Desire to buy a car - Food for thought?

Foo228

Foo228

CAGiversary!
Feedback
124 (98%)
What's up

I am interested in getting a car, used most definitely, but I don't know where to look and what to look for.

Sure, low mileage and a mechanic's inspection are on my list.
Other than that, I don't know what's up.

4 doors would be nice, although not necessary. Sedan-type of vehicle.

Any possible sites or general information that may be deemed useful would be most appreciated.
Zip code is 44129 if it helps any, too.
I can't believe he just put his zip code out there!

Specific info on car deals would be :drool:

Thanks.
 
First off, you need to decide how much you can afford. It sounds like you're kinda young so you'll also need to consider how much insurance will cost you(if you're a single guy under 25, prepare to get gouged).

Secondly, you're going to need to narrow down what you're going to be using the car for and then pick a few. Saying that you'd prefer 4 doors doesn't really mean much.

Thirdly, once you know what car you want, go to cars.com to get an idea of what full dealer pricing is and then to edmunds.com to see what people are actually paying on those cars in your area. Test drive a few cars in price range and class; you might want a Honda Accord but like the Toyota Camry more and a Nissan Maxima even more! At this point, don't even bother to consider buying just yet because you still have 2 more very important things to do.

Go to a credit union and get pre-approved for a loan and do as much research into negotiating at a car dealership as possible. I'm talking taking a few hours a day for at least a week from all corners of the internet. This will give you more preparation when salesmen/women start using their tactics on you to strip you of every penny they can. Going in with a pre-approval will give you extra leverage so that they won't hit you up with higher interest and try to lie to you about your credit score.

When you eventually are ready to sign away, bring the pre-approval, a copy of credit score that's less than 30 days old, a friend that's familiar with the process that can talk some sense into you if you start going over your head, pricing reports from edmunds.com, same car listings from cars.com with similar features for pricing, a check and credit card. If you are going to take the car to a garage for a pre-purchase inspection, then you won't need to know anything yourself. If a dealer makes this difficult and you really want the car, you're going to need to know how to look for damage, which means more research time on the internet.

edit: Prius is actually a good option because of gas and another thing to take note of is buying anything less than 2 years old will only save any excise taxes because used cars are at a premium right now.
 
Right on, well the price range is preferably under 5 thousand, at most 7.

If I knew what I was looking for, I would gladly look into cars or edmunds.com.

Is it possible I get pre-approved for a loan without any history of credit? A parent could co-sign...
That does sound like a way to save a lot of hassle.

Looked up the Prius on cars.com - surprisingly the first listed was 7k 2002, others averaged 12.
122k miles, though.

Oh yea, the primary usage of the car will be going to and from college, hour round-trip everyday.
I've been busing too long.
 
Lol @ prius... if you want to go 0-40 mph in 3 minutes.

Do not rely on mechanic inspection, they do not guarantee anything... so they can pretty much sign off without ever examining the car. Get someone you personally know that's good with cars and take the car out for a rough test drive.

Make sure the car has a clean title. Rebuilts usually last a couple of years before they need massive overhauling, so unless you plan on switching cars within a year or so, make sure it's clean.

5-7 after taxes / fees is very low ... don't think you can get much that's gonna be fuel efficient + reliable

122k miles is not good either - try to get something at least below 75k

I suggest either a Corolla or Civic.
 
[quote name='Dead of Knight']Prius.[/QUOTE]

Prius' only sell because they are hybrids. If being (slightly) more environment friendly means you are willing to spend thousands more at a mechanic in maintenance over the life of the car, then be my guest. Also, personally I think they drive awful, but that's only my opinion.

That said if fuel efficiency is your goal, there are several non hybrids that fit the bill nicely. The Civic and Accord get good MPG as does the Corolla. You might also look at the Versa from Nissan.

Edit: Can't read... I would agree about not going over the 75k miles if you can help it. Corolla seems like a really good fit for your price range.
 
[quote name='Foo228']Right on, well the price range is preferably under 5 thousand, at most 7.

If I knew what I was looking for, I would gladly look into cars or edmunds.com.

Is it possible I get pre-approved for a loan without any history of credit? A parent could co-sign...
That does sound like a way to save a lot of hassle.

Looked up the Prius on cars.com - surprisingly the first listed was 7k 2002, others averaged 12.
122k miles, though.

