate and will at least let the buyer know if the car was damaged in an accident and its recorded mileage at the last transaction. Most dealers will provide a Carfax report, but consumers can obtain one at carfax.com by entering the vehicle identification number. Beware of printed Carfax reports provided by a seller; they can be fake.

Since the price of a used car from a retail dealer is now closer to what many are accustomed to paying for a new car, are there alternatives? Carvana and Vroom are among the enterprises that sell used cars online and deliver them to buyers who never visit a lot.