What Are The Chances Of Getting A Good Used Car?

[terestrife]

note: the title is pretty much my question, my post is just me venting my frustrations. lol

For anyone that doesnt know me, i recently started working for the first time. I dont have a car anymore, my old car finally gave up on me. After years of it breaking down, and needing expensive repairs... i sold it for $500 thats how bad it was.

dont get me wrong, i was grateful i had any car at all. my frustration stems from needing to use loved ones cars, and not having my own.

i am very new at my job. so my fear in getting a new car is losing my job. but im scared to get a used car and have it break down constantly.

my brother is a mechanic, and says he will help me out. but when we ask him for help he gets upset, and complains. lol

i dont know what the best thing to do is. i have good enough credit that i could get a good car without a down payment. but my hope is to move out of my brothers house this year. having a car bill on my head every month will put more on my plate. im making $13 an hour.

im just having a bad day. im living in a house where i have to put up with my brother complaining about my cats all the time. Hes so childish that if one of my cats goes to his side of the house he grabs something and makes noises to scare them away. Yesterday he got a foam toy and was tapping my cats legs to scare her away. he didnt hurt her. but it frustrates me.

im grateful for my brother, he lets me stay here without paying rent and has helped me out.

but at the same time he does things that makes me feel unwelcome here. he put a door in the middle of the house, and keeps his dog on the side that i live. he doesnt want his own smelly dog on his side of the house. I love Tommy, but the point im making is how what i want doesnt matter. now that my mom is gone (the original owner of this house) my voice doesnt matter here.

I feel better now that i have a job. But i fear i will never have my own home. im scared things will never change and i'll be stuck here forever.

sorry for the long post, just been having a bad day.

 

[neely]

I'm sorry for your living situation but regarding your question about a good used car I can tell you we have had good luck in the past. However, we have always taken the car to a mechanic we know and trust for inspection, not a relative because it can be awkward if the car ends up having problems. I'm sure a used car dealer might be more expensive than a private party but sometimes they include a warranty. I would suggest taking your time and obviously taking the car for a test drive. If the party selling the car doesn't want it to be inspected by a reputable mechanic that's clearly a red flag. Best of luck!

 

[MeganLLB]

My family has always gone to dealers and always bought used cars. I was able to get a 2012 Toyota corolla with only 7,000 miles on it. And elderly lady owned it and only drove it around town. Try to get a car with under 100,000 miles.

And as far as your living situation, I can relate. I am finally in my own apartment and life is 100 percent better living by myself. I have so much student loan debt that I fear I may always be renting and never own my own home. But still being by myself is just loafs better than having to live with family or roommates.

 

[Blakeney Green]

My car was used and is excellent, but it's really a matter of going to a trusted dealer and that even with a used car you get what you pay for. A used car will always be cheaper than the same car new, but to get a reliable vehicle you will generally need to be prepared to shell out some money.

 

[Ardina]

I bought a used car and it's doing great! Absolutely worth it if you can avoid paying the significant depreciation that cars go through for the first 3-4 years. Definitely do your research first though! I spent a month shopping around, going to several different dealers and looking at cars. I also found it helpful to look up the car's history on carfax before even going to see it. Avoid red flags like flood damage, major accidents, multiple owners, or a sparse service history that tells you that the car hasn't been maintained well. Also, pick a brand of car that has a reputation for lasting a while and can hold onto its value - Hondas and Toyotas are great for that.

I needed a reliable car, so I looked for cars with less than 80,000 miles and also paid extra for a "certified pre-owned" car. Basically, that means it's been inspected by the original manufacturer, given basic repairs, and given warranty for a year. I thought it was worth the peace of mind.

 

[kashmir64]

Try to get a car with under 100,000 miles.

Unless it's a Toyota. They are great cars even with 200,000 miles on them. If you take care of it, it will take care of you.
My old Camry had around 278,000 miles on it and purred like a kitten. Trusted it to take me anywhere.
The only reason I don't still have it, is because the packrats decided to build a condo in the engine and bring power to their new home....poof...fire.
My used (new) Camry has 129,000 and it is very nice.

Do you have a Carmax where you live? I highly suggest buying from them. They go over every car with a fine tooth comb and will not sell if it's not almost perfect.

 

[ArchyCat]

First, with my recent experience with BMW, I can not recommend them, at all.

As for Carmax, I have several friends that have bought cars from them. Their prices are fair, according to my friends. But they will not negotiate on the price. But most dealers have a padded price, to give them room to negotiate. But also, I was told by my friends, that Carmax gives the buyer 5 days or so to return the car, no questions asked, assuming you didn't damage the car during that time.

Another good source of used cars use to be to buy cars from Hertz or other car rental companies. The assumption being that the companies do perform regular maintenance on the cars. I do not know what the current situation is.

Another pitfall is financing. If you can find one you are eligible for, join a credit union teachers, military, etc.). They are nonprofit and are owned by their depositors. At least in Texas. And they have given me better terms than credit from a bank or that arranged by a dealer. God luck and keep us posted/

 

[kashmir64]

I was told by my friends, that Carmax gives the buyer 5 days or so to return the car, no questions asked, assuming you didn't damage the car during that time.

Maybe it depends on your location. Mine came with a 30 day unconditional warranty along with the 5 day return. Try getting that at a dealer when they sell them 'as is'.
But yeah, there is no negotiating.

 

[Boris Diamond]

My most recent used car experience has been good. I bought a certified used vehicle from the Honda dealership. It was four years old, in good shape with low mileage. I paid 57% of original list. I have had it for six years and I expect to drive it for a long time. I have had two problems, other than expected maintenance. One cost $350 and the other cost $75.

