Buying a used car: Advice?

[Jenisi]

So my 99 ford escort I'm calling it quits on and am in the market for a decent used car under 10k. I'm afraid of going to the dealership and being talked into a car I don't want or overpay etc. Any advice?

[Stanley Burrell]

Make friends with a mechanic.

Make friends with spoiled college student over break.

Make friends with buying expensive car for not expensive price.

Make friends with cheap-ass servicing from mechanic.

Make friends with good buy :thumbup:

[Stretch]

If you just don't want to deal with any hassle, go to CarMax.

You're not going to get the best price, but that's the trade off you make for ease of transaction.

Start thinking about looking for financing now, if you're not paying cash.

[Jazuela]

Sometimes you can even get the cheapest price around at CarMax, other than buying from a private seller. It really depends, the deals change daily because they have such a fast turnaround for their cars. One day you'll look and see something you like for too much, the next day you'll see an identical one for the perfect price.

Again it really depends on the luck of the draw with CarMax.

[Warriorbird]

There's anywhere between 2000 to 5000 dollars of profit to a dealer on most used cars, even more on things like SUVs and trucks. There's as little as 200 in profit on new cars. The prices from edmunds.com are pretty decent, as are their advice articles. For the best deal, make friends with someone with small dealer connections who can visit an automotive auction for you. Being a girl helps in that you can make friends with the appropriate folks easier...but salesmen and dealers will try to rip you off more. Do your research on the Internet beforehand.

Added on warranties are often a big area where you can get exploited on, as is financing. The best financing deals for used cars will come from credit unions. If you've got state employee relatives that could be a big boon to you. Having military connections can help in some instances as well. You do not want to get locked in a room with a dealer's finance manager. Those people are THE best salesman onsite at a dealership.

The mechanic advice, while often repeated, is good too. If a dealer isn't willing to slap a tag on a vehicle and let you take it by your mechanic they aren't worth dealing with.

[Soulpieced]

Blow the 30 bucks to get a month's worth of Carfax, and run a report on any used vehicle you are considering buying based off the VIN. Stay away from anything with too many owners, certain locations, and obviously any accidents.

[Gallows Thief]

Also stay away from any car that was once owned by a rental car company. The miles on the car will be some of the most abusive miles ever seen..

[Jazuela]

Carfax isn't all that reliable, because many repairs on most vehicles are never reported. Sometimes even accidents don't show up on them, because fender-benders are rarely reported to insurance companies. If a car has a new engine, the odometer won't reflect that - and you might pass up on a car that has lots of life in it, just because your carfax info says it has 150k miles on it. Check all cars yourself, AND bring the one you like best to a ma-and-pa repair shop that you feel you can trust to tell you everything they find wrong with it, and the approximate cost to repair anything that needs repairing.

[Sean of the Thread]

So my 99 ford escort I'm calling it quits on and am in the market for a decent used car under 10k. I'm afraid of going to the dealership and being talked into a car I don't want or overpay etc. Any advice?

Tinted windows.. very darkly tinted windows.

[Bobmuhthol]

<<Also stay away from any car that was once owned by a rental car company. The miles on the car will be some of the most abusive miles ever seen..>>

I think that kind of depends on the company. Luxury cars don't tend to get banged up very much, or over-rented.

[Gallows Thief]

<<Also stay away from any car that was once owned by a rental car company. The miles on the car will be some of the most abusive miles ever seen..>>

I think that kind of depends on the company. Luxury cars don't tend to get banged up very much, or over-rented.


True. Wasnt even considering them. I was thinking along the lines of the Ford Taurus' that get driven like 4 wheel drives. Not that I've ever done that..

:tumble:

[Gan]

<<Also stay away from any car that was once owned by a rental car company. The miles on the car will be some of the most abusive miles ever seen..>>

I think that kind of depends on the company. Luxury cars don't tend to get banged up very much, or over-rented.


Exactly, because of the rates charged for the luxury line. Most folks abuse the cars easily affordable. Not to mention the larger companies kept up with regular maintenance simply because the investment was worth it in the long run. I know the volvos that I rented from Hertz were some of the cleanest vehicles I ever rented.

