Buying a Car

J

jbrun85

CAGiversary!
So I figure this is the place where cheap-asses come to congregate. I also tend to trust this forum more than the regular internet.

I'm thinking about buying a used car in the near future and I was wondering what I should be looking for. I dont know a lot about cars.

I'd like to spend 4000 dollars tops, but the less the better!
I've always driven automatic, but i could probably learn to deal with a standard.
I live in western Massachusetts (didn't know if region affects car prices, etc.)
I'm just looking for a reliable, fairly efficient car. Not really concerned with speed/power/style.


So how about it guys? any tips on what I should be concerned about/looking for? (mileage, etc) Any cars that are typically OK in that price range? is carfax worth it? Where should i be looking (craigslist, autotrader)?
 
0. A car is a way to get from point A to point B faster than walking or biking and nothing else.

1. Carfax is worth it.

2. If you go through a dealer, you have to pay their salary and lot rent. So, buy from individuals. Look through your local paper for divorce announcements if you aren't in a hurry.

3. Have any car looked over by a mechanic before buying.

4. No matter how well a car is maintained, every part on a car lasts a certain number of miles or years. The more miles or years on a car, the more likely some random part will be wearing out.

5. Use cash to get a better discount.

6. Cars depreciate at roughly 15% per year. The less you spend, the less you lose.
 
How about a 1987 Toyota Corolla?

Manuals are a little cheaper than automatics (and a little more efficient if you drive them right), but I don't know if it would be worth it, that's up to you. Region definitely affects prices, but you don't have much of a choice.

I found mine listed on autotrader, so you can look there if you want - I would buy through a dealer so you can some kind of warranty for at least a few months and they might fix up some little shit for free just to get you to buy it. You can probably get a late 90s or early 00s Honda or Toyota for under $4k that's reasonably reliable and efficient, but it will probably have ~150k miles on it and might last another 50k-100k if you take really good care of it. An equivalently priced American car will have fewer miles and be newer, but might be less reliable and efficient and probably won't really last any longer.

I got my 99 Ford Taurus in 2004 for $5k. It had around 42k miles at the time and it still works pretty well now at around 75k (besides the battery being dead right now), but I'd honestly be surprised if it made it too far past 100k miles before just falling apart. I haven't had to do too many repairs to it now, but the transmission is jumpy (which is common) and the ABS light likes to go on and off so I don't really know if it works. It only gets ~22mpg average though, so you'd probably want something more fuel efficient.

So it depends really on how long you're expecting to keep it and how much of a gamble you want to take with the reliability (I'd say get a foreign car, but you never really know). And get the carfax, the dealer might do it for you if you go to a dealer.
 
I like to think that I am quite mechanically minded, but I really know nothing about cars. In the past my experience has basically come down to swapping out a tapedeck for a cd player and switching speakers around. in other words, I know nothing, but am not incapable.

I know there are no guarantees in used cars, but i'd like something that I basically just buy and don't have to worry about things except for scheduled maintenance for a while.
 
According to some of the various dealers I've listened to:

Hondas have a high trade-in value due to the cars being known for longevity. Toyotas are similar. NEVER buy a used Kia, they are cheap cars designed to run a few years then get thrown out. (They also offer little crash resistance, according to a prior landlord's wheelchair-bound sister.)

Cash is definitely the way to go, the more you can pay cash, the more leverage you have.

As far as visiting lots go, charity-owned lots (if you have any around) tend to offer better prices, but no guarantees for quality. Go early in the morning to nab the 'good cars', you may get lucky and find a nice trade-in just hitting the lot (my fiance got a 2000 Mercury Sable in 2001 that way- some rich couple just needed to get 'the new model'.)
 
[quote name='jbrun85']I know there are no guarantees in used cars, but i'd like something that I basically just buy and don't have to worry about things except for scheduled maintenance for a while.[/QUOTE]

That's all going to depend on how much you drive and how long you want it to be that way. Even if you get a newer car with fewer miles they're all going to fuck up eventually and the previous owner has already had it through its better years.

Getting a car under $4k and having it last 2-3 years driving maybe 10k miles a year without anything major breaking isn't too unrealistic. 5 years or more probably isn't going to happen. And if you're driving a lot then it's going to break quicker. Some cars are better than others, but that's just how it is.
 
Settle on a few makes, models, and years (a range is good 95-97 or something like that). Then google the holy bejebus out of em. Look specifically for recurring issues, recalls, and parts that seem to continually go out. 2000-2003 Nissan Sentras have a problem with the window mechanics that require a $300 part every 2-3 years. It is well documented on the tubes. That's precisely the kind of thing you should be looking for.