Definitely have any used car you are thinking of buying inspected by a professional you trust. Even if you buy a certified vehicle that has a guarantee, it could have a situation that won't cause problems until after the guarantee has expired.

The vehicle I bought was highly rated by consumer reports and the Carfax report was clean - single owner, no accidents, no flood damage, etc. The dealership will often offer you a Carfax report. I went ahead and paid for my own. It was the same as the report from the dealership. I guess I'm just not that trusting. I still would get my own Carfax report.

I looked at other dealers and even private sellers. There were cheaper buys, but I just did not feel as good about them. This was the deal I liked the best. It's worth doing your research. I'm glad I got a good vehicle with a low repair record. It was a well-built vehicle to start with, and it is still in great shape.

I hope you end up with as satisfying a deal as I got.

 

[MeganLLB]

Unless it's a Toyota. They are great cars even with 200,000 miles on them. If you take care of it, it will take care of you.
My old Camry had around 278,000 miles on it and purred like a kitten. Trusted it to take me anywhere.
The only reason I don't still have it, is because the packrats decided to build a condo in the engine and bring power to their new home....poof...fire.
My used (new) Camry has 129,000 and it is very nice.

Do you have a Carmax where you live? I highly suggest buying from them. They go over every car with a fine tooth comb and will not sell if it's not almost perfect.

I agree. Toyotas are good used cars if they've been maintained. Check to see that it's been serviced when it was supposed to be, and they can be good for 300, 000 miles + That's why I got one. I just happened to luck out and find one with very few miles on it. And my mum bought a Toyota that was the display car or floor car or whatever you call it. It was just the car that people take for test drives, so that car had very few miles on it. It was a Camry too.

 

[Blakeney Green]

I love my Toyota! Highly recommend.

 

[terestrife]

Sorry i havent responded, have had food poisoning. i'll read through the post this weekend. thank you everyone for taking the time to respond!

edit: ended up reading through the thread. a lot of helpful information. thank you everyone! made me feel a lot better about getting a used car. i'll check around the places mentioned here. thanks again everyone!! =)

 

[neely]

I hope you feel better soon, food poisoning can be nasty. I had that experience a long time ago and it wasn't pleasant. Please come back to post when you find the right car for you. Best of luck!

 

[foxxycat]

I have had good luck with used vehicles. I buy from this well known used dealership-although I could find cheaper deals with private sales- I like having the option for a car payment and didn't want to deal with the bank myself.

Also check out the classifieds ads=look for someone who is selling vehicle because spouse passed away etc- usually those cars are pretty well taken care of. And yes have the mechanic look it over. test drive it.

One thing I always do=pay attention to the inspection tags on windshield. If it's not inspected in the last year or tags ran out for months=I would be not wanting to purchase. Look under the vehicle to see if anything is leaking-you would be surprised how many cars people hawk as decent cars with a wax job and clean interior...I always look underneath to see if anything is dripping=yes they can move it etc but seeps don't lie and seeing a wet slick on the middle hump part-transmission-always makes me back off on purchasing.

check tires-make sure enough they have enough left to get a sticker-make sure each set is matching-important!

When driving it- go on a curvy hill- make sure no shuddering/clicking etc in steering. test brakes. Accelerate onto highway and get off next exit=make sure all the gears work. Just be aware there could be "clicks/knocking etc" and just make sure none of that is there.

One time I test drove a Tahoe and this rocking noise was very obvious on ramp and the guys says oh you can fix it-I didn't know much about mechanics in trucks but right away I get off and return the vehicle and say thanks but no thanks...he kept pointing out how he wired an Iphone charger in it...um I don't care!! so yes you will find some lemons..it's ok. just keep looking.

also if you know anyone who works in garages at big dealerships=often they have access to free or cheap cars=one year I got a Buick for very cheap money as it needed transmission...I had someone help me with this..$1000 later a new car and I drove that car ffor a long time...the people that had it-didn't want to deal with it and I knew the guy who worked there very well..so look at your connections= you never know!

The dealership I deal with=I can call and tell them price range I am dealing with and they will hunt for said car. my dad did this-he didn't want a fancy expensive small truck..they found him a small chevy v6 little truck for like $1500 and he was happy. still drives it now.

sorry so long...

 

[foxxycat]

oh I never purchased foreign owned-just my preference. Buick is good. You will have no issues in snow/rain. you want Front wheel drive. Most cars are. Also depends on what you are using it for. I prefer wagons/suvs due to always hauling stuff around and I like having a bigger vehicle.

The cars I avoid: KIA-never heard good things about them, Chevy cavalier. Cheap tinny car. Chevy Cruz is the same thing-basic car-I would not buy one.
Ford Feista is an ok car- it's hit or miss with that one from what I hear.
Ford is an ok car- The focus is a good little commuter...several guys own them. Ford Taurus is a nice reliable cheaper car.
I would check out the reputation of said model/year online to see what they have to say about them. Or you can stick to Toyota/Mazda/Nissan types.

I always recommend under 100,000 miles but sometimes even high milage doesn't mean anything. Basically drive it- see how it feels and have your brother or another mechanic look it over. Most won't charge you to put it up on the lift and check underneath-ball joints/frame/front end etc etc.

I bought my truck with only 78K miles- It's now 232K miles and still runs good. so it's hit or miss=personally I don't think it's worth spending $15K on a vehicle- I have always found ones for around $2k to $5K for a bomber to get around..depends on what you want. I always found private sales were easier to negotiate price-especially if you have cold hard cash. Don't be afraid to banter with price. Now it's been many years since I needed a commuting car so I realize prices have gone up considerably.

I also see cars on facebook yard sales-but those I would go over with a fine tooth comb. Sometimes it's better to pay a bit more at a dealership if you don't want the hassle of private sale..it all depends on what exactly you want.