Unfortunately, you wont find that level of car for between $5-10K straight from any rental sales lot.

You also get better interest rates from new dealers simply because they'll have incentives to move their inventory whereas you'll have to go through a third party lending institution for a used vehicle unless you belong to credit union (which usually have really good deals on rates for cars).

[Drew]

Take a man with you when you buy a car, have him do the talking.

[Latrinsorm]

Take a man with you when you buy a car, have him do the talking.This is also recommended when you vote. :D

[Drew]

This is also recommended when you vote. :D



Yeah, basically all the time would be ideal.

[Tsa`ah]

I think that kind of depends on the company. Luxury cars don't tend to get banged up very much, or over-rented.

Mileage is mileage, some cars handle it better, some don't.

The transmissions, or rather the TCUs, in newer cars "learn" the operators driving habits. I'd be hesitant to buy a vehicle with a TCU that thinks it's driver is a crack monkey.

Back on the subject of mileage though ... while mileage is mileage, hard acceleration and hard braking tend to be very rough on any drive train. Since rental agencies can't dictate how their customers drive ... it's always safe to assume the worse.

Get an inspection done on any vehicle you're thinking about buying. Most "big box" auto shops offer a buyer's service for 25-100 bucks. They do a pretty thorough inspection of the drive train, suspension, brakes and axles. A carfax report is always a good idea, along with some inspection on your part.

Looking in the trunk (behind carpeting and panels) for waves or bulges in the frame/body panel lines, as well as under the hood. Check the oil to make sure it's filled to the recommended level (overfill is a pretty standard sign of the seller trying to hide a knock). Look for leaks and check the exhaust while the car is running. This should be done before you take it in for inspection to save yourself from wasting cash on a car you could have ruled out yourself.

I also like to open every door and inspect the weather stripping, inspect the seals on all the windows, look for water stains anywhere ... and look at the headliner (feel it for rough spots) to ensure that it's not sitting on top of my head 2 months down the road. If you feel rough spots, it's a good sign that it started to sag and someone sprayed some adhesive on/under it to fix the sag instead of replacing it.

On brands ... nothing domestic has impressed me in years. Mostly it's a quality and reliability issue. Honda (Accura), Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and VW all have pretty good track records in the used market.

I think the best advice I ever received for a used car was to look at the higher end as those vehicles are more likely to have been better cared for. A one owner, 3-6 year old BMW 3 series is more likely to be the better buy 12-18k than say 2 year old Chevy Malibu for 2-3k less. Just avoid fleet cars, and I'd also say any rental. Look for one owners. Anyone that wants to sell you a car shouldn't have a problem with disclosing whether or not the previous owner was a corporation and provide proof.

[Drew]

The transmissions, or rather the TCUs, in newer cars "learn" the operators driving habits. I'd be hesitant to buy a vehicle with a TCU that thinks it's driver is a crack monkey.



You can reset this by unhooking your battery for about 5 minutes.

[Tsa`ah]

You can reset this by unhooking your battery for about 5 minutes.

That's really just the layman's way of hoping your tcu resets. It doesn't work for every make and model in today's market. About the only thing you're sure to do is reset your head/clock unit.

In any car this will work on, just pull your alternator fuse and save yourself some headache.

[The Ponzzz]

I believe by law at a dealership, they have to tell you if the car was used as a taxi, police car, etc. Try to stay away from those if you can. Bring someone who can talk to a car dealer, again if you go that route.

Though, if you have a 10k range for a car, and decent credit, I'd use the ford as a trade in, most dealerships will give you a big value you on it and get a new car. Can get a 2007 Honda Civic pretty cheap right now.

[Silhouette of Doom]

<<I'd use the ford as a trade in, most dealerships will give you a big value>>

A '99 Escort is worth less than $2000 to a dealer, and that's in excellent condition.

[The Ponzzz]

I got 4 grand for my barely running '89 honda in 2004.

[Tsa`ah]

I got 4 grand for my barely running '89 honda in 2004.

I'd like to see the paper work on that ... none the less, it was a different market in 04.

[The Ponzzz]

Wife actually won the car in the divorce.