Listen very closely to the car when you test drive it. If an automatic, punch it in 1st gear and see it if makes a thunk sound when it hits 2nd. Smash the brakes and see if it pulls. Lightly hold the steering wheel and see if it pulls. Ask for oil change/tune up/general maintenance receipts. Don't buy the 1st or the 2nd you see, even if it's a deal. Get a good idea of the range of prices in your area for the car you want and understand what makes the price fluctuate. Ask the seller why they are selling it. Point blank ask what's wrong with it. Point blank ask what they hated most about the car.

crazedlist.org is a fantastic resource. Search your state and every state around you for a specific model and range of years. Doing that for 2 weeks will give you a ton of information about the market and how it moves. 2 full weeks and you'll be able to spot a deal when you see it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
[quote name='SpazX']
Getting a car under $4k and having it last 2-3 years driving maybe 10k miles a year without anything major breaking isn't too unrealistic. 5 years or more probably isn't going to happen. And if you're driving a lot then it's going to break quicker. Some cars are better than others, but that's just how it is.[/QUOTE]

Yep, and if you can find a Honda or Toyota (or maybe a Subaru--though I had bad luck with my old 99 impreza, but my parents put over 200K miles on a couple with few problems) in your price range with decent milage on them (100-150K tops), you'll have a better chance of getting it to last longer with fewer problems.

Other than that, just shop around (dealers and craigslist and other sites to buy directly from owners), get car fax and get a mechanic to look it over as recommended above.

I can't give any real particulars as I've never done used car shopping. I bought my current car (2008 Mazda 3) new a couple years ago, and that's the only car shopping I've done on my own. May parents bought my couple of crappy used cars in high school and the 99 Impreza for me in college.
 
[quote name='fatherofcaitlyn']3. Have any car looked over by a mechanic before buying.[/QUOTE]

This is the absolute most important thing to remember when purchasing a car and can't be stressed enough. I know my AAA membership has a free 104 point inspection to be taken advantage of, and several auto shops around here do free look overs and estimates, all of which you need to take advantage of before buying a car.

Remember, the car salesman is a car salesman for a reason. Just because you don't notice something doesn't mean there is nothing wrong with it, and just because the salesman doesn't mention it doesn't mean something isn't wrong with it. Carfax is also a nice thing to use, but it doesn't tell you anything about rust under the car or any other parts that may be faulty or about to go. Using that in conjunction with some free inspections is definitely the thing to do.
 
hey buddy, a couple words of advice.
1. If the car looks "brand new" and the private party sellers want to get rid of it right away, there is a reason. Do a car fax! Their pretty cheap like $20 or $30 I think for 3 cars.
2. Take it to a mechanic you can trust. A family mechanic is even better. Some mechanics don't know shit. Like those that work at Jiffy Lube.
3. If your going to pay cash make sure that you have someone with you. Some people can jump you and run away with your money. Happens a lot.
4. If your going to be dealing with Autotrader, be extra careful!!! There are a ton of scams where people are selling cars that are either stolen, salvaged (not all salvaged cars are bad) or not even own the car and take your money through an online escrow company. For instance, I saw a 2002 Honda Civic EX for $4200 with 75k miles on it. I thought it was a steal. Turns out the guy had a fake number, only talked online, and everytime I asked him for his number he would beat around the bush. And he came up with some bullshit story about how he lives in Iraq and he wants to buy his dream car which was a 2007 fully loaded piece of junk Mustang. And he kept telling me he would take $3500 on this online escrow company. LOLOLOL scam A 2002 Honda Civic EX with 75k for $3500 when its KBB Value is around $6500-7000...I think not. Be careful dealing with private party and private party online.
5. Only buy from a dealer if its last resort. They are just like Gamestop. They give you $1200 for your car and resell it for $3000 plus all their fees. Plus their warranty on used cars are an average of 30 days.
6. Do your research on a vehicle, like getting a car fax, checking its crash star rating. Making sure that it was well maintained. The transmission has no leaks and its shifting ok, and the engine and all its seals are intact and working. Also see if the vehicle has any problems with people writing reviews. Trust me, this is a big investment. Don't rush into the first thing you see.
7. I'm probably going to get a lot of s**t for saying this but... STAY AWAY FROM AMERICAN CARS. They are absolute garbage. I don't know how much I can stress this. Anything that is at least 5 years or older that you buy is going to break down on you. Even if you take care of it. Their just crappy cars.
8. Look for 98-01 Honda's, Toyota's or Mitsubishi's. Great little cars. Good engines. Excellent quality, good on gas (get a 4cyl) and make sure they have front wheel drive. I'm sure it snows where you live. 100k-120k miles on one of those cars is nothing. If you take care of it you can easily get another 75k - 100k miles or even more. My neighbor has 1 million miles on his Honda CRX. And the more miles the less expensive. But at the same time your car is more prone to parts wearing out. So make sure (cannot stress this enough) you get it checked out by someone you or your family takes your cars to. I have a 98 Honda Accord, 168k miles on it. Runs like a beast. I'm going to be buying another Honda this year. But brand new. ^_^ (Civic SI)
9. Umm lets see...I think that covers it. If I think of anything else Ill update my post. Otherwise, if you have any questions feel free to contact me. I will be more than happy to give you more tips. I was screwed over when I bought my first car. And it sucked. The car looked brand new. It was 9 years old. And the people made it look nice. I bought it same day cash for $4000. 2 weeks later tranny and all the seals failed. Ended up putting 3k into the car. I was so sad...
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Stop using the word mechanic, its making my eyes hurt. Here in the automotive world we are called Technicians. Just thought I'd chime in.