Oh yea, the primary usage of the car will be going to and from college, hour round-trip everyday.
I've been busing too long.[/QUOTE]
If you're just going to be commuting to school, just get yourself a Civic or Corolla. If it's been taken care of, it'll last forever if you continue to take care of it. They won't be sexy, but it'll do the job cheaply. If you're folks are going to pay for a majority of the cost of ownership, then you're good to go and should consider yourself a very lucky kid.

The problem is if you need a co-signer on $5k, you probably can't afford a car on your own. You're still going to have gas, maintenance, and INSURANCE. It wouldn't surprise me if insurance will cost you more than what the car is worth over 3 years. What I would suggest is to save up your money and not bother to get a car until you can pay for it in full and have at least 2 years worth of expenses because an older car WILL have things you'll need to take care of within 3 years like tires, brakes, various fluids, etc. Any loans will have high interest because you don't have a history of credit. Hate to paint a dim picture, but better for someone to tell you the truth than blow smoke up your ass imo. Good Luck!
 
When I get home ill research the civic, corolla, and the accord.

Thanks again. My parents will cover most, thankfully.
 
trust me when I say this, at least it's true for me:

you want a car until you have a car.

after a while of thinking of where else you could be putting your money (house, investments, toys, things you actually enjoy using daily that don't require much if any up keep), you suddenly realize there are so many better things in life you wish you had the money for than a lame ole car. If you are in a big city with good transportation systems (Portland, San Francisco, Palo Alto, etc...) I would try and get as far as you can without a car. They can be for the most part money pits.

I had a Vespa for a year, I live in Oklahoma, I did not use a car and yes I made it through the winter in the middle of Oklahoma. It was rough, but so fucking fun!

Edit: I ended up owning a used Lexus, if it matters and it's the first car I actually like. It's their SUV. I paid in cash though. Previously, I owned a 2008 Civic Si Mugen.
 
I got my first car when I was 15 and I'm 20 now (which I assume you're about the same age). I'm on my second car now. I was lucky enough to have my dad pay for both. (He actually gave me his spare car when mine blew up.) Anyway, my advice? Buy a junker car and learn how to work. :D

I started out with a $300, 1993 Nissan Altima that had a manual transmission that I couldn't drive. :/ But I loved that car and I did all the work myself. New exhaust, new clutch, oil changes, brake pads, air filters, starters, hoses, etc. It was an incredibly valuable experience for me, especially now that I'm in college and broke.

I never liked car loans, and especially when you're already paying for college, they're not something that you want to have to worry about. Saving up $1,500 of you own money and buying a used car from a buddy will save you a lot of money. Like I said, you'll have to put some work into it, but it'll be worth it, and you'll be saving bank.

But if you don't take my advice about that, trust me on this: used car salesman are crooks. I would NEVER buy a car from one. I know several of them personally and I've seen family members get shafted way too often. Unless you're at a certified used dealer, don't expect to walk off the lot with a good deal.
 
I'm right down the road in Parma Heights and my advice is avoid all the local dealers. I was able to find my wrx at a place called the bereaautomall just south of Hopkins and I liked the guys there but otherwise when I was car shopping with my gf, everything around here was stupidly overpriced. Target a car make/model you want and get approved for a loan and buy from a private seller. Don't be afraid to ask to take it for an inspection either ... will cost a few bucks but its a big investment and can save you A LOT down the road.
 
If you're going to keep it that low, go private sale. You can easily pick up something nice for 5k less what dealers would try to charge you since most people are desperate to get the car off their driveway. Just keep lowballing different prospects until one cracks. The last car I owned before my Z came from a guy I kept refusing offers on and after two months he dropped the price by two grand and it was mine. Just don't be hasty if you can avoid it and the best offers will come to you, not the other way round.

The hardest part about car buying is remaining neutral and not getting yourself attached to a car. Trust me, no matter how much you think you love a car: any of them will do once you've had it for a couple months. Granted, don't buy something in dire need of repairs unless you're a mechanic. That's just wasting your time and money.
 
[quote name='b3b0p']
after a while of thinking of where else you could be putting your money (house, investments, toys, things you actually enjoy using daily that don't require much if any up keep), you suddenly realize there are so many better things in life you wish you had the money for than a lame ole car. If you are in a big city with good transportation systems (Portland, San Francisco, Palo Alto, etc...) I would try and get as far as you can without a car. They can be for the most part money pits.
[/QUOTE]

His location is listed as Ohio, so probably not much of an option.

Unfortunately there aren't all that many places in the US where public transit is good enough that you can get buy without a car without getting around being a major headache.