Though, most dealerships that I have dealt with always can use the trade in to get the most off the sticker price. This was for a Hyundai Accent, new with 7 miles on it.

[Sweets]

Mileage is mileage, some cars handle it better, some don't.

The transmissions, or rather the TCUs, in newer cars "learn" the operators driving habits. I'd be hesitant to buy a vehicle with a TCU that thinks it's driver is a crack monkey.

Back on the subject of mileage though ... while mileage is mileage, hard acceleration and hard braking tend to be very rough on any drive train. Since rental agencies can't dictate how their customers drive ... it's always safe to assume the worse.

Get an inspection done on any vehicle you're thinking about buying. Most "big box" auto shops offer a buyer's service for 25-100 bucks. They do a pretty thorough inspection of the drive train, suspension, brakes and axles. A carfax report is always a good idea, along with some inspection on your part.

Looking in the trunk (behind carpeting and panels) for waves or bulges in the frame/body panel lines, as well as under the hood. Check the oil to make sure it's filled to the recommended level (overfill is a pretty standard sign of the seller trying to hide a knock). Look for leaks and check the exhaust while the car is running. This should be done before you take it in for inspection to save yourself from wasting cash on a car you could have ruled out yourself.

I also like to open every door and inspect the weather stripping, inspect the seals on all the windows, look for water stains anywhere ... and look at the headliner (feel it for rough spots) to ensure that it's not sitting on top of my head 2 months down the road. If you feel rough spots, it's a good sign that it started to sag and someone sprayed some adhesive on/under it to fix the sag instead of replacing it.

On brands ... nothing domestic has impressed me in years. Mostly it's a quality and reliability issue. Honda (Accura), Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Toyota, and VW all have pretty good track records in the used market.

I think the best advice I ever received for a used car was to look at the higher end as those vehicles are more likely to have been better cared for. A one owner, 3-6 year old BMW 3 series is more likely to be the better buy 12-18k than say 2 year old Chevy Malibu for 2-3k less. Just avoid fleet cars, and I'd also say any rental. Look for one owners. Anyone that wants to sell you a car shouldn't have a problem with disclosing whether or not the previous owner was a corporation and provide proof.


What he said. I would take it to a trusted, indepentant, mechanic before buying. Look in every nook and cranny. Ask if it's been in an accident. Look for color differences in the panels and doors. That could mean part of the car needed to be rebuilt. I swore up and down I would never own a large car but ate some crow and bought an 2002 Impala recently. It's a bit older but the previous (and only) owner was an elderly lady. She's in mint condition and gets awesome gas mileage. Best 7000 I ever spent.

[Sean of the Thread]

I got 4 grand for my barely running '89 honda in 2004.

Which means you got screwed on the other end most likely.

[Warriorbird]

Pretty much. Hyundais have higher front ends than most other companies. Dealers love to make you pretend you got a lot on a trade. People in sales (like Mario) were always my favorite marks because they want to deal, always.

[ViridianAsp]

Take a man with you when you buy a car, have him do the talking.


This is actually damn good advice, because most salesmen will try to rip you off because you are a woman. When a guy is in the picture they aren't as likely to try and be a douche and rip you off.


Whenever I was in the market to buy a car I always took my dad or my grandpa with me.

[Sean of the Thread]

Even when you're a male.. good idea to bring a wingman. Even if it's a woman friend to feign some bitching at crucial moments to reverse the pressure.

[Warriorbird]

I agree. The "picky wife/girlfriend" distracts guys from impulse buys.

[Jazuela]

I'd rather see more women educate themselves, do some research about automotives, before they head out to a car lot. I've walked off a few lots in disgust when the salesman tried to pitch "for a woman buyer" before. Telling me how there's room in the middle console for my pocketbook, and don't I think it's great that the driver's seat has a light-up mirror on the shade?