If you like a certain kind of car, have them take you for a test drive ( if its a private seller). LISTEN to how the car run and drives, if you hear knocking, feel wobbling....and anything out of the norm then take caution. When buying a used car from a dealership, dont call them first, just show up and ask to test drive the car...especially this time of year you can hear the actual condition of a car from a cold start up.....you tell the dealer your coming by and they start that thing up for 30min before you get there to get rid of all the funny noises from the engine....trust me. Do your research and use carfax.

Also listen for clicking turning turning if its a front wheel drive.

Look at the exhaust while its parked and running, if you see any kind of abnormal smoke coming out the back end there is probably an oil leak (blue tint) or and coolant leak (white tint).

If its a manual transmission pay extra attention on how the car takes off, if you're getting and shudders or you hear and grinding noises even if the clutch is slipping while shifting the clutch is going out. Also pay attention to the free play on the clutch peddle, there should only be 0.5" to 1.00' of movement and this should be tested with you pinky finger.

I could go ON AND ON AND ON, but this is just the basics.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If you can find a mid-80’s Mercedes diesel, with under 150k miles, go for it. I had one that ran fine up through 280k when I sold it, and I’ve had friends that have had similar experiences.
 
You should be able to find a 96-00 Dodge Stratus / Chrysler Cirrus (or Sebring) which happen to be very reliable cars. I've had several friends/coworkers that have them and love them.. it seems like those things run forever.

My first car was a Chrysler Sebring too.. and I never had one single problem with it. I just wanted an upgrade in engine.

So, I now drive an 05 Dodge Magnum R/T.
 
Here's some advice for you about my very similar situation 3 years ago:

I bought a fully loaded (leather and all) 99 Buick Regal 3 years ago for $3000. It had 109,000 when I bought it. Drove it for 3 years, ended up with 156,000 on it no problems. Sold it for $1500 when I bought my 08 Civic. The guy who I sold it to drives it every day--8 months later. It also got 27 mpg on the highway with good power.

Certain cars just drop in value faster, especially American cars. Chevy, buick, Pontiac, and Ford. Avoid Dodge, heard too many horror stories. Kia, Suzuki, and Hyundai drop quickly in value, and you either get a good one or a bad one I've heard great stories and bad stories about those as well, as with any car.

For a bigger car, you can probably get a nice Monte Carlo, Grand Prix, Impala, Malibu, Regal, Century, or Taurus for that price. I don't like small American cars (Cobalt, Focus), they feel cheap.

Smaller cars would include the Civic, Corolla, Sentra, Lancer,and Impreza. Probably a Corolla is going to be the cheapest, but you may have to settle for manual locks and windows, not many features at all. I prefer the Civic becaue I'm tall and fit in it a lot better than a Corolla. (My wife has a Corolla, my knees touch the dash while driving, my Civic gives me plenty of room.)

The Sentra is a decent little 30+mpg machine. Import cost more because they last longer, but with proper maintenance any car can last a while. Realistically, you can expect 200,000 miles on most modern cars. Imports and American included. After you hit 150,000 there may be major repair looming, but you never know, no matter what you buy.

Anyways, my best advice is to try and find something you like, drive everything you can get your hands on and don't be fixated on one car in particular. When I bought my Civic I was looking for a Ford Fusion, i just liked the Civic better.

When I had $4000 for a car, I looked at imports, but couldn't find very many that had few miles, in good shape, and not 20 years old for a low price. I went with the American car (Buick Regal) because I could get a little more for my money. Leather, CD, Tape, Power mirror, locks, and windows were features I really wanted.

The way I looked at it was at that price it has almost lot all of it's value and I got 90% off the car if I bought it new.

Check www.edmunds.com for reviews of vehicles. They're really good.

Any questions--pm me I'll be glad to help.
 
Another option is to go to a car auction however it's best to have a tech with you so they can inspect the vehicle. For example I got a 2000 Ford Police Interceptor from a county auction for 1100. It's a decommissioned police car but in great shape with 100,000 miles. However, I know most of the sheriffs and they let my brother in law and one of his co-workers who works on Fords look it over with a diagnostic machine. Only thing wrong was an O2 sensor. The car is an absolute tank and easy to work on to boot. Previously I had a 88 Honda Accord LXI that was good for about 2 years then the tranny went out (which is something they are notorious for). The only other advice I have is DON'T buy a Chevy Cavalier they are one of the most expensive cars in the long run.
 
thanks for all the advice guys! please keep it coming. haha.

