By name: used-car-search description: Search for used cars from reputable large dealership sources and present a curated catalog. Use when the user asks about buying a used car, finding a car within a budget, searching for vehicles in their area, or any variant like "find me a car under $X", "used cars near me", "looking for a reliable sedan", or "what's available at CarMax". Trigger even when the user doesn't explicitly say "used car search" but is clearly shopping for a vehicle purchase.
Used Car Search
A structured framework for finding used cars from reputable large dealership sources. The output is a markdown table the user can scan in under a minute to identify promising options, with direct links to each listing.
Required inputs
- Location — City, state, or ZIP code where the user plans to purchase.
- Price range — Maximum budget. Default to $5,000 if not specified.
- Purchase timeline — When the user plans to buy. Assume within the next 2 months if not specified.
Optional inputs
- Car type — Sedan, SUV, truck, hatchback, etc. Consider if specified, otherwise search across types.
- Make/model preferences — Specific brands or models the user prefers.
- Mileage limit — Maximum acceptable mileage.
- Year range — Minimum model year.
Approved sources
IMPORTANT: Only search from these reputable large dealership and marketplace sources:
- CarMax (carmax.com)
- Carvana (carvana.com)
- AutoTrader (autotrader.com)
- Cars.com (cars.com)
- CarGurus (cargurus.com)
- TrueCar (truecar.com)
Do NOT include under any circumstances:
- Facebook Marketplace
- Craigslist
- Private party sales
- Small independent dealerships
- Auction sites
Workflow
- Clarify constraints — If location or budget is missing, ask before searching.
- Web search — Use web search to find current inventory matching user constraints from approved sources.
- Filter and rank — Prioritize by value (price vs. mileage vs. year), reliability reputation of the make/model, and deal ratings if available.
- Present as table — Output a markdown table with the columns specified below.
Output format
IMPORTANT: Always present results as a markdown table with these exact columns:
| Year | Make | Model | Price | Mileage | Location | Source | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Honda | Civic | $4,800 | 62,000 | Austin, TX | CarMax | View listing |
The URL column must contain a clickable link to the actual listing where Oliver found the car.
Include 5-10 options that best match the user's constraints. Below the table, add:
- Top pick — One sentence on which car offers the best overall value and why.
- Budget note — If the budget is tight for the location/preferences, note what trade-offs exist (higher mileage, older year, different type).
- Next steps — Remind user to check vehicle history (Carfax/AutoCheck), schedule a test drive, and verify the listing is still available.
What this framework rejects
- Listings from non-approved sources
- Cars without verifiable pricing
- Salvage or rebuilt title vehicles (unless user explicitly requests)
- Results older than 7 days (inventory changes fast)