I didn't even ask to see the engine, on that mirror one. I just stood up and walked out. If a salesman has to resort to stereotyping his "mark" then he isn't a very good salesman. On all the cars I've ever bought except my last Explorer, I checked under the hood, checked the rims around each door, crawled under the vehicle to look for leaks and rust, bounced on the back to check the springs, made abrupt turns during test drives to look for unsteady or shakey movement, which might indicate wheel or even axel problems, checked the fluid levels, looked for corrosion around the battery terminals, ran a finger along the body to look for the tell-tale alligator texture indicating body work and re-paint..etc. etc. etc.

Any salesman who tells me about how great it is to have a mirror on the driver's side - well I hope some day they get stuck as a passenger in a car where the driver is putting on her makeup - at 60MPH on the highway. Maybe he'll learn it probably shouldn't be a selling point anymore.

[The Ponzzz]

Pretty much. Hyundais have higher front ends than most other companies. Dealers love to make you pretend you got a lot on a trade. People in sales (like Mario) were always my favorite marks because they want to deal, always.

So true.

But I did walk away with the Accent only running me 10 grand and some change. I figured it was a deal! Granted I lost it to my ex wife...

[SpunGirl]

If you buy new, get the gap insurance.

-K

[Celephais]

I'd rather see more women educate themselves...

I stopped reading here. Your plan is flawed.

[The Ponzzz]

You think the gap insurance is worth it? See I thought they were trying to screw me on that!

(That's the insurance for if you total they pay off the entire car, etc, that the actual insurance company wouldn't, right?)

[Blazing247]

You think the gap insurance is worth it? See I thought they were trying to screw me on that!

(That's the insurance for if you total they pay off the entire car, etc, that the actual insurance company wouldn't, right?)

It's probably the most important thing you can get. In fact, in some circumstances are you REQUIRED to get it.

[The Ponzzz]

See I just didn't think 50 dollars would do that. I figured it was a scam.

[Jazuela]

Actually that's another way of saying what I just said, Sean. A -bad- salesman stereotypes what he -perceives- as his market. A good salesman knows his market well enough that he won't ever need to resort to stereotyping.

In other words - the girl with shiny bouncy golden-blonde hair wearing mascara and red juicy lipgloss, high heels, and a short skirt, MIGHT be a car mechanic, who has the day off and likes dressing "girly" when she's not covered in axle-grease and overalls. When a salesman approaches his mark, and makes assumptions based strictly on what his eyes notice, he is doing himself, his potential customer, and his boss a huge disservice.

[Silhouette of Doom]

...

[The Ponzzz]

Actually that's another way of saying what I just said, Sean. A -bad- salesman stereotypes what he -perceives- as his market. A good salesman knows his market well enough that he won't ever need to resort to stereotyping.

In other words - the girl with shiny bouncy golden-blonde hair wearing mascara and red juicy lipgloss, high heels, and a short skirt, MIGHT be a car mechanic, who has the day off and likes dressing "girly" when she's not covered in axle-grease and overalls. When a salesman approaches his mark, and makes assumptions based strictly on what his eyes notice, he is doing himself, his potential customer, and his boss a huge disservice.

Stereotyping is actually what they teach salemen. Sure you might miss a good sale that way, but more times than not, it will always work.

I'm not what they call the Lizard suit salesman, and I tend to lose a lot of sales when I try to do just what you claim is a good saleman.

So maybe in the consumer's eye, that's good, but it doesn't bring the bacon home...

[LazyBard]

You think the gap insurance is worth it? See I thought they were trying to screw me on that!

(That's the insurance for if you total they pay off the entire car, etc, that the actual insurance company wouldn't, right?)

Always Always Always get gap insurance if you are buying a new car, rolling negitive equity into a car purchase or after all finance charges you owe anywhere near the book value or more of the vechile.

Alot of car insurances like progressive, Esurance etc now offer a limited gap insurance as well normally only covers up to 25% of the book value of the car but only costs you $6 to $8 a month.

Its very easy to total your car without gap and end up with a 2 to 5K bill left over after your primary insurance pays off. And even with gap I have seen some balances up to 2K if people rolled too much negitive equity over into their car purchase.

[The Ponzzz]

Always Always Always get gap insurance if you are buying a new car, rolling negitive equity into a car purchase or after all finance charges you owe anywhere near the book value or more of the vechile.