I've been spending a lot of time looking at cars on the internet, and I think in the next week or so I might start checking out some in person.

Looking for cars is hardwork!
 
I'd look at a Dodge Intrepid. My family has had one for quite sometimes, and it is the ONLY car in our family that never has problems.
 
[quote name='FroMann']Buy Japanese.[/QUOTE]

This.

American cars are less reliable but are cheap to fix, European cars are more reliable but expensive to run, Japanese cars are reliable and cheaper to maintain, so you get the best of both worlds.

Carfax is definitely worth it as has already been mentioned.
 
for $4000 get a honda or toyota.

y? because they can take a beating and abuse better than any other car, so at $4000 you have a less chance of getting stuck with a crappy car then if you would be buying a 4k american or euro. Also because you dont care about style/power/luxury.

Use cash, buy from a person if possible
use autotrader and search for 3 months if there is no rush
request a carfax
bring someone who KNOWs something about cars with you
always test drive and BEAT on it when you do so if it dies you know it sux then and there not later

these are just a few tips i can provide, there are many more but this should do for a quick basis.
(ie: i like american, korean and euro cars too, im not bias i'm just being realistic for his situation)
 
If you're buying from a business saying you have cash is a bad thing. Dealers make money on the back end (financing) if you go with them (if they offer you a lower rate why would you not.) If they know there is no financing money to be made, you're less likely to get a great deal.

The lesson? Always say as little as possible on payment. You have nothing. When you're paying cash, or a considerable down payment you break it out in the finance office, after the numbers on the vehicle are written up.

Private sellers you can negotiate a little better though with cash. Just make sure you make it clear you're going to finalize the deal in a public place (Starbucks works well.) You never have cash on you until the end, because yes you can get setup / robbed.
 
[quote name='jbroush99']Buy a Toyota. The accelerator may stick on you but that means you'll get there faster![/QUOTE]


Civic beats the hell out of Corolla, hands down.

Corolla = slow and effecient
Civic = Fast and stylish
 
If you do go with a Honda, be aware of the possible high cost of replacing O2 sensors and catalytic converters. My Civic is an HX model (lean burn). I was sold on the fact that these models get 39 mpg on average (combined city/hwy), however, I'm throwing a CEL now for the catalytic converter. That alone is gonna cost me $230 - $330 plus probably another $100 or so for install. The O2 sensors on these models also run in the neighborhood of $200. Just FYI.
 
[quote name='benjamouth']American cars are less reliable but are cheap to fix, European cars are more reliable but expensive to run, Japanese cars are reliable and cheaper to maintain, so you get the best of both worlds.[/QUOTE]

this is completely false

well, depends on the year...

but i dont think you know anything about these things you talk about.
 
[quote name='dbrev42']fuck that[/QUOTE]

I agree. fuck that. Everybody says that Japanese cars are 'more reliable', but hell, I've got a 15 year old blazer, and she's running fine. We also had an 88 Suburban that ran up until the day we sold it. (We still see it driving around.) And at work, we only buy American work vans. They don't last long, but they take one HELL of a beating, and they last a lot longer than they should.

My family has only ever had 2 Japanese cars. The Honda died at about 120k miles, and my Nissan blew a connecting rod and destroyed the engine at 103k. Japanese cars are no more reliable than American. Buy whatever car you want.

Personally, I'd just wait for a friend who's selling one. You usually get a bit of a deal, and you usually don't get fucked over.
 
Personally I would look for a Neon (Dodge or Plymouth), or a Dodge Stratus or Chrysler Sebring (Stratus and Sebring are the same car basically). I have a stratus currently, used to have a neon which was over 100k miles with no problem. My stratus has 60k with no problems either.
 
OK Guys, Thanks for all your help so far. Along with things ive been reading, and your posts I think I've narrowed myself down to a few car models based on price, mileage, age, and gas consumption, (decided to stick to 4 cyls only) I didn't put honda or toyota on the list, because they seemed to be more expensive. If I came across one that was a good deal though I would definitely have a good look at it.

Here's the list... Thoughts?

Ford Focus
Hyundai Elantra
Hyundai Accent
Nissan Altima
Dodge Neon
 
[quote name='burritoman']Civic beats the hell out of Corolla, hands down.

Corolla = slow and effecient
Civic = Fast and stylish[/QUOTE]


You've got to be kidding me.

EDIT: Although American, check out a Taurus or Impala. They are very common, reliable, and you should be able to snag one in good condition easily for under 4k
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top