I'd have a hard time giving up a car personally. It's just nice to have the convenience of being able to go where ever you need to go anytime you want and not having to worry about what time the subway quits running or if the bus is on time etc. And it's a pain to get groceries unless you live a block or two from a grocery store etc.

But they are money pits for sure. I'll be glad to have my car paid off in a few months. Gas isn't a big deal since I'm like 3 miles from work, and do most of my shopping with in a couple miles of my condo, so I generally only gas up once a month or so.

Insurance for me isn't as bad as it used to be since I'm in my 30s and have a clean record. Maintenance can be a money pit, but I just got the extra warranty on my car this time as my last car had a lot of issues right after the 3 year default warranty was up, so I'm mostly covered on that front for a while.



Back to the main topic...I agee with dohdough that a used Civic or Corolla would be a great option. Good combination of value and reliability. A used Subaru Impreza is another solid option. Stay away from used US company sedans as they don't tend to be very reliable, especially older models.
 
[quote name='Hybrid5006']Lol @ prius... if you want to go 0-40 mph in 3 minutes.[/QUOTE]

BULLSHIT. I know because I have one. It is really not that bad. You only think that because a lot of Prius drivers are douchebag hypermilers.
 
If you live in So Cal and under 25 prepare to take it in the butt from the insurance companies. That is why I don't drive its just to insane these days.

The mass trasit in So Cal sucks major ass but its still better than paying for some of the highest gas, insurance, and registration in the nation.
 
Thanks for the vehicular purchasing tips.

[quote name='Access_Denied']I got my first car when I was 15 and I'm 20 now (which I assume you're about the same age).

But if you don't take my advice about that, trust me on this: used car salesman are crooks. I would NEVER buy a car from one. I know several of them personally and I've seen family members get shafted way too often. Unless you're at a certified used dealer, don't expect to walk off the lot with a good deal.[/QUOTE]

Good call. 20 and after going to a couple dealers, I could tell I was on my way to be swindled.

[quote name='QiG']I'm right down the road in Parma Heights and my advice is avoid all the local dealers.[/QUOTE]

Whoa, neighbors - that's pretty cool.
I've heard the auction is a good venture, I'll need to go with my friend that knows cars.


[quote name='Jodou']If you're going to keep it that low, go private sale. You can easily pick up something nice for 5k less what dealers would try to charge you since most people are desperate to get the car off their driveway.[/QUOTE]

Avoid dealers - got it.

[quote name='dmaul1114']His location is listed as Ohio
Unfortunately there aren't all that many places in the US where public transit is good enough that you can get buy without a car without getting around being a major headache.

Back to the main topic...I agee with dohdough that a used Civic or Corolla would be a great option. Good combination of value and reliability. A used Subaru Impreza is another solid option. Stay away from used US company sedans as they don't tend to be very reliable, especially older models.[/QUOTE]

We do have a fairly robust busing system, but to be quite frank I'm tired of waiting for the scheduled routes at the times that aren't opportune.
The convenience is the main perk.

When I'm hunting I'll be using those cars as guides.

[quote name='Dead of Knight'] It is really not that bad. Prius[/QUOTE]

I don't know cars. If my buddy recommends it and it's a reasonable price, that's fine by me.
 
I bought an '99 Accord for 7k last year. tho thanks to my fathers GREAT negotiation skills, that 7k got upped to 10k due to an 'extended warranty" by a 3rd party, that I have a now 4 years left on my loan. Now my Accord had 66k original miles on it and had a title and CARFAX as clean as a brand new car.

My best advice is to make damn sure there is a CARFAX report, and try and get a car thats as under 100k miles as much as possible, and certainly make sure that there are meticulous service records.

If its a 1 owner car, and the previous owner kept strict records your golden. Also, if you can afford it, buy a "certified" pre owned. Only reason why my Accord wasn't certified is because it fell a couple years past the Honda qualification to be "certified". It was only on the lot a week before I bought it. All service records were in my glove box as well, and it literally was a "Sunday driver" car. Even still had brochers from a trip to Myrtle Beach (as me and the previous owner are from the Virginia Beach/Norfolk, VA area), that the previous owner had taken lol
 
[quote name='Foo228']
We do have a fairly robust busing system, but to be quite frank I'm tired of waiting for the scheduled routes at the times that aren't opportune.

The convenience is the main perk.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Going without a car is really only an option (i.e. not a major headache) if you're in a major city that has a great subway/rail system along with the buses and cabs etc.

Just having a bus system isn't doable IMO as the schedule is too restrictive and it takes forever to get to the far side of the city etc. with all the stops and traffic.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top