Alot of car insurances like progressive, Esurance etc now offer a limited gap insurance as well normally only covers up to 25% of the book value of the car but only costs you $6 to $8 a month.

Its very easy to total your car without gap and end up with a 2 to 5K bill left over after your primary insurance pays off. And even with gap I have seen some balances up to 2K if people rolled too much negitive equity over into their car purchase.

Still made no sense why it only cost $50 for it...

[Silhouette of Doom]

How many people total their car vs. how many people have the insurance = how much it costs.

[The Ponzzz]

I understand how insurance works, just at the time when i was offered it, it made no sense.

[Soulpieced]

Don't think I noticed a post on this either - Don't get another Ford.

[SpunGirl]

Okay, here's a story about why gap insurance is good.

My best friend bought a brand-new car for 30k. She puts 5k down, so now she owes 25k on her note. Everyone knows that new cars lose like 5k in value the minute they roll off the lot. She didn't get the gap insurance.

Someone hit her. Totally not her fault, they t-boned her in the intersection, and the insurance company decides to total the car. They decide the car (remember how it lost value?) is worth 25k. That's nice, because it pays off her note, right? But now she's out 5k in cash that she put down, and she's not getting that back, and she also has no car.

Basically, she paid 5k and some change to drive a new car for like a month.

-K

[Warriorbird]

I'm not the biggest fan of insurance companies in the world. I WOULD buy gap insurance if I ever bought new.

[The Ponzzz]

Well, guess the next time I buy a new car, I'll pick it up.

[Sean]

Okay, here's a story about why gap insurance is good.

My best friend bought a brand-new car for 30k. She puts 5k down, so now she owes 25k on her note. Everyone knows that new cars lose like 5k in value the minute they roll off the lot. She didn't get the gap insurance.

Someone hit her. Totally not her fault, they t-boned her in the intersection, and the insurance company decides to total the car. They decide the car (remember how it lost value?) is worth 25k. That's nice, because it pays off her note, right? But now she's out 5k in cash that she put down, and she's not getting that back, and she also has no car.

Basically, she paid 5k and some change to drive a new car for like a month.

-K

Yea that sucks I got lucky with my honda after 1 year it was still worth more than I what i owed on it so I basically got my down back. But similar to this situation the gap never needed to kick in since it was worth what she owed on it.

[Deadelf]

Yep if your buying a new car on payment, buy the gap insurance, waay to many horror stories like Spungirls friend went through.

[Blazing247]

Okay, here's a story about why gap insurance is good.

My best friend bought a brand-new car for 30k. She puts 5k down, so now she owes 25k on her note. Everyone knows that new cars lose like 5k in value the minute they roll off the lot. She didn't get the gap insurance.

Someone hit her. Totally not her fault, they t-boned her in the intersection, and the insurance company decides to total the car. They decide the car (remember how it lost value?) is worth 25k. That's nice, because it pays off her note, right? But now she's out 5k in cash that she put down, and she's not getting that back, and she also has no car.

Basically, she paid 5k and some change to drive a new car for like a month.

-K

That's why it's important to get a lawyer. A coworker was hit recently (other driver's fault) and while the other insurance company paid for the repairs, they were going to call it a day at that. The lawyer went after...depreciation of the car's resale value due to accident (car sustained in excess of 25% of total value in damage, meaning it shows on all title searches), lost wages, rental car, and other misc. charges, all of which were paid.

[Jenisi]

Purchase: Silver 2004 Jeep Cherokee with 39k miles. Fully loaded and it's sexy as hell.

[Warriorbird]

Doesn't sound too bad.

[Jenisi]

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b64/pinkberries17/jeep.jpg

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b64/pinkberries17/jeep1.jpg

I'll take a few more pics tommorow of the interior as well. Leather, electric moonroof/sunroof, heated seats, electric gas gauge that tells me how many miles left in my tank, etc. It rocks my socks.

[AestheticDeath]

Nice! How much was it?

[Jenisi]

15k after tax/tag/title and buying a 3 year warrenty with it and gap insurance

[Jenisi]

KBB at 18,700

[Gallows Thief]

Congrats nice looking ride...

:clap:

[Gan]

Nice buy.