buying a used car

[Spanglerdoo]

I have been to 5 used car places this week but i dunno what car to buy

I only have 5 to 7 thousand to use maybe 8

i bought a autotrader and every other car book


but thats not the prob i'm hoping i don't purchase a lemon


so is there a brand you can recommend that is a winner


all the help i get is appreciated

oh and do they have to tell you if the car was in an accident ??

i'm nervous spending this much money i don't know much about cars

 

[Another_Mod]

First, figure out what kind of car you want (sedan, coupe, domestic or foreign).

Everybody is going to tell you something different, so just figure out what you want.

Then, Search autotrader.ca for your price range.

There's no surefire way to avoid a lemon. One way to lessen the odds is to buy from a brand dealership (i.e., buy a Honda from a Honda). You can insist on seeing the service history of the car (has it been maintained properly? Has it been in the shop for anything non-maintenance related?) Of course, buying from a brand dealer will cost more.

As for accidents, you can ask the dealer to provide checks (CarFax or similar). I wouldn't put too much hope into these. Just take a good look at the car (daylight) and look for differences in the paint colour, specks on/in the paint (evidence of re-spray), in the wheel wells (for primer), etc.

Give us some more details and we'll try to help....

All good advise, however, in her pricerange ($5 to 8 thousand) you won't find anything on a dealership lot. You will be looking at private sales and corner car lots, proably with more than 100,000 k , and 5 or more years old

 

[papasmerf]

Have you mechanic look at it before you buy it.

 

[nihilism]

I also suggest buying a car proof report, prior to making the purchase. Will give you the accident history of the car. So you can ensure you are not buying a salvage car.

 

[doggee_01]

you might be better off putting 5 or 6 down on a new car at 0% finance----just a thought

 

[TeflonJohn]

use BOTH carfax and carproof.

If you only want to spend money on one or the other choose carproof!
www.carproof.com

I use both as well as call the manufacturer with the VIN number to see if they have any info to share with me about the vehicle.
Things you want to inquire about (depending on each car is different) are major services needed (such as a timing belt) and look into if they have been taken care of already, or if its due in very soon time as you will have to account that into the price. I would also do your own research in google and forums about common faults with the car or known issues at a certain amount of km's such as a Cadillac DTS known to blow a head gasket at x amount of km's or Acura TL transmission needing to be re-built at x amount of km's.

 

[El Mariachi]

Hey spankerdooloo .. Clear your inbox .

Hey there buddy.
I have a friend who buys cars and sells them too.
You might want to call him and tell him you were referred to him by his friend....

I will give you his cell number and you could probably go to him and see what he has, tell him what you want, he's an honest man which is why I think you should see him. I bought my car from him a few years ago. Great man..

Let me know if you're interested and ill send you his number.

Let me know ??

 

[WoodPeckr]

Spanglerdoo

Don't forget 'Google' is your friend for finding out exactly what the vehicle is worth, you are looking at and what its reliability ratings are.

 

[SamSmith]

use BOTH carfax and carproof.

If you only want to spend money on one or the other choose carproof!
www.carproof.com

I can get you free access to both.

 

[oldjones]

Don't rush. Do lot's of talking and reading. Watch what's on the road; if no one's driving what you're thinking of, ask "Why not?". Do lot's of Googling; once you get past the ads, you'll get a sense of whether people are happy with that model, or frustrated, and why. Your Public Library should have copies of Phil Edmonston's LemonAid books, for new and used cars. There's lots of general info, and stuff on specific models and their faults. He even had a list of Best Buy Used that served me really well (Nissan Axxess—brilliant car) While you're at the library, Consumer Reports has info about bests buys, frequency of repairs and such.

Don't rush.

The only sure thing about car-buying is you will pay more than you sell it for. Have your trusted mechanic go over it and tell you, how well it was looked after, and what she/he sees as repairs on the horizon—especially big ticket stuff like timing belts. Bottom line: whether this car is decent value for the money. And when that info and the planets are properly aligned, take the plunge.

Don't rush.

Two things to remember: How much you saved compared to new—which can cover a humungous lot of repairs you hopefully won't need—second, if they sold it, so can you.

PS: Everyone will have a prejudice: after nothing but used cars, and lots of new rentals, mine is to avoid domestics. They're cheap to buy, and repair, but you pay in other ways.

 

[Cassini]

Choose vehicles that are easy and inexpensive to fix. I'm pretty much convinced the advantage of pickups is that they are relatively uncomplicated compared to many passenger cars, the parts are easy to access, and they are sold in very high volumes, making aftermarket parts easily available.

On the other hand, the vehicle I am currently driving requires dismantling the intake manifold to change the thermostat. It also requires pulling the front wheel and all associated supports to change the coolant pump and/or timing belt. Replacing thermostats, coolant pumps, and timing belts are very common repairs in older vehicles.

 

[Timbit]

Wait... you bought an Autotrader?

Timbit

 

[richaceg]

first, don't just look at any car. try to picture what car you can see yourself driving. that narrows it down. don't look for the best deals. stay on course with average pricing : mileage ratio. some cars are made affordable, some are not. some are gas-savers some are gas-guzzlers. at one time i was choosing between an acura rsx and hyundai elantra. imagine the price difference on both. but you can see the difference in performance from both cars.

 

[opieshuffle]

Also check out...

www.carreview.com (it's US-based but gives you honest feedback from people about the cars they bought)

It's great reading once you've narrowed the choice in what you're looking for